# Hot process soaps



## praecordia (Dec 15, 2013)

How many people out there do HP? It seems like there a lot less then CP. Any tips or suggestions for those of you that do do HP soaps. I know they're not as pretty as CP but they absorb scents so much better and in my experience seem to lather more.


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## Obsidian (Dec 15, 2013)

I don't do much HP but when I do, adding 1 tsp sodium lactate PPO really helps keep the batter fluid and makes the finished soap a bit more smooth looking.


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## boyago (Dec 15, 2013)




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## lpstephy85 (Dec 15, 2013)

Hahah ^^^^ 

I do both. The sodium lactate is a must as well as making sure NOT to do a water discount. It might actually be better to do a 3:1 water to lye ratio since during your cook you will lose water. This will help keep it fluid as well as from drying out too quickly before you can mold. I like to add a couple of ounces of a skin-loving oil after the cook and before molding since it won't be saponified. Pre-mix colors (heck, even use your superfat oil to mix the colors and kill two birds with one stone). This will help avoid clumps of color since HP is thicker. Patience during the cook is a must because it takes a little time depending on your recipe. I cook for 20 minutes, stir so it cooks evenly and then zap test a little piece (once the piece cools) if it zaps, keep cooking and checking every ten minutes until no more zapping. Let it cool a little in the pot before adding any fragrance or EO so it doesn't evaporate with the high heat. Cure time should still be 4-6 weeks. Good luck


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## eyeroll (Dec 15, 2013)

Boyago -LOL. Love your sense of humor. 

Hijack over. Carry on.


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## praecordia (Dec 15, 2013)

Hahahhaha! 

Yea i usually do vitamin e after its done cooking. I add my colors to the oils and lye mixture before i blend cause it evenly balances it out and doesn't cause bleeding later. A lot
of them tend to fade tho which i don't hate cause it still adds a distinct color to the soap just lighter. I just wish swirls were possible in HP.. :-/ theres gotta be a way. Lol


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## Obsidian (Dec 15, 2013)

I like avocado oil after the cook. Here is a video of HP swirls [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oxJOoyIE1w[/ame]


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## praecordia (Dec 15, 2013)

So to make it all creamy like that the secret is add more water and oil after it cooks? Mine comes out much thicker.


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## seven (Dec 19, 2013)

don't forget the sodium lactate like others had said. it really does make a difference. the batter is much more fluid, i can even pour it from my jug rather than glop. when i said fluid, please don't expect as in CP fluid, but you'll certainly notice quite a difference.

what did you mean by much thicker? how much water did you use? i think water also makes a big difference. 3:1 is a pretty good calculation. soap not drying too fast, etc.

also, don't be afraid to stir during the cooking process. like another poster said previously, stirring helps to make the soap cook more evenly. when i first do HP, i watched tons of videos and read a lot. some said not to stir, and some said to stir. i took the latter, coz it makes sense to me logically.


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## dixiedragon (Dec 19, 2013)

I've been soaping for 10 years and I did HP the first time this November. I really like it! I think the marbled look is beautiful. I did some with a vanilla FO, so the soap is marbled with light brown, off-white and translucent patches. It's really stunning. 


Mine doesn't seem to go very fast though, I cook for at least 2 hours. Maybe because I am using lard and olive oil? Also, I am using a double boiler (put my soap pot inside a bigger pot with water), vs a crock pot, b/c I don't have a crockpot to dedicate to soaping (yet).

When using soap calc, I up the water to 40% (vs the 38% default) and the batter does seem smoother and easier to pour.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Dec 19, 2013)

praecordia said:


> .......Yea i usually do vitamin e after its done cooking.............



Can I ask why you add the Vit E?


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## praecordia (Dec 20, 2013)

I haven't tried the sodium lactate yet but I will. I add the appropriate amount of water per recipe according to my calculator, but next time Im gonna try adding a bit more. If it could get as watery as on that utube video then Im gonna try putting it in a small detailed mold. 


As for why I put the vitamin E oil after its done cooking is because its not changed during the cooking process so it retains all its healing properties. Vitamin E oil for skin is a miracle especially in the winter time.  i just take it at night and put it all over my face. It makes my skin really soft and moist. Its great! You should try it.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Dec 20, 2013)

Cool, I'll bear that in mind.


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## squyars (Dec 21, 2013)

I just made my first two batches of HP soap.  The first batch I did water at 30%, and it cooked and set up like the videos I watched.  It turned into mashed potatoes, slowly becoming translucent.  
My second batch scared me.  I doubled the recipe (up to 4 lb.), increased the water to 38%, and added 1.5 oz of powdered goats milk to the oils prior to mixing in my lye water.  Not sure if it was the extra water or the goats milk, but the whole thing looked beautiful until about 15 minutes into the cook.  The entire batch separated into a mass of oil and curdled mess.  Every time I stirred, more oil would float to the surface.  I really panicked, thinking that I just lost all those ingredients, but then I tried to salvage it by whipping the heck out of it with my spoon.  As soon as it looked somewhat cohesive, I added my oatmeal, honey and FO.   It wasn't at all thick like my first batch, and looked like a grainy, soupy mess.  To my surprise it hardened within a few hours.  I unmolded and cut without difficulty, and no zap.  Phew!  Saved!
Not really sure what I think about HP yet, but I'm going to try another batch tomorrow.


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## lpstephy85 (Dec 21, 2013)

squyars said:


> I just made my first two batches of HP soap.  The first batch I did water at 30%, and it cooked and set up like the videos I watched.  It turned into mashed potatoes, slowly becoming translucent.
> My second batch scared me.  I doubled the recipe (up to 4 lb.), increased the water to 38%, and added 1.5 oz of powdered goats milk to the oils prior to mixing in my lye water.  Not sure if it was the extra water or the goats milk, but the whole thing looked beautiful until about 15 minutes into the cook.  The entire batch separated into a mass of oil and curdled mess.  Every time I stirred, more oil would float to the surface.  I really panicked, thinking that I just lost all those ingredients, but then I tried to salvage it by whipping the heck out of it with my spoon.  As soon as it looked somewhat cohesive, I added my oatmeal, honey and FO.   It wasn't at all thick like my first batch, and looked like a grainy, soupy mess.  To my surprise it hardened within a few hours.  I unmolded and cut without difficulty, and no zap.  Phew!  Saved!
> Not really sure what I think about HP yet, but I'm going to try another batch tomorrow.




It was the milk. I have tried a goats milk batch and a yogurt batch doing HP and I have had the same thing happen to me. It traces nicely and then after cooking for 10-15 minutes like you said it separates. I just bust the stick blender out and beat the dickens out of it until it gets to that applesauce consistency. To me HP is less stressful. I think a few batches of it is calling me this weekend


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## praecordia (Dec 21, 2013)

I usually add 6 ounces of goat's milk to my batch. I first add the lye to the oils and blend till it comes to a thin trace then i add the milk and blend again until its a thicker trace. Then i pour into my crock pot and cook.  By adding the milk after a thin trace it doesn't smell badly or over heat the lye. The oils usually separate a little but you just gotta stir the batch a few times and it blends again. I make a lot of HP soap cause it keeps the fragrances much better and you can use sooner. Win win.


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## squyars (Dec 21, 2013)

praecordia said:


> I usually add 6 ounces of goat's milk to my batch. I first add the lye to the oils and blend till it comes to a thin trace then i add the milk and blend again until its a thicker trace. Then i pour into my crock pot and cook.  By adding the milk after a thin trace it doesn't smell badly or over heat the lye. The oils usually separate a little but you just gotta stir the batch a few times and it blends again. I make a lot of HP soap cause it keeps the fragrances much better and you can use sooner. Win win.



Thanks!  Glad to know what the problem was.  I originally planned on adding the milk powder after trace, but worried it wouldn't incorporate as well.  I'll do that next time though.


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## squyars (Dec 21, 2013)

lpstephy85 said:


> It was the milk. I have tried a goats milk batch and a yogurt batch doing HP and I have had the same thing happen to me. It traces nicely and then after cooking for 10-15 minutes like you said it separates. I just bust the stick blender out and beat the dickens out of it until it gets to that applesauce consistency. To me HP is less stressful. I think a few batches of it is calling me this weekend



Yep.  I mixed the heck out of it, and I would definitely say it was a thin applesauce consistency.  
I also detected a very, very faint ammonia smell.  Could that have been from the goats milk?


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## AtraGarden (Dec 21, 2013)

Hello, 
Soaps lather more when you use oils with tight carbon chains. Here is a link ''http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/554soap.html'' hope this helps. Hot process is used for ceturies in Europe and Middle East. Do you use salt when you make Hot Process?


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## AtraGarden (Dec 21, 2013)

Vitamin E is great idea. I use it when I mix massging oils. Good for thinning hair as well.


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## roseb (Dec 21, 2013)

I do most HP and love it.  I do not add sodium lactate, but do a full water discount.  I do mine in a crockpot.  I start out on high and get all my oils to trace.  Once I reach trace, I cover the pot turn it down to low and watch it for about 20 mins. to make sure it turns on itself.  After it turns,  I stir it real good put the lid back on, turn the crockpot off and let it sit for about an hour.  Let it cool down some add SF, color and scents.  The most important part is to not to over stir that and keeping it uncover causes dry soap.  I stir my soap ONCE.  My soap comes out fluffy and moist every time.  I love the marbled look that HP has.  Hope that helped.


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## lpstephy85 (Dec 21, 2013)

squyars said:


> Yep.  I mixed the heck out of it, and I would definitely say it was a thin applesauce consistency.
> I also detected a very, very faint ammonia smell.  Could that have been from the goats milk?




Yep, sure was but a nice cure and that should be gone.


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## PinkCupcake (Dec 21, 2013)

I have done HP occasionally. Mostly I do it when I'm using essential oils that don't do well in CP.


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