# My soap is making my hands feel dry right after use but my skin feels softer later?



## chloecaldasso (Mar 12, 2015)

Okay, so I am new to soap making and tried my first few batches of soap using a recipe in a soap making book. The recipe is as follows:

14 oz Palm Oil
18 oz Olive Oil
16 oz Coconut Oil
7.10 oz Sodium Hydroxide
17.5 oz Distilled Water
6 tsp Fragrance Oil

I found all the ingredients but Palm Oil locally so the first batch I substituted it with Lard (using its appropriate SAP) and when it had dried I tried a small scrap of left over and while it lathered well, when I washed it off and dried my hands my skin felt extremely dry, like my skin was squeaking when I rubbed my fingers together. However, later on my skin seemed to feel softer. I don't like that initial feeling though! Since I plan on selling my soaps, I doubt customers would like it either. 

So, on to my second batch, I replaced the Lard with Safflower Oil and the same thing happened once it was dried! So, it must not have been the Lard or the Safflower Oil, right? I also added a small amount of liquid soap dye to each batch.

To give a little more information, these are the specific products that I used:

Farmer John's Lard
LouAna Coconut Oil
LouAna Safflower Oil
Fior d'Italia's Golden Drops Extra Virgin Olive Oil Blend (Mix of Olive Oil and Canola Oil)
Kleen-Out Drain Opener 100% Lye
Sparkletts Distilled Water
LoneStar Liquid Soap Fragrance
ArtMinds Liquid Soap Colorant

Does the product brand matter if it's pure? Also, I just noticed that my Olive Oil was a blend and not pure Olive Oil, could this be it?

One more thing, are there any wholesale websites you recommend that give cheaper prices?


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## Dorymae (Mar 12, 2015)

I'm not sure where to begin.  First you have just made your first batch of soap, from a recipe you got out of a book, and you say you are going to sell your soaps?  I'm hoping that you meant you are going to sell your soaps in a year, once you have learned how to make soap, can formulate your own recipes, have enough knowledge to realize that a soap fresh made is much much harsher than a soap that is properly cured. (This is your problem btw) a proper cure is a minimum of 4 weeks, however for most soaps they benefit from a longer 8 week cure. Some soaps, ones high in olive oil for one, need much much longer. 

Soap making can be fraught with problems, some harder to diagnose than others. Please take the time to learn before selling soap, the general public deserve to get a good product for a fair price.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 12, 2015)

I also don't like the amount of coconut oil - I keep mine at less than 20% of the oil amount usually as coconut can cause a dry feeling for many people when it is used at around 30%.

Depending on some other factors, however, you might always have that initial "squeaky clean" feeling to some degree.

As for selling, please check out these threads:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=16002

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=33144


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## KristaY (Mar 12, 2015)

As Dorymae said, you have to have a much longer cure. Another problem is your coconut oil is too high at over 33%. The Soap Calc cleansing # for your recipe is 23, which will result in a drying soap (because it's cleaning too well). I keep mine between 14-17. Lard is an excellent swap for palm so that was a good choice. A great recipe using the oils you have would be: 
50% lard
30% OO
20% CO
If you can get castor oil, that will help with lather. Use it at 5% and decrease the OO to 25%.

Also, if you're getting recipes out of a book, be sure to use a reliable lye calculator like Soap Calc. It's always best to double check their lye calculations as errors can happen when printing. Better to be safe than sorry!


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## chloecaldasso (Mar 12, 2015)

Dorymae said:


> I'm not sure where to begin.  First you have just made your first batch of soap, from a recipe you got out of a book, and you say you are going to sell your soaps?  I'm hoping that you meant you are going to sell your soaps in a year, once you have learned how to make soap, can formulate your own recipes, have enough knowledge to realize that a soap fresh made is much much harsher than a soap that is properly cured. (This is your problem btw) a proper cure is a minimum of 4 weeks, however for most soaps they benefit from a longer 8 week cure. Some soaps, ones high in olive oil for one, need much much longer.
> 
> Soap making can be fraught with problems, some harder to diagnose than others. Please take the time to learn before selling soap, the general public deserve to get a good product for a fair price.



I haven't sold anything yet, let's just clarify that. I don't see a problem with perfecting a recipe and selling that good product. I already have a business that I sell other skin care products through and now I'm trying to add soap in. There's no reason to be snarky about it. It's imperative that everyone start somewhere. Or am I wrong?


Also, as an added note: I've got 20 bars 10 from each batch that have been curing for about 6 weeks now. I tried them both earlier today which is what led me to seek advice. I know that soaps need to cure, maybe not for how long for each particular recipe, but I'm using my resources to LEARN. I'd appreciate if commenters refrained from rude and condescending comments.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 12, 2015)

I am sorry, Chloe, but when someone comes along and talks about selling soap when they are just beginning with making it and are clearly struggling, people WILL suggest that you don't sell. It is a good idea to see if you a) can make soap and b) enjoy making soap before you think about selling it.

Soap is not like other skincare products. As you have found out, it is easy to make something that is horrid or even outright dangerous - one of the main reasons why we tell new people to forget about selling for a while.

I don't know why soaping is seen differently, but if I said "I am going to make and sell cakes. Now, how do I make cakes?" people would also suggest that I learn first and THEN think about whether or not I sell. That said, it is great that you want to learn and people here (including those who posted already about you not selling) are lovely people who can help you to learn, but you have to let us. Or you can get your back up about responses (considering that people do not HAVE to answer you at all!) and then people won't respond...................................

As to people answering questions that you didn't ask, I use my favourite example - Go to a parenting website and ask them if you should give your 8 year old child cigars or cigarettes to smoke. Then tell me how many responses you get and how many actually answer your question.


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## Susie (Mar 12, 2015)

First, you go learn how to use a good lye calculator.  Then you never, ever make a batch without running the numbers yourself, no matter where you got the recipe from.  Typos happen.  Here is a good tutorial:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49627

Second, your percentages are sort of backwards if you want a soap that feels more conditioning.  You want CO to be no more than 20%(as stated above).  You do want your palm/lard/tallow to be the bulk of the soap, I like at least 50% lard minimum.  Here is my recipe for a good bar of soap.  Nothing special in it, but it is a good, reliable recipe that I give out to anyone that asks.

Lard(can sub palm or tallow) 55%
CO 20%
OO 20%
Castor Oil 5%

Superfat 5%

Third, if you posted something that we knew was a bad idea, don't you expect us to tell you that?  If not, why did you ask, right?  Same thing goes for selling soap.  We know how long it takes to get a couple of good recipes that can be tweaked this way or that with decent results(to give folks some choice), then get your scents/colors/other additives down, then get the swirls/packaging/etc figured out, then wait long enough to be sure your soap will not develop DOS or some other bad results.  It takes at least a year.  Truly.  

I don't use artificial colorants.  I don't use FOs.  I don't package my soaps.  I don't use lots of additives.  I don't sell.  It still took me almost a year to get that good, basic recipe down pat with the EOs I like and know how they act in my recipes.  Really it did!  You need that time before thinking to sell your soap.  Because you need 6-8 weeks cure time for each tweak.  That is a LOT of time commitment before moving on to the next tweak.  This is not like making a product that you can try today and tweak tomorrow.

You are going to try lots of things that don't work as intended, or have really disastrous results.  Seizes, soap-on-a-stick, volcanoes, ricing, false trace, EOs that fade, colors that morph, additives that don't add anything but cost to the soap, lye pockets, DOS...the list goes on and on.  I call it kissing a lot of frogs before you find your prince.


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## TBandCW (Mar 13, 2015)

I don't think anyone was condescending, just stating the facts.  One disadvantage of typing on a forum versus speaking face to face, sometimes the gist of the statement doesn't come through.   Please don't take it personally!  :grin:


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## Dahila (Mar 13, 2015)

I am making skin products for over 3 years, but soaps maybe two years.  I am not selling.  I thought too; I got experience in lotions so soaps can not be more difficult.  Well every batch I make I learn something new.  This is why after two years of making soap I consider myself a newbie.  I spend days on soapcalc , studying the properties of different oils. 
BTW you use blend of olive oil with canola.  It will be prone to DOS Good luck with soap


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## nebetmiw (Mar 13, 2015)

Another problem not really mentioned is you are using liquid soap fragrance and colorant. This could be a good reason why it is so dry.


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## mjt123 (Mar 14, 2015)

I have been making soap for about a year and I'm still trying to perfect it. I'm not going to sell it till I'm happy with it. I dont want to put people off buying homemade soap.


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## biarine (Mar 16, 2015)

I am making soap for 6 months now but still I never perfected even one recipe. I am making my own natural ( essential oil) perfume and massage oil for 8 years and people who try it said why you don't sell your product. I am afraid to do so. Still I am learning more every time. So keep practicing.


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## snappyllama (Mar 16, 2015)

I'll jump on the bandwagon about taking your time to learn before contemplating selling. I don't think anyone was intentionally being rude or condescending. The cool thing about making soap is all the variables where small things can make a big difference. It takes a lot of experience to make a quality product and there is always something new to learn. In addition, making good CP or HP simply takes time in that you have to try out new recipes, let them fully cure, and then ensure how they act at 2 months, 6 months, a year.  You wouldn't want to tarnish your company's reputation selling something that sprouts DOS or loses all of its scent after your customer takes it home. Sorry if that's not the response you were seeking, but it comes from good intentions.

If you quickly need to add soap to your line, you might consider starting with melt and pour. There are some quality bases out there that have the benefit of removing the recipe guesswork - leaving you the fun of designing. Then you can take all the time you need to learn the craft of making CP/HP.

For the recipe you posted, I'd follow the other poster's recommendations.  Learn to use SoapCalc and what the values mean.  The beginner forum here has a wealth of information. Stick to 20% or under of CO as the  high "cleansing" property is removing naturally occurring oils from your skin and leaving you with that unpleasant squeaky feeling.


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## Savvyssoaps (Mar 17, 2015)

chloecaldasso said:


> I haven't sold anything yet, let's just clarify that. I don't see a problem with perfecting a recipe and selling that good product. I already have a business that I sell other skin care products through and now I'm trying to add soap in. There's no reason to be snarky about it. It's imperative that everyone start somewhere. Or am I wrong?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




I noticed people are really snarky to new people on here too. Don't worry you're not alone. We all start somewhere. Keep up the good work!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 17, 2015)

We're not snarky to new people - just people who want to sell something that they can't even make properly....................


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## Savvyssoaps (Mar 17, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> We're not snarky to new people - just people who want to sell something that they can't even make properly....................




Or you could just not be snarky at all and give advice in a more friendly manner. Considering you have more experience.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 17, 2015)

I have to say, if you go back and look at the comments earlier in this thread, no one was snarky and the advice was given in a friendly manner.  Firm, maybe.  Not what you wanted to hear, certainly.  Snarky, not really.

As I have said before, people can either accept that the majority of people here WANT to help newbies but they also think that people should wait before selling, or they don't accept it.  But the latter is throwing out the baby with the bath water.


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## Savvyssoaps (Mar 17, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> I have to say, if you go back and look at the comments earlier in this thread, no one was snarky and the advice was given in a friendly manner.  Firm, maybe.  Not what you wanted to hear, certainly.  Snarky, not really.
> 
> As I have said before, people can either accept that the majority of people here WANT to help newbies but they also think that people should wait before selling, or they don't accept it.  But the latter is throwing out the baby with the bath water.



Oh I must have been confused when you said you're not snarky to new people, just to people who want to sell when they don't know how to make soap properly. Meaning you are in fact snarky to people....just not for the reason I listed.
MY MISTAKE


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Mar 17, 2015)

Savvyssoaps said:


> Oh I must have been confused when you said you're not snarky to new people, just to people who want to sell when they don't know how to make soap properly. Meaning you are in fact snarky to people....just not for the reason I listed.
> MY MISTAKE


 
**SIGH** I was taking this thread as an example.  But to be completely honest, mod or not, I really couldn't care less about whether or not people think I am snarky, sarcastic or in any other way mean spirited - I will help people with their soaping and bath and body activity as best as I can and in line with the site rules and my feelings on certain topics, such as pH testing, superfatting CP at trace and selling.


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## Jstar (Mar 17, 2015)

Im only seeing 2 snarky people in this thread, and its the 2 newcomers. You may not like the answers given, but that doesn't mean others were being 'snarky'...

The people here have a wealth of information they are willing to share, and part of learning soapmaking is how to do it 'properly' so others that use it aren't harmed. {and yes, its very possible}

Melt and Pour is NOT the same thing as CP/HP...there is ALOT more to it since CP/HP is actually 'making' soap..not using a premade base to melt and pour into molds {no diss towards the MP folks, just making a point}

If you come here asking questions, be prepared for the answers..if you don't like the answers, then move on. And no, that's not being 'snarky', that's being blunt and to the point honest.


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## Susie (Mar 17, 2015)

Jstar said:


> You may not like the answers given, but that doesn't mean others were being 'snarky'...
> 
> If you come here asking questions, be prepared for the answers..if you don't like the answers, then move on. And no, that's not being 'snarky', that's being blunt and to the point honest.



^This!  No one is being snarky.  There was not one word of sarcasm in there.  It is not our fault that you don't like the answers we give.  You came and asked, we answered.  If you don't like the answers, it is your problem.  And frankly, calling people snarky when you don't like what we say is indicative more of who you are than who we are.

Had you done even the bare minimum of research, you would have known the answer to your question, as well as our opinion of people who make one batch of soap and think they need to sell it.  You could have avoided the whole issue with just a little bit of effort.


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## shunt2011 (Mar 17, 2015)

^^^^
I have to agree with the others above me.  You came here asking questions and got the proper answers, however you didn't get the answers you wanted.  No snarky remarks, just the truth.  There are way more helpful, patient, giving folks here than on many other forums.  

We love helping each other here, however the majority of us have worked long and hard to get to the point where we are with our soapmaking.  Many of us didn't have a lot of help and just learned from trial and error.  

So, you can take the information you are given or continue to ignore it.  It's totally up to you.


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## TeresaT (Jul 12, 2015)

Savvyssoaps said:


> Or you could just not be snarky at all and give advice in a more friendly manner. Considering you have more experience.



Or you could be an adult and just ignore what you consider to be "snarky."  You are, after all, on a free site asking a bunch of strangers for their advice and expertise and not paying them for it. Not one single person here has to respond to any question.  Everyone does because they love to make soap and want to pass that passion and knowledge on to others of a like mind.  I fully intend to make a living selling soap.  I started making soap in April, 2015.  I've read countless books and watched tons of videos before I ever purchased any supplies.  I've played with SoapCalc and made different one pound batches of recipes of my own creations.  Now, I'm starting to delve into colors and fragrances.  However, I have seven years to perfect my recipes and techniques before I need to make a living at making soap.  I will have a business plan, insurance and my own soaping facility before I do that.  I may sell some bars here and there at yard sales and farmers markets before then, but soap is not something I am taking lightly.  Maybe I'm overly cautious; however, I am grateful for the men and women on this site that have answered my stupid questions, put up with my strange sense of humor and welcomed me to the club.  I have learned more from these posts and threads than any videos or books.  Some things have been said that have rubbed me the wrong way; however, I don't take it personally.  These people do not know me, nor I them.  What one takes as a heartfelt plea or warning, another may interpret as a scolding or spitefulness.  I don't think there is anyone on here that says anything to be deliberately mean or demeaning.  To anyone.  Brand new poster or sage-old wise one.   But that's just my opinion.


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## TeresaT (Jul 12, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> I will help people with their soaping and bath and body activity as best as I can



REALLY??  Will you wash my back?  There's always one spot I miss.


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## MoonStruck (Jul 12, 2015)

You'll not do yourself any good insulting people you've asked for advice, whether or not you like the advice given. It's in line with biting the hand that feeds you. If you'd search the board, you'd know how the membership feels about selling when you are only learning. You aren't doing yourself or your business any favours selling a product you haven't mastered. Soaping has a learning curve and even the most experience soapmakers have spectacular failures. What to do with those failures, when to save them, when to toss them, knowing what to do comes with the experience of hundreds and thousands of batches. There's no short cut for experience.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jul 12, 2015)

Although bear in mind the original post was a wee while ago, and the last post for a while was also some time ago - not sure if this needs to get too much airtime again


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## not_ally (Jul 12, 2015)

I did not post b/c I realized it was an old thread.  But it does amaze me how often this comes up, people posting, saying they have a few batches or a few months in and that they plan to sell, and then getting shirty when they are told it is a bad idea.  It indicates that they have not spent much time lurking - a mistake, IMO, you need to know the culture of a board before you post.  Also, ALL of the soap boards frown on selling too soon, for the same reasons the people on this one do.  

I think we need a sticky on the CP board in big huge bold letters saying:  

"IF YOU HAVE BEEN COLD-PROCESS SOAPING FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, PLEASE DO NOT POST ABOUT SELLING.  For why, click here."


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## Susie (Jul 12, 2015)

This happens every few months.  And we get 2 or 3 pretty close together.  I was just thinking this morning we are sort of overdue, but maybe by this getting airtime now, we can avoid one round.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jul 12, 2015)

Susie said:


> This happens every few months.  And we get 2 or 3 pretty close together.  I was just thinking this morning we are sort of overdue, but maybe by this getting airtime now, we can avoid one round.




We can but hope, Susie my dear.


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## gigisiguenza (Jul 13, 2015)

Just my 2 cents to my fellow newbies, but I saw no snarkiness from responders, and I'm a newbie, to the forum and soaping. 

I'm here to learn, share, and enjoy camaraderie with fellow artisans about a topic I enjoy. I assume if I ask questions or post progress, that I will have feedback, and due to the format, not all comments will come across as "smiley". It's the written word in a forum,  comments can lose some of their intended voice when posted in such a way. But either way, if I don't want feedback, I don't post. Good or bad, you post on an open forum, you're gonna get replies. I can't see taking offense at recommendations from people with more experience in an area you're venturing into. Just my opinion.

I know not everyone plans the way I do, but I'm a firm believer in thinking ahead so I plan the hell outta things LOL. 

I want to make soap for many reasons, ranging from personal wants to being in love with the artistry of it. In my Soap Diary (don't laugh, lol, it's my method of researching and planning things), I have plans for selling eventually, but they are so far down the line that it's not even worth discussing yet. Long before getting to the selling stage, is a very long list of desired soaps (including their properties and potential recipes, design, color, scents, etc) that I want to make. I will have a long road just working through a small portion of that list, to work out quirks and perfect them, before I ever feel ready to actually sell on an open market level. I can't imagine having my first two batches under my belt and thinking I was ready to sell. 

I've spent years perfecting my skills in the other areas I create in, and I didn't begin selling any of those until I could do them in my sleep. I can't imagine doing anything less with soaping.


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