Zap test dangerous?

[Fullamoon]

Hi everyone,

If lye is so dangerous that we wear glassses, gloves and a face mask, then why on earth is it all right to do a zap test by putting a small amount on your tongue? I tried it one night after making an HP batch, and I had to wash my mouth out with water and brush my teeth. Then I had to take Benadryl because my lips were feeling numb. This "might" have been a reaction to the lavender in the soap, but I will not do it again. Ever.

What other method can I use to determine if my soap is ready? I've read about ph strips (are these the pool ones?). Has anyone used them, are they reliable and where do I find them?

Thank you for any info.

 

[judymoody]

You can wet the soap and then run your finger across the wet portion and do it that way if you don't want to lick your soap directly.

I have never gotten zap so perhaps I'd be unwilling after getting zapped once! I also only do gelled soaps. And if something looked weird - obvious crystals, separation, etc. I wouldn't taste it.

Most pH strips are not 100% accurate. You can buy a digital pH meter which is more accurate. There also is a substance you can use to test your HP soap to see if saponification is complete - it's called pheno something or other. I don't do HP so I'm not sure about the details.

You may find this thread helpful.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... ht=testing

Oh, I looked at your blog and yes, flushing lye burns with water is a much better and safer procedure than using vinegar.

 

[carebear]

The toxicity of lye is NOT an allergic reaction - it's the saponificiation of the oils in your skin. Benedryl wouldn't do squat.

If you reacted that way, it's something else in the soap.

Zap testing is pretty benign. Once I put a bit of raw soap to my tongue and ended up with a tiny blister - but that was freaking stupid of me. Ok, twice, maybe, because I'm a slow learner. But on soaps that are even remotely "finished", the zap is just that - a bit of a zap (like putting your tongue across the contacts of a 9-volt battery).

You don't ever have to zap test. Though pH strips won't tell you much since the pH of soap is pretty high anyway. Just formulate properly, cure properly, and try a bit of your soap - if it's caustic it'll dry the palms of your hands.

ETA: I just read a bit of your blog. Crumbly, chalky soap can be lye heavy. And lye heavy isn't going to be fixed during a cure. Or it could be that it didn't gel, which sounds more likely since it's also soft. In which case I wouldn't touch it for several weeks as might need to finish saponifying. I like that you saved the scraps, but samples for what?

 

[Fullamoon]

Yes i do think it's due to not gelling. Here is my recipe:

Vegetable shortening (Crisco) - 10 oz.
Olive Oil (any brand) -4 oz.
Canola Oil - 2 oz.
Coconut Oil - 4 oz.
Lye - 2.70 oz.
Distilled water - 6.60 oz.

I made the same recipe again, twice. I put one in the fridge and forced the other to gel. The refrigerator batch is not quite as crumbly as my first and I waited longer to cut it. I love how the gelled out came out:

I will re-batch both ungelled batches. Thank you!

 

[carebear]

you don't need to rebatch the ungelled ones, you just need to give them time.

 

[Fullamoon]

Oh! Will I be able to cut them to make cleaner edges once they've cured?

 

[carebear]

probably, but I cannot tell you for sure.

 

[newbie]

I read in your original post that you tried in on a batch of HP soap. I don't do HP but isn't the point of it to cook the soap to finish the saponification process? I always assumed HP soaps shouldn't zap at all (unless it's a lye heavy batch) once you pour. Also, I don't know if your lips would become numb from zap- tingly and a little burning perhaps, but maybe it was from your FO, unless you didn't rinse out as well as you thought.

I test my ungelled soaps after a few days to determine if it's done, so I've gotten zapped a few times. It never seems that bad!

 

[Fullamoon]

I'm pretty sure the tingly was from the EO because I felt better within 5-10 mins. of taking Benadryl. So I'm still not able to do a zap test that way, unless it's unscented. I am very sensitive and allergic to many things. That plus I'm not crazy about the possibility of putting lye to my mouth.

 

[carebear]

I read in your original post that you tried in on a batch of HP soap. I don't do HP but isn't the point of it to cook the soap to finish the saponification process? I always assumed HP soaps shouldn't zap at all (unless it's a lye heavy batch) once you pour.!

Yes, and no. Just as with CP, HP won't zap when it's fully saponified. but the trick is to know when you reach that point. I have a hard time judging when HP is "done" and tend to overcook it, so I do zap test along the way.

 

[aussie girl]

fullamoon, your soap looks beutifull!!
you can test your soap for excess lye if you use phenolphthalein, it is a clear liquid.
It will turn pink in the pressence of an alkali or an excess of lye.
I am not sure if this will work for hp soap but it might be worth a try.

I usually use my tongue which terrified me at first but i have only been zapped once and it wasnt too painfull.

hope it all works out

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Your soap is very pretty. I don't zap test at all. I just give it time. :wink:

 

[Dragonkaz]

Your soap looks amazing!

 

[kelleyaynn]

fullamoon, your soap looks beutifull!!
you can test your soap for excess lye if you use phenolphthalein, it is a clear liquid.
It will turn pink in the pressence of an alkali or an excess of lye.
I am not sure if this will work for hp soap but it might be worth a try.

I usually use my tongue which terrified me at first but i have only been zapped once and it wasnt too painfull.

hope it all works out

It will work for HP soap.

 

[Jerry S]

testing for high lye....

where do you purchase phenolphthalein?? At a soap supply?
Jerry S

 

[Fullamoon]

Thank you all for the great information and encouragement!

 

[kelleyaynn]

Re: testing for high lye....

where do you purchase phenolphthalein?? At a soap supply?
Jerry S

I know you can buy it from Amazon.com or AAA Chemicals.