# A Good Loaf Decoration Soap Recipe



## zolveria (Apr 8, 2015)

I created this soap to help me with my layer creation. I needed a soap that did not set quickly. Trace to a while. 
I normally separate 1 pound and mix one while the other sit a waits for me to color etc.

The lye at 120 and the oil at 90 .. 
I do not wait to trace to add my Red 28 or any color to this batter.
I also have a double boiler going. 
If you are adding things to suspend IE poppy etc wait to thick trace.
To hasten trace place in double boiler and use mixer.

Coconut oil 40%
Olive Oil 25%
Soybean Oil 25%
Stearic Acid 2%
Lard ( pig or beef ) 8%

fragrance at 0.5 ( I use extreme pure fragrance) 
super fat at 5 %


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## tbeck3579 (Aug 8, 2015)

Thanks for sharing this.  I was looking through the recipes trying to find a reliable, stable, but economical recipe to produce.  I like my recipe which is similar to yours but it isn't economical -- not terribly expensive but not cheap either.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 8, 2015)

Also, for the vast majority of people, that much CO would make this a well layered soap that they cannot use.


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## tbeck3579 (Aug 8, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Also, for the vast majority of people, that much CO would make this a well layered soap that they cannot use.



I'm not sure what you mean by "well layered"?  Mine is heavier on the OO because of my skin type.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Aug 8, 2015)

As in, it might be a good recipe for layer creation, but might be too harsh for many people to use


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## debikers (Sep 7, 2015)

Yes, doesn't CO dry your skin out?


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## shunt2011 (Sep 7, 2015)

debikers said:


> Yes, doesn't CO dry your skin out?




Yes, it would likely be too cleansing for many folks.


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## shunt2011 (Sep 7, 2015)

debikers said:


> Yes, doesn't CO dry your skin out?




Yes, it would be way too cleansing for many. I personally wouldn't make this for myself or customers. There's more to soap than just appearance. 

Some folks might actually be able to use it though


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

so what oils would I use to make a good moisturizing soap? i am currently using olive oil and coconut oil. I would like something more "greasy". I also made a HP soap with beef tallow and canola oil. which is better for dry skin and  moisturizing to the skin?


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

That much CO would make me peel like a snake, unfortunately.  I really like the bubbly effects of CO, I wish I could use it in higher amounts (usually stick to no more than 15-18%), but alas, it is not possible.  Debikers, I have one word for you:  lard.  It is not greasy in soap, but man, does it make a nice, non-stripping bar w/rich, creamy lather.


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

i have been looking at lard recipes. should i add lard to my existing recipes or just use a lard only recipe???  and thank You!!!!!!


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

I am one of the resident lard fanatics (there are a lot of lard fans here, you will see!), so I use it in high amounts (usually b/w 60-75%.)  I add 7-8% castor, and then more or less split the remainder b/w OO/Avocado and CO (I do like to keep the CO at a minimum of 13-15% to give the castor more to work with in terms of bubbles).  As much as I love lard, I think adding in other oils just creates a certain synergy that makes the bar so much nicer.

ETA:  For what you are looking for, you are going to want to keep your cleansing numbers low, and your conditioning numbers higher, on the soap calcs.  I have super dry skin, and keep the cleansing numbers in the v. low teens.  That does not mean the soap won't clean - all soap will clean you up - really it generally goes to the fact that it won't melt as fast (the high cleansing oils usually do), which, IMO, is a good thing.  You get less extravagant bubbling, but it is worth the trade off to me.


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

so lard. How is it different from beef tallow?  i used beef tallow and liked it. how will my soap differ using lard?


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

I like tallow, just not as much as lard.  The good thing is that it makes the bar really hard, but I find it less moisturizing/a tad bit more stripping than lard, and the lather is less creamy.  Also, it traces a little faster, if you are doing swirls (lard is generally pretty slow to trace.)   I think a lot of people find it is kind of perfect to mix the two, there have been some posts about that here recently w/recipes that I want to try myself.


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

not_Ally, i am running these numbers through soapcalc. what do you think?

lard 50%
olive oil 20%
coconut oil 20%
castor oil  10%
lye  2.24 0z
water 6.08 oz

hardness 40
cleansing 14 
conditioning 54
bubbly 23
creamy 35


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

or maybe I should do

lard 75%
coconut oil 20%
castor oil 5%??????


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

I'd try the first one first.  Then maybe the second after to see which you prefer.  It will be a good way to see how you feel about the olive, since that will be the only difference.   You really are going about it the right way


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

thanks not_ally!! i love that i can get help from a fellow soaper. I am rattling my brains right now on soapcalc to try a recipe i got from pure and natural soaps. I cant get the % right on anything!!!! its driving me crazy


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

which oil adds bubbles? i have a friend who wants bubbles. can I add anything to my recipe to add bubbles?


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

That first recipe is pretty close to the one that you will see recommended over and over here to beginning soapers.  It will make a darn good bar of soap, is easy to do (won't trace) fast, sets up well, it is just a really nice soap to start with.  Often people starting out will use a bunch of different oils at the same time and then, even if they do end up with something they like, they are really not sure what each oil is bringing to the party, or how they interact.  I didn't go crazy with the oils, but I was really happy when I settled into my lard/CO/OO/castor groove.  I change things here and there and with additives, but that basic mix is perfect for me and my dry skin.  

This is a great place to get help from fellow soapers, people are really generous and helpful.  I am glad that you are here!

What is the problem w/the other recipe and soapcalc?


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

i'm trying lard at 60%, coconut at 30%, and castor oil at 10%, but the creaminess and bubbles are low


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

You really won't be able to tell where the soap will end up for about a month, although I know it is almost impossible not to test before that when it is one of the first few batches.  

I usually cut thin slices of each end and then cut each of those into quarters so that if I want I can test one of the little pieces every week to see how the soap changes.  I promise it will feel very different (especially the lather) 4 to 6 wks out.  I am surprised that the creaminess and bubbles are low with those amounts of those oils, though, how long has that soap cured?  Some people find that castor makes the soap softer/gooier at that amount, but that shouldn't effect the creaminess or the bubbles, I would think (I have never gone quite that high on castor.)  Hopefully someone else will jump in and correct me if I am wrong, though.


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## debikers (Sep 13, 2015)

i've not made it not_ally! i want to make a lard soap, just haven't settled on a recipe yet. the numbers for bubbles and creaminess isn't what i want. will it have less bubbles and creaminess than the 
CP OO/CO/ soap I have been making?


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## not_ally (Sep 13, 2015)

The problem w/the numbers is that they don't really capture everything.  They provide a pretty good starting point in a lot of instances, though.  30 % CO and 10% castor (assuming no goo) should make your bar pretty bubbly.  But that much CO would be *way* too stripping for me.  You can compensate by increasing the SF, but that reduces bubbles as well, and for me I still think it would not work.   It is so dependent on what you need for your skin type that it is sort of a juggling act for a while.  

So I stick w/my basic recipe, which is lower in the bubbly/cleansing oils,  and then add stuff that seems to make good lather for me.  Usually sugar, sodium lactate (for hardening, but I think improves lather), coconut milk (again, improves the feel of the lather for me but by increasing SF may decrease the amount of it), aloe, EDTA (I add this to deal w/soap scum, but I personally think it helps with lather as well.)  You can see from all the parentheticals that there is some juggling in the poor overtaxed soapmaking brain!

ETA:  If you want to experiment w/bubbly oils for your friend, they are pretty much the high cleansing ones like coconut, palm kernel oil (*not* palm oil), babassu.  Plus castor.


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## debikers (Sep 14, 2015)

yeah i hear ya! my brain is working so hard it's steaming!!! I'll figure something out. it will just take time. and this friend, he just wants me to basically invent him a soap for himself to sell, so I am not going to jump through too many hoops for him unless i can create a bar that will be good for more than a few people. That way I can use it also. i have dry skin and thought tallow would be good, but you say Lard will be better than tallow for dry skin?? I have already bought the Lard, so I am gonna try it. just gotta tweak my recipe before i get started. thank you Not_ally for your help!! your the best!


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## not_ally (Sep 14, 2015)

One caution here, it will take a long time for you (or him) to get to the point where the soap will be ready to sell!  This is just the starting point.  Three months after starting, I got rid of all the batches I had made (30+) because I realized they were creating so much nasty soap scum, and I could fix that by adding a chelator/EDTA.  Looking back at the soaps I have made over the last 9 mos (100+ batches), many things have changed in them, colors and fragrances have morphed, the soap changes on cure, it is not a quick process.  

Especially if you tinker a lot w/different oils, the only way to tell what is happening is to change one, wait for a month, see the effect.  Repeat, repeatedly   That is one of the reasons I like having my basic recipe and just changing things one at a time.  It is still not fast, but it is faster than jiggering w/a zillion oils.


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## debikers (Sep 14, 2015)

I agree. You can't keep changing things up. You'll never know what is working and how it's working. I figure if I use a recipe someone else is using, it
Must work. Then I can make subtle changes to see if they make a difference. I couldn't imagine throwing out 30 batches of soap!! I am using mine up myself. I also told "what's his name" (lol) that I thought my soap was very good in the lather department and sort of slick. I was worried about falling in the tub. I do want something that will make my skin soft and not so dry. Again, that's why I am wanting to try Lard. Do you cook your Lard recipe after trace, or just pour it into molds? I've seen it done both ways.


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## not_ally (Sep 14, 2015)

debikers said:


> I agree. Do you cook your Lard recipe after trace, or just pour it into molds? I've seen it done both ways.



By this, do you mean CPOP (Cold process/oven process)?  I usually do myself, but that is very much a question of personal preference, and what you are looking for in a specific soap.  CPOPing/forced gelling usually makes the colors brighter/more saturated and helps the soap unmold faster, but ungelled soaps are beautiful in a different, creamy way.

ETA:  usually the term "cooking" is only used used w/HP.


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## debikers (Sep 14, 2015)

i saw a woman on youtube mix the lard and oils with the lye to trace and then put it in a slow cooker. then she put it in the molds and i believe covered them with plastic wrap and towels. i have watched so many i'm not sure about the plastic wrap, but i know for a fact she put it in the crock pot. i am just a beginner, and i don't have all the answers, but my soaps i have made, have been popular with friends and family. Maybe they just don't expect much lol. and its free!! but I like it and that's all that really matters I guess.


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## not_ally (Sep 14, 2015)

That sounds like HP.  I haven't done that yet, I keep meaning to but going on the the next CP question.  I will defer to the many accomplished HP'er's on that one!

You do have to tell your friend that selling is a long way off though.  Your questions are all good, and I think you are going about things in the right way, but you have to have much more knowledge (and then practice) on each process (CP and HP are v. similar, but have differences) before you should even think about selling.  Most people here recommend working on your soaps for a year before that, for me it would probably be considerably more than that because I am cautious.


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## debikers (Sep 14, 2015)

he is the one wanting to sell soap. I am happy making it and giving it away! i just enjoy the process!! I will be trying different soap recipes to see what I like best. I am only 4 batches into a long trip if I continue to like doing it. Right now I am happy with the CP OO/CO that I am using. The only thing I would like to play with is the castor oil. Just to see if it bubbles more. Thoughts?? Also, what do you use for color??? I cannot decide on a product for CP to color it or do swirls and such. Tried purple Mica on my lavender soap and wasn't happy with the shade. I don't like mica for sure.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Sep 15, 2015)

I would not give that friend any more than 2 bars a month - enough for personal use. 

Plus, it's like any reseller, in that he knows little to nothing about the product he is selling. 

Customer: "Excuse me Mr Soap Selling Man, is this soap okay to use under these conditions?"

Mr Soap Selling Man: (to himself, " no idea, but I don't want to lose a sale") "why of course it is! This soap is hand made in a traditional style, is all natural and more words that mean very little and border on Snake Oil territory. This soap will be perfect for you!"

Your soap should only be sold when you would be ready to do so and WANT to do so.


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## TwystedPryncess (Sep 15, 2015)

I wouldn't diss all micas because one didn't work the way you wanted it to. It's possible you may have not used enough, or too much, or a pigment or oxide would have done a better job. Personally, I love micas, pigments and oxides. They are my go-to's for colorants, but I use all of them, and there are shades. Color is also a live and learn process. I had brick red oxide that no soaper ever has ever had morph, morph on me because I HP'd it.  So, process can make a difference as well. Mica also will not keep its shine in CP unless it sits on top of the soap. 

And I do believe that once you make a good bar of lard soap, you will be forever addicted to the stuff. I will forever more make my personal soaps lardy lardy! It's sooo dreamy--slow tracing, easy to acquire, easy on the pocketbook, makes a creamy lather, makes a dreamy soap. Perfection, I say.


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## not_ally (Sep 15, 2015)

I use everything, micas/oxides/pigments/liquid colorants.  I like them all, for different things.  That is the one thing that I do change up a lot in the soaps, just b/c it is kind of easy to see where/why the changes occur, if they do (I note which colorant I use in my notes, and take a picture so that I can confirm that things have held/changed.)  

Purple/blue micas are more likely to morph generally though, you may have just gotten a morpher.  The only way to try and avoid that is to see if there are any reviews on the web site.  Also I keep notes on the recipe and on the bottle/package if it morphs so that I don't use it again if it was a result I did not like.


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## TwystedPryncess (Sep 15, 2015)

Yes, I have liquid colors too! And some color blocks. The liquid colors I have in my cabinet are bleeders so I have an ombre planned for sometime in the future.  The best thing to do always as our wise NA says is just takes your notes. I use a paper notebook then copy over into OneNote. You can use anything-- Scrivener, Word, a notebook, a bunch of notebooks, whatever you think is handy, then change it later to re organize as it suits. Research the colorant before you buy it to see how it behaves, and work with that. And sometimes, you may just get a surprise no matter how much you research (i.e. my hot processed red brick oxide. It turned a lovely shade of purple. Who knew??)  And then there is mixing your colors to get a color pallette or a certain color you want. Then there is the Umph of not using enough color because you don't want to waste your expensive micas, or get it too dark...etc. Color is a whole world. But learn to love the micas, and all the colors (although I am leery about the NG FUN blocks. Anyone tried those and liked them?)


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## not_ally (Sep 15, 2015)

True, TP, the liquid colorants (also lakes/dyes) do bleed, I don't think I've ever come across one that doesn't.  But I often kind of like that, and the brightness/saturation of the colors, so it works for me, but if you want really crisp/defined layers they are not as good.  I've never used blocks at all, I will have to check them out.  Do you generally like them?


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## debikers (Sep 17, 2015)

thank you all for your feedback. I tried a purple mica and it was pretty, but expensive and i needed to use a lot to get the shade i wanted. Also, do the glycerin blocks for M&P work for CP? just curious. they are more abundant in my area. Mr soap man is taking a class in the near future, so he can learn from someone else. He also said my soap didn't have enough EO in it. I don't want to stink all day for crying out loud.  also, i still want to make lard soap and found an interesting recipe on here this morning. I may try it. I want something for me personally for dry skin as well. It was the 80% lard soaps..ok I get it now thread. can't hurt. thank you all again. I will post as soon as i find time to make it!!!


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