# How soon after cutting CP soap can I wrap it?



## darkforestriddle504 (Jan 16, 2014)

I've made 7 or 8 batches of CP and with each batch I end up wrapping it sooner and sooner after I cut it!  I wrap it like a present in scrapbook paper with a band holding it closed, so air can still get in a little. I'm still not using it until at least 6 weeks, (still nervous, being so new at this) and I do the caustic test before using it, of course, but could wrapping it hurt the quality somehow?


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## GuarinoSoaps (Jan 16, 2014)

I think a great idea for you would be to leave one bar out, and have one bar wrapped like you normally do. Then when they are both ready, use both and see if there is a difference?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Jan 16, 2014)

The purpose of the cure is that water can evaporate.  The more area of the soap that is wrapped, the less effective the cure can be.  Think of drying out washing - one doesn't leave it all bunched up, but rather with space so air can flow and help drying.

Out of interest, why do you wrap it so early?


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## shunt2011 (Jan 16, 2014)

I generally wrap my soaps after 4-6 weeks.  I will bevel and clean them up sooner but I've found that if I wrap them too soon they do shink some and it makes the wrapper lose.  I use shrink wrap bands and will still sometimes need to hit them wit the heat gun to make the wrap tighter.  I have wrapped them soon and don't find it takes any longer for them to cure as I can tell how loose the wrapper has gotten.


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## Twiggy (Jan 16, 2014)

I also wrap when they close to be done with curing, after 5-6 weeks from cutting. That way the water is gone, soaps will not misshape any more – so packaging is exactly the right “size”, but still scent have chance to stay in product. Works for me that way


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## darkforestriddle504 (Jan 16, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> The purpose of the cure is that water can evaporate.  The more area of the soap that is wrapped, the less effective the cure can be.  Think of drying out washing - one doesn't leave it all bunched up, but rather with space so air can flow and help drying.
> 
> Out of interest, why do you wrap it so early?


Yeah, I want to wrap them early cause I'm impatient! Got my labels made and my paper picked out and I'm just sitting here, project half done, watching soap dry! lol But mostly it's because I'm currently stationed in S.Korea and ship AAALLLL my soap back to my family and their friends and my friends and their families in the US so I have to wrap them before I ship them and want to get them out soon. If I wait till the 6 week mark to wrap, people wouldn't be getting soap till the 8th week, or later depending on the season. (My sister pops a few open and tests them before giving them off. I'm so nervous about the PH!) Right now I've got a box with a batch "done" last week, another one "done" in two weeks and I want to ship them off with the batch I just finished so the box is full (can't afford to waste shipping!) and people can get the their oldest soaps without having to wait for the newest batch.


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## Twiggy (Jan 16, 2014)

Look on it this way – longer you wait lighter the soaps – cheaper shipment  So actually time is money here!


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## shunt2011 (Jan 16, 2014)

If there is a lag time in the shipping then I would just wrap them and ship them.  They probably get 1-2 weeks cure time during shipping.  I would just make your packaging something that they wouldn't fall out of during the cure.   If you don't get zapped after about 3 days (if gelled) you don't have to worry about the PH.  I've never PH tested my soaps and never had a problem.


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