# How to make my soap harder & last longer



## bither78 (Nov 27, 2012)

Hello, I could use some help on how to make my soap bars more solid.  I do the Hot & Cold process.  The products I am currently using to make soap are as follows:  Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Water, Fragrance, Color.  If you have any input on what I can put into my soap to make it last longer, and to make it more solid, I would like to hear it.  Hope to hear from you


----------



## frogsong (Nov 28, 2012)

Hi. I am a newbie myself, but I have read that adding either salt to your recipe will make it stronger. 
Here is a link that might help:

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/tipst ... qtsalt.htm


----------



## AlchemyandAshes (Nov 28, 2012)

How long are you letting your bars cure? And what is your ratios with the oils you're using now? High Olive content will be a softer bar in the beginning, but cure out to be a harder bar after about 6 months. Castor is great, but high percentages can make your bar sticky and softer. Avocado produces a softer bar. Coconut is good for a long lasting bar. 
Adding Palm, Tallow, Cocoa or Shea Butter, or Stearic Acid to your recipe would help. Also, some folks add 1 tsp ppo of salt  or Sodium Lactate to their lye solution to help with hardness.


----------



## bither78 (Nov 28, 2012)

Frogsong:  I do add 3% Sodium Lactate to the lye.  I appreciate your link.

Alchemy&Ashes:  I let my bars cure for 4 To 6 weeks.  My oil % is as follows:

Avocado Oil:  22.22%

Castor Oil:  5%

Coconut Oil:  29.17%

Olive Oil:  43.16


----------



## Maythorn (Nov 28, 2012)

Your recipe is over 70% liquid oils.  What about using some palm, lard, or tallow in the mix?


----------



## DragonQueenHHP (Nov 28, 2012)

ummm that does not add up to 100%  :?  are you meaning ounces ?
I rounded the numbers in % 
and this is what I got with a 5% superfat

Hardness 	29 - 54 	35
Cleansing 	12 - 22 	19
Conditioning 	44 - 69 	60
Bubbly 	        14 - 46 	24
Creamy 	        16 - 48 	20
Iodine 	        41 - 70 	63
INS 	            136 - 165 	147


----------



## DragonQueenHHP (Nov 28, 2012)

if I do it as oz I come up with almost same numbers so my best guess is the high % of OO is making it take longer to cure


----------



## Margo (Jul 23, 2014)

*Making Soaps Harder*

I would totally eliminate the avocado oil which makes not only a softer soap, but discolors the soap over time.
You may want to try adding a tablespoon of beeswax pastilles per lb. of soap

Happy soaping!

Margo
www.miraculousbeads.com


----------



## green soap (Jul 23, 2014)

Salt and bees wax will make your soap harder and longer lasting, however they can reduce lather, and everybody seems to likes lather.

I add a small percentage of either shea or cocoa butter to make soaps harder and longer lasting, as well as creamier (per soapcalc).

Coconut oil will make a bar of extremely hard soap but because of the smaller length of the lauric acid molecules (12 carbons compared to 18 carbons in stearic acid) coconut oil soap - AKA sodium cocoate - does dissolve rather fast, so it makes hard soap bars but they are not long lasting.


----------



## cmzaha (Jul 23, 2014)

Margo said:


> I would totally eliminate the avocado oil which makes not only a softer soap, but discolors the soap over time.
> You may want to try adding a tablespoon of beeswax pastilles per lb. of soap
> 
> Happy soaping!
> ...


 
I have never had avocado discolor and it makes fantastic soap. Would definetly leave it in and add in some palm, tallow or lard. Beeswax is a lather killer and need to be a very low percentage 5% or less and will cause overheating.


----------



## Lion Of Judah (Jul 23, 2014)

cmzaha said:


> I have never had avocado discolor and it makes fantastic soap. Would definetly leave it in and add in some palm, tallow or lard. Beeswax is a lather killer and need to be a very low percentage 5% or less and will cause overheating.



I concur !


----------



## Lion Of Judah (Jul 23, 2014)

the life of a bar of handmade soap is predicated on a few other factors as well . how you use it is a factor as well , if you are using it straight to your skin without cloth or fluffy scrub then it will wear away much faster , and the number of people to a bar of soap dictates the life of that bar as well . a bar of soap lasts me a month or better with personal use and using a washcloth . i do not use SL in my soap nor beeswax. i use CB, or SB few other hard oils .


----------



## shunt2011 (Jul 23, 2014)

Don't know if anyone noticed but this original post was from 2012.....however I use avocado and love it but not discoloration either.


----------

