Where do you like your soapcalc numbers?

[unmouton]

It has started becoming necessity that I develop my own recipes, because my budget is not limitless (I've been soaping with some pricey oils) and I'm needing certain qualitites (like hardness, so I can use my decorative molds and not have release issues.)

While I've always played with my own recipes, I've only recently discovered how useful soapcalc.com is. While they have their own recommendations, what range of numbers do you prefer for your hardness, cleansing, conditioning, bubbly lather, and creamy lather?

This brings up my next question- A recipe I just created involved subbing half my olive for soybean oil, and increasing my coconut a bit. My hardness is a 46, but my conditioning is only 50 and I'm worried about my bubbly lather at 20. (Creamy lather is at 26.) Will this not lather well enough?

Thanks!

 

[Norai]

Did you see the page that explains the numbers yet? http://www.soapcalc.com/soapqualities.asp

Looks like the lathers max out at 33 and 35 anyhow, so 20 should be fine?

 

[heartsong]

x

for low-conditioning numbers i increase my lye discount to about 8-10%. youy can make a wonderfully bubbly and conditioning soap using 100% coconut if you discount around 15%

one of my rtcp faves: 60% coconut, 20% olive, 15% cocobutter or shea and 5% castor bean with a 10% lye discount. i melt and blend the oils the night before and soap in the morning. i also use this to make whipped soap using 33% water.

you can sub safflower or sunflower for the olive oil but use HIGH OLEIC oil. that's why i dont use soybean oil anymore-the dreaded orange spots! (DOS). crisco always does well, too.

in the soapmaking recipe and tutorial forum is paul's (soapmaker man) walmart soap recipe. you can get everything at the store, and it makes a nice bar of soap.

with soapcalc you'll constantly be striving for the "perfect numbers!"

good luck!

 

[xyxoxy]

Soapcalc is wonderful for calculating your lye, working out superfat and water discounts, and giving you a general idea of your potential soap qualities... but take those last numbers kinda lightly.

You can drive yourself nuts trying to get to the exact right balance on the calculator and never really notice the difference in the finished product. I mean what DOES 46 look like? Can you tell it apart from 39?

Oh and don't forget that you can add things like sugar and honey for bubbles and salt or sodium lactate for hardness which aren't taken into account by soapcalc.

 

[ChrissyB]

I have learnt to take the soapcalc numbers lightly. Like Monet said, if the conditioning is not high enough for you, up the superfat a little bit. Just do it in one or two percents until you get it up a bit higher to how your skin likes it. I really love 100% Co soap with a 15% S/f. My next challenge is to make this soap with Goats Milk.
I don't pay too much attention to the hardness numbers if there is any olive oil in the recipe because that needs a good cure time to harden up properly.

 

[madpiano]

Re: x

one of my rtcp faves: 60% coconut, 20% olive, 15% cocobutter or shea and 5% castor bean with a 10% lye discount. i melt and blend the oils the night before and soap in the morning. i also use this to make whipped soap using 33% water.

how do you make whipped soap with that ? I have had a look at Nizzi's website, but all the whipped soaps either contain animal fats or crisco so I went away again (can't get crisco here and I am not sure what our equivalent is made of, as it just says Vegeteble Oils on the back)

 

[unmouton]

Thanks! You guys answered my question perfectly. Bummed I can't sub some cheap soybean oil for my olive oil though I'll look for sunflower at walmart.

 

[heartsong]

Re: x

one of my rtcp faves: 60% coconut, 20% olive, 15% cocobutter or shea and 5% castor bean with a 10% lye discount. i melt and blend the oils the night before and soap in the morning. i also use this to make whipped soap using 33% water.

how do you make whipped soap with that ? I have had a look at Nizzi's website, but all the whipped soaps either contain animal fats or crisco so I went away again (can't get crisco here and I am not sure what our equivalent is made of, as it just says Vegeteble Oils on the back)

in the soap recipes and tutorial forum i posted one of my favorite recipes "winter solstice whipped rtcp milk soap" i explain how i go thru the whole process.

monet