# Kind of new to soap, have a couple questions



## Iseleigh (Jun 16, 2019)

I'm fairly familiar with soap making and using soapcalc.net, but also know that soapcalc is only kind of a guideline and the true values may not always be as the calculations say, especially if you're using liquids other than water and other additives. I've done some research into the oils and fats I want to use for a project and the opinions seem to differ a bit, so I thought I'd get some opinions from ya'll super soapers.
The project I'm doing is CP soaps for Halloween. I have plans for 4 different ones, and only want to use the following fats and oils:
Tallow
Lard
Corn oil
Crisco
Beeswax
The reason for this is that I'm using an Appalachian theme for the soaps and only want to use ingredients (except FO's and EO's) that would've have been commonly available in the area in the 1800-1900's. Is it possible to make a hard, conditioning, bubbly bar with only those oils? I have limited experience with adding sugar to soap for bubbles and it seem to work for me, and is a possible additive that would have been available, along with blackstrap and sorghum molasses, and honey.
I've got a while to play with ratios, and know that more liquid oils takes a longer cure time and could possibly yield a softer bar. I also know that the fats, oils and additives used can cause slight variations in color and scent in the finished product.
I'm open to suggestions for percentages, colors, molds, and scents. The names of the soaps will be Backwoods Witchery, Appalachian Voodoo, Tommy Knocker, and Moonshiners Majick (though that one is still debatable).
BW- definitely some lilac and rose in this, and thistle and blackberry? Mold ideas anyone?
AV- I'm thinking fallish scents for this one? Apples, sassafras,  and mulberry maybe? Still working on it. I have skull molds for this one.
TK- earthy, like coffee, leather, tobacco, and pine. Still working on this one too. Thought about doing those gem-looking soaps that have gradient colors... then I remembered this doesn't start as a clear glycerin soap. ~_~
MM- no real idea for this one. I was thinking about the area where stills would be located (close to water), maybe mint, birch, and wintergreen? Thought about doing just a regular bar and stamping XXX into it. 

Thanks for any help!


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## TheDragonGirl (Jun 17, 2019)

To be completely honest I would do either a 100% lard or 100% tallow soap, with maybe some beeswax as an additive- although beeswax can be tricky and you have to blend it in at high heat. 100% lard bards are very popular honestly but the 100% tallow will be harder and whiter.


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## Iseleigh (Jun 17, 2019)

I was considering that, but didn't know what the lather would be like. Some reviews of 100% lard or tallow say the lather is wonderful, others say it's barely there- may be a personal preference. The bars I looked up had no additives that would cause extra lathering abilities. I wonder if grass-fed animal fats makes a difference? I've got some lamb tallow in the fridge I could play with, buuuuuut... I have it so rarely I don't want to base a recipe off it.


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## TheDragonGirl (Jun 17, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> I was considering that, but didn't know what the lather would be like. Some reviews of 100% lard or tallow say the lather is wonderful, others say it's barely there- may be a personal preference. The bars I looked up had no additives that would cause extra lathering abilities. I wonder if grass-fed animal fats makes a difference? I've got some lamb tallow in the fridge I could play with, buuuuuut... I have it so rarely I don't want to base a recipe off it.


any sugars would give you a good boost to the bubbles- you might try an all lard/tallow oatmeal milk and honey bar, those are things they would have had aren't they?


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## Iseleigh (Jun 17, 2019)

TheDragonGirl said:


> any sugars would give you a good boost to the bubbles- you might try an all lard/tallow oatmeal milk and honey bar, those are things they would have had aren't they?


I'm not sure about the oats; my granddad says they fed the horses oats but oats were mainly used for animal feed up until a certain point. It's kinda hard to find info on what was readily accessible in my area during those times. Search results are weird and often unrelated to what I type in. I would like to experiment with molasses in the AV bar and I know honey does quite well- I'm planning on putting it in the BW bar.
Edit: Now I'm thinking about it, whether the oats went to the people or the horses they were still there. Duh.


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## IrishLass (Jun 17, 2019)

I haven't made this particular formula before, but based on the fatty acid profile alone, I would probably try making a combo lard/tallow/corn oil soap at these percentages:

Lard 45%
Tallow 40%
Corn oil 15%

Whatever you do, don't go too much higher on the corn oil.....it is very high in linoleic acid which is prone to causing DOS (dreaded orange spots, aka rancidity) in your soap. In any case, it should add some nice conditioning, as well as some mild foaming action according to some.  

For additives, you could go with beeswax and honey. The honey will help boost your bubbly lather. For what it's worth, when I make my beeswax/honey soap, I use 5% honey ppo (about 1 tablespoon ppo) and 3% beeswax calculated as part of my oils on SoapCalc (since beeswax has a SAP#) . If you decide to add beeswax, I would take the tallow down to 37% to make room for the 3% beeswax. As TheDragonGirlsaid, though, beeswax can be tricky to soap, but just as long as you follow some basic rules, you shouldn't run into any drama. These are the steps I follow when making my beeswax/honey soap for a drama-free soaping experience: *https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/my-experimental-honey-beeswax-soap.55689/#post-536352 

*
IrishLass


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## Iseleigh (Jun 17, 2019)

IrishLass said:


> I haven't made this particular formula before, but based on the fatty acid profile alone, I would probably try making a combo lard/tallow/corn oil soap at these percentages:
> 
> Lard 45%
> Tallow 40%
> ...



Thank you! I will take a look at the thread. I've got a block of raw beeswax from a friend who keeps bees- is that okay to use or should I try the refined stuff? 
I didn't mean I wanted to use ALL the oils I listed in one bar... it may have sounded like that thinking back.


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## IrishLass (Jun 19, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> Thank you! I will take a look at the thread. I've got a block of raw beeswax from a friend who keeps bees- is that okay to use or should I try the refined stuff?



I've never used raw beeswax before, but I don't see why that wouldn't be okay. Hopefully more folks who are 'in the know' will chime in on that to confirm. 




Iseleigh said:


> I didn't mean I wanted to use ALL the oils I listed in one bar... it may have sounded like that thinking back.



LOL...well, at least I didn't include the Crisco. 

Actually, a combo of lard and tallow makes for a great soap. Although both have similar properties to each other,  there are a few significant enough differences between them that cause them to be better when used together as a combo rather than on their own, e.g.- lard produces a softer soap with less bubbly lather but is more conditioning, while tallow produces a harder soap with more bubbly lather that is more cleansing. One of my regular 'keeper' formulas contains both lard and tallow.


IrishLass


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## Iseleigh (Jun 20, 2019)

I need to order a digital scale before I go formulating recipes... just realized the one I had is WAY off and there's no way to re-calibrate it.
On another note, I found out that there's a soap and candle supply shop just a few minutes from me that carries all kinds of scents! That means I don't have to visit Hobby Lobby several days in a row to use the "40% off one item" coupon to be able to afford scents! The place I found sells theirs for even less than HL with the coupon. As soon as I get the soap made I will update with pics-  I'd like to keep the fats and oils the same but use a different liquid for each bar to change it up a little.


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## Lilcat9984 (Jun 20, 2019)

I used http://soapcalc.net/, when formulating my recipe. It took nearly a year of research and development, but it was worth it. Then again, you are ahead of the game as you know what you want to use, something I did not. I order my fragrances from Brambleberry and Amazon, as I find they have some of the best deals.


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## Iseleigh (Jun 20, 2019)

Yes I also use soapcalc. There are soooooo many oils to use sometimes it's fun to just play around with formulations. I recently read about algae oil but it hasn't been added to the list yet. It would probably smell weird.
Upon further research I found that castor oil was likely available in the Appalachias in the mid-1800's and I know it was there during the mid-1900's because my granddad (in his late 70's) remembers taking it, so I can add that to my recipe for a more stable lather.
This https://vacandlesupply.com/ is the company I found out about and I can't wait to go check them out. I would prefer to use EO's but due to cost I'm being limited in what scents I can get. Plus, there just aren't reasonable options for some scents I want to use, like Mimosa and Molasses. And I can't seem to find a Mimosa fragrance that is the same Mimosa as what grows around here, which is the tree with fern-like leaves and puffy pink flowers that smell divine. At least, the pictures they use aren't that tree so it's hard to tell.


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## Lilcat9984 (Jun 20, 2019)

https://www.bulkapothecary.com/rain...NwIB4gOE99EiRMTRRQ2Yb96fprp_DHlBoC3oUQAvD_BwE
Here's one that I found on Bulk Apothecary.


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## Iseleigh (Jun 20, 2019)

Lilcat9984 said:


> https://www.bulkapothecary.com/rain...NwIB4gOE99EiRMTRRQ2Yb96fprp_DHlBoC3oUQAvD_BwE
> Here's one that I found on Bulk Apothecary.



I saw that one, but the picture and the mention of cucumber in the scent threw me. The Mimosa trees here are very sweet smelling, almost like candy, with no hint of cucumbers. I'm terribly picky about what I want (lol) and will visit the local supply store before ordering online since I want to know what I'm getting before I buy. I don't think they had Mimosa on the site I posted but the owner may be able to get it or get a sample  I can smell before buying. 
Speaking of hard to find scents, has anyone tried to replicate the scent of fermenting hay bales? It's like apple cider and hay and absolutely intoxicating. I can't even explain it really. I might try experimenting with that...


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## TheDragonGirl (Jun 21, 2019)

Real quick mention since you said something about Hobby Lobby: Make sure the scents you get are for cold process/hot process soaps, the ones at hobby lobby are for melt and pour and will seize your batter usually, and candle scents aren't always skin safe. Good luck!


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## GmaK (Jun 21, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> I'm fairly familiar with soap making and using soapcalc.net, but also know that soapcalc is only kind of a guideline and the true values may not always be as the calculations say, especially if you're using liquids other than water and other additives. I've done some research into the oils and fats I want to use for a project and the opinions seem to differ a bit, so I thought I'd get some opinions from ya'll super soapers.
> The project I'm doing is CP soaps for Halloween. I have plans for 4 different ones, and only want to use the following fats and oils:
> Tallow
> Lard
> ...


Awesome names!


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## Iseleigh (Jun 21, 2019)

TheDragonGirl said:


> Real quick mention since you said something about Hobby Lobby: Make sure the scents you get are for cold process/hot process soaps, the ones at hobby lobby are for melt and pour and will seize your batter usually, and candle scents aren't always skin safe. Good luck!


I didn't know that! I used some of the coconut fragrance (we're talking about the Soap Expressions brand, right?) and it didn't really give me much of a  coconut scent (the neroli EO I used just a tiny bit of is much more pronounced in the final bar) but did speed up trace quite a bit. I'll keep that in mind in the future.



GmaK said:


> Awesome names!


Thank you!


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## RobinRogers (Jun 22, 2019)

GmaK said:


> Awesome names!


It has been my experience that Crisco is unpredictable. The ingredients are proprietary and we don’t know the real recipe for Crisco. I would use all the others you listed. Lard makes a fairly hard bar.

As for colors, you can use some spices and herbs and do lines with coffee grounds. I love natural colorants but the colors are not really as vibrant as some of the micas. I just find that they are more predictable in CP. I like Brambleberry scents a lot!


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## cmzaha (Jun 22, 2019)

When I first started soaping I used Crisco a lot without any problems.


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## Iseleigh (Jun 22, 2019)

My grandma said she remembered her sisters making cakes with shortening so that's why I included crisco. I hadn't seen "shortening" in years til the other day when I was at Walmart. The ingredients look very similar to the recipe IrishLass suggested as far as tallow and lard goes.
Since I found out castor oil was available, I've decided to try a recipe with 45% lard, 3% beeswax, 37% tallow, 3% castor, and 12% corn oil. Does that sound like it would be a good recipe? Of the 4 scents I had planned (now there's a potential 5th, "Granny Woman"... somebody take the internet away from me) I was going to use cow and goat milk, beer, ACV, and legit spring water with sugar to mix up the recipes a bit. Not all those in each recipe, but one different liquid for each scent. The sugars will still boost lather to some degree so I think it should be a well rounded bar (like I would really know). I've ordered a new scale, tallow, and castor oil and am waiting for them to come in.
I was going to use mica and some natural colorants. I've never used colorants before so it will be interesting. I'm planning the following:
AV- black swirled with various shades of green
BW- deep purple, light pink, and deep blue swirl
TK-  grays, blacks, and browns, made to look like stone and earth with veins of silver and gold running throughout and glycerin embeds tinted to look like gemstones. This is a pretty big experiment since I've never done colors before, much less something so involved. Lol
MM- simple, light brown top and dark brown bottom like the old timey jugs, with XXX stamped on it
GW- plain bar tinted a light blue (Haint Blue). Southerners used to paint the ceilings of their porches Haint Blue to keep evil spirits from entering the house.
Now I'm sourcing scents; having trouble finding some. The supply I visited nearby had several very nice scents, but not everything I wanted or even something comparable.


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## TheDragonGirl (Jun 23, 2019)

Make sure and account for the ACV in the lye or you'll increase your superfat, other than that it looks great.


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## Iseleigh (Jun 23, 2019)

TheDragonGirl said:


> Make sure and account for the ACV in the lye or you'll increase your superfat, other than that it looks great.


I'm reading about this and I'm not sure why it increases the superfat but I guess it doesn't matter why only that it does. So should I reduce the superfat to 2% or less if the ACV will increase it? If I don't decrease the superfat how do I know how much extra lye to add?


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## cmzaha (Jun 23, 2019)

45% tallow with 25% lard makes a really nice bar. Adding in whatever else you want for oils. Vinegar or any acid for that matter, neutralizes lye, which is why it ups the superfat. What are you trying to accomplish with the vinegar? It will not lower ph but will make a harder bar of soap. 

To use vinegar, take the amount of vinegar you want to use and mulitply that number by 0.03570, which will give you the amount of extra NaOH to add.  For instance 85 g NaOH x 0.0357 =3 grams extra NaOH needed. This is easier than just trying to lower superfat to compensate


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## Iseleigh (Jun 23, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> 45% tallow with 25% lard makes a really nice bar. Adding in whatever else you want for oils. Vinegar or any acid for that matter, neutralizes lye, which is why it ups the superfat. What are you trying to accomplish with the vinegar? It will not lower ph but will make a harder bar of soap.
> 
> To use vinegar, take the amount of vinegar you want to use and mulitply that number by 0.03570, which will give you the amount of extra NaOH to add.  For instance 85 g NaOH x 0.0357 =3 grams extra NaOH needed. This is easier than just trying to lower superfat to compensate



Oh okay. That makes sense.
I'm just trying to switch up the base recipes outside of fats and oils to make the recipes different. I thought I might include ACV in the Granny Woman soap as it's probably something an Appalachian Granny Woman (basically a mountain herbalist) would have on hand. If it hardens the bars that's even better.
Way back when, before I knew much of anything about soap additives, I made an acv soap (swapped full liquid for acv). I think I was trying to make a dog shampoo bar, been years ago so I don't remember. I found the bars the other day. They're still a little soft and it takes some elbow grease to get the lather going, but once it does it's really thick and creamy. It's also nice for my hair and I haven't been rinsing with acv because I didn't know I was supposed to. Still   learning. Lol


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## Iseleigh (Jun 30, 2019)

I made a small batch of the recipe I decided on for the main batch recipe. 
3% castor
12% corn oil 
48% lard
37% tallow
Couldn't find the beeswax so I dropped it until I *can* find the beeswax. 
I never used colors in soap before, but I think it looks pretty cool. The batter was too thin when I poured so I will let it thicken next time. I used activated charcoal and turmeric.


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## TheDragonGirl (Jul 1, 2019)

Nice!


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## Iseleigh (Jul 1, 2019)

Back to using ACV in soap for a moment- how much is needed to have the effect of hardening the bar? Is it a 1:1 swap or a lesser amount? I did some research and couldn't find a clear answer, only that ACV hardens the bar.


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## artemis (Jul 1, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> Back to using ACV in soap for a moment- how much is needed to have the effect of hardening the bar? Is it a 1:1 swap or a lesser amount? I did some research and couldn't find a clear answer, only that ACV hardens the bar.


Try this post. Made my head swim, but lots of vinegar math:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/index.php?threads/69945/


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## Iseleigh (Jul 1, 2019)

artemis said:


> Try this post. Made my head swim, but lots of vinegar math:
> 
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/index.php?threads/69945/


Oh boy. Math was my worst subject.


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## artemis (Jul 1, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> Oh boy. Math was my worst subject.


Me, too! That's why I haven't tried the vinegar yet. Somewhere, Deanna did a simpler version... I'll have to see if I copied it to my notes...


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## Iseleigh (Jul 1, 2019)

artemis said:


> Me, too! That's why I haven't tried the vinegar yet. Somewhere, Deanna did a simpler version... I'll have to see if I copied it to my notes...


I was planning on doing a 1:1 swap on at least one soap, and adding  whatever amount of ACV would make a harder bar to the others. I do love a hard bar of soap.


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## cmzaha (Jul 1, 2019)

Simple version. Multiply the amount of vinegar by 0.0357 to get the extra amount of lye necessary. 

If you are adding your lye to your vinegar add it with caution. Also do not let it sit for hrs before using because the lye and vinegar will react and form sodium acetate and will get pretty thick, although it can be soaped with, but I prefer to use it before it thickens. Actually I use 5o% vinegar in my batches because I like to masterbatch my NaOH, and they are hard enough, but then again my recipes are already hard soaps. I use powdered milks if making milk soaps.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 1, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> Simple version. Multiply the amount of vinegar by 0.0357 to get the extra amount of lye necessary.
> 
> If you are adding your lye to your vinegar add it with caution. Also do not let it sit for hrs before using because the lye and vinegar will react and form sodium acetate and will get pretty thick, although it can be soaped with, but I prefer to use it before it thickens. Actually I use 5o% vinegar in my batches because I like to masterbatch my NaOH, and they are hard enough, but then again my recipes are already hard soaps. I use powdered milks if making milk soaps.


I think I saw that formula in the first few posts of the crazy vinegar math thread. It is definitely easier than muddling through all the chemistry and science aspects, as I was basically lost after the 6th post.
I was more wondering how much acv it takes just to harden the bar, and if more acv than that has any effect. If you use it at 50% and it works well I may try that in another test batch. I still have to get my micas in and do a test batch with embeds.


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## SoapSisters (Jul 2, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> Simple version. Multiply the amount of vinegar by 0.0357 to get the extra amount of lye necessary.
> 
> Is this amount of vinegar in ounces? What would I multiply by if I weigh my soap ingredients in grams?





cmzaha said:


> Simple version. Multiply the amount of vinegar by 0.0357 to get the extra amount of lye necessary.
> 
> If you are adding your lye to your vinegar add it with caution. Also do not let it sit for hrs before using because the lye and vinegar will react and form sodium acetate and will get pretty thick, although it can be soaped with, but I prefer to use it before it thickens. Actually I use 5o% vinegar in my batches because I like to masterbatch my NaOH, and they are hard enough, but then again my recipes are already hard soaps. I use powdered milks if making milk soaps.


Is this amount of vinegar in ounces? What would I multiply by if I weigh my soap ingredients in grams?


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## Iseleigh (Jul 2, 2019)

SoapSisters said:


> Is this amount of vinegar in ounces? What would I multiply by if I weigh my soap ingredients in grams?


That's a good question. I don't know if it makes a difference or not.


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## Ohenna (Jul 3, 2019)

What is the easiest of the oils and fats mentioned? I've heard lard is a good choice for me as a beginner, it's cheap as well so can I just go 100% lard?


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## Iseleigh (Jul 3, 2019)

Ohenna said:


> What is the easiest of the oils and fats mentioned? I've heard lard is a good choice for me as a beginner, it's cheap as well so can I just go 100% lard?


I've seen 100% lard soap a lot. I think the bar is a little softer than if you use other oils as well, but an all lard soap is something many people do. A 100% anything bar is easier to make than one with multiple oils, if only for simplicity.  Experiment and see if you like it!


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## Iseleigh (Jul 7, 2019)

Update on the trial bars I made- so far the soap is hardening nicely and per the zap test there is no excess lye. I used a tiny bar to wash my hands earlier but there is no lather as of yet.


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## cmzaha (Jul 8, 2019)

SoapSisters said:


> Is this amount of vinegar in ounces? What would I multiply by if I weigh my soap ingredients in grams?


It does not matter if you measure in grams just multiply by 0.0357 to get the total grams of extra lye necessary. If you weight in oz you still multiply by 0.0357 which is going to give you a fraction of an ounce so it is really better to use grams.


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## SoapSisters (Jul 8, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> It does not matter if you measure in grams just multiply by 0.0357 to get the total grams of extra lye necessary. If you weight in oz you still multiply by 0.0357 which is going to give you a fraction of an ounce so it is really better to use grams.


Thanks for your reply! I noticed that the www.soapmakingfriend calculator takes vinegar into account when doing lye calculations. Have you used this and found it to be accurate? Or do you just do the math yourself?


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## Iseleigh (Jul 13, 2019)

Got some micas in today but still trying to find the remainder of the scents I need.
Here are some pics of the 









$8.34 total, and they had several other colors. Will see how they turn out in the soap.
Also, my Granny Woman soap was supposed to be a light blue color but the scents are more autumnal... any ideas on how I could keep my blue soap but tie in fall colors too?


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## Iseleigh (Jul 14, 2019)

Just finished the first official batch of Granny Woman. I had put my chosen scents on q tips in a bag and man did it smell amazing. Unfortunately I was unable to recreate the exact scent profile but what I ended up with smells pretty darn good. It has the following scents:
FO
Hot Apple Cider
Nutmeg
Caramel Pecan Pie
Toasted Almond
EO
Camphor
Cedarwood
Orange
Clove
I'm thinking the scent may not be strong enough but we will see. My colors may morph thanks to the vanillin content of the FO's and I'm sure the colors will be weird, but that's part of the excitement! Will post pics when I unmold and cut on Monday! I also subbed all the water for ACV and adjusted the lye, and added 2 tsp brown sugar to boost bubbliness.


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## linne1gi (Jul 14, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> Oh okay. That makes sense.
> I'm just trying to switch up the base recipes outside of fats and oils to make the recipes different. I thought I might include ACV in the Granny Woman soap as it's probably something an Appalachian Granny Woman (basically a mountain herbalist) would have on hand. If it hardens the bars that's even better.
> Way back when, before I knew much of anything about soap additives, I made an acv soap (swapped full liquid for acv). I think I was trying to make a dog shampoo bar, been years ago so I don't remember. I found the bars the other day. They're still a little soft and it takes some elbow grease to get the lather going, but once it does it's really thick and creamy. It's also nice for my hair and I haven't been rinsing with acv because I didn't know I was supposed to. Still   learning. Lol


The ACV increases the super fat because it is an acid, which reacts with the lye, leaving some extra oils around, thereby increasing the fat.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 14, 2019)

linne1gi said:


> The ACV increases the super fat because it is an acid, which reacts with the lye, leaving some extra oils around, thereby increasing the fat.


I followed someone else suggestion about using the amount of vinegar X .0357 to get the extra lye I needed. When I woke up this morning I checked the loaf and it is hard! I'll cut it when I get back from church and post pics. Not what I imagined it would look like, but it's a nice simple bar and smells great so far. Fingers crossed the EO's will survive the cure!


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## linne1gi (Jul 14, 2019)

Looking forward to the cut!


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## Iseleigh (Jul 14, 2019)

Soap cuts smoothly, no trace of gel phase, and smells good enough to EAT! It set up for me very quickly last night, probably from the combo of vinegar and FO's. I'd like to try swirls next time maybe. The brown on the bottom is kind of off-putting to me so I think I'll omit it next time.
I also put a few in small silicone molds. They have no colorants. I need bigger cups to mix larger quantities of color! Dollar Tree is calling my name. Lol


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## Mobjack Bay (Jul 14, 2019)

I like your color combination, including the brown!  What kind of colorants did you use?


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## Iseleigh (Jul 14, 2019)

The brown was cocoa powder and the others were micas I got online. I posted pics of the ones I got further up in the thread. The main bar color is just the color of the soap itself. It's a very light beige and I really like it but expect it to change as it cures.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 20, 2019)

So an update on the small batch of  soap I made.
I've washed my hands with it for a couple days, and it has barely any lather at all. It's thin and slick, with very tiny bubbles. It is still a young soap, so should I wait longer to see if the lather comes later?


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## KristaY (Jul 20, 2019)

I looks like it's only about a week old, right? If so, yes, let it sit for another week then try it again. Do it weekly from there and see how the lather and gentleness of the soap changes. You really need at least 4 weeks for a good cure. I prefer 6 weeks, 8 when I have the time for it. Congrats on your soap!

PS: I just realized I don't know the recipe of your batch and that will affect the lather quality. So sorry I didn't read prior to the 41st post in this thread.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 20, 2019)

KristaY said:


> I looks like it's only about a week old, right? If so, yes, let it sit for another week then try it again.
> 
> PS: I just realized I don't know the recipe of your batch and that will affect the lather quality.


 It's almost 3 weeks at this point. I've made another batch with the same recipe, with the exception of subbing ACV for water and adding 2 tsp of brown sugar. That soap is not yet a week old, so I will have to wait a while for it to see how lather is affected with the added sugar.
The recipe is
3% castor
12% corn oil
48% lard
37% tallow
It also has activated charcoal and turmeric- would that affect the lather?


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## cmzaha (Jul 20, 2019)

SoapSisters said:


> Thanks for your reply! I noticed that the www.soapmakingfriend calculator takes vinegar into account when doing lye calculations. Have you used this and found it to be accurate? Or do you just do the math yourself?


Yes, it is accurate, but I still check the math. Soapmaking Friend is great but at time glitches still show up.



linne1gi said:


> The ACV increases the super fat because it is an acid, which reacts with the lye, leaving some extra oils around, thereby increasing the fat.


It will only up superfat when extra lye has not been added. When you multiply the amount of vinegar you want to use by 0.0357 the reaction will create sodium acetate which helps harden the soap and I find it really helps lather, but then I superfat low. Extra oils are hard on drains and deter lather.



Iseleigh said:


> It's almost 3 weeks at this point. I've made another batch with the same recipe, with the exception of subbing ACV for water and adding 2 tsp of brown sugar. That soap is not yet a week old, so I will have to wait a while for it to see how lather is affected with the added sugar.
> The recipe is
> 3% castor
> 12% corn oil
> ...


Sadly lard soap does not lather well, it adds slickness to soap which my hubby hates. Tallow will add some lather properties along with cleansing. Corn Oil also does not add much to lather. Some Coconut Oil in the 15-20% range would help. I love Tallow/Lard combination at the rate of 45/25%. I love how lard slows trace but just is no longer my favorite over 25%. My hubby hates how slippery it makes soap. 
Yes let it cure a couple of months and you will see a considerable difference. A little hint Sorbitol powder at 1% adds greatly to bubbles and lather. For years I used sugar but changed last year to Sorbitol. For me, it is worth the cost and found on Amazon.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 20, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I love Tallow/Lard combination at the rate of 45/25%.


I'll put the 45/25 combo on my to do list for Monday.
I'm only using ingredients that would have been found in the Appalachias in the 1800-1900's, so coconut oil and sorbitol are out for this project but I will consider sorbitol for other soaps. I've used coconut oil with good luck in other soaps I've done.


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## cmzaha (Jul 20, 2019)

I do remember you mentioning about what would be found in the Appalachians in 1800-1900. So reverse the Tallow Lard percentages. Tallow does lather some on its own and adds cleansing. I think you might like it better.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 20, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> I do remember you mentioning about what would be found in the Appalachians in 1800-1900. So reverse the Tallow Lard percentages. Tallow does lather some on its own and adds cleansing. I think you might like it better.


There's probably other things I could add to increase the lather, but I'm having trouble finding specifics about what was around back then! With all the info on the internet you'd think it wouldn't be so hard.


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## dibbles (Jul 20, 2019)

Sugar will boost the lather. Dissolve it in your batch water before adding the lye.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 21, 2019)

dibbles said:


> Sugar will boost the lather. Dissolve it in your batch water before adding the lye.


I planned on adding sugar of some sort, milk, and beer (different things for different scents) to the bars for increased lather, and I will try the 45/25 combo cmzaha suggested and see what kind of lather it gives me. Time for more experiments!


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## cmzaha (Jul 21, 2019)

Beer will help lather because of the sugar. Milks will usually deter lather because of the added fat.


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## Iseleigh (Jul 21, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> Beer will help lather because of the sugar. Milks will usually deter lather because of the added fat.


I didn't know that about milks! I thought they would boost lather because of the sugars in them. Will it still hamper the lather even if I account for the extra fat?


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## yellowhorse (Aug 8, 2019)

Iseleigh said:


> ... Plus, there just aren't reasonable options for some scents I want to use, like Mimosa and Molasses. And I can't seem to find a Mimosa fragrance that is the same Mimosa as what grows around here, which is the tree with fern-like leaves and puffy pink flowers that smell divine. At least, the pictures they use aren't that tree so it's hard to tell.


I always assumed that the fragrances with Mimosa was based on the drink and not the tree, _Albizia julibrissin. _Hope you found a good fo for it.


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