greenbarnsoaps
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- Joined
- Feb 13, 2010
- Messages
- 24
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Hi everyone, new here. I've made a bunch of successful batches in the past but i've recently changed up my recipe to try something new...hence my post below....
Backstory: Looked at some of the soft soap forums already but have a question of my own. I made a batch of soap about four weeks ago. It's not slimy or sticky and it looks like typical soap; it's firm when you pick it up but when you press your thumb into it with some pressure, it makes an impression. Also, you can bend it (think a hard taffy). My research has shown it could be 1.) too much oil 2.) too much water 3.) not enough lye. I tried using it and it's INCREDIBLY moisturizing. It has an INS of 154 (per recipe calc), so it is a TAD softer than the "ideal" INS of 160 i've heard of. Three different soap calcs confirm the same lye & water which I followed to a T with a 5% discount.
So, that all said, I'm thinking either my oil balance is too much liquid oil & or unsaponifiables, or my lye is bad (can that happen?). I used the same batch of lye (it's older, from a friend who didn't need it) for my other soaps which were PERFECT. I've never had a failed batch so i'm racking my brain. I certainly know that my batch described isn't caustic which is a relief but it seems to make it harder to rebatch (if it's even necessary, maybe I just have an oddly taffy like soap which actually feels pretty amazing on your skin)
The changes i've made is that i've taken out Palm Kernel Oil flakes which have been a staple. I took them out until I can find a sustainable source of them (I hope soon too, I loved them and my old recipe).
Here's my new mix (in ounces) that i've let cure for the last 4 weeks described in the first paragraph:
50 Olive
30 Coconut
30 Palm Oil
10 Castor
I also made (yesterday) a batch that seems to slooowwlllyy be setting and doing the same thing, it is:
101 Olive
40 Coconut
20 Castor
I didn't think much about it because Castile is 100% olive oil and isn't a mushy soap....and the INS is about 109 for olive...
Maybe an INS of 154 is just this soft? I guess I just assumed that around 160 like my old batch is so hard that 154 wouldn't be this much LESS hard. It concerns me because my batch I made yesterday with the 101 Olive oil has an even lower INS.
HELP and thanks!
Backstory: Looked at some of the soft soap forums already but have a question of my own. I made a batch of soap about four weeks ago. It's not slimy or sticky and it looks like typical soap; it's firm when you pick it up but when you press your thumb into it with some pressure, it makes an impression. Also, you can bend it (think a hard taffy). My research has shown it could be 1.) too much oil 2.) too much water 3.) not enough lye. I tried using it and it's INCREDIBLY moisturizing. It has an INS of 154 (per recipe calc), so it is a TAD softer than the "ideal" INS of 160 i've heard of. Three different soap calcs confirm the same lye & water which I followed to a T with a 5% discount.
So, that all said, I'm thinking either my oil balance is too much liquid oil & or unsaponifiables, or my lye is bad (can that happen?). I used the same batch of lye (it's older, from a friend who didn't need it) for my other soaps which were PERFECT. I've never had a failed batch so i'm racking my brain. I certainly know that my batch described isn't caustic which is a relief but it seems to make it harder to rebatch (if it's even necessary, maybe I just have an oddly taffy like soap which actually feels pretty amazing on your skin)
The changes i've made is that i've taken out Palm Kernel Oil flakes which have been a staple. I took them out until I can find a sustainable source of them (I hope soon too, I loved them and my old recipe).
Here's my new mix (in ounces) that i've let cure for the last 4 weeks described in the first paragraph:
50 Olive
30 Coconut
30 Palm Oil
10 Castor
I also made (yesterday) a batch that seems to slooowwlllyy be setting and doing the same thing, it is:
101 Olive
40 Coconut
20 Castor
I didn't think much about it because Castile is 100% olive oil and isn't a mushy soap....and the INS is about 109 for olive...
Maybe an INS of 154 is just this soft? I guess I just assumed that around 160 like my old batch is so hard that 154 wouldn't be this much LESS hard. It concerns me because my batch I made yesterday with the 101 Olive oil has an even lower INS.
HELP and thanks!
