# Zany's no slime castile



## Zany_in_CO

This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )

ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.

1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
 1 quart warm water
   1 Tablespoon sea salt
   1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)

I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
0% Super Fat/Lye Discount

Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
CUT   Day 2
CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.

If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.

VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


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## KiwiMoose

Thanks Zany,

What's the advantage of the (faux) sea water?  I might give this recipe a try.  I thought Olive oil took months to cure to a hard bar?


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## Misschief

Thanks for this, Zany! (Dang it... I thought I'd replied earlier but it seems I forgot to hit "post reply"). I'm looking forward to trying this.


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## Dawni

KiwiMoose said:


> Thanks Zany,
> 
> What's the advantage of the (faux) sea water?  I might give this recipe a try.  I thought Olive oil took months to cure to a hard bar?


Not Zany but I've only tried a handful of batches using saltwater and I noticed that the soaps are much harder than the ones without.. Could also be to cut down on the slime you usually get with Castile? 

Just a guess, but someone with more knowledge and experience will come along hehehe

Thanks for the recipe @Zany_in_CO, I must have a go at this.


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## Steve85569

Soleseif Castile?


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## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> What's the advantage of the (faux) sea water?  I might give this recipe a try.  I thought Olive oil took months to cure to a hard bar?


After years of formulating Castile, I re-read some of the research I had on file. I learned that both makers of Savon de Marseille and Aleppo Soap (olive + laurel oil) originally used natural sea water to create the soap. Also in my files, I found an old recipe for Faux Sea Water. Tried it. Liked the result immensely. It was just the final tweak necessary to get the bar, not only slime free, but to cure quickly as well. I'm currently using a bar that I started using after the 6-week mark and it's as good, IMO, as a 1-year cure.

It's true... many soapers wait a full year before selling their castile soap. IME, (In My Experience) 12 weeks/3 months is enough for the formula I used before this one. 

But, as mentioned above, the longer the cure, the better the bar.


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## kayak1987

Thank you, interesting!
Any idea why bicarbonate?
I also added in mine 2 teaspoon of salt in the lye solution, and even if lye concentration was around 20% i had problems in dissolving it...
I'm an aleppo soap estimator unfortunatly laurel fruits oil is too hard to find and very expensive...


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## penelopejane

kayak1987 said:


> Thank you, interesting!
> Any idea why bicarbonate?
> I also added in mine 2 teaspoon of salt in the lye solution, and even if lye concentration was around 20% i had problems in dissolving it...
> I'm an aleppo soap estimator unfortunatly laurel fruits oil is too hard to find and very expensive...



The bicarb makes the water semi equivalent to sea water not just salt water.


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## Obsidian

kayak1987 said:


> Thank you, interesting!
> Any idea why bicarbonate?
> I also added in mine 2 teaspoon of salt in the lye solution, and even if lye concentration was around 20% i had problems in dissolving it...
> I'm an aleppo soap estimator unfortunatly laurel fruits oil is too hard to find and very expensive...



Dissolve the salt in the water before adding the lye. If you do it the other way, the salt won't dissolve properly.


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## madison

Zany_in_CO said:


> After years of formulating Castile, I re-read some of the research I had on file. I learned that both makers of Savon de Marseille and Aleppo Soap (olive + laurel oil) originally used natural sea water to create the soap. Also in my files, I found an old recipe for Faux Sea Water. Tried it. Liked the result immensely. It was just the final tweak necessary to get the bar, not only slime free, but to cure quickly as well. I'm currently using a bar that I started using after the 6-week mark and it's as good, IMO, as a 1-year cure.
> 
> It's true... many soapers wait a full year before selling their castile soap. IME, (In My Experience) 12 weeks/3 months is enough for the formula I used before this one.
> 
> But, as mentioned above, the longer the cure, the better the bar.



This will be an interesting experiment, even though I have never heard that original Aleppo soap is made of seawater, my understanding from what I have read, researched and the people I have talked to, that Aleppo soap is made from local ingredients. I don't think they have used seawater in making the soap, as Aleppo city is far from the sea. Unlike Marseille city is located along the Mediterranean Sea in the southeastern part of France, that makes it much easier for them to use sea water in manufacturing the soap. Also, from what I have learned that Aleppo soap was affordable for people in the region, it was the main soap that almost every family have to have all the time, especially extended families with elder people.
Do you mind exchanging a bar of your castile soap with one of mine? I couldn't perfect my castile soap to become similar to what I have tried from some regions where they make castile professionally. PM me please if you are interested.
Thank you


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## Misschief

@Zany_in_CO, I made your recipe yesterday, left it uncoloured and unscented. It came together beautifully, a gorgeous creamy white. This morning, I unmolded it; I'll cut it when I get home from work this evening. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your recipe. This may well be one that makes it into regular rotation.


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## shunt2011

When I made my Aleppo style soap (4-5 years ago), I did my research I didn't find anything that said Aleppo was made with sea water.  So, I inquired with a friend who was from and still had family in Aleppo. He said it was just made with water from their water supply, lye, olive and laurel in big pots over fire.  Mind you he had never made it.    He actually had family coming to visit and he gave me a bar of Aleppo soap.  Hate to say it, but I didn't like it.   It was so much like castile and I don't like that either.   I had already made my soap.  I still have quite a few bars and still don't care for it.   Keeping them just for fun. The oil was expensive.


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## GreenDragon

I have a saltwater reef aquarium, and as someone who's mixed up 100's of gallons of saltwater I can confirm that it does contain both Calcium, Magnesium, and carbonates in addition to table salt (Sodium Chloride).  The baking soda adds Calcium and carbonates to the batch.  Sea salt, while technically made from sea water, does not contain the same ratio's of minerals as natural sea water due to chemical reactions / properties of the minerals during evaporation and crystallization.  (Note - natural sea water is approximate 35% salinity, or about 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water.)

It is interesting that the original recipes called for using natural seawater.  I would imagine that the natural presence of Ca and Mg, which make up the components of "hard water" and bind to soap molecules making soap less effective, are in effect probably working against the "slimey" properties of castile type soaps right in the bar.  

As I mix my saltwater for my tank in the garage where I soap, I've used it in several soaps recently instead of walking back to the kitchen for water LOL.  Makes a nice, hard bar of soap.  I'm definitely going to try it in my next batch of castile!    My first batch was made last December (with distilled water) and I'm packaging it up to give to my mom for Christmas as she has sensitive skin.  

If you want to give it a try, you can get purchase seawater mixes at your local fish store.  Look for packages that say "for reef aquariums".


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## penelopejane

GreenDragon said:


> .  (Note - natural sea water is approximate 35% salinity, or about 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water.)
> 
> It is interesting that the original recipes called for using natural seawater.  I would imagine that the natural presence of Ca and Mg, which make up the components of "hard water" and bind to soap molecules making soap less effective, are in effect probably working against the "slimey" properties of castile type soaps right in the bar.
> 
> As I mix my saltwater for my tank in the garage where I soap, I've used it in several soaps recently instead of walking back to the kitchen for water LOL.  Makes a nice, hard bar of soap.  I'm definitely going to try it in my next batch of castile!    My first batch was made last December (with distilled water) and I'm packaging it up to give to my mom for Christmas as she has sensitive skin.
> 
> If you want to give it a try, you can get purchase seawater mixes at your local fish store.  Look for packages that say "for reef aquariums".



^^^ I think seawater is 3.5% salinity.


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## GreenDragon

penelopejane said:


> ^^^ I think seawater is 3.5% salinity.



Thank you!  Typo


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## SaltedFig

GreenDragon said:


> I have a saltwater reef aquarium, and as someone who's mixed up 100's of gallons of saltwater I can confirm that it does contain both Calcium, Magnesium, and carbonates in addition to table salt (Sodium Chloride).  The baking soda adds Calcium and carbonates to the batch.  Sea salt, while technically made from sea water, does not contain the same ratio's of minerals as natural sea water due to chemical reactions / properties of the minerals during evaporation and crystallization.  (Note - natural sea water is approximate 35% salinity, or about 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water.)
> 
> It is interesting that the original recipes called for using natural seawater.  I would imagine that the natural presence of Ca and Mg, which make up the components of "hard water" and bind to soap molecules making soap less effective, are in effect probably working against the "slimey" properties of castile type soaps right in the bar.
> 
> As I mix my saltwater for my tank in the garage where I soap, I've used it in several soaps recently instead of walking back to the kitchen for water LOL.  Makes a nice, hard bar of soap.  I'm definitely going to try it in my next batch of castile!    My first batch was made last December (with distilled water) and I'm packaging it up to give to my mom for Christmas as she has sensitive skin.
> 
> If you want to give it a try, you can get purchase seawater mixes at your local fish store.  Look for packages that say "for reef aquariums".



Plain Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) doesn't contain any calcium (the C stands for Carbon)
(It should be possible to edit out your typo's from your original post )


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## GreenDragon

SaltedFig said:


> Plain Sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) doesn't contain any calcium (the C stands for Carbon)
> (It should be possible to edit out your typo's from your original post )



Guilty - That's what I get for not paying attention!  We use Sodium bicarb to regulate the availability of Ca and Mg in the aquarium by balancing PH and CO2 availability.   Serve me right for trying to sneak a few posts while at work


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## Zany_in_CO

madison said:


> Do you mind exchanging a bar of your castile soap with one of mine? I couldn't perfect my castile soap to become similar to what I have tried from some regions where they make castile professionally. PM me please if you are interested.


I'm sorry, Madison, I don't have a bar of castile available.  I make castile/aleppo soap for wholesale customers. If making for myself, I prefer liquid soap. Why not try a small batch? I don't think you'll be disappointed.  It may not be like the commercially produced castile because they have the advantage of large machinery to do "triple-milled" among other things.


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## Zany_in_CO

Misschief said:


> @Zany_in_CO, I made your recipe yesterday, left it uncoloured and unscented. It came together beautifully, a gorgeous creamy white. This morning, I unmolded it; I'll cut it when I get home from work this evening.


Hiya Misschief, I'm wondering if you'd care to update your experience. Quick cure? No slime?


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## Misschief

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hiya Misschief, I'm wondering if you'd care to update your experience. Quick cure? No slime?



I always let my soaps cure for a minimum of 4 weeks but I can say that the bars are nice and hard. I was able to unmold and cut within 24 hours. The bars are a beautiful creamy white and the sliver that I tried after cutting lathered beautifully with no slime. Just tried it again (made on Dec. 12, btw) and it lathers great. The bubbles aren't big and fluffy but definitely creamy and plentiful without being slimy. I'm really liking it, Zany.


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## dibbles

I might actually make a New Year's castile this year. The slime factor has always kept me away - glad this got bumped!


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## loriag

Looking forward to trying this in the new year, thank you Zany_in_CO


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## Zany_in_CO

Misschief said:


> I always let my soaps cure for a minimum of 4 weeks but I can say that the bars are nice and hard. I was able to unmold and cut within 24 hours. The bars are a beautiful creamy white and the sliver that I tried after cutting lathered beautifully with no slime. Just tried it again (made on Dec. 12, btw) and it lathers great. The bubbles aren't big and fluffy but definitely creamy and plentiful without being slimy. I'm really liking it, Zany.







I'm so happy to hear you like it! This was a 12-year long, on-and-off, journey for me from the first time I made Castile in 2005 to 2017. Like others, I didn't care much for Castile Soap and didn't understand its popularity. I was determined to reduce slime, speed up cure, and not make it so "rock hard" that it didn't release lather easily.   Now I do like it --  it's easy to make (1/2 hour) plus the profit margin is as good as it gets, especially if it's fragrance and colorant free and no other additives. I luv the creamy white look of it as well, although I have made it with calendula infused OO for babies as well as comfrey infused OO for a facial bar. Both very soothing to sensitive skin.

NOTE to others: I use pomace OO because it's highest in acidity which makes it better for soap than EVOO which is lowest in acidity (thus, it tastes better!  ) -- plus, if imported, it may be "fake" or "adulterated". Google to learn more.


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## Misschief

Zany_in_CO said:


> View attachment 34633


Avec plaisir!


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## KiwiMoose

Help @Zany_in_CO - I've just mixed my lye water and it's cloudy and there are 'deposits' of small white clumpy bits (calcium?) around the edges of the jug (with the consistency of slime) Just the size of a little air bubble.  And there are air bubbles too, which I've never had in lye water.  I added a bit more water in case it was needed for further dissolving of the lye and it seems to have improved somewhat, but not entirely.  I used 1:7 as you suggested, to the premixed saline solution.

Any ideas what's gone wrong?

233.06gm  Water

Lye - NaOH

0.302#

4.84oz

137.10g

Oils

2.205#

35.27oz

1,000.00g


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## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> Help @Zany_in_CO\ I used 1:7 as you suggested, to the premixed saline solution.


Oh dear, I was afraid someone might do that. If you go back to the first post, it says:


> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)


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## KiwiMoose

Zany_in_CO said:


> Oh dear, if you go back to the first post, it says:


Yes - sorry that's what I meant 1.7:1

It's very thick water - like a setting jelly ( not near setting stage, but just starting to thicken a bit).
On the top (after leaving it to sit a bit) is a cloudy white film.

I guess it's no different to when I've used, say brewed coffee, and there was a cloudy brown film on the top when left unstirred.

ETA:  I was just worried about 'lye pockets' as I heard them mentioned somewhere previously with the saline solution not being able to take on as much lye.  I  finished the batch and it seemed to come together well.. I took the option of the coconut at 10% and the castor at 5%.  Will keep you posted on the outcome.


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## 74rabia

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.




Just as a matter of interest for fellow saponifiers- I found these videos on traditional Castille soap making in Syria and Palestine. Allepo Soap is from tree to completion - they're pretty amazing.
  (Alleppo Soap-no sound)
 (Nabulus)


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## SaltedFig

Hey 74 ... where outback are you?

PS. Yes, they are.


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## Misschief

Zany_in_CO said:


> View attachment 34633
> 
> NOTE to others: I use pomace OO because it's highest in acidity which makes it better for soap than EVOO which is lowest in acidity (thus, it tastes better!  ) -- plus, if imported, it may be "fake" or "adulterated". Google to learn more.



I've stopped using pomace for a couple of reasons. First, my usual supplier (my grocery store) no longer stocks it and second, I've found that the colour can vary quite a bit from one batch to another. I now use plain old olive oil, not EVOO. It's readily available and the price isn't that much more than the pomace was.


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## nframe

Zany, thank you for your recipe.  I would like to try it but would like something clarified first.  To make the faux seawater, you use a quart of water.  Is that 0.94 litre or 1.13 litre?  According to the dictionary, they use 0.94 in the US and 1.13 in the UK.  What did you use?

Why can't all the weights and measures be harmonised throughout the world?...


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## Misschief

nframe said:


> Zany, thank you for your recipe.  I would like to try it but would like something clarified first.  To make the faux seawater, you use a quart of water.  Is that 0.94 litre or 1.13 litre?  According to the dictionary, they use 0.94 in the US and 1.13 in the UK.  What did you use?
> 
> Why can't all the weights and measures be harmonised throughout the world?...


Or, to confuse even more... a quart is 4 cups, or 32 ounces.


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## Zany_in_CO

nframe said:


> Zany, thank you for your recipe.


You're welcome.


nframe said:


> To make the faux seawater, you use a quart of water.  Is that 0.94 litre or 1.13 litre?  According to the dictionary, they use 0.94 in the US and 1.13 in the UK.  What did you use?


I use quart. Given that water by weight is 32 oz. and by volume is 32 fluid oz., if you have a scale like mine that weighs in ounces and grams, make it easy on yourself and weigh out 32 oz, switch the scale to grams if you like, and there you have it. 


nframe said:


> Why can't all the weights and measures be harmonised throughout the world?...


I couldn't agree more. It's interesting to note that JFK, President John F Kennedy, who was president in the early 60's, said that we would make it to the moon in 10 years and also convert the USA to metric in the same amount of time. We made it to the moon, but not the conversion. Says something about our Yankee spirit, me thinks.  (roll eyes)


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## KiwiMoose

nframe said:


> Zany, thank you for your recipe.  I would like to try it but would like something clarified first.  To make the faux seawater, you use a quart of water.  Is that 0.94 litre or 1.13 litre?  According to the dictionary, they use 0.94 in the US and 1.13 in the UK.  What did you use?
> 
> Why can't all the weights and measures be harmonised throughout the world?...



Oh - I wonder if this is why my water went 'funny' when I added the lye @Zany_in_CO?  I used 320 g water with 4.76g sea salt and 4.76g baking soda.


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## penelopejane

36 Oz water = 1000g water
The recipe requires 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of bicarb. 

US tablespoon = 15ml (Australian tablespoon = 20ml) 

So you made about 1/4 of the batch and used about 1/4 of the additives (give or take and in this situation that’s fine). 

What might have impacted on you was if you mixed the salt into the lye water (very difficult) or if you miss measured the lye or water.


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## Zany_in_CO

Misschief said:


> I now use plain old olive oil, not EVOO.


LOL "plain old olive oil" is just as good. It's the EVOO that is mostly adulterated here in the States.


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## KiwiMoose

Photo of my end result over on the "What Soapy Things.." thread Zany.


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## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> Photo of my end result over on the "What Soapy Things.." thread Zany.


Found it! Post #9118. Beautiful! Well done, Kiwi!
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/what-soapy-thing-have-you-done-today.42556/page-456


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## Obsidian

I decided to give this a try. Only made three bars as I'm not a fan of castile, hoping this will be better. Not sure if it was the salt or the FO but this traced fairly quick. Had to use some EVOO since I didn't have enough of the plain. It looks nice, poured well at very thin trace.

@Zany_in_CO might I suggest you edit the salt water recipe to have ounces of water instead of quart? I didn't read the whole thread until after I made my soap. I just used a pint jar to mix my water, not sure if it will affect the outcome or not.


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## Zany_in_CO

Obsidian said:


> ... might I suggest you edit the salt water recipe to have ounces of water instead of quart? I didn't read the whole thread until after I made my soap.


Aw, Obsidian, as you probably know, it's too late to edit. I'm sorry you missed this in the  instructions:


> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.


In any case, when tweaking a recipe, it's a good idea to double check everything. As my father-the-carpenter always said, _"Measure twice; saw once." _After a few "oopsies", I finally learned to do that when making soap.

I'm "retired" from making soap for wholesale customers, but when I was doing so, I used faux seawater to make Castile/Bastile soaps and Aleppo type bars and used it up over a few months. It keeps well in the fridge for a long time and can certainly be used to make other soaps that may be a little on the soft side.


Obsidian said:


> ...I just used a pint jar to mix my water, not sure if it will affect the outcome or not.


Good question. I'd love an update on your result, if it's not too much trouble.


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## Deborah Long

@Zany_in_CO  - Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!  As a new soaper, Castile is the reason that I started.  So many member of my family have sensitive sking or psoriasis that they need something pure and gentle.  (not me, so far my skin is like steel and I love my scrubby coffee soap!  lol)

I've never used salt or sodium bicarb in soap before and I'm wondering if I did everything right - only because instead of my lye water turning clear again, it stayed rather cloudy.  Everything else went as anticipated and described by you, but I'm wondering if that reaction is due to the addition of salt?

Again, thanks so much for posting/sharing!  I appreciate your generosity!  I can't wait until tomorrow to see my new soap!


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## dibbles

I tried this out today. I made 2 small batches - one 100% OO unscented and uncolored, one with 15% CO, 5% castor and 80% OO scented and colored. Thank you @Zany_in_CO  for sharing your recipe.

@Deborah Long  my lye water was cloudy. I'm sure yours is fine. I did pour it through a strainer when adding to my oils.


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## Deborah Long

@dibbles  - Thanks for that!  I did NOT, however, think of pouring through a strainer!  Maybe next time I'll think of it!  lol


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## Obsidian

My lye was also cloudy. I've seen it before when using salt. I never strain mine.

Here is mine. Its starting to lighten some, the fo had made it fairly orange to begin with. Scented with orange blossom from sweetcakes.


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## KiwiMoose

Looks very creamy @Obsidian, just like mine. 
My lye water was very cloudy and i was concerned to start with, but it turned out OK with no straining - and I didn't think of that either @Deborah Long.
Today the blue I added has become more apparent ( after curing for two nights) but, alas, so has the soda ash.  The blue colourant I use ALWAYS turns purple, which is why I used it.  But this time it went blue just to annoy me when making a 'lavender' soap. Ha!  Tricky stuff.
I am not disappointed with either the blue nor the ash however as it makes the soap look kinda 'vintage'.  Your thoughts?:


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## Zany_in_CO

Deborah Long said:


> ...instead of my lye water turning clear again, it stayed rather cloudy. ... I'm wondering if that reaction is due to the addition of salt? Again, thanks so much for posting/sharing!  I appreciate your generosity!





dibbles said:


> Thank you for sharing your recipe. ...my lye water was cloudy. I'm sure yours is fine. I did pour it through a strainer when adding to my oils.





Obsidian said:


> My lye was also cloudy. ... Its starting to lighten some, the fo had made it fairly orange to begin with. .





KiwiMoose said:


> My lye water was very cloudy... Today the blue I added has become more apparent ( after curing for two nights) but, alas, so has the soda ash.  I am not disappointed with either the blue nor the ash however as it makes the soap look kinda 'vintage'.  Your thoughts?


You're all so very welcome!   I'm happy to see so many of you giving it a go. Thanks!

It seems the consensus is that the seawater does make the lye cloudy, but, to tell the truth, I never even noticed.  

About Obsidian's orange color and Kiwi's blue color, the salt water does seem to "bleach" out any colorant... the Aleppo soap I made with seawater went from a pretty green (from the laurel oil) to pale tan soap.  

Kiwi -- I love the look of your soaps... interesting how the color has morphed from pink to blue. To prevent ash, have you tried spritzing lightly with alcohol and covering it with Saran wrap?


----------



## Deborah Long

@Obsidian @Zany_in_CO @KiwiMoose  - Oh - now I am so excited I feel like a kid on Christmas morning!  YAY!  I hope mine looks HALF as creamy!  Kiwi - your's is just precious!  I love it, no matter what you call the color!  lol
Thanks again, everyone!

I did notice that the 'original' Allepo soap turned from green to tan, also, so I think that Zany has it down pat!


----------



## nframe

Well, this soap is proving to be very popular!  I, too, had to try it.  As the others mentioned, the lye was very cloudy and seemed to have bits in it.  I used it without straining.  I unmoulded the soaps this morning - after less than 24 hours and they were already so hard that I had trouble stamping them.  I attach a picture.
Also, I just tried washing my hands with them and there is definitely no slime, just a lot of lovely bubbles.  Thank you again Zany!


----------



## KiwiMoose

nframe said:


> Well, this soap is proving to be very popular!  I, too, had to try it.  As the others mentioned, the lye was very cloudy and seemed to have bits in it.  I used it without straining.  I unmoulded the soaps this morning - after less than 24 hours and they were already so hard that I had trouble stamping them.  I attach a picture.
> Also, I just tried washing my hands with them and there is definitely no slime, just a lot of lovely bubbles.  Thank you again Zany!


Gosh!  Simple and beautiful!  I wish I hadn't coloured mine now - they look so pretty left natural.


----------



## Deborah Long

I didn't color or fragrance as I just wanted to see how it turned out.  So far so good!  I cut at a little less than 24 hours (like 22.5  lol) and it was hard!  I think next time I'll cut earlier.  It looks so creamy I am going to have a hard time waiting to try it!  Thanks again, Zany!
(I may see how expensive laurel oil is to see if I can do a true Aleppo soap!)


----------



## Gemmali

Could you use the faux salt water with other recipes as well, or is it best left to bars with a high olive oil content?


----------



## dxw

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times.



I have just popped 500ml of OO and 116ml of 1.7:1 seawater lye solution under cover to sit overnight. Real seawater is easy enough to gather here and I hope that whatever-temperature-it-is-tomorrow will be adequate for the process … at least I will know their temperatures are the same. 

Here's hoping that it turns out better than my yesterday/today effort: The Soap That Shall Not Be Named.


----------



## KiwiMoose

dxw said:


> I have just popped 500ml of OO and 116ml of 1.7:1 seawater lye solution under cover to sit overnight. Real seawater is easy enough to gather here and I hope that whatever-temperature-it-is-tomorrow will be adequate for the process … at least I will know their temperatures are the same.
> 
> Here's hoping that it turns out better than my yesterday/today effort: The Soap That Shall Not Be Named.


Hi DXW - crazy huh?  I was just at Raglan beach the day before I made my faux seawater.  It didn't even cross my mind to grab a jar or bottle and collect the 'real stuff' from the ocean!


----------



## SaltedFig

Susie (from this forum) suggested a while ago to finely filter natural sea water

(it contains all sorts of critters at this time of year for us southern hemisphere folk, so maybe onsite filtration and rinse the cloth might be the go )

I have a beach appointment tomorrow ... thanks for the reminder


----------



## dxw

KiwiMoose said:


> Hi DXW - crazy huh?  I was just at Raglan beach the day before I made my faux seawater.  It didn't even cross my mind to grab a jar or bottle and collect the 'real stuff' from the ocean!


Don't worry.  I had my Do'oh! moment as I was looking for bicarb.
I have commandeered one of our large earthquake water bottles for my main water supply  (_Awakairangi_ spring water, sounds good too) but just grabbed a large square cake container for the seawater, and waded in at Lowry Bay to rinse and fill it. 
That all makes me think that I am not too badly located for this: Springwater bubbling to the surface a few hundred metres away in two directions; several crystal clear mountain streams nearby; and clean seawater a couple km away in several directions.



SaltedFig said:


> Susie (from this forum) suggested a while ago to finely filter natural sea water



Hmmm, yes, good idea. Those critters will be reduced to caustic residue by now but even crystal clear seawater will contain lots of extra goodies.


----------



## dibbles

Testing my little batches from New Year's Day. The first picture is 100% OO. This took a bit longer to lather but pretty decent for a 3 day old baby. The second picture is 80% OO, 15% CO, 5% castor. This lathered easily. No other additives in either batch. They are nicely hard already and pass the zap test. I'm impressed


----------



## loriag

@Zany_in_CO do you use ROE or T EDTA in your batches? I’m wondering if I should skip the EDTA in a batch for babies/sensitive skin. I normally use both in my recipes. What do you think? My plan is to make some tomorrow. I am so pleased to give this recipe a try as my goal for the new year was to find/figure tweak a sensitive soap recipe as I don’t currently have one.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

loriag said:


> @Zany_in_CO do you use ROE or T EDTA in your batches? I’m wondering if I should skip the EDTA in a batch for babies/sensitive skin.


Good question, Lori. I normally use ROE & vitamin E (tocopherol) in all my batches and never EDTA. I'd skip it for babies/sensitive skin.


----------



## loriag

Zany_in_CO said:


> Good question, Lori. I normally use ROE & vitamin E (tocopherol) in all my batches and never EDTA. I'd skip it for babies/sensitive skin. It was considered mildly  toxic when I first started soaping in 2004.  As a matter of fact, this forum is the only one I've ever encountered soapers using EDTA.


That’s kinda what I was thinking . I really like EDTA in my regular formula. So ROE it will be and I will have to look up Vitamin E, can I ask what percentage you normally use?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

loriag said:


> That’s kinda what I was thinking . I really like EDTA in my regular formula. So ROE it will be and I will have to look up Vitamin E, can I ask what percentage you normally use?


I take this Vitamin E 1000 IU daily to offset Colorado's Alpine Desert Climate. For soaping, I prick and squirt the contents of 1-2 softgel capsules PPO into warmed oils before adding the lye solution. (Highly technical, I know ) For ROE, use the manufacturer's recommended amount. It doesn't take much.


----------



## loriag

Zany_in_CO said:


> I take this Vitamin E 1000 IU daily to offset Colorado's Alpine Desert Climate. For soaping, I prick and squirt the contents of 1-2 softgel capsules PPO into warmed oils before adding the lye solution. (Highly technical, I know ) For ROE, use the manufacturer's recommended amount. It doesn't take much.


I have Vitamin E MT-50  kicking around that I ordered back in August and can't remember why! Just looked up it's usage rate from the supplier.  It could have been for lotions or lip balms but I haven't even cracked the seal. So no harm in trying it, at least it will get some use. ROE I use all the time, so no issues with it's usage. Thanks for the response.


----------



## SaltedFig

dxw said:


> Having read this, and finding the name EDTA a little daunting, I spent a wee while this morning reading up on the topic. One result of that review is that I have vowed to call it edetic acid from now on.
> 
> *My favourite quote*, mainly because it uses recalcitrant, was: “The recalcitrance of EDTA in natural environments is of considerable concern since the effective metal-binding properties are suspected to have undesirable environmental consequences such as the remobilization of heavy metals from river sediments.”
> 
> *My stance*, having now taken a look at the topic: Bacon is more directly dangerous to people. EDTA does have significant and avoidable adverse environmental impact. All the same I’m not going to buy any more EDTA. I will slowly use up what little I hold and keep an eye out for less harmful alternatives.
> 
> I recognise that my review will be far from complete, but I doubt it missed anything of earth shattering importance. I also realise that the bacon reference is gratuitous (I love bacon) but it's intended to draw attention to the nature of personal risk decision making. Zany has made her 'call' on EDTA and produces much better soap than me. Therefore … Okay, maybe that's a non-cause type of correlation, but it's up to you to adopt your own stance re EDTA (amongst many other things).
> Happy to post / mail my brief summary and a few references and excerpts if anyone wants.



_"Happy to post / mail my brief summary and a few references and excerpts if anyone wants."_

I reckon it wouldn't hurt to make a thread on the topic of bacon, @dxw  ....

We could have a virtual convention, for comparing biodegradeable alternatives.

Biodegradable Alternatives Convention (BA-CON )


----------



## Zany_in_CO

@dxw : If it isn't too much trouble, and if you can edit in the next 24 hours, please move your post to start a new topic.  TIA 

ETA: 


SaltedFig said:


> _"Happy to post / mail my brief summary and a few references and excerpts if anyone wants.  _I reckon it wouldn't hurt to make a thread on the topic of bacon,



You too, Figgy. Pretty please?  Exactly what I was hoping to prevent.


----------



## dxw

Zany_in_CO said:


> ... please move your post to start a new topic.  TIA



Ahhh yes, understood. Simple recipe thread getting hijacked onto 'issues'. Sorry. I have reposted and 'deleted' my post here.


----------



## Zany_in_CO




----------



## SaltedFig

On the weights and measurement side topic:


Zany_in_CO said:


> You're welcome.
> 
> I use quart. Given that water by weight is 32 oz. and by volume is 32 fluid oz., if you have a scale like mine that weighs in ounces and grams, make it easy on yourself and weigh out 32 oz, switch the scale to grams if you like, and there you have it.
> 
> I couldn't agree more. It's interesting to note that JFK, President John F Kennedy, who was president in the early 60's, said that we would make it to the moon in 10 years and also convert the USA to metric in the same amount of time. We made it to the moon, but not the conversion. Says something about our Yankee spirit, me thinks.  (roll eyes)



I noticed that there were quite a few replies to this already, so I'll be brief .. I am always glad that I live in Australia, when it comes to weights and measurements, it makes maths in general very simple, and weights and measurements doubly so 

On the EDTA sidetopic:


Zany_in_CO said:


> You too, Figgy. Pretty please?  Exactly what I was hoping to prevent.


You wrote a brief paragraph about EDTA here.

When I read first read your post, and dxw replied to it, it was much longer. You described how you, when you first started soaping in 2004, chose not to use EDTA after reading that it was "mildly toxic". You went on to comment that this forum was the only one where you'd seen it used.
Obviously I'm paraphrasing, as the original text has been removed (but I do distinctly remember the year, the reason and your comment on this forum).

I thought dxw's reply to your post was interesting and complimentary, and warranted further discussion, but on another thread, hence my lighthearted suggestion for that other thread (partially quoted by you, above). I see that after quoting me, you edited your original post to remove your reasons and discussion points, and replace the paragraph with a simple statement that you don't use EDTA. Fair enough (I don't either).

While I understand you want to change your mind, and not discuss this particular side topic any further, your original post gave no indication that you didn't want it discussed further. As it stands, I don't feel comfortable complying with your "request" to modify my contribution to your side-discussion, however I will respect your wishes and not refer to it again on this thread (unless you choose to do so yourself first, of course).

On the recipe (main) topic:


Zany_in_CO said:


> View attachment 34633
> ... NOTE to others: I use pomace OO because it's highest in acidity which makes it better for soap than EVOO which is lowest in acidity (thus, it tastes better!  ) -- plus, if imported, it may be "fake" or "adulterated". Google to learn more.





Zany_in_CO said:


> ... Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.[ ... ]





Zany_in_CO said:


> Kiwi ... To prevent ash, have you tried spritzing lightly with alcohol and covering it with Saran wrap?



Zany, I notice that you are using pomace olive oil for this recipe. Correct me if I'm wrong, but this means that you are using solvent extracted olive oil?
The reason for this question is that I have a theory that Kiwi (and Australians) are getting a bit of extra ash at the periphery of the soap because of the difference in our olive oils.

I am thinking that there might need to be an adjustment to the lye concentration, for our EVOO soaps using your recipe. If you've already explored this, please let us know your results.

Otherwise, especially for our NZ/Aussie EVOO soapers who are experiencing ash with Zany's recipe, I suspect that we may need to use a little less water than Zany has found ideal for her choice. The increase in lye concentration should slow down the transfer of salts to the outer edges of the soap (which can carry salts and create a dusting of "ash"), and with the difference in oils, I doubt we will experience quite the same hardness that Zany noticed with her oil choice.

In other words, using different grade of olive oil may require a minor adjustment to the lye ratio Zany has found ideal.

Zany, I hope that provided an agreeable on-topic addition to your recipe contribution. Send me a PM if you would like anything changed


----------



## dxw

I made a batch of Zany's faux-faux-seawater castile soap - I used actual seawater.
It feels lovely and handles well, and is entirely well behaved so far. I also took the opportunity to use a gift-mould from my son 
Time will tell re soapiness behaviours I guess.


----------



## KiwiMoose

And here is my (now remarkably blue) no-slime Castile with the soda ash. Still quite pretty though. And due to the type of mould I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.


----------



## dxw

KiwiMoose said:


> ... I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.



Yeah, it looks quite carefully shadowed and accented. well done.


----------



## SaltedFig

KiwiMoose said:


> View attachment 34828
> And here is my (now remarkably blue) no-slime Castile with the soda ash. Still quite pretty though. And due to the type of mould I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.



Faded blue jeans ... the ash and colour are perfect together Kiwi!


----------



## KiwiMoose

SaltedFig said:


> Faded blue jeans ... the ash and colour are perfect together Kiwi!


Thanks Fig!  Actually, maybe I should make another batch the same and call it Faded Blue jeans, and use the Clean Linen FO?  Knowing my luck it won't turn blue next time, lol.


----------



## SaltedFig

KiwiMoose said:


> Thanks Fig!  Actually, maybe I should make another batch the same and call it Faded Blue jeans, and use the Clean Linen FO?  Knowing my luck it won't turn blue next time, lol.



That sounds like a perfect match!


----------



## melinda48

Zany_in_CO said:


> Good question, Lori. I normally use ROE & vitamin E (tocopherol) in all my batches and never EDTA. I'd skip it for babies/sensitive skin.


What is ROE and EDTA?


----------



## atiz

melinda48 said:


> What is ROE and EDTA?


ROE = rosemary oleoresin, extracted from rosemary and used as a natural preservative for oils. 
EDTA = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (if I copied the word from wikipedia right!), also used as a stabilizer (and a bunch of other uses, apparently).


----------



## loriag

The EDTA is Tetrasodium EDTA. It is used as a mineral chelator,  prevention of DOS and soap scum.


----------



## Dennis

2





Misschief said:


> @Zany_in_CO, I made your recipe yesterday, left it uncoloured and unscented. It came together beautifully, a gorgeous creamy white. This morning, I unmolded it; I'll cut it when I get home from work this evening. I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your recipe. This may well be one that makes it into regular rotation.



@Zany_in_CO  I also made your recipe just this morning.  Also uncolored and unscented, this is the first 100% OO soap for me.  I've tinkered with bastille.  It is just beautiful, as Misschief said.  Mine is still in the oven but I've checked it several times and it is doing great.  Can't wait to unmold in the morning.  Thank you so much.


----------



## loriag

@Zany_in_CO,  I made a small batch of each recipe you shared. I kept them both uncoloured or fragranced. Now the wait, I am not always patient.


----------



## Obsidian

@SaltedFig I used EVOO and I didn't get any ash on my bars. They are crazy hard at only a few days old, lather really well too. I have to say, I'm impressed with these castile bars. 

I doubt I will like castile any better though as I generally find it drying but I do plan on using the faux sea water with my regular recipe to see if it changes the lather.


----------



## SaltedFig

@Obisidian yes, that's why I mentioned it was for Kiwi's and Aussies - our EVOO olive oil specifically. There's something different going on between the olive oils in our two countries (they don't seem to work quite the same in soap) - thanks for mentioning this tho - your comment does suggest that it might not be pomace dependant, but the oil itself (in general). I wonder if there's any other Aussie's/Kiwi's trying this? I've seen a few "local" soaps that have ashed up like Kiwi's (pretty as it is - I rather like the effect!).

I managed to make a really "good" slimey castile last year (accidentely, but worth it for what I learned) ... NOW I get why you all don't like the slime!

I hope you post the results of the Zany water soaps from your regular recipe trials  - I'd be interested to hear how it goes!


----------



## CindyJ

nframe said:


> Well, this soap is proving to be very popular!  I, too, had to try it.  As the others mentioned, the lye was very cloudy and seemed to have bits in it.  I used it without straining.  I unmoulded the soaps this morning - after less than 24 hours and they were already so hard that I had trouble stamping them.  I attach a picture.
> Also, I just tried washing my hands with them and there is definitely no slime, just a lot of lovely bubbles.  Thank you again Zany!


Would you mind sharing your recipe?


----------



## Misschief

CindyJ said:


> Would you mind sharing your recipe?


Sorry to sound snippy but have you read the entire thread? Zany's recipe is in the first post.


----------



## Dean

Hi @Zany_in_CO,

Do you think your magic trick will work on other high oleic oils such as almond oil?  I made 100% AO batch once and it was slimy from the oleic and was very soft when it wore down small.



KiwiMoose said:


> View attachment 34828
> And here is my (now remarkably blue) no-slime Castile with the soda ash. Still quite pretty though. And due to the type of mould I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.



Only u could get away with making ash look good!

Whould u please report bk on the lather after full cure?  Im curious to know how Zany’s recipie performs.

Thanks in advance.

This weekend, I'm going to give the  faux sea water technique a try on:

80 AO
15 CB (to drop the linoleic and add a touch of hardness)
5 Castor


----------



## dibbles

Dean said:


> This weekend, I'm going to give the  faux sea water technique a try on:
> 
> 80 AO
> 15 CB (to drop the linoleic and add a touch of hardness)
> 5 Castor


Let us know how it goes  I'd like to know if it accelerates trace for you at all. The 100% OO stayed fluid for me. The one that had CO and castor and FO added moved faster, but not unworkably fast.


----------



## Dean

dibbles said:


> Let us know how it goes  I'd like to know if it accelerates trace for you at all. The 100% OO stayed fluid for me. The one that had CO and castor and FO added moved faster, but not unworkably fast.



Will do!

If it comes out, I shall name it the ZanyFig bar cuz it uses @Zany_in_CO technique and is GMO/soy free per @SaltedFig. 

Hopefully it will help with the winter itch.  Even though my bars are very low in cleansing, my skin gets dry when the temp drops.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> Hi @Zany_in_CO,
> 
> Do you think your magic trick will work on other high oleic oils such as almond oil?  I made 100% AO batch once and it was slimy from the oleic and was very soft when it wore down small.


Hi Dean,
I made 100% almond oil liquid shampoo once and it turned out just fine... surprised me! LOL  I know a "certain soaper" who says that almond oil can be subbed for 100% olive oil castile...  so I'd give it a go but just try a small batch, maybe add a little coconut?


----------



## szaza

Can't wait to try this out @Zany_in_CO ! One of my favorite recipes at the moment is 92% olive, 5% Castor, 3% beeswax, a pinch of salt and wine in stead of water. It's slime free and has acceptable lather at 3-6months, but I feel your recipe might be more effective at producing a slime free/decent lather soap. Thanks for sharing!


----------



## Dean

Dean said:


> This weekend, I'm going to give the  faux sea water technique a try on:
> 
> 80 AO
> 15 CB (to drop the linoleic and add a touch of hardness)
> 5 Castor



Unmolded my zoaps from silicone bout 24 hrs after pouring. WOW, never had bars come out this clean!  My mold has sharp creases.  Not a stick or nick.  I guess its the salt?  Never used  it b4.  Now we wait...

...and wait.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> Now we wait...   ...and wait.


Actually, I start using an end piece at 2 weeks. In any case, be sure to keep bars "High & Dry" between uses -- no puddling allowed in the shower.


----------



## Dean

Zany_in_CO said:


> Actually, I start using an end piece at 2 weeks. In any case, be sure to keep bars "High & Dry" between uses -- no puddling allowed in the shower.



Uh-huh!  Pud’n belongs in a bowl not the shower.


----------



## penelopejane

Zany, 
Sodium bicarbonate is not the same as baking soda here in Australia.  Are they in the US?

Baking soda has sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar.
This might be causing a bit of confusion and differing results for some.


----------



## KiwiMoose

penelopejane said:


> Zany,
> Sodium bicarbonate is not the same as baking soda here in Australia.  Are they in the US?
> 
> Baking soda has sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar.
> This might be causing a bit of confusion and differing results for some.


Our baking powder in NZ has cream of tartar, but our baking soda is pure bicarbonate soda.


----------



## Misschief

KiwiMoose said:


> Our baking powder in NZ has cream of tartar, but our baking soda is pure bicarbonate soda.


Same here... in Canada.


----------



## Obsidian

KiwiMoose said:


> Our baking powder in NZ has cream of tartar, but our baking soda is pure bicarbonate soda.



Same in the US


----------



## penelopejane

Good to know.


----------



## Dean

Dean said:


> This weekend, I'm going to give the  faux sea water technique a try on:
> 
> 80 AO
> 15 CB (to drop the linoleic and add a touch of hardness)
> 5 Castor



Lather tested per @Misschief with less than a week cure.  A lil lather with some work.  No slime.  Will see if it gets “hairy” when damp and if lather improves with time.  Stay tuned for updates.






Dean said:


> Lather tested per @Misschief with less than a week cured.  A lil lather with some work.  No slime.  Will see if it gets “hairy” when damp and if lather improves with time.  Stay tuned for updates.



No hairiness either when damp.  Initial conclusion:  recipe is a success in terms of slime/hairiness elimination.

@Zany_in_CO, thanks for sharing.  What effect does the baking soda have on the soap?

This thread has me thinking a lot about salt.  Its a new frontier for me.  @DeeAnna I read an old post of yours that said after a critical amount, salt softens soap.  What would you say that threshold is?  I didn't want to necropost so I am asking here.


----------



## Dawni

I figured I have time to try this tonight... But realized the only salt I have on hand is one we don't know the origins of lol it was bought in the wet market so I cannot be sure it is sea salt, compared to the packet I have finished which was clearly labeled. This one isn't fine also, FYI. 

Is this still OK to use in the same amount posted?

Also, I wanted to be the odd woman out and try to HP this but I have a question regarding the liquid amount. Will 1.7:1 be ok for HP? Or should I use slightly more water? I don't lift the lid often btw, just once to stir when 50% of it has gelled, and then when it's done.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions


----------



## penelopejane

Dean said:


> This thread has me thinking a lot about salt.  Its a new frontier for me.  @DeeAnna I read an old post of yours that said after a critical amount, salt softens soap.  What would you say that threshold is?  I didn't want to necropost so I am asking here.


If you are referring to DAs post no. 7 in
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/culinox-salt.73334/

I think you’ll find she’s referring to whipped soap not CP soap.


----------



## Dean

penelopejane said:


> If you are referring to DAs post no. 7 in
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/culinox-salt.73334/
> 
> I think you’ll find she’s referring to whipped soap not CP soap.



https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/sugar-and-salt.65108/page-2#post-665794


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> No hairiness either when damp.  Initial conclusion:  recipe is a success in terms of slime/hairiness elimination.


Thanks for the update, Dean! Um, what is "hairiness"? 


Dean said:


> @Zany_in_CO, thanks for sharing.


You're welcome.


Dean said:


> What effect does the baking soda have on the soap?


See PJ's post #8.



Dawni said:


> ...the only salt I have on hand is one we don't know the origins of... Is this still OK to use in the same amount posted?


Probably. I say, go for it -- and let us know how it turns out. 


Dawni said:


> ... try to HP this but I have a question regarding the liquid amount. Will 1.7:1 be ok for HP?


Good question, Dawni! I'm no expert on HP, so I'm not the best person to answer your question. Your call... I suggest you trust your own judgment.


----------



## Dean

Zany_in_CO said:


> Thanks for the update, Dean! Um, what is "hairiness"?
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> See PJ's post #8.



^^^Thx.

When my high AO bars were dried to damp (not wet) the drying oleic  snot would have this very unappealing hairy-sticky texture. 

The bar is even better today! More lather.  Makes my hands feel soft after.  I’m excited to see how it matures.   If I ever get off Fantasy Island and sell, I think this may be a good dry skin bar.

Next time I’ll try coloring it.


----------



## melinda48

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.



I am a real newbie and want to be sure I understand correctly. 1.7:1 would be (for example) 17 oz. water to 10m oz. lye? Many of the recipes I have tried are (again, for example) 10oz. Water to 5 oz. lye). Am I understanding you Correctly? Many thanks for,your patience.


----------



## Meena

74rabia said:


> Just as a matter of interest for fellow saponifiers- I found these videos on traditional Castille soap making in Syria and Palestine. Allepo Soap is from tree to completion - they're pretty amazing.
> (Alleppo Soap-no sound)
> (Nabulus)




Thank you SO SO Much for these videos!!  Loved them ... you have no idea.



Dean said:


> Only u could get away with making ash look good!



I know, right??  Everything Miss Moose (@KiwiMoose ) touches seems to turn to gold!


----------



## Dean

Meena said:


> Miss Moose (@KiwiMoose )



Hee hee.

She has been blessed by the soaping gods.

BTW...although my bar is new, there is no sludge issue with frequent use.


----------



## Meena

dxw said:


> That all makes me think that I am not too badly located for this: Springwater bubbling to the surface a few hundred metres away in two directions; several crystal clear mountain streams nearby; and clean seawater a couple km away in several directions.



Sounds like you're in Heaven!!


----------



## Dean

Im wondering if  @Zany_in_CO ’s recipe will reach legendary status like Genny’s Shampoo Bar.


----------



## Meena

dibbles said:


> Testing my little batches from New Year's Day. The first picture is 100% OO. This took a bit longer to lather but pretty decent for a 3 day old baby. The second picture is 80% OO, 15% CO, 5% castor. This lathered easily. No other additives in either batch. They are nicely hard already and pass the zap test. I'm impressed
> View attachment 34807
> View attachment 34808



 !!  I'm gonna try @Zany_in_CO 's no-slime castille today, but I like your additions/substitutions very much...  I've gotten completely attached to castor oil in every recipe ...   though we probably can't call this a true "castille" any longer.


----------



## MGM

Dean said:


> BTW...although my bar is new, there is no sludge issue with frequent use.



I'm finding the same thing with my new shampoo bars...after 4 days cure, I put one in the shower because I just couldn't wait. It's been a week since then and every time I go to the shower, I expect a goopy mess (which would be NBD, as I have 13 more bars....) but it's dried out and firm and fragrant! Very unexpected.


----------



## dibbles

Meena said:


> !!  I'm gonna try @Zany_in_CO 's no-slime castille today, but I like your additions/substitutions very much...  I've gotten completely attached to castor oil in every recipe ...   though we probably can't call this a true "castille" any longer.


Nope, not a castile. To be fair, the recipe tweak was at Zany's suggestion as well, although I used 15% coconut rather than 10%. Go for it and good luck!!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> When my high AO bars were dried to damp (not wet) the drying oleic  snot would have this very unappealing hairy-sticky texture.


Ah yes! It's been a good long while, but I do remember that. Ugh.



Dean said:


> Im wondering if  @Zany_in_CO ’s recipe will reach legendary status...


hee hee... I'm already a legend... in my own mind! 



Meena said:


> ...I'm gonna try @Zany_in_CO 's no-slime castille today, but I like your additions/substitutions very much...  I've gotten completely attached to castor oil in every recipe ...   though we probably can't call this a true "castille" any longer.


Two things:
1) Don't over do the castor or you will get "sticky" bars. This recipe works well with 5% castor tops. It boosts lather, which, as you can see from Dean's Post #100, it could use a boost perhaps but doesn't really need it.

2) Dirk's Castile (_Ingredients: Coconut Oil)_ went to court to define the term.


> Castile. By today's definition, Castile refers to soaps made without animal fats.


Kirk's is made with premium coconut oil. Dr. Bronner's Castile soap (_Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol_) falls in that category as well.

Within the soap making community, however, "true castile" means 100% olive oil. That's why we came up with the term "bastile" to denote mostly olive oil, usually with a little castor and/or coconut thrown in.


----------



## Dawni

Zany_in_CO said:


> Probably. I say, go for it -- and let us know how it turns out.
> 
> Good question, Dawni! I'm no expert on HP, so I'm not the best person to answer your question. Your call... I suggest you trust your own judgment.


Trying it now! If it works I'll post here so if others wanna trouble themselves to HP they'd have some sort of reference, even if it is from a novice hehehe


----------



## Meena

Zany_in_CO said:


> Two things:
> 1) Don't over do the castor or you will get "sticky" bars. This recipe works well with 5% castor tops.
> 
> 2) Dirk's Castile (_Ingredients: Coconut Oil)_ went to court to define the term.
> Kirk's is made with premium coconut oil. Dr. Bronner's Castile soap (_Ingredients: Water, Organic Coconut Oil, Potassium Hydroxide, Organic Palm Kernel Oil, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol_) falls in that category as well.
> 
> Within the soap making community, however, "true castile" means 100% olive oil. That's why we came up with the term "bastile" to denote mostly olive oil, usually with a little castor and/or coconut thrown in.



Thanks for the castor oil tip, Cee.  I didn't realize the Bronner's wasn't fully castile (guess it's a bastile, then).  I didn't make it yet, though -- I have some cavity molds coming on Monday.

By the way, I've called you twice in the last 4 or 5 days.    Your answering machine was lonely...


----------



## Dawni

Dawni said:


> Also, I wanted to be the odd woman out and try to HP this but I have a question regarding the liquid amount. Will 1.7:1 be ok for HP? Or should I use slightly more water? I don't lift the lid often btw, just once to stir when 50% of it has gelled, and then when it's done.
> 
> Thank you in advance for any suggestions



OK so soap is in the pot, and it's looking good so far, right now I have a small island of ungelled soap so after posting this I'm gonna go run n stir that n finish it.

I doubt it'll be a very fluid batter after cooking but since I don't plan to do anything fancy, I kept the liquid ratio to 1.9:1 which is only slightly more than the original. I'll update once I've molded.


----------



## kayak1987

melinda48 said:


> 1.7:1 would be (for example) 17 oz. water to 10m oz. lye? Many of the recipes I have tried are (again, for example) 10oz. Water to 5 oz. lye). Am I understanding you Correctly? Many thanks for,your patience.



yes it's correct
It means 17 of water to 10 of lye, all measured in weight


----------



## Dawni

Cooked, molded, unmolded and cut! Pics here hehehe

I love this recipe! The only thing that took a lot of time ws the measuring lol

Thanks so much @Zany_in_CO for sharing this!

Where's @Chris_S and @Zing? I have to tell them I did not need to do a lot of smacking and jiggling with this one, and look, no air pockets! Hehehe


----------



## atiz

A basic question (I am going to try this today... hopefully, if I get done with snow shoveling): @Zany_in_CO says that the water:lye ratio is 1.7:1, but that already includes the salt+sodium-bicarbonate added for the faux sea water, right? 
I mean, if I have 10g lye, I need to measure out 17g faux sea water, and NOT 17g plain water to which I also add the appropriate amount of NaCl+NaHCO3 -- right?
Maybe I'm just thinking too much about this and it doesn't make that much of a difference anyway....


----------



## Dean

atiz said:


> A basic question (I am going to try this today... hopefully, if I get done with snow shoveling): @Zany_in_CO says that the water:lye ratio is 1.7:1, but that already includes the salt+sodium-bicarbonate added for the faux sea water, right?
> I mean, if I have 10g lye, I need to measure out 17g faux sea water, and NOT 17g plain water to which I also add the appropriate amount of NaCl+NaHCO3 -- right?
> Maybe I'm just thinking too much about this and it doesn't make that much of a difference anyway....




1.7 includes the salt an soda.


----------



## atiz

Dean said:


> 1.7 includes the salt an soda.


Thank you! 
Now to that shoveling.......


----------



## Dean

atiz said:


> Thank you!
> Now to that shoveling.......



I recommend testing a small batch of soap.  I made two test bars.  I and others had good results but a cpl folks had issues. I made a 1/3 batch of sea water...1 tsp each salt and soda and 10.66 oz water/liquid.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> Im wondering if  @Zany_in_CO ’s recipe will reach legendary status like Genny’s Shampoo Bar.


It looks like it's on its way there ^^


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Meena said:


> ...I didn't realize the Bronner's wasn't fully castile (guess it's a bastile, then)


Please read post #119 again. Dr. B's castile is a castile soap.



Meena said:


> I've called you twice in the last 4 or 5 days.    Your answering machine was lonely...


   Sorry about that.


----------



## Kathy Heiner

I made Zany's castile soap recipe a few days ago as as written. It turned out beautifully! I poured into bar molds rather than a loaf. They came out of the molds perfectly the next day. Now to let it cure. One question... I made this with making laundry soap out of it in mind. Do I have to cure it for a year? What would happen if I used it sooner? If I did use it sooner, how long do you think I would neeed to let it cure (safely)? Thank you for the recipe!


----------



## KiwiMoose

Zany_in_CO said:


> hee hee... I'm already a legend... in my own mind!


Or in your own lunch hour?


----------



## szaza

I made this recipe today! Hand stirred until emulsion and it gave me a ton of working time. I'm trying to gel it in the oven, though it doesn't seem too eager to gel. I'm going to sleep, so I'll leave it in the oven overnight to cool down and see how it looks tomorrow!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Kathy Heiner said:


> One question... I made this with making laundry soap out of it in mind. Do I have to cure it for a year? What would happen if I used it sooner? If I did use it sooner, how long do you think I would neeed to let it cure (safely)? Thank you for the recipe!


You're welcome, Kathy. Please read Post #9 for answers about cure time.


----------



## szaza

The soap that went in the oven had hardened and I was able to unmold it. (Less than 12hours after making it) however, the leftover soap that I poured in individual molds and left outside are still fluid! I think this recipe has amazing potential for intricate swirls! (Though I am slightly worried about the soaps not hardening at all.. would that be possible? I guess time will tell..)


----------



## melinda48

kayak1987 said:


> yes it's correct
> It means 17 of water to 10 of lye, all measured in weight


Thank you!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

szaza said:


> ...the leftover soap that I poured in individual molds and left outside are still fluid!


That's weird. Your guess is as good as mine as to what might have happened. Any ideas? I hope they firm up eventually.


----------



## loriag

I gave the 100% OO (two week old) a try in the shower this morning. It is the first 100% OO soap I have ever tried. It is nice and silky. I have a 3 month old 100 % OO with out the faux salt I think tomorrow I will try it to compare. I would make it again but have to figure out when/how to cut a loaf or to do individual molds. When I first made it it was taking along time to harden, I was able to cut before 48 hours but it was soft. The next batch I left past 48 hours and it was crumbly. I am thinking individual molds.


----------



## szaza

@Zany_in_CO they're hardening ever so slowly, but they're not fluid anymore so I'm sure they'll be ok, Just need more patience. I poured at emulsion and left them in the cold so probably that's why it's taking so long. (Does give you an awful lot of play time for swirls I guess). 
Tried to cut the log that went into the oven, but I'm not sure if it's still top soft or already crumbly.. Will try again tonight


----------



## melinda48

I made a small batch yesterday, 6 round bars. I did put it in the oven at 170F for about an hour as it seemed very “loose”. It is looking good this morning. Will post photo when I take the soap out of the mold. The lye water did appear “cloudy” , probably because of the soda in the water but I am not going to stress over it. The bars look pretty darn nice right now.

A couple of photos of the “no-slime” Castile soap - fresh from their molds.


----------



## szaza

So... update: I waited way too long to cut and the soap was crumbly.. 
Though still soft enough to knead the crumled bars into soap stones - something else to check off my to soap list 
If someone else is cpop'ing this recipe, definately cut as soon as possible!


----------



## KiwiMoose

I'm using mine now - 5 weeks into the cure.  I tried at three weeks but they were a little sludgy still.  It's hardened up a bit now.


----------



## Dawni

melinda48 said:


> A couple of photos of the “no-slime” Castile soap - fresh from their molds.


Nice! I notice this recipe, no matter that mine is HP and isn't 100% Olive oil, makes really smooth bars.. 



szaza said:


> So... update: I waited way too long to cut and the soap was crumbly..
> Though still soft enough to knead the crumled bars into soap stones - something else to check off my to soap list
> If someone else is cpop'ing this recipe, definately cut as soon as possible!
> View attachment 35357


Same with HP.. If I had cut a couple of hours later than I did it might have crumbled.

But hey! Your soap stones look cool, what with the stone effect of the colors you used. I like it!

How'd they feel @KiwiMoose? I'm itching for mine to reach a full 2wks before testing. I sent the whole loaf, minus the two end pieces, with my dad coz I figured I can always make myself more..

I might make a baby soap next time with this recipe.. Maybe add ground oatmeal with rice powder and coconut milk for "added" softness.


----------



## szaza

Dawni said:


> Same with HP.. If I had cut a couple of hours later than I did it might have crumbled.


Good to know! May I ask how long you waited to cut your HP?
I also really like the bluish grey color in the Stones.. but since I used alkanet it' supposed to turn purple! Haha I'm curious how that's going to look!


----------



## Dawni

Can't remember exactly but can't be more than 4hrs from molding to cutting. It was already more than "just hard enough" then and I had to really push the cutter down.

I heard it goes through several changes. It might end up looking exactly how you wanted it to. You just reminded me that I have to make time to try my alkanet... Did you also HP that one or CP? If HP, how did you use the alkanet?


----------



## szaza

Dawni said:


> You just reminded me that I have to make time to try my alkanet... Did you also HP that one or CP? If HP, how did you use the alkanet?


I did cpop, not HP.. sorry!


----------



## KiwiMoose

@Dawni - they are very slick and slippery.  I've not used a Castile bar before (I also added 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil) and I'm still undecided as to whether I like it.  I prefer a more frothy bar.  They are nice and firm and definitely not slimey ( though when i tested it at 2 weeks it was).  And gentle on the skin.


----------



## atiz

szaza said:


> Good to know! May I ask how long you waited to cut your HP?
> I also really like the bluish grey color in the Stones.. but since I used alkanet it' supposed to turn purple! Haha I'm curious how that's going to look!


Hm, my alkanet CP castiles ended up looking like this... So not sure about the purple. There must be something with alkanet and olive oil. 
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...ave-you-done-today.42556/page-482#post-740747


----------



## szaza

atiz said:


> Hm, my alkanet CP castiles ended up looking like this... So not sure about the purple. There must be something with alkanet and olive oil.
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...ave-you-done-today.42556/page-482#post-740747


Alkanet is a tricky one for sure! My ungelled soaps were greenish blue upon unmolding..


----------



## Dean

Just beveled my soaps...both soy wax and Zany’s...which were MUCH younger than the SW soap.  Zany’s beveled much better...I’m guessing cuz they r harder than the SW that rates a whopping 54 on the hardness scale.  Since I was a’bevelin’ and a’fondelin’, I felt compelled to lather test again.   Zany’s lathered even better than b4...and at only 1.5 weeks.  Plus my hands feel super soft after.  I’m thinking this soap may be a contender and @Zany_in_CO could be the new zoap guru.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

@Dean   "zoap guru"??? Luv it! 




I'm so happy to hear your results. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> Since I was a’bevelin’ and a’fondelin’, I felt compelled to lather test again


This cracked me up lol

I hid mine so I wouldn't keep touching it til next week's initial test.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

atiz said:


> Hm, my alkanet CP castiles ended up looking like this... So not sure about the purple. There must be something with alkanet and olive oil.
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...ave-you-done-today.42556/page-482#post-740747


Hi atiz. I pulled your info from the "What Soapy Thing" thread:


atiz said:


> Pomace OO - 25% alkanet/madder root infusion - beautiful dark burgundy/purple
> lilac/lavender fragrance
> aloe liquid
> tussah silk
> a little bit of honey. For the lather.
> 
> - Added lye to the oils. The whole mixture suddenly turned MUD GREEN. Very fast. Pulsed maybe twice with the blender and it was a very thick batter already. Quickly mixed in the fragrance and glopped it into the mold.  So... no idea what happened here. I realize there were at least 3-4 new ingredients I had never used before so could have been any of them. But MUD GREEN?!
> View attachment 35233


I don't see anything in your list of ingredients that would cause a problem except for the honey. It is a "heater" and that's the culprit that mostly likely accelerated trace. As for the Mud Green color, my guess is it will change color as the bar cures. Cross fingers it goes to red/purple eventually. But in any case, it might fade quite a bit. Natural colorants tend to do that with this recipe.







Dawni said:


> This cracked me up lol
> 
> I hid mine so I wouldn't keep touching it til next week's initial test.


You both cracked me up!


----------



## Dean

Dawni said:


> This cracked me up lol
> 
> I hid mine so I wouldn't keep touching it til next week's initial test.


 I discovered soap HideNseek doesn’t work when the hider and seeker r the same person.


----------



## atiz

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi atiz. I pulled your info from the "What Soapy Thing" thread:
> 
> I don't see anything in your list of ingredients that would cause a problem except for the honey. It is a "heater" and that's the culprit that mostly likely accelerated trace. As for the Mud Green color, my guess is it will change color as the bar cures. Cross fingers it goes to red/purple eventually. But in any case, it might fade quite a bit. Natural colorants tend to do that with this recipe.
> View attachment 35400


Thanks, Zany! I guess now I don't mind the color too much (it's just for myself), I was just so surprised... The honey was a very last minute addition, probably should have thought about it more. But the bar is rock hard already, and feels really nice -- thank you for the recipe!


----------



## Misschief

Dean said:


> I discovered soap HideNseek doesn’t work when the hider and seeker r the same person.


I ended up putting an end sliver in my bathroom. I can test it to my heart's delight, if I so choose.


----------



## Dean

Misschief said:


> I ended up putting an end sliver in my bathroom. I can test it to my heart's delight, if I so choose.



I dont have loaf molds yet and consequently no end slivers. When I get loaf molds, you'll know things r bout to get serious.  I’m cautious and can’t jump in the pool and emerge a soaping star like u-kno-who.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> I discovered soap HideNseek doesn’t work when the hider and seeker r the same person.


Ahh lol.. My brain works this way - if I can see it I can touch it, if I don't see it I don't have time to look for it right now hahaha


----------



## Misschief

Dean said:


> I dont have loaf molds yet and consequently no end slivers. When I get loaf molds, you'll know things r bout to get serious.  I’m cautious and can’t jump in the pool and emerge a soaping star like u-kno-who.
> View attachment 35402


Oh man, you had to put that clip in there, huh? That movie brings back memories of babysitting... I loved that movie!


----------



## KiwiMoose

Dean said:


> I dont have loaf molds yet and consequently no end slivers. When I get loaf molds, you'll know things r bout to get serious.  I’m cautious and can’t jump in the pool and emerge a soaping star like u-kno-who.
> View attachment 35402


No - who?


----------



## Dawni

I wanted to experiment with this faux seawater and used different soft oils other than olive (avocado and rice bran), aside from the recommended coconut (which I upped a bit) and Castor.

Soap is in the mold but boy did this one have me in panic mode. It went from trace to zapless in 10mins! Talk about fast n furious lol I had to rush n add my already prepared additives and I was leaving spatulas and containers where they fell. I didn't want to overcook nor have it harden up on me in the slow cooker before molding.

I also tried my red sandalwood powder for the first time but I have a feeling I used to little, or I used it the wrong way. We shall see after unmolding.

Sheesh... Now I need a smoke to calm my nerves lol

Has anyone experienced this liquid speed things up for them?


----------



## Dean

Dawni said:


> I wanted to experiment with this faux seawater and used different soft oils other than olive (avocado and rice bran), aside from the recommended coconut (which I upped a bit) and Castor.
> 
> Soap is in the mold but boy did this one have me in panic mode. It went from trace to zapless in 10mins! Talk about fast n furious lol I had to rush n add my already prepared additives and I was leaving spatulas and containers where they fell. I didn't want to overcook nor have it harden up on me in the slow cooker before molding
> I also tried my red sandalwood powder for the first time but I have a feeling I used to little, or I used it the wrong way. We shall see after unmolding.
> 
> Sheesh... Now I need a smoke to calm my nerves lol
> 
> Has anyone experienced this liquid speed things up for them?



Not me.   

Didnt u say that u HP this recipie before successfully?   If so, Id guess it was any new additives that u introduced to this batch.



KiwiMoose said:


> No - who?


...she says all innocently.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> Not me.
> 
> Didnt u say that u HP this recipie before successfully?   If so, Id guess it was any new additives that u introduced to this batch.


Maybe different oils. The previous batch took slightly longer, maybe coz it has more olive oil? My additives are always added after the cook.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> No - who?


Yeah, that's a real head-scratcher, ain't it? NOT!


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> ...she says all innocently.


Ikr **rolls eyes** lol


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dawni said:


> I wanted to experiment with this faux seawater and used different soft oils other than olive (avocado and rice bran), aside from the recommended coconut (which I upped a bit) and Castor.


Hi Dawni, I can't even venture a guess without seeing the whole recipe. Suggest you post it on the Recipe Feedback forum so more people can weigh in. "Experiment with Faux Seawater" and link back to this thread. 


Dawni said:


> Has anyone experienced this liquid speed things up for them?


Check out Posts #154 & 157. That's the only one that accelerated so far.


----------



## szaza

@Dawni it was the cooking that was faster, right? Not trace? How much did you up the CO compared to your first HP? (It can make the cook shorter) Was the temperature the same as with the first try?


----------



## Dawni

Oh sorry, I should have been more clear. Yep @szaza, only the cooking. Trace was normal for high-ish olive, certainty took longer than my soaps with more coconut. And yes, cooker setting on high, as always, until about 85% gelled and then off.

Actually, now that I think about it I can make a guess why it was super fast this time. One, 5% more coconut oil. Two, smaller batch by about 150 grams. I'm not sure if using less olive, and subbing the remaining amount with avocado and rice bran, makes much difference?

But even with a mold capacity of 900 grams though (first try) it did take a very short time to cook but I didn't take note of how short... Maybe 40mins?

Another but is, and this one's bigger lol... I did the exact same recipe as the one in question tonight, where the only difference is how I added the sandalwood, and it took longer to cook. About double the time, give or take so around 20-25 mins.

Lol, scratching my head at this.

@Zany_in_CO I'll post there if I find it becomes problem but so far I'm actually glad it takes very little time. I was just unprepared is all. Less time soaping means I can get back to other important stuff lol


----------



## szaza

The soap is lovely in use! It turned a bit more purple and also faded quite a bit. I used different amounts of alkanet (between 17-100% alkanet infused oo) Though the different shades are swirled a bit more than I intended I think I can say if you want to use alkanet with this recipe 35% should be regarded as a bare minimum, with better results at 50% and 70%
.


----------



## Clarice

KiwiMoose said:


> And here is my (now remarkably blue) no-slime Castile with the soda ash. Still quite pretty though. And due to the type of mould I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.



KiwiMoose - these are gorgeous - may I clarify - soda ash yielded this gorgeous color?  I have done some fabric dyeing, and I thought soda ash was used to help dye "latch onto" fiber - I have never heard of using it on its own?

Thank you very much for your time!


----------



## dibbles

I am wondering. Does the baking soda in the water do anything as far as reducing/eliminating the slime factor or is it just there to create faux sea water?


----------



## atiz

Clarice said:


> KiwiMoose - these are gorgeous - may I clarify - soda ash yielded this gorgeous color?  I have done some fabric dyeing, and I thought soda ash was used to help dye "latch onto" fiber - I have never heard of using it on its own?
> 
> Thank you very much for your time!


'Soda ash' refers to that white powder that tends to pop up on the surface of certain soaps. So it's not an extra ingredient you add; it is something that happens to your soap, and it bothers some people enough to try to get rid of it.


----------



## Clarice

AHA!!!!  So she colored the soap blue, and the presence of the beautiful cream / white on the soap surface is the soda ash?  Thanks so much!

Just made my first batch of this - only to realize after I poured it that I had forgotten to set SF to 0 - it was at default 5%.  We will see how it comes out! 

took a fair while to come to trace, which, per Z's instructions on first page, sounds like it is normal (blend for 5 - 25 mins)

Pictures when I unmold!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

dibbles said:


> ... or is it just there to create faux sea water?


It's there to create faux sea water.


Clarice said:


> ... I had forgotten to set SF to 0 - it was at default 5%.  We will see how it comes out!


Olive oil is high in "unsaponifiables" so the purpose of 0% SF is to saponify as much of the oil as possible to reduce the slime factor. Even at that % some of the fatty acids remain. I'm interested to see how this batch comes out, slime-wise.


----------



## dibbles

Zany_in_CO said:


> It's there to create faux sea water.


Thank you


----------



## KiwiMoose

So the bad news is, that mine is still a little slimy :-(
I had a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with the super fat given that I used 85% oo, 10%CO and 5% castor. So I think I just over super fatted. Or super over fatted


----------



## atiz

Mine was quite slimy for the first couple of weeks (100% olive, no SF); now it is almost 3 weeks old and noticeably getting better. Hope the trend continues


----------



## dibbles

@KiwiMoose what SF did you use?


----------



## KiwiMoose

I used 2%
And hey! Check out these crazy cats now...5 weeks into cure and they’re mottled blue/lavender!


----------



## Donee'

There are some awesome YT vids on Aleppo soap making in the original country.  
Gigantic pots and then they take by bucketful and spread it out on a huge floor - this is soap making to the extreme.


----------



## Clarice

100000% FAIL!  LOL

Just peeked at the batch from last night - and it is like a creamy liquid.  I can stick my finger straight down into each mold 

No idea what I did wrong, as I did get a trace in mixing.

I followed the recipe with the following error - forgot to put SF to 0%.  I made a 500 gm batch.  I found that the lye mixture (with the faux sea water) was an opaque white in color.  Should this have been a clue that something was amiss?  

I poured into individual molds which i covered and wrapped in old rugs.  

This AM?  Looks like body butter 

Oh well - trying again!  

It's an adventure!


----------



## atiz

Clarice said:


> 100000% FAIL!  LOL
> 
> Just peeked at the batch from last night - and it is like a creamy liquid.  I can stick my finger straight down into each mold
> 
> No idea what I did wrong, as I did get a trace in mixing.
> 
> I followed the recipe with the following error - forgot to put SF to 0%.  I made a 500 gm batch.  I found that the lye mixture (with the faux sea water) was an opaque white in color.  Should this have been a clue that something was amiss?
> 
> I poured into individual molds which i covered and wrapped in old rugs.
> 
> This AM?  Looks like body butter
> 
> Oh well - trying again!
> 
> It's an adventure!


You might just need to wait a little more for it to set — it might not have gelled due to the individual molds and then it can take a long time.


----------



## Clarice

So just recover it, and leave it alone?  Or pop in the oven?  

It seems to have literally not set up at ALL - looks just like the light trace it had when i poured it into the molds?

OK - i reran the recipe with 0% SF through the soap calculator (attached)

I am concerned about the hardness, cleansing, bubbly?  

Counterintuitive - or is this your point Zany - as in - with 1.7 faux sea water : 1 NaOH this works?

Thanks much, C


----------



## Dawni

Clarice said:


> 100000% FAIL!  LOL
> 
> Just peeked at the batch from last night - and it is like a creamy liquid.  I can stick my finger straight down into each mold
> 
> No idea what I did wrong, as I did get a trace in mixing.
> 
> I followed the recipe with the following error - forgot to put SF to 0%.  I made a 500 gm batch.  I found that the lye mixture (with the faux sea water) was an opaque white in color.  Should this have been a clue that something was amiss?
> 
> I poured into individual molds which i covered and wrapped in old rugs.
> 
> This AM?  Looks like body butter
> 
> Oh well - trying again!
> 
> It's an adventure!


See what happens if you wait a little longer.

Maybe that excess in superfat is what's making it harden longer?

My lye water was cloudy too btw and also others got the same, so I don't think it's that.

I haven't touched mine to test, I should soon. It's about 3wks into curing now but since mine was HP I was able to test with crumbs off my pot and I don't recall slimy feeling.

But that could also be because I didn't use solely olive oil, but a blend of other soft oils and the recommended coconut and castor?


----------



## Clarice

I am going to make another 500 gm batch with 0% SF and see how that goes.  Do you recommend boosting the gelling process with the oven if using individual molds?

Thanks!


----------



## Dean

Clarice said:


> I am going to make another 500 gm batch with 0% SF and see how that goes.  Do you recommend boosting the gelling process with the oven if using individual molds?
> 
> Thanks!



I have found gelling soap makes a softer bar.  If softness is a concern, I would not gel this recipie.


----------



## Clarice

Thank you Dean!  If these buggers got any softer, they would be like water - HAH!  

Having said that - I just finished the re-make with 0% SF and being MUCH more careful about the oil to lye temp and it came to trace faster.  I also worked it to a harder trace than yesterday - so - - - finger crossed!!!

Any ideas with what to do with the first batch if it just stays mush?  Any way to repurpose?  Or should I just pitch?

Thanks!


----------



## Dean

Clarice said:


> Thank you Dean!  If these buggers got any softer, they would be like water - HAH!
> 
> Having said that - I just finished the re-make with 0% SF and being MUCH more careful about the oil to lye temp and it came to trace faster.  I also worked it to a harder trace than yesterday - so - - - finger crossed!!!
> 
> Any ideas with what to do with the first batch if it just stays mush?  Any way to repurpose?  Or should I just pitch?
> 
> Thanks!



Btw...I freeze one hr to prevent partial gel.  Nothing else has worked for me.

Not sure what to do with the mush.  Hopefully someone will chime in.  I was rarely blessed by the soaping gods with glass smooth rock hard bars from my variation of recipie.  They could dbl as projectile ammunition.  Pentagon...PM me


----------



## KiwiMoose

Clarice said:


> I am going to make another 500 gm batch with 0% SF and see how that goes.  Do you recommend boosting the gelling process with the oven if using individual molds?
> 
> Thanks!


I didn't gel mine. And yes, my lye water was very cloudy.



Clarice said:


> OK - i reran the recipe with 0% SF through the soap calculator (attached)
> 
> I am concerned about the hardness, cleansing, bubbly?
> 
> Counterintuitive - or is this your point Zany - as in - with 1.7 faux sea water : 1 NaOH this works?
> 
> Thanks much, C


A castile will not give the expected numbers in Soap Calc.  Your numbers are similar to mine with the exception that I DID use CO and castor so a little more in those areas.  But the oleic is very high and the cleaning/bubbly very low, yes.


----------



## Clarice

Thanks all for your great input and info!

Has anyone tried to add MEADOWFOAM to this or other recipes to up the "silkiness" factor?  I just got some and am dying to use.  

Would you use it in addition to Castor - or instead of?

Off to make one of Reinbeau's Cream Soap Recipes!

YIPPEE

This is REALLY bringing out my inner Mad Scientist (my Mad has been out for a long time, it is the Scientist that is new!)


----------



## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> So the bad news is, that mine is still a little slimy :-(
> I had a bit of trouble figuring out what to do with the super fat given that I used 85% oo, 10%CO and 5% castor. So I think I just over super fatted. Or super over fatted


LOL Yes, I was concerned about that. Thanks for the update. I'm sure it still is a nice gentle cleansing bar that will leave your face & skin feeling moisturized. 



Clarice said:


> Has anyone tried to add MEADOWFOAM to this or other recipes to up the "silkiness" factor?


Meadowfoam is wonderful, even at very low %'s, in lotions and creams... it's wasted in soap, at least to my mind. But don't let that stop you from trying it. I'm just saying...


Clarice said:


> This is REALLY bringing out my inner Mad Scientist (my Mad has been out for a long time, it is the Scientist that is new!)


Atta girl, Clarice! I'm happy for you!


----------



## Clarice

Thanks much for input on meadow foam - Just got a bottle - itching to do something with it!  Wonder about using in Oil Cleansing Method........


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Clarice said:


> Thanks much for input on meadow foam - Just got a bottle - itching to do something with it!  Wonder about using in Oil Cleansing Method........


Good idea. You may want to read these threads:

DEEP CLEANSING OIL
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/deep-cleansing-oil.69671/

Experimenting With Emulsified Oil Cleansers
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/experimenting-with-emulsified-oil-cleansers.69959/


----------



## Dawni

Clarice said:


> Any ideas with what to do with the first batch if it just stays mush?  Any way to repurpose?  Or should I just pitch?
> 
> Thanks!


I'd hide it and leave it alone for a while... A loooong while. We'll troubleshoot it when the time comes coz I think something or the other should change.

Might be a waste trying to figure out how to rebatch it now, although I guess you could if it's still mostly liquid. Mix some in with a new batch of oils, 50% of total, then add your computed lye and soap like usual, maybe with less superfat to account for the previous excess.

Unless someone has a more educated suggestion


----------



## KiwiMoose

@Clarice - how's the soap looking now?


----------



## penelopejane

Clarice said:


> 100000% FAIL!  LOL
> 
> Just peeked at the batch from last night - and it is like a creamy liquid.  I can stick my finger straight down into each mold
> 
> No idea what I did wrong, as I did get a trace in mixing.
> 
> I followed the recipe with the following error - forgot to put SF to 0%.  I made a 500 gm batch.  I found that the lye mixture (with the faux sea water) was an opaque white in color.  Should this have been a clue that something was amiss?
> 
> I poured into individual molds which i covered and wrapped in old rugs.
> 
> This AM?  Looks like body butter
> 
> Oh well - trying again!
> 
> It's an adventure!


Sound to me like you didn’t take it far enough when SBing it.    I’d SB it until it is medium trace. I soap warm and wrap it. If you soap at RT or if you soap warm you can put it into a 110*F oven and turn the oven off before you put the wrapped soap in and leave it 12-18 hours. This will ensure saponification and gel. 

Personally I have found that gelling a soap makes it harder quicker and means you can unmold more quickly. It also makes colours pop.

As KiwiMoose said OO does not get good numbers in soap calcs because it’s soap qualities get better over time. So ignore the numbers.


----------



## Clarice

KiwiMoose said:


> @Clarice - how's the soap looking now?



I put it in Bad Soap Time Out and have not looked because it did not apologize.  

I will see if it has behaved itself today, and if not, back into BSTO


----------



## Dawni

I forgot to test the soap that's about three weeks, but I do have amateur documentation of the one that's almost exactly two weeks curing. It's here if anyone is interested 

I'll wait for the first one to hit exactly 3wks then I'll test.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Clarice said:


> Any ideas with what to do with the first batch if it just stays mush?  Any way to repurpose?  Or should I just pitch?


Patience, Grasshopper. I remember (when I was a newbie) waiting 3 weeks for an OO soap to get hard enough to unmold. Just put it somewhere outta sight; outta mind.


----------



## newbie

I tried your recipe twice, Zany, although I went for the addition of 10% Coconut and 5% Castor. Both times it has thickened up so quickly! I do a  few bursts of the SB, figuring I'll have loads of time for coloring and pouring but lord have mercy has it not gone to plan. I am wondering if it is in part the low water (although today I used Lavender and Green Tea which usually works in low water) and in part the micas. Can't figure out what is what yet. I will say that the lather is very surprising even the next day after unmolding. I'm astonished! Thanks for sharing it.


----------



## Clarice

OK - peeked at Bad Soap yesterday - did I mention I put it in individual molds?

The tops (bottoms) are now hard, I tried to unmold - but the "underneath" was still mush, so backed away from the soap!

HAH!

My second batch which I had put into a loaf mold was very nice and I sliced it yesterday.  I think my combo of (1) not adhering to the temp guide due to impatience and (2) superfatting caused my first batch problem, so, properly chastened, I shall follow directions a BIT more closely in the future!


----------



## Q-Lee

Zany_in_CO said:


> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)



Just a silly question from me in Norway not measuring "stuff" in oz-  lbs - mile etc but in metric units...How much is your 1 quart in milliliter or deciliter?


----------



## Dawni

Q-Lee said:


> Just a silly question from me in Norway not measuring "stuff" in oz-  lbs - mile etc but in metric units...How much is your 1 quart in milliliter or deciliter?


I measure in ml and liters too. One quart is close to a liter, Google says 946.35 ml


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Q-Lee said:


> Just a silly question from me in Norway not measuring "stuff" in oz-  lbs - mile etc but in metric units...How much is your 1 quart in milliliter or deciliter?


Not a silly question at all! No worries.


Dawni said:


> I measure in ml and liters too. One quart is close to a liter, Google says 946.35 ml


----------



## KiwiMoose

My soap is almost all lavender in colour now.  Which is what it was supposed to be in the first place, coz it's a lavender scent.


----------



## Clarice

KiwiMoose said:


> My soap is almost all lavender in colour now.  Which is what it was supposed to be in the first place, coz it's a lavender scent.


Pics Please!  

And what did you use for colorant? Thanks!


----------



## Dawni

Clarice said:


> Pics Please!
> 
> And what did you use for colorant? Thanks!


Not KiwiMoose but she showed us that soap in the previous page here. There's a pic somewhere too of them being blue, almost like stone washed denim, and apparently now they're back to lavender. Very pretty soap either way


----------



## KiwiMoose

Not sure what thread i put those pics in @Dawni, I'll put them here again for our reference, since I believe it was the salt water that morphed the colour:











And just now:


----------



## Dawni

Some were in today's soapy thing thread I believe but there's too many pages to look through haha


----------



## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> @Dawni, I'll put them here again for our reference, since I believe it was the salt water that morphed the colour:


I suspect the salt water as well. Really interesting! 






Dawni said:


> Some were in today's soapy thing thread I believe but there's too many pages to look through haha


 So true! I'm glad you mentioned that. "Soapy Thing" is sucha kaffee klatsch... fun, but... so hard to find something once it's had it's day in the sun. Then it gets buried forever. Sigh.


----------



## Dawni

Zany_in_CO said:


> I suspect the salt water as well. Really interesting!
> View attachment 36204
> 
> 
> So true! I'm glad you mentioned that. "Soapy Thing" is sucha kaffee klatsch... fun, but... so hard to find something once it's had it's day in the sun. Then it gets buried forever. Sigh.


Especially for us who can't shut up and have multiple posts there alone, and everywhere else..........

Haha


----------



## Q-Lee

Zany_in_CO said:


> Not a silly question at all! No worries.
> 
> View attachment 36149


Do you use coarse or fine sea salt? Just because I started wondering, I weight 1 tablespoon of each type,and there is a significant difference you see.


----------



## Dean

Fine.  Easier to dissolve.


----------



## Clarice

Color me confused

@KiwiMoose

is the top picture (pink) in #217 the color they turned after aging?  Or where they started out.

Thanks!


----------



## KiwiMoose

Clarice said:


> Color me confused
> 
> @KiwiMoose
> 
> is the top picture (pink) in #217 the color they turned after aging?  Or where they started out.
> 
> Thanks!


I used my blue liquid colourant on purpose, because every time I've used it, it always turns purple.  Because the soap was scented with lavender EO, I figured that would be a good colour.  The top photo is immediately after un molding.  I kept putting more and more 'blue' into the batter because the colour refused to change from that pinky colour, until I decided that was just gonna have to be alright. THEN after a couple of weeks curing - they turned the most beautiful blue faded denim colour!  The white parts are severe soda ash, which is more likely on any bars made with salt FYI.  Then more recently ( after 5 weeks cure) they started mottling blue and lavender, then within a week of that they are now almost fully lavender.  Crazy huh?


----------



## Clarice

Bad Soap Time Out Report:

After being properly chastened, the bars came out of their molds BEAUTIFULLY!

I have placed them on a drying rack and now am VERY impatient to try them out!

@Zany_in_CO thank you so much for this recipe!


----------



## Dean

Clarice said:


> After being properly chastened, the bars came out of their molds BEAUTIFULLY



Right?!  Its the only batch for me that unmolded looking like polished perfection.  Sea salt alone doesn’t do it.  Its the baking soda that is working the magic.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Clarice said:


> Bad Soap Time Out Report:
> 
> After being properly chastened, the bars came out of their molds BEAUTIFULLY!
> 
> I have placed them on a drying rack and now am VERY impatient to try them out!
> 
> @Zany_in_CO thank you so much for this recipe!


You sure showed them!


----------



## Clarice

KiwiMoose said:


> You sure showed them!



One might say I MOLDED them into submission

mwahahahahahah


----------



## earlene

KiwiMoose said:


> I believe it was the salt water that morphed the colour:



I had salt morph the color of my hair once.  I used to dye my hair and sometimes use a color rinse rather than a dye.  Well, I discovered that one particular rinse I liked (that gave me a reddish tinge to my blonde hair) morphed into a sort of lavender shade when I went out on the ocean (Pacific Ocean, if that matters, which it probably doesn't).  I actually was quite fond of the lavender shade I ended up with, but it was a bit of a surprise the first time it happened.

I am curious what was the colorant you used that morphed?  Perhaps I missed that.  All I noticed was 'blue liquid colorant'  but what is it exactly?


----------



## KiwiMoose

earlene said:


> I had salt morph the color of my hair once.  I used to dye my hair and sometimes use a color rinse rather than a dye.  Well, I discovered that one particular rinse I liked (that gave me a reddish tinge to my blonde hair) morphed into a sort of lavender shade when I went out on the ocean (Pacific Ocean, if that matters, which it probably doesn't).  I actually was quite fond of the lavender shade I ended up with, but it was a bit of a surprise the first time it happened.
> 
> I am curious what was the colorant you used that morphed?  Perhaps I missed that.  All I noticed was 'blue liquid colorant'  but what is it exactly?


I actually have no idea. I will find the link and see if someone can enlighten me.
https://www.candlecreations.co.nz/product/liquid-soap-dye-blue/


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Clarice said:


> Bad Soap Time Out Report: After being properly chastened, the bars came out of their molds BEAUTIFULLY! I have placed them on a drying rack and now am VERY impatient to try them out! @Zany_in_CO thank you so much for this recipe!


You are so very welcome, Clarice! Thanks for the update. I'm so happy for you, I'm doin' the Happy Soaper's Dance!


----------



## KiwiMoose

Here's the latest pics of my 4 -stages-of-colour lavender soap!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

That's amazing!!!


----------



## Cal43

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


I don’t understand the water to lie ratio, how would I plug this into the calculator? Newbie question.


----------



## penelopejane

Go to soap calc.  Hit the little button in front of water:lye. 
Watch what it does to the other ratios after you have put the recipe in. 
On the next page it will show you all the ratios for your recipe.


----------



## Cal43

Ok with my question to figuring out this recipe, I plugged it into the calculator. So how does the 1.7:1 ration applies to this recipe for a 1 pound bar


----------



## dibbles

Cal43 said:


> Ok with my question to figuring out this recipe, I plugged it into the calculator. So how does the 1.7:1 ration applies to this recipe for a 1 pound bar


Look at the example penelopejane showed. On the first page, you have to select the button for water:lye ratio. The corresponding box will then be highlighted and you can put 1.7:1 into it. You can change the weight of oils by doing the same thing. Do this before you select 'calculate recipe'. When you calculate your recipe, then you can select the 'view/print recipe' option at the bottom and a new page with your recipe will open. I think that is what you are asking.


----------



## Cal43

dibbles said:


> Look at the example penelopejane showed. On the first page, you have to select the button for water:lye ratio. The corresponding box will then be highlighted and you can put 1.7:1 into it. You can change the weight of oils by doing the same thing. Do this before you select 'calculate recipe'. When you calculate your recipe, then you can select the 'view/print recipe' option at the bottom and a new page with your recipe will open. I think that is what you are asking.


Thank you, I realize when putting it on water lye ratio, the weight of oils goes to 100 oz. should that be like that? Or is this an error on my part?


----------



## dibbles

Cal43 said:


> Thank you, I realize when putting it on water lye ratio, the weight of oils goes to 100 oz. should that be like that? Or is this an error on my part?


I'm not sure what you are doing. First set your total oil weight to 16 ounces, or whatever you want it to be. Then set your water:lye ratio. Then your superfat and desired fragrance amount. Enter your oils by percent. After you have entered all of the information, calculate your recipe.


----------



## cmzaha

Cal43 said:


> Ok with my question to figuring out this recipe, I plugged it into the calculator. So how does the 1.7:1 ration applies to this recipe for a 1 pound bar


I cannot see read your Soap Calc sheet, but I am just wondering if you are trying to fill a 16 oz mold? If so 16 oz of oils will be to much, since it will make approx 22 oz of batter. Where are you seeing the 100 oz of oil. Are you sure you are not looking at the oil percent column which will have to add up to 100%. The quantity you put in, in this case 16 oz is not going to change in the top box.


----------



## Cal43

dibbles said:


> I'm not sure what you are doing. First set your total oil weight to 16 ounces, or whatever you want it to be. Then set your water:lye ratio. Then your superfat and desired fragrance amount. Enter your oils by percent. After you have entered all of the information, calculate your recipe.


Thank you again, I think I got it. Your help is truly appreciated.



cmzaha said:


> I cannot see read your Soap Calc sheet, but I am just wondering if you are trying to fill a 16 oz mold? If so 16 oz of oils will be to much, since it will make approx 22 oz of batter. Where are you seeing the 100 oz of oil. Are you sure you are not looking at the oil percent column which will have to add up to 100%. The quantity you put in, in this case 16 oz is not going to change in the top box.


Thank you , after your post I realize my calculator was malfunctioning. I did it over on another gadget and it worked out . Thank you!!!

One more question? Does it have be sea salt or does any salt work?


----------



## Deborah Long

@Zany_in_CO - Thanks again for sharing this recipe.  I made this as my first soap of the new year and just this evening tried it.  I just couldn't wait any longer!  lol  It's so nice and creamy and lathers just fine and seems hard to me, even after only 6 weeks of cure.  No slime, but my Arizona-dry arms and legs are thanking you!  I made it exactly like your recipe, nothing added at all...  It's a hit for me!  Again, thanks!


----------



## penelopejane

Cal43 said:


> One more question? Does it have be sea salt or does any salt work?


There are minerals and sodium bicarb in real seawater so sea salt will have all those constituents.   So if you don't use sea salt you will not be following the recipe and you will not get the same results.


----------



## Cal43

penelopejane said:


> There are minerals and sodium bicarb in real seawater so sea salt will have all those constituents.   So if you don't use sea salt you will not be following the recipe and you will not get the same results.



Ok, got it


----------



## Dawni

I can't remember if someone mentioned it in this thread but I have a question regarding the salt.

What would happen if more were used? Not so much to make it a brine soap (well now that got me thinking more) but just more, like a teaspoon or two? And since I mentioned it, what would happen if we used this water for a soleseife?

Also, has anyone tried it with the olive oil "replacements?" like canola and rice bran? Just wanted to know if you can feel any difference with this faux seawater..

Next question is if anyone tried the faux seawater with regular recipes? Like say one with butters or animal fats..

Oh btw, the main reason I'm posting is to share an update of the soap posted here that uses this recipe, albeit slightly tweaked one. It's hit the one month mark tonight and though I usually hide my soaps so they cure a minimum 2mos, this one I wanted to try.

It feels lovely on the face! The only time I can remember my face feeling this soft after washing was with my rice soap. I tested only a small pebble sized piece and there's no sign of slime at all and it lathers well with small tight bubbles.

Definitely a winner!


----------



## Dean

Dawni said:


> I can't remember if someone mentioned it in this thread but I have a question regarding the salt.
> 
> What would happen if more were used? Not so much to make it a brine soap (well now that got me thinking more) but just more, like a teaspoon or two? And since I mentioned it, what would happen if we used this water for a soleseife?
> 
> Also, has anyone tried it with the olive oil "replacements?" like canola and rice bran? Just wanted to know if you can feel any difference with this faux seawater..
> 
> Next question is if anyone tried the faux seawater with regular recipes? Like say one with butters or animal fats..
> 
> Oh btw, the main reason I'm posting is to share an update of the soap posted here that uses this recipe, albeit slightly tweaked one. It's hit the one month mark tonight and though I usually hide my soaps so they cure a minimum 2mos, this one I wanted to try.
> 
> It feels lovely on the face! The only time I can remember my face feeling this soft after washing was with my rice soap. I tested only a small pebble sized piece and there's no sign of slime at all and it lathers well with small tight bubbles.
> 
> Definitely a winner!




“Also, has anyone tried it with the olive oil"replacements?" 

I used AO.   Recipie posted on the thread.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> “Also, has anyone tried it with the olive oil"replacements?"
> 
> I used AO.   Recipie posted on the thread.


Oh yes, I remember. I was more interested in the oils people specifically like to replace olive oil with in their regular recipes.

How's your soap now btw? I bet it's gotten even better?


----------



## Dean

Hi Dawni.   

I always replace OO with AO in all my recipies.

My Zany Zoap is good.  Showered tested last week at 4 wk cure.  Still have a few to wks to go.  I’m optimistic. Will keep u all updated!


----------



## KiwiMoose

@Dawni - I used real seawater in a number of my soaps. Not sure that I notice any difference?


----------



## Dawni

Ah okies.. I think I assumed it was just an oil you liked. I didn't realize you use it to replace olive oil. I also always assumed the other two I mentioned were used for their similarities to olive oil. Thanks for the info @Dean! I'm gonna do more research on almond oil 



KiwiMoose said:


> @Dawni - I used real seawater in a number of my soaps. Not sure that I notice any difference?


No difference in hardness and feel, compared to just regular water?

That's what I was curious about. I've used sea salt before but never with baking soda so I guess I wanted to know what it'll do with recipes that aren't slimy to begin with, and have their own hardeners.

I guess eventually I'll just have to find out for myself lol


----------



## Dean

Dawni said:


> Ah okies.. I think I assumed it was just an oil you liked. I didn't realize you use it to replace olive oil. I also always assumed the other two I mentioned were used for their similarities to olive oil. Thanks for the info! I'm gonna do more research on avocado oil



I use almond oil becuz it preformed the best on single oil lather test.  Also my teacher used OO and I did not like its snot.


----------



## Misschief

Interestingly, I made a variation of Zany's soap this past weekend.... Charcoal & Lavender soap... BUT

I forgot to use the faux sea water I have sitting in my fridge. I probably shouldn't have been soaping but I felt better than I have in days. I did add 10% coconut and 5% castor oil, then wondered why it was taking so much longer to get to trace. It was only later that I remembered the faux sea water. It did unmold beautifully last night, though, and it cut just fine this morning.


----------



## Dean

Misschief said:


> Interestingly, I made a variation of Zany's soap this past weekend.... Charcoal & Lavender soap... BUT
> 
> I forgot to use the faux sea water I have sitting in my fridge. I probably shouldn't have been soaping but I felt better than I have in days. I did add 10% coconut and 5% castor oil, then wondered why it was taking so much longer to get to trace. It was only later that I remembered the faux sea water. It did unmold beautifully last night, though, and it cut just fine this morning.



But the faux sea water is the secret ingredient!


----------



## Misschief

Dean said:


> But the faux sea water is the secret ingredient!


I know, right? Told you I wasn't feeling 100%.


----------



## Dean

Misschief said:


> I know, right? Told you I wasn't feeling 100%.


 [arm around shoulder]


----------



## Cal43

When using 15% coconut  and 5% castor oil to Zany’s recipe, what’s a good cutting time for bar soaps?


----------



## Misschief

Cal43 said:


> When using 15% coconut  and 5% castor oil to Zany’s recipe, what’s a good cutting time for bar soaps?


I cut mine after 24 hours.


----------



## Dean

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.



@Zany_in_CO I read your curing recommendation above.  For clarification, do you think this recipe needs a longer cure than a normal well balanced recipe (i.e. one with a lot of saturated oil)?  6 weeks is usually my minimum but I'm wondering if I should give this soap a couple more weeks due to the high liquid oil content.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> For clarification, do you think this recipe needs a longer cure than a normal well balanced recipe (i.e. one with a lot of saturated oil)?


Good question! No, I don't think it needs a longer cure than a balanced recipe. Try it at 2 weeks. See what you think. 6 weeks is better. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly this castile cures. I'm thinking it must be the Faux Sea Water that helps the cure along. I used to cure my castile soaps for 12 weeks.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Cal43 said:


> I realize my calculator was malfunctioning. I did it over on another gadget and it worked out.


Another "gadget"? For easier communication, Cal43, it might be best for you to get used to using SoapCalc. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easier. Give it another go... here's a Screen Shot of how it should look:







Cal43 said:


> Does it have be sea salt or does any salt work?


I've only used sea salt to make this. You should be able to find Morton's Sea Salt at your local grocery store.

Good luck!


----------



## Cal43

This soap came out beautiful! Thank you for the recipe.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Cal43 said:


> This soap came out beautiful! Thank you for the recipe.


That's beautiful Cal!


----------



## szaza

I still love this recipe, though I am getting quite a bit of soap scum, which I haven't been getting as much anymore since I started adding citric acid to every batch (I have incredibly hard water). Left the CA out in this soap because of the sodium bicarbonate in the faux seawater, but I'd like to re-introduce it to the recipe.. made a separate thread about it yesterday evening because it's quite a long post and that way it would also be easier to find for anyone running into the same problem in later.. Still not sure if I should've just posted it here though, so I'll add a link 
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/citric-acid-in-zanys-no-slime-castile.73915/


----------



## Rsapienza

I am anxious to try this recipe. I do have a question though. The ocean is very close to me. Would I be better off using sea water as opposed to faux sea water?


----------



## Relle

SaltedFig said:


> Susie (from this forum) suggested a while ago to finely filter natural sea water
> (it contains all sorts of critters at this time of year for us southern hemisphere folk, so maybe onsite filtration and rinse the cloth might be the go )





Rsapienza said:


> I am anxious to try this recipe. I do have a question though. The ocean is very close to me. Would I be better off using sea water as opposed to faux sea water?


----------



## Cal43

KiwiMoose said:


> That's beautiful Cal!


Thank you, I love it


----------



## Zany_in_CO

szaza said:


> it's quite a long post and that way it would also be easier to find for anyone running into the same problem in later.. Still not sure if I should've just posted it here though, so I'll add a link
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/citric-acid-in-zanys-no-slime-castile.73915/


What you did was perfect, szaza! Thank you for posting a link to the new thread here. Well done.




Others are free to disagree, but I strongly feel that everyone benefits by *not* hi-jacking a thread with a new topic, but rather starting a new thread where others can learn, comment and contribute -- and most importantly, find it again when you need to.


----------



## SaltedFig

Zany_in_CO said:


> What you did was perfect, szaza! Thank you for posting a link to the new thread here. Well done.
> View attachment 36722
> 
> Others are free to disagree, but I strongly feel that everyone benefits by *not* hi-jacking a thread with a new topic, but rather starting a new thread where others can learn, comment and contribute -- and most importantly, find it again when you need to.



I'm not sure whether this comment is directed at me, but just in case it is, I simple responded to a topic that you discussed, and later changed your mind and removed - I did not introduce the topic myself.

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/page-4#post-736919

And if it wasn't, as you were ... 

Then again, now that I'm here, I may as well ask a question I have been curious about ... (it's not super important, but I'd be interested to hear, if you have the time to answer).

Why did you name this "faux seawater"?


----------



## Dean

Update:  I shower tested, then hand tested my bar.  The bar had thick gel on it that got sticky/snotty when hand tested after showering.  It def needs to dry out btwn uses.


----------



## Amy78130

Can’t wait to try this! The only version I’ve had that didn’t come out slimy was when I whipped the soap batter in my Kitchenaid. It bubbles ok, smooth and creamy with a matte appearance, but a pain of an extra step!! I’m making your recipe in the morning!!! Thank you


----------



## penelopejane

Dean said:


> Hi Dawni.
> 
> I always replace OO with AO in all my recipies.
> 
> My Zany Zoap is good.  Showered tested last week at 4 wk cure.  Still have a few to wks to go.  I’m optimistic. Will keep u all updated!


So did you use OO in this recipe or AO?


----------



## Dean

penelopejane said:


> So did you use OO in this recipe or AO?



Almond.


----------



## penelopejane

Dean said:


> Almond.


Almond oil and Olive oil do not produce the same single oil soap qualities. 
Olive oil forms a hard bar at 6 months, a harder bar at 12 months and a very hard bar at 18 months. 
Almond oil is a great oil but it will never form a really hard bar on its own.


----------



## Dean

penelopejane said:


> Almond oil and Olive oil do not produce the same single oil soap qualities.



Yep.  https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-...ks/single-oil-cold-process-soap-lather-tests/


----------



## Zany_in_CO

penelopejane said:


> So did you use OO in this recipe or AO?


I've also used 100% Almond Oil to make a liquid shampoo -- a request from a customer. I was truly amazed by the lather. It's said to be very good for the hair.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

penelopejane said:


> Almond oil and Olive oil do not produce the same single oil soap qualities.


True.


penelopejane said:


> Olive oil forms a hard bar at 6 months, a harder bar at 12 months and a very hard bar at 18 months.


It's clearly a case of YMMV. Before developing this formula, my 100% OO castiles cured in 12 weeks. As far as "very hard bar", that's not one of my priorities in a castile. As stingy as the lather is in a 100% OO castile, I've found that a "very hard bar" gives up even less of a lather.


penelopejane said:


> Almond oil is a great oil but it will never form a really hard bar on its own.


With all due respect, PJ, you should try making a small batch of this recipe -- with either olive oil and/or almond oil. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I know I was.


----------



## Dean

Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


----------



## Misschief

Dean said:


> Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


Not yet but my daughter did send over a gallon of real sea water with her SO. He dropped it off a couple nights ago and I strained it after work yesterday. I'm looking forward to trying it in soap but it won't be for a couple of weekends. I have a market to prepare for this weekend.


----------



## Clarice

I had a friend who used to have a salt water fish tank - she would get special rocks from the "salt water fish tank store" and would soak these rocks in water for ??? time and then use in her tank.  

I wonder if this would yield "less-faux" salt water?


----------



## Dean

Clarice said:


> I had a friend who used to have a salt water fish tank - she would get special rocks from the "salt water fish tank store" and would soak these rocks in water for ??? time and then use in her tank.
> 
> I wonder if this would yield "less-faux" salt water?



Someone in this thread metioned using fish tank sea water mix.  Ur friend must’ve had a rock version of that.   I’m tempted try the mix but I rcvd such good results from saltNsoda that I don’t think it can b improved upon...in terms of hardness, sheen and unmolding.


----------



## Clarice

Good point @Dean!  I am perfectly happy with what I have

Better is sometimes the enemy of good!


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


*Edited loads, please read again *

My red sandalwood soap used it. I did want to see if it would harden up_. _It had no hard oils (except coconut), animal fats, butters or waxes. I don't think I noticed sheen, nor was there much difference in unmolding. I'll try to take more notice when I'll use the faux seawater next.

I am gonna make notes for you regarding hardness after my rice soap cures around a month, to see how it compares to the other one at the same age. This soap only used sea salt but more than normal (less than brine though) while the sandalwood used a salt that I'm not sure is sea salt.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


Good question!


----------



## melinda48

Cal43 said:


> This soap came out beautiful! Thank you for the recipe.


Lovely, indeed!


----------



## melinda48

KiwiMoose said:


> View attachment 34828
> And here is my (now remarkably blue) no-slime Castile with the soda ash. Still quite pretty though. And due to the type of mould I think I can get away with the soda ash adding an extra dimension.


It is quite lovely. Probably couldn’t do it on purpose if I tried!


----------



## melinda48

Dean said:


> Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


I have not yet but am anxious to Try It! Will keep you posted.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Dean said:


> Is anyone using faux sea water instead of just salt in their non-castille recipies for hardness, sheen and ease of umolding?


No but I’ve used real sea water.


----------



## Dawni

Has anyone else tried playing with the amounts of salt and baking soda?

I made soap today, but I added half a teaspoon more salt, and lessened the baking soda by about 1/4 a teaspoon and wow.... Traced in 5 seconds with the SB, when I planned on mixing only til emulsion. Also, soap set after just an hour in the mold. After about another 20mins I was worried I won't be able to cut, so I did.

I'm sure the kaolin clay helped accelerate, and probably the amount of salt combined by even just that lil bit of baking soda changed some properties. Thought I'd mention it in case anyone wanted to try it...


----------



## Dawni

I'm here with some other "findings" hehehe

I now have three batches using the faux seawater that have been curing more than 6 weeks, give or take a few days apart for each.

Please crucify me if you wish, but after testing these on my face I tried them on my toddler's right leg, where he has a spot of dry skin the size of my thumbnail. Remember, Asian, tiny hands 

Anyways, the first soap I made that followed the recipe almost to a T, had olive, coconut and castor, with a bit of almond oil is more drying for him than my sandalwood soap. The dry spot looked like a rough white rash. That other soap has the olive oil amount split between olive, rice bran and avocado oils, and considering it also has more coconut, that dry spot isn't white at all, just rougher than the rest of his skin, but not overly so like with the mostly olive oil soap.

Go figure. I am not learned enough to say whether it's the combo of oils, if it's the sandalwood powder lol, or if my baby's skin just doesn't like olive all that much.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dawni said:


> , if it's the sandalwood powder


Oh my. Dawni, dear heart, you used sandalwood powder in baby soap?   Probably not the best idea you've come up with. LOL I've worked with it a bit, a long time ago. Even a little bit can be irritating for my sensitive skin. I sent a bar to my brother and my SIL and even they found it a little too harsh for their skin. At least you have an answer, of sorts. I suggest you stick with the original recipe as is. Your skin, and your toddler's skin with thank you for it.


----------



## Dawni

Lols on his one leg only, yes. When the original recipe dried out that spot more, this was the next mildest soap I had.

Are you talking about the other sandalwood, the one with the strong aroma? I used the red one, no smell, for color and strained out all the bits.

Even so, don't worry, he's been back to baby soap haha I just tried it one time each, different days.

It's the same story for my face by the way...


----------



## penelopejane

Dawni said:


> Has anyone else tried playing with the amounts of salt and baking soda?
> 
> I made soap today, but I added half a teaspoon more salt, and lessened the baking soda by about 1/4 a teaspoon and wow.... Traced in 5 seconds with the SB, when I planned on mixing only til emulsion. Also, soap set after just an hour in the mold. After about another 20mins I was worried I won't be able to cut, so I did.
> 
> I'm sure the kaolin clay helped accelerate, and probably the amount of salt combined by even just that lil bit of baking soda changed some properties. Thought I'd mention it in case anyone wanted to try it...


Great experiment.  However, olive oil soap doesn't become really mild and gentle for 9 -12 months and more so after an even longer cure.  So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Please try this experiment again in 8 months.


----------



## Dawni

penelopejane said:


> Great experiment.  However, olive oil soap doesn't become really mild and gentle for 9 -12 months and more so after an even longer cure.  So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Please try this experiment again in 8 months.


Hehehe yes, I did make a note of that and plan to do testing again once a month after the 6mos mark, just to see. I've already hid the rest of the soap bar the test ones. 

Now that you mention it, it could be that a combo of other oils are milder than 85% olive, in the beginning?

I should note that. I tried it after 6wks to check for slime but I have a feeling the olive oil I have isn't slimey to begin with? Time to make a Castile without the faux seawater I think, for comparison in the future.

Thanks for the reminder @penelopejane


----------



## KiwiMoose

penelopejane said:


> Great experiment.  However, olive oil soap doesn't become really mild and gentle for 9 -12 months and more so after an even longer cure.  So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Please try this experiment again in 8 months.


Interesting analogy in this context ;-)


----------



## penelopejane

Dawni said:


> Hehehe yes, I did make a note of that and plan to do testing again once a month after the 6mos mark, just to see. I've already hid the rest of the soap bar the test ones.
> 
> Now that you mention it, it could be that a combo of other oils are milder than 85% olive, in the beginning?
> 
> I should note that. I tried it after 6wks to check for slime but I have a feeling the olive oil I have isn't slimey to begin with? Time to make a Castile without the faux seawater I think, for comparison in the future.
> 
> Thanks for the reminder @penelopejane


I have you tried a pure castile bar yet with seawater?
It is possible your olive oil isn't slimy to begin with.  They really do vary. 

Yes, maybe, but 6 weeks is still a really young soap to try on someone with sensitive skin.
It's more likely something to do with the soap curing.


----------



## Dawni

penelopejane said:


> I have you tried a pure castile bar yet with seawater?
> 
> Yes, maybe, but 6 weeks is still a really young soap to try on someone with sensitive skin.
> It's more likely something to do with the soap curing.


No I don't believe I have. Costs way more here than I can afford lol so making it might be the only way to try it.


----------



## Dean

Dawni said:


> I'm here with some other "findings" hehehe
> 
> I now have three batches using the faux seawater that have been curing more than 6 weeks, give or take a few days apart for each.
> 
> Please crucify me if you wish, but after testing these on my face I tried them on my toddler's right leg, where he has a spot of dry skin the size of my thumbnail. Remember, Asian, tiny hands
> 
> Anyways, the first soap I made that followed the recipe almost to a T, had olive, coconut and castor, with a bit of almond oil is more drying for him than my sandalwood soap. The dry spot looked like a rough white rash. That other soap has the olive oil amount split between olive, rice bran and avocado oils, and considering it also has more coconut, that dry spot isn't white at all, just rougher than the rest of his skin, but not overly so like with the mostly olive oil soap.
> 
> Go figure. I am not learned enough to say whether it's the combo of oils, if it's the sandalwood powder lol, or if my baby's skin just doesn't like olive all that much.



Thx for sharing results.  If u sell, u can mrkt ur soap as tested on babies not animals. 

Sounds like OO is drying compared to other liquid oils as others have reported.   To confirm you would need test two bars made with same recipie with OO being the only diff.  Also to make sure the baby isn’t thowing the results off, it would help if u could test on a cpl other babies too.


----------



## Dawni

Duuude... Haha that's just.. I don't know lol

Dustin's leg is fine everyone. I would not test a high coconut bar, or a fresh soap on him for example. And I tested on my face several times before that. I know, I know.. Not one of my best decisions, but truly I did not foresee anything bad happening other than a drier dry spot, and thankfully, nothing did.

I'll test my soap on my teenager instead bahahaha 

Not sure if he'll show me if he has any dry spots or even if he'll let me inspect any part of his self lol


----------



## Dean

Has anyone got to the end of the bar made with zea water?  Does it get thinner without bending later than soap made without zea water?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dean said:


> Has anyone got to the end of the bar made with zea water?  Does it get thinner without bending later than soap made without zea water?


Yes! Me! Want me to send you the last little piece of a bar made a year ago? You can judge for yourself.  Click on my avatar and choose "Conversation" to exchange contact info.


----------



## Dean

Zany_in_CO said:


> Yes! Me! Want me to send you the last little piece of a bar made a year ago? You can judge for yourself.  Click on my avatar and choose "Conversation" to exchange contact info.



Thanks for the offer!  No need to send.  I will take your word on it.  



penelopejane said:


> So don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.



I agree, don't throw out the baby!  That would be a waste.   It can be used again for future testing.


----------



## Dawni

Dean said:


> I agree, don't throw out the baby! That would be a waste. It can be used again for future testing.


ROFL

Well isn't that why we make em? To test our patience, our maturity, test our money saving skills, the strength of our hair, test our problem solving skills, our cleanliness levels.... The list goes on. Soap probably is somewhere in the middle there lol

@Zany_in_CO did you test on any babies before you said this:


Zany_in_CO said:


> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.


Please say yes so @Dean can stop teasing me 

Kidding lol


----------



## szaza

Great experimentation @Dawni ! Let us know how the more salt/less bicarb turns out after cure[emoji6]  
I was actually thinking about experimenting with a high OO recipe and subbing different liquid oils to see how the resulting soaps differ.. It might have been done already, still need to check that out, but otherwise it would be cool to get a small group of soapers together to make the same recipe with 3-4 different oils and see how we all feel about the differences!


----------



## Dawni

szaza said:


> Great experimentation @Dawni ! Let us know how the more salt/less bicarb turns out after cure[emoji6]
> I was actually thinking about experimenting with a high OO recipe and subbing different liquid oils to see how the resulting soaps differ.. It might have been done already, still need to check that out, but otherwise it would be cool to get a small group of soapers together to make the same recipe with 3-4 different oils and see how we all feel about the differences!


That's the plan.

My stormy soap was made CP with this more salt less bicarb water. The brownie soap I posted was HP also using this water. Trace times were more or less the same. The HP took longer to harden up and unmold, but that could be due to the clay and charcoal in the first one? I don't know really...

But yes, updates will be posted. I will compare them to previous soaps I made using exactly the same recipes, except for the additional salt and less baking soda. I have to go make a few more notes on all of them.....


----------



## Dean

szaza said:


> Great experimentation @Dawni ! Let us know how the more salt/less bicarb turns out after cure[emoji6]
> I was actually thinking about experimenting with a high OO recipe and subbing different liquid oils to see how the resulting soaps differ.. It might have been done already, still need to check that out, but otherwise it would be cool to get a small group of soapers together to make the same recipe with 3-4 different oils and see how we all feel about the differences!



My recipe which is posted in this thread was made with AO, CB and castor  The results are posted too. 

Probably this weekend I'll test my standard recipe with the SW reduced in half to see the zeawater can make up for the hardness provided by the SW and if the increase in AO and its oleic has beneficial effect on the skin and lather.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

szaza said:


> ... it would be cool to get a small group of soapers together to make the same recipe with 3-4 different oils and see how we all feel about the differences!


I agree. I'll play!


Dawni said:


> That's the plan. ... But yes, updates will be posted. I will compare them to previous soaps I made using exactly the same recipes, except for the additional salt and less baking soda..


You have such a creative mind, Dawni. I look forward to reading more and adding my 



 as well.


Dean said:


> Probably this weekend I'll test my standard recipe with the SW reduced in half to see the zeawater can make up for the hardness provided by the SW and if the increase in AO and its oleic has beneficial effect on the skin and lather.


Hold your horses, Peeps! I don't want to discourage anyone from the fun & excitement of experimentation; but rather I'd like to discourage you from making this thread any longer than need be to accommodate others down the road that have questions or to post results.

So, I respectfully encourage you to curb your enthusiasm, just long enough to start a new thread, linked to this thread; and post a link to your thread here. Trust me on this, this is a good thing in the long run! It allows other SMF members, like DeeAnna for one, that may not be watching this thread to participate in the discussion. Plus, it keeps all your info together in one place.

There's really no need to be offended when asked to start a new thread. I do it to provide access to other members to what I think will be a good discussion. It actually works quite well and keeps the original thread intact without getting too long.  

 In case you missed it, and to get a better understanding of how well starting a separate, but related, thread works, please read Post #40 in this thread:
*https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/you-have-insufficient-privileges-to-reply-here.74272/page-2*

Jumping off from Zany's 'No Slime Castille' to Bastille varieties
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...o-slime-castille-to-bastille-varieties.74406/

Well done, Meena! Thank you!


----------



## lenarenee

Dawni said:


> @Zany_in_CO did you test on any babies before you said this:



True soap like cp and hp may technically be safe for babies, but greatly discouraged by pediatricians. Many recommended water only (exception of course for big problems like blown out diapers!), or baby washes made with detergent and pH balanced.  The acid mantle of the skin isn’t developed yet in babies.


----------



## GlenS

Hello and thanks Zany. Used the recipe (Faux Saltwater/Olive, Coconut and Castor Oils with Lavender FO) as suggested and in 2 days it came out of the mold easily. It is the 2 week mark and I began using a partial bar for trial. Seems to be holding up well in hardness and feels great. Holds the scent well too. So it gets better, that will be excellent!
Cheers


----------



## Zany_in_CO

GlenS said:


> Hello and thanks Zany.


You're so very welcome, Glen! Well done.


----------



## Obsidian

@Zany_in_CO  How does your seawater castile lather for you compared to plain castile? I've had a bar of the seawater castile at the sink for awhile and it rarely gets used. True it has no slime but no lather either. I don't know if its from the salt or if its due to being so insoluble.
I haven't tested it in the shower with a poof yet, I'm sure that it will be fine though.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Obsidian said:


> @Zany_in_CO  How does your seawater castile lather for you compared to plain castile?


Hmmm. I would say it has the stingy lather which is typical of castiles, only without the slime. I use my hands to lather and small bubbles come up quickly. The best part is when I smooth my hands across my face... the soap glides over my cheeks, forehead, and crevices like washing with cream. After rinsing, my face feels clean and not-tight or dry. 

I've never used it for anything but my face so I'm not sure how it would lather up in the shower with a bath pouf. I guess I need to do that... but I'm down to my last 1/3 oz of my last bar.


----------



## Obsidian

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hmmm. I would say it has the stingy lather which is typical of castiles, only without the slime. I use my hands to lather and small bubbles come up quickly. The best part is when I smooth my hands across my face... the soap glides over my cheeks, forehead, and crevices like washing with cream. After rinsing, my face feels clean and not-tight or dry.
> 
> I've never used it for anything but my face so I'm not sure how it would lather up in the shower with a bath pouf. I guess I need to do that... but I'm down to my last 1/3 oz of my last bar.



Hmm, I get virtually no lather. Wonder if my hard water is the culprit. I don't really know why I tried making this, castile dries my skin out terrible. In fact I don't use any OO in my regular soaps anymore. It was really cool to see how the faux seawater changed the texture. I really need to try it with my regular recipe.
Why don't you PM me your address, I'll send you the few bars I have. I'll just end up tossing them, no one I know will use castile either, they all want bubbles.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Obsidian said:


> Hmm, I get virtually no lather. Wonder if my hard water is the culprit.


Maybe. Try adding a little water softener like Calgon, Borax, or Baking Soda to a sink full of water, then lathering up. That should answer that question _tout suite_.

I sent you a PM


----------



## KiwiMoose

Update! My Zany's No-Slime is now sporting 4.5 months cure and it's very nice indeed.  I used 85% OO, 10% CO and 5% Castor.
It lathers very well, but still feels soft and gentle


----------



## Zany_in_CO




----------



## KiwiMoose

I’ve just discovered it’s quite tricky to lather up your soap, dry one hand and then take a photo of the other still with the soap and suds in it. Nonetheless:


----------



## Obsidian

Edit to add. I found some certified EVOO, lets see if this makes a difference.

Ok guys, for some reason my castile turned out bad. I sent a bar to zany and she confirmed, its harsh.
I followed the directions exactly so I don't know what is wrong. Some possible ideas

Adulterated OO. It was just a cheap brand from the store. What are you all using?

Tap water, though thats all I ever use for soap.

Odd brand of sea salt. Used real salt, which is similar to pink himalayan but mined in the US. Maybe the mineral content is too different.

Too much FO. It was a small batch, I just eyeballed the amount but it wasn't very much.

Going to try again with distilled water, canning salt and leave it unscented. Only thing I can't change is the OO. Closest costco is over a hour, too far for one thing.


----------



## dibbles

This is the 85% olive, 10% coconut, 5% castor. It feels very nice. The 100% olive, unscented and uncolored ones are smelling a bit off. I'll have to keep an eye on them.


----------



## KiwiMoose

dibbles said:


> This is the 85% olive, 10% coconut, 5% castor. It feels very nice. The 100% olive, unscented and uncolored ones are smelling a bit off. I'll have to keep an eye on them.View attachment 38907


You win @dibbles ! How old is yours?


----------



## dibbles

KiwiMoose said:


> You win @dibbles ! How old is yours?


I made it January 1. This one with a little coconut has always lathered better than the 100% olive oil one. I think we both used the same recipe - the tweak suggested by Zany.


----------



## Obsidian

I made batch #2, lets hope this turns out better. 
I wasn't going to scent it but it seems some people were getting fast trace so I used a FO that slows trace. 
After 10 minutes of blending, I gave up and poured it thin. Not my favorite scent but it has its uses.


----------



## sarasvati

@Zany_in_CO, thank you very much for sharing your no-slime castile recipe! I've made a batch of it a couple of months ago and I like it very much! I have found that the warmer the water, the more lather and bubbles. In the shower, I use a nylon towel to wash my body and with that and warm water, the soap lathers very well and creates copious bubbles. It's surprisingly quite cleansing, too and removes my waterproof mascara pretty well when I use it to wash my face. The soap is very hard and long-lasting, too. Even with the nylon towel, it lasted for more than a month in the shower and stayed hard until the very end even when it became paper-thin.

Now I would like to try making some variations of it using the faux sea water, olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil and I am wondering if those of you who have made variations of it had kept the zero superfat as in Zany’s original recipe or increased it because of other oils added. Your advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

sarasvati said:


> I am wondering if those of you who have made variations of it had kept the zero superfat as in Zany’s original recipe or increased it because of other oils added.


Thank you, Sara! I'm happy it worked for you. And, yes, isn't it remarkable to get down to that last little sliver of soap and it still keeps its shape?! 

Zero SF is the way to go if you want to reduce slime.  
Adding 10% coconut & 5% castor will give you the same nice, long lasting castile you first experienced, but with more dense lather. Dissolving a tablespoon of table sugar in the water to make the NaOH solution also helps lather.


----------



## sarasvati

Zany_in_CO said:


> Thank you, Sara! I'm happy it worked for you. And, yes, isn't it remarkable to get down to that last little sliver of soap and it still keeps its shape?!
> 
> Zero SF is the way to go if you want to reduce slime.
> Adding 10% coconut & 5% castor will give you the same nice, long lasting castile you first experienced, but with more dense lather. Dissolving a tablespoon of table sugar in the water to make the NaOH solution also helps lather.



Thank you so much, Zany! I will try that and try using sugar, too, which will be my first attempt to using sugar


----------



## atiz

An update: I just tested my 4-month old soaps, made with 100% pomace grade OO according to Zany's recipe. They are actually quite nice. 
After 1 month it was still way too slimy for my taste so I just put them away and didn't even look at them. Now there is no slime, they are very hard, and lather quite well. A tad bit drying perhaps, but that may be just me + OO. 
Even their smell improved a lot. (I used a lilac FO that was way too sweet/powdery at first but now it is rather pleasant.) They are still not pretty bars (almost seized on me and badly discolored), but I almost like them!
So, another first-person experience that curing does help.


----------



## Alfa_Lazcares

I tried a bar that was 3 weeks old... and it was super slimy. I mean i could scrape the slime with my finger and looked like gelly. The rest of the bars are still there waiting to cure some more to see how they behave in a few months. But on the bright side the bar lasted qute a bit for its size and was quite hard until the last little sliver. It was 100% OO the one that is a mix of virgin and refined, and it only had FO and a bit of mica for color. No changes to the original recipe.


----------



## Dawni

sarasvati said:


> Now I would like to try making some variations of it using the faux sea water, olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil and I am wondering if those of you who have made variations of it had kept the zero superfat as in Zany’s original recipe or increased it because of other oils added. Your advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!


I generally tend to use a low SF when I use less coconut oil, so personally, for Zany's recipe with only 10% coconut and 5% castor I didn't up my superfat. When I tried the faux seawater in other high oleic recipes, I still superfatted according to my coconut oil amount, which I think 15% was max, so my SF was only around 2-3%.

I sent a whole loaf of this with my dad with instructions to let it cure a minimum 4wks. That point was in February, and now we're in the middle of May and he's on his third bar and he loves it. I have yet to get a detailed review though, coz he only gives me vague answers when I ask about slime, lather, etc..


----------



## atiz

Alfa_Lazcares said:


> I tried a bar that was 3 weeks old... and it was super slimy. I mean i could scrape the slime with my finger and looked like gelly. The rest of the bars are still there waiting to cure some more to see how they behave in a few months. But on the bright side the bar lasted qute a bit for its size and was quite hard until the last little sliver. It was 100% OO the one that is a mix of virgin and refined, and it only had FO and a bit of mica for color. No changes to the original recipe.


That's exactly what mines were a month old, and I was _very_ skeptical they would ever get better (I hate slime). But they did. Will be curious to hear your experience too in a couple of months!


----------



## Dru B.

Has anyone tried this with actual sea-water? Or ocean water? Just wondering.


----------



## Dawni

Dru B. said:


> Has anyone tried this with actual sea-water? Or ocean water? Just wondering.


So "real" saltwater with additional bicarb? Can't recall if anyone in this thread has tried that...


----------



## earlene

Someone on this forum has mentioned using actual sea-water in soap, but I don't recall who that was, nor how long ago.


----------



## Dawni

I've used seawater.. And I recall @KiwiMoose also tried it.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Indeed - I have used real sea water in a number of batches, but not @Zany_in_CO's castile.  I am quite prepared to make a batch with real sea water though, to see how it goes?  Your thoughts @Zany? The good thing about New Zealand, is that no matter where you live, you're never further than 2 hours from the coast.  I'm only 35 mins away - but I still have sea water in the freezer.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

KiwiMoose said:


> Your thoughts @Zany?


Go for it, Kiwi!


----------



## plantiest

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


Thanks, Zany!  I'm going to try this base recipe this weekend. Appreciate that you took the time to share!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

You're welcome, plantiest!


----------



## SoapSisters

I tried Zany's soap too! I made a 500 g recipe. My variations: I went with the 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil. I also used 2% beeswax (I love how smooth it makes my soap and it really prevents soda ash) and the olive oil was 83%. I scented it with a litsea - lime EO blend. Thanks, Zany!


----------



## Dennis

SaltedFig said:


> Faded blue jeans ... the ash and colour are perfect together Kiwi!


  I know, it's too late because I haven't been here in a while but what did I see first on my vist?  Yep, denim soap.  As far as a name I like "Favorite Jeans" or "Denim Dreams"  or "Faded But Fabulous".  I love jeans.


----------



## KiwiMoose

SoapSisters said:


> I tried Zany's soap too! I made a 500 g recipe. My variations: I went with the 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil. I also used 2% beeswax (I love how smooth it makes my soap and it really prevents soda ash) and the olive oil was 83%. I scented it with a litsea - lime EO blend. Thanks, Zany!


That looks just beautiful!  Love your scent combo.  I was just sitting here pondering making another batch of Zany's recipe today, but with my real sea water.  I was thinking maybe  lemongrass and lemon EOs, and leaving it uncoloured.


----------



## KiwiMoose

sarasvati said:


> @Zany_in_CO, thank you very much for sharing your no-slime castile recipe! I've made a batch of it a couple of months ago and I like it very much! I have found that the warmer the water, the more lather and bubbles. In the shower, I use a nylon towel to wash my body and with that and warm water, the soap lathers very well and creates copious bubbles. It's surprisingly quite cleansing, too and removes my waterproof mascara pretty well when I use it to wash my face. The soap is very hard and long-lasting, too. Even with the nylon towel, it lasted for more than a month in the shower and stayed hard until the very end even when it became paper-thin.
> 
> Now I would like to try making some variations of it using the faux sea water, olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil and I am wondering if those of you who have made variations of it had kept the zero superfat as in Zany’s original recipe or increased it because of other oils added. Your advice will be much appreciated. Thanks!


I actually did increase the super fat a tad because of using the 10%CO and 5% castor, but I wish I hadn't.  This time I will do exactly as prescribed.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

SoapSisters said:


> Thanks, Zany!


You're welcome! Lovely soaps, by the way. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## SoapSisters

KiwiMoose said:


> That looks just beautiful!  Love your scent combo.  I was just sitting here pondering making another batch of Zany's recipe today, but with my real sea water.  I was thinking maybe  lemongrass and lemon EOs, and leaving it uncoloured.


Thanks, KiwiMoose! I forgot to mention I used Bramble Berry Evergreen Mica. I stirred one teaspoon into the castor oil before adding to the rest of my oils. It was my first time using mica, and that method worked well. 
Lemon-lemongrass sounds lovely! If I don't color my OO soap, it comes out a very light yellow. That color would go really well with a lemony scent. (I see others get a whiter soap with OO, but I guess it depends on the OO variety, etc.)


----------



## KiwiMoose

SoapSisters said:


> Thanks, KiwiMoose! I forgot to mention I used Bramble Berry Evergreen Mica. I stirred one teaspoon into the castor oil before adding to the rest of my oils. It was my first time using mica, and that method worked well.
> Lemon-lemongrass sounds lovely! If I don't color my OO soap, it comes out a very light yellow. That color would go really well with a lemony scent. (I see others get a whiter soap with OO, but I guess it depends on the OO variety, etc.)


Yes - I always buy OO that is as pale as possible in colour to avoid having soap that is too 'yellow.
I made my soap!  Here it is:




I used 50% lemongrass EO, 25% lemon EO and 25% May Chang EO ( a total of 2% to keep it subtle)


----------



## SoapSisters

Nice naturally light soap! And I love that EO blend! I'd love to know if it "sticks". Please keep us posted.

I forgot to mention that I used a 5% superfat. I know that recipe calls for 0%, but I'm a new soaper and feel I still need that buffer (even though I measure the lye very carefully). I also don't mind the sliminess as much as other people. I call it creaminess. )


----------



## Fiona Robertson

KiwiMoose said:


> That looks just beautiful!  Love your scent combo.  I was just sitting here pondering making another batch of Zany's recipe today, but with my real sea water.  I was thinking maybe  lemongrass and lemon EOs, and leaving it uncoloured.



Do you sanitise or filter your sea water beforehand? I'm curious because I live right on the beach but everyday on my walks I fill a bag with plastic waste    I've often thought the sea water and sea weed would be a great resource though...


----------



## KiwiMoose

Fiona Robertson said:


> Do you sanitise or filter your sea water beforehand? I'm curious because I live right on the beach but everyday on my walks I fill a bag with plastic waste    I've often thought the sea water and sea weed would be a great resource though...


New thread started here:https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/sea-water-for-soap.75076/


----------



## earlene

Fiona Robertson said:


> Do you sanitise or filter your sea water beforehand? I'm curious because I live right on the beach but everyday on my walks I fill a bag with plastic waste    I've often thought the sea water and sea weed would be a great resource though...



*Fiona*, I have a lot of sea weed I collected from the Pacific Ocean.  I use it for cooking.  

You might find these interesting:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/w...ntal-assessment-environmental-report/pages/4/

http://monicawilde.com/seaweed-harvesting/


----------



## Fiona Robertson

earlene said:


> *Fiona*, I have a lot of sea weed I collected from the Pacific Ocean.  I use it for cooking.
> 
> You might find these interesting:
> 
> https://www.gov.scot/publications/w...ntal-assessment-environmental-report/pages/4/
> 
> http://monicawilde.com/seaweed-harvesting/



Thank You Earlene, I've just made a coffee and will settle down to read through these!  There are a couple of new small businesses in my area who are harvesting sea weed and I love the smokey taste it brings to cooking. One of the guys offered me some of the powder that lies at the bottom of their drying trays to add to soap but I'm too much a newbie to take him up on this just yet.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Fiona Robertson said:


> ...One of the guys offered me some of the powder that lies at the bottom of their drying trays to add to soap but I'm too much a newbie to take him up on this just yet.


Um, powdered seaweed lasts for yonks! Take it! Jar it up! Put some in your moisturizer! Add it to water, yogurt, milk, honey, etc. for a face mask! Caution... I should probably mention, it's most likely uber odoriferous.


----------



## sarasvati

Dawni said:


> I generally tend to use a low SF when I use less coconut oil, so personally, for Zany's recipe with only 10% coconut and 5% castor I didn't up my superfat. When I tried the faux seawater in other high oleic recipes, I still superfatted according to my coconut oil amount, which I think 15% was max, so my SF was only around 2-3%.
> 
> I sent a whole loaf of this with my dad with instructions to let it cure a minimum 4wks. That point was in February, and now we're in the middle of May and he's on his third bar and he loves it. I have yet to get a detailed review though, coz he only gives me vague answers when I ask about slime, lather, etc..



Thank you, Dawni! Maybe I will try making one batch with 0%SF and another one with 2%SF and see if they come out differently


----------



## Bladesmith

I've read somewhere that by switching out 5% of your NaOH for KOH, you can cut down the slime on Castille soap. I've never even made Castile soap but something I've thought of making.

Has anyone tried this?


----------



## earlene

Bladesmith said:


> I've read somewhere that by switching out 5% of your NaOH for KOH, you can cut down the slime on Castille soap. I've never even made Castile soap but something I've thought of making.
> 
> Has anyone tried this?




Oh, yes, there are several threads on the method here on SMF.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Here's my recent one unmolded.  EOs as above, 85% OO, 10% CO and 5% castor. O% superfat and real seawater instead of faux.


----------



## earlene

Lovely, KiwiMoose!  Such a nice white.  I wonder why Winnie looks a bit more yellow than the rest?  (It is Winnie the Poo, isn't it?)


----------



## KiwiMoose

earlene said:


> Lovely, KiwiMoose!  Such a nice white.  I wonder why Winnie looks a bit more yellow than the rest?  (It is Winnie the Poo, isn't it?)


I wondered that too.  Maybe because the mold was very shallow compared to the other two so it's cured a bit more?


----------



## sarasvati

KiwiMoose said:


> I actually did increase the super fat a tad because of using the 10%CO and 5% castor, but I wish I hadn't.  This time I will do exactly as prescribed.



Thank you, KiwiMoose for this input! Much appreciated


----------



## LilBeachCottage

Thank you for sharing this! I have been wanting to make some Castille soap but when I made it before it took forever to cure and harden... Can't wait to try this!


----------



## linne1gi

So, I tried Zany’s no-slime Castile recipe yesterday. It was amazing. I was able to cut my soap within 5 hours.  I’m really looking forward to trying it out. The only thing I did differently was to add 1 teaspoon sugar to the prepared water.


----------



## melinda48

I tried Zany’s a few mo this ago and was beyond thrilled with the results!


----------



## Mobjack Bay

It woke up happily thinking about the simple goodness of Castile soap.   Zany’s no slime Castile is next on my list, but first I need more olive oil.  I’m planning to use commercial sea salt.  I still wonder about the sodium bicarbonate, but I’m going to go for it because Zany likes it and that’s enough for me .



Mobjack Bay said:


> It woke up happily thinking about the simple goodness of Castile soap.   Zany’s no slime Castile is next on my list, but first I need more olive oil.  I’m planning to use commercial sea salt.  I still wonder about the sodium bicarbonate, but I’m going to go for it because Zany likes it and that’s enough for me .



Recommendations on olive oil grade to use given the 0% SF? My most recent OO is a blend I picked up at a local supermarket (and wishing COSTCO was closer...) The ingredients are listed as “refined” and virgin OO.


----------



## linne1gi

Mobjack Bay said:


> Recommendations on olive oil grade to use given the 0% SF? My most recent OO is a blend I picked up at a local supermarket (and wishing COSTCO was closer...) The ingredients are listed as “refined” and virgin OO.


I buy grocery store olive oil, refined because it’s the palest yellow color.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Yes - I also go for the palest colour ones, sounds similar to the one you have described @Mobjack Bay (AKA Soap-Sister)


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Whew, I just read most of the posts in this thread.  My olive oil should be fine.  The info on gelling is super sketchy above.  Recently I’ve been sticking my individual bars into a warm oven to make them gel, but that might not be necessary for a white bar.  

@KiwiMoose Soap Sista, did your nice white bars gel?  And those wild morphing ones, are they finally 100% purple?


----------



## KiwiMoose

Mobjack Bay said:


> @KiwiMoose Soap Sista, did your nice white bars gel?  And those wild morphing ones, are they finally 100% purple?


No gel, and yes, purple


----------



## szaza

When I tried the recipe in January I tried to gel but I'm pretty sure it didn't. There's a big difference between the soaps that I put in the oven and the soaps that just sat on the counter though. The oven soaps have developed quite a bit of ash, but it developed a very nice lather at around 3 months (it was decent before that, but I really started to like the soaps at 3 months). The counter soaps developed even more ash (a thick crust of several mm), don't really have a great lather and are still slimy. I hand stirred the soap to emulsion and I think most others who tried stick blended to trace. Maybe that's why I've had less success with this recipe..


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Pure prettiness! Thank you @Zany_in_CO for sharing the recipe and the detailed methods!






The soaps spent the night covered in a warmed oven and were unmolded after approximately 12 hours. There are no signs of ash at this point.  As others have observed, I also had cloudy, slightly viscous lye water and some precipitates, which looked carbonate-ish.  I strained them out.  It’s possible that reducing the amount of sodium bicarbonate would help with this issue, but it’s easy enough to strain the lye.  It seems likely to me that the addition of the [sodium] bicarbonate, which is involved in the Ocean’s carbonate buffering system, results in some of the lye being neutralized.  If that is what’s happening, the result would be a soap with some superfat even though it is formulated to be 0%.  I am looking forward to trying the soap!


----------



## KiwiMoose

Mobjack Bay said:


> Pure prettiness! Thank you @Zany_in_CO for sharing the recipe and the detailed methods!
> 
> View attachment 40080
> View attachment 40081
> 
> 
> The soaps spent the night covered in a warmed oven and were unmolded after approximately 12 hours. There are no signs of ash at this point.  As others have observed, I also had cloudy, slightly viscous lye water and some precipitates, which looked carbonate-ish.  I strained them out.  It’s possible that reducing the amount of sodium bicarbonate would help with this issue, but it’s easy enough to strain the lye.  It seems likely to me that the addition of the [sodium] bicarbonate, which is involved in the Ocean’s carbonate buffering system, results in some of the lye being neutralized.  If that is what’s happening, the result would be a soap with some superfat even though it is formulated to be 0%.  I am looking forward to trying the soap!


Oh so white!  Me likey!  Did you use TD?  Love those intricate lacey moulds in the middle there - where did you get those?


----------



## Mobjack Bay

KiwiMoose said:


> Oh so white!  Me likey!  Did you use TD?



Thanks! I followed the 100% OO recipe exactly. ETA: no TD added



KiwiMoose said:


> Love those intricate lacey moulds in the middle there - where did you get those?



I bought them a couple of months ago, but haven’t used them because they’re so shallow (1.8 cm).  Seemed perfect for white soap though.  The batter behaved so well that I had plenty of time to make sure I pushed it into the impressions so I wouldn’t end up with bubbles.  There are a few, but they’re tiny.

YGEOMER 2PCS Round & Square 6-Cavity Silicone Soap Mold Cake Mold Chocolate Mold https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y1TYBRS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_NK9gDbWHV2MW6



szaza said:


> When I tried the recipe in January I tried to gel but I'm pretty sure it didn't. There's a big difference between the soaps that I put in the oven and the soaps that just sat on the counter though. The oven soaps have developed quite a bit of ash, but it developed a very nice lather at around 3 months (it was decent before that, but I really started to like the soaps at 3 months). The counter soaps developed even more ash (a thick crust of several mm), don't really have a great lather and are still slimy. I hand stirred the soap to emulsion and I think most others who tried stick blended to trace. Maybe that's why I've had less success with this recipe..



Wow szaza, I can’t imagine stirring this soap to emulsion.  I used my SB a lot more for this recipe than any other soap I’ve made.  I haven’t checked back.  Which recipe did you make?  I’m not seeing any ash, but I still have the soaps covered with plastic wrap.  I’m not sure how long I can get away with that, but it can’t be worse than being in a silicone mold and, plus, I don’t see any signs of moisture.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

szaza said:


> When I tried the recipe in January I tried to gel but I'm pretty sure it didn't.


Hmmm. I'm wondering if you soaped too cool? This is just my experience, but I want my oil & lye around 110°F when making castiles.


szaza said:


> The counter soaps developed even more ash (a thick crust of several mm), don't really have a great lather and are still slimy.


Oh my. This is a totally new result to me. Something is going on there I don't understand. 


szaza said:


> I hand stirred the soap to emulsion and I think most others who tried stick blended to trace. Maybe that's why I've had less success with this recipe..


I think you're correct. Thanks for sharing. All input is valuable. I see a stick blender in your future. 



Mobjack Bay said:


> Pure prettiness! Thank you @Zany_in_CO for sharing the recipe and the detailed methods!


You're so very welcome. Well done! I adore pure white soapies and those make me drool. (imagine "drool" emoji here. haha)




Mobjack Bay said:


> It seems likely to me that the addition of the [sodium] bicarbonate, which is involved in the Ocean’s carbonate buffering system, results in some of the lye being neutralized.  If that is what’s happening, the result would be a soap with some superfat even though it is formulated to be 0%.


Interesting. Thanks for that input.  


Mobjack Bay said:


> I am looking forward to trying the soap!


You don't have to wait all that long. I'm currently using a scrap that I started at 2 weeks. My face likes this soap.  Just remember to keep it "high & dry" between uses.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Zany_in_CO said:


> You don't have to wait all that long. I'm currently using a scrap that I started at 2 weeks. My face likes this soap. Just remember to keep it "high & dry" between uses.



Will do!


----------



## earlene

Mobjack Bay said:


> Wow szaza, I can’t imagine stirring this soap to emulsion.  I used my SB a lot more for this recipe than any other soap I’ve made.  I haven’t checked back.  Which recipe did you make?  I’m not seeing any ash, but I still have the soaps covered with plastic wrap.  I’m not sure how long I can get away with that, but it can’t be worse than being in a silicone mold and, plus, I don’t see any signs of moisture.



You can get away with the plastic wrap pretty much as long as you like.  Of course, it will take longer to harden completely, depending on the air-tightness of the wrap, but it will eventually harden.  Soap dough is kept soft by preventing air getting to it to dry it out.


----------



## Dawni

I currently have a sliver of this I use when I get tired of what's currently in the shower now lol

Mine was made in January, so it's almost 6mos into cure now. It might be my skin vs. olive oil in general, because my father loves the same soap, but I find it drying compared to some other newer soap of mine.

The reason I'm saying it's the olive oil is, the Castiles I made without the bicarb feel similar, although those are younger soap. It either means my skin just doesn't like olive oil, or it means it will like it but only after a longer cure.

That being said, my notes say that while none of the pure olive oil soaps I've made have slime, the one using Zany's recipe trumped the other two on lather, and it was harder faster but the others are catching up.

Incidentally.... I have another experiment on this faux seawater that needs mentioning. I have to dig up that other thread...


----------



## szaza

@Mobjack Bay I did 100% olive oil [emoji6] 
@Zany_in_CO I think the reason I hand stirred was because I was too lazy to wait for my lye to cool down completely and didn't want it to speed up beyond trace (weren't there some people who had the recipe accelerate on them? But maybe that was the CO+castor version). 
I think the saponification took too long in the countertop soaps and the extra sodium from the baking soda stimulated soda ash formation. I also think the countertop soaps might have a higher superfat (and therefore slimyness) because some of the lye reacted with air to become ash. 
@Dawni my skin also seems to find olive oil a tad drying. If I try this recipe again I want to try it with almond or rice bran oil to compare.


----------



## linne1gi

I soaped very cool - about 75, hardly stick blended and had no ash at all. I did stick in the oven.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

linne1gi said:


> View attachment 40096
> View attachment 40096
> View attachment 40096
> I soaped very cool - about 75, hardly stick blended and had no ash at all. I did stick in the oven.



Pretty!  What did you use to color the soap?  Is it scented?  And, one last question , did you use the 100% OO recipe or the one with Castor oil?  I’m asking because my 100% OO soap, with no additives except the faux seawater, took a long time to trace.  I was soaping at 110 - 105 F.


----------



## linne1gi

Mobjack Bay said:


> Pretty!  What did you use to color the soap?  Is it scented?  And, one last question , did you use the 100% OO recipe or the one with Castor oil?  I’m asking because my 100% OO soap, with no additives except the faux seawater, took a long time to trace.  I was soaping at 110 - 105 F.


I used the exact recipe from Zany. I made the faux salt water ahead of time. I used nettle and turmeric for color. Scented in Frankincense & Myrrh.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

linne1gi said:


> I used the exact recipe from Zany. I made the faux salt water ahead of time. I used nettle and turmeric for color. Scented in Frankincense & Myrrh.



Thanks!


----------



## Boho Gypsy

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, I'm really excited to give it a try


----------



## Rembetissa

I hot-processed this today. Thanks so much, Zany! My family imports olive oil. I am so happy to finally make a nice soap with it that isn't slimy!


----------



## Dawni

Those are gorgeous @linne1gi! I love the the simple swirls and great colors. 


Rembetissa said:


> I hot-processed this today. Thanks so much, Zany! My family imports olive oil. I am so happy to finally make a nice soap with it that isn't slimy!


Update us after it cures.. I'm curious.. I also HPed mine but while it wasn't slimey even in the beginning, it didn't lather much either though its improved now.


----------



## linne1gi

Dawni said:


> Those are gorgeous @linne1gi! I love the the simple swirls and great colors.
> 
> Update us after it cures.. I'm curious.. I also HPed mine but while it wasn't slimey even in the beginning, it didn't lather much either though its improved now.


It’s a rather soft soap at least right now. But it’s only a week old so I know it needs more time.  The swirl is my favorite, in the pot swirl.


----------



## SoapSisters

I love Zany's no-slime Castile! Thanks again, Zany. This was my second time using the no-slime recipe. I made a small batch with 500 g of oil, 80% OO, 15% CO and 5% castor. (I know, this is a tiny bit higher in CO than Zany's recipe, but since the olive oil was still so high, I thought the faux seawater still made sense.)


I made half the batch as Lemon Poppy Scrub - scented with lemon and litsea EOs - and half the batch scented with a lavender, orange, patchouli EO blend.


After a four-week cure, the soap is wonderful with a clean, delicate lather. No slime!


----------



## Mobjack Bay

SoapSisters said:


> I love Zany's no-slime Castile! Thanks again, Zany. This was my second time using the no-slime recipe. I made a small batch with 500 g of oil, 80% OO, 15% CO and 5% castor. (I know, this is a tiny bit higher in CO than Zany's recipe, but since the olive oil was still so high, I thought the faux seawater still made sense.)
> 
> 
> I made half the batch as Lemon Poppy Scrub - scented with lemon and litsea EOs - and half the batch scented with a lavender, orange, patchouli EO blend.
> 
> 
> After a four-week cure, the soap is wonderful with a clean, delicate lather. No slime!


These are lovely looking soaps and both of the EO blends sound nice.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Mobjack Bay said:


> These are lovely looking soaps and both of the EO blends sound nice.


P.S.  if you don’t mind sharing, did you use individual square molds? and if so, where did you get them?  Thanks!


----------



## SoapSisters

Mobjack Bay said:


> P.S.  if you don’t mind sharing, did you use individual square molds? and if so, where did you get them?  Thanks!


I bought them online at Ali Express. Here's a link to see what they look like. Lots of sellers have them on offer (I don't remember which seller I used. I suggest reading the reviews to see if shipping was quick, etc.) I am still a newbie and make small batches, so these are perfect for me. Also, I can't cut straight, so loaf molds are less ideal - until I decide to invest in something that cuts better than I do! 
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/329...chweb0_0,searchweb201602_9,searchweb201603_53


----------



## Mobjack Bay

SoapSisters said:


> I bought them online at Ali Express. Here's a link to see what they look like. Lots of sellers have them on offer (I don't remember which seller I used. I suggest reading the reviews to see if shipping was quick, etc.) I am still a newbie and make small batches, so these are perfect for me. Also, I can't cut straight, so loaf molds are less ideal - until I decide to invest in something that cuts better than I do!
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32991094148.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.31274c71O9Dwxs&algo_pvid=bb349f67-7586-4cd3-84f2-92ef751c771c&algo_expid=bb349f67-7586-4cd3-84f2-92ef751c771c-35&btsid=39260edb-11ee-4a9d-941b-71e91f4816f2&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9,searchweb201603_53


Thank you!


----------



## Rembetissa

SoapSisters said:


> I bought them online at Ali Express. Here's a link to see what they look like. Lots of sellers have them on offer (I don't remember which seller I used. I suggest reading the reviews to see if shipping was quick, etc.) I am still a newbie and make small batches, so these are perfect for me. Also, I can't cut straight, so loaf molds are less ideal - until I decide to invest in something that cuts better than I do!
> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32991094148.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.31274c71O9Dwxs&algo_pvid=bb349f67-7586-4cd3-84f2-92ef751c771c&algo_expid=bb349f67-7586-4cd3-84f2-92ef751c771c-35&btsid=39260edb-11ee-4a9d-941b-71e91f4816f2&ws_ab_test=searchweb0_0,searchweb201602_9,searchweb201603_53


Haha I have a real problem cutting straight, too.


----------



## Kiti Williams

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> How much oil is in this mix, if it is stated in the formula - I can't understand it.
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


----------



## Rahmi

Hi Zsny! In the original post you mention that the water  lye ratio had an effect with the slime, why is that? 

If I were to soap this with 1:1 water lye ratio, do you think it would it get slimier?

I made a castile bar two months ago, without salt and baking soda, and indeed it was slimy. But I'm hoping as I cure  it more the slime will be gone. 

Also the cure time is much shorter than what I've seen, is this because of the salt and soda?

 Sorry if this was asked before, couldn't read all the pages. Thanks!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Hi Rahmi! The key to reducing slime is the 0% superfat. Olive Oil contains "unsaponifiables" that remain after saponification, so my intent in using 0% SF was to saponify as much of the oil as possible. 

The 1.7:1 water to lye ratio is where I ended up after trying other options. You want enough water to react with the lye but not so much that it increases cure time.

The salt & soda affect a shorter cure time and a harder bar.

No apologies necessary... I hear ya! LOL I also get impatient slogging through threads like this that are so long. BUT, that being said, there's lots of good information worth a read when you have time.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Popping in with the 2+ week update on my first batch of Zany’s no slime Castile.  I LOVE it.  It makes a creamy lather that builds into a bubbly lather with a little extra water.  This is the most gentle soap I’ve made.  It left my hands feeling soft and more “moisturized” than any soap I’ve made to date. Time for another batch!


----------



## cmzaha

Mine are upwards of 5 months old and still snooty with zip lather.  So apparently they are still going to have to cure for the rest of the year


----------



## linne1gi

linne1gi said:


> It’s a rather soft soap at least right now. But it’s only a week old so I know it needs more time.  The swirl is my favorite, in the pot swirl.


So, my soap is almost 1 month now and it’s still pretty soft. At least in comparison to my other month old soaps.  I’m giving it more time.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

cmzaha said:


> Mine are upwards of 5 months old and still snooty with zip lather.  So apparently they are still going to have to cure for the rest of the year


Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, Carolyn. Any idea what went wrong? It sounds like "normal" castile. I'm wondering if you used 5% SF instead of 0%? Easy mistake to make.


linne1gi said:


> So, my soap is almost 1 month now and it’s still pretty soft. At least in comparison to my other month old soaps.  I’m giving it more time.


Hmmm. It shouldn't be soft at 1 month -- have you tried it? How's the lather? Slime or no slime?


----------



## linne1gi

Zany_in_CO said:


> Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, Carolyn. Any idea what went wrong? It sounds like "normal" castile. I'm wondering if you used 5% SF instead of 0%? Easy mistake to make.
> 
> Hmmm. It shouldn't be soft at 1 month -- have you tried it? How's the lather? Slime or no slime?


No, I haven’t tried it yet, maybe at the 8 week mark.


----------



## cmzaha

Zany_in_CO said:


> Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, Carolyn. Any idea what went wrong? It sounds like "normal" castile. I'm wondering if you used 5% SF instead of 0%? Easy mistake to make.
> 
> Hmmm. It shouldn't be soft at 1 month -- have you tried it? How's the lather? Slime or no slime?


Not sure, nope 0% superfat. I never superfat at 5% unless making salt bars. My normal superfat is 2%. I will mention it is hard as a rock.


----------



## linne1gi

cmzaha said:


> Not sure, nope 0% superfat. I never superfat at 5% unless making salt bars. My normal superfat is 2%. I will mention it is hard as a rock.


I will have to check my notes, but I believe I super fatted at 5%.


----------



## KiwiMoose

My second batch I made circa 8 weeks ago are kickin' it!  I use the 10% CO and 5% castor version, and this time did 0% super fat and the lather is fantastico!  Instead of using 'faux' seawater I used real seawater though - just coz I had it in the freezer.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

KiwiMoose said:


> My second batch I made circa 8 weeks ago are kickin' it!  I use the 10% CO and 5% castor version, and this time did 0% super fat and the lather is fantastico!  Instead of using 'faux' seawater I used real seawater though - just coz I had it in the freezer.


 

I keep meaning to ask if my friend who does research in Antarctica has any water saved from her last research cruise.  I doubt there’s any cleaner salt water on the planet and the “label appeal” would be through the roof with my oceanography buddies .


----------



## KiwiMoose

New Zealand sea water is the next best thing though! ;-)


----------



## Mobjack Bay

KiwiMoose said:


> New Zealand sea water is the next best thing though! ;-)


Yes, but she delivers locally


----------



## linne1gi

Mobjack Bay said:


> I keep meaning to ask if my friend who does research in Antarctica has any water saved from her last research cruise.  I doubt there’s any cleaner salt water on the planet and the “label appeal” would be through the roof with my oceanography buddies .


Wow!


----------



## Lynn Miglets

This is such a good recipe. Thanks for posting it. I have no slime and it's a lovely hard bar. I only made it a few months ago. I love it.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Here’s a pic of the lather from the soap I made on July 2, so not quite a month old.


----------



## linne1gi

Mobjack Bay said:


> Here’s a pic of the lather from the soap I made on July 2, so not quite a month old.
> View attachment 40595


How much friction did you have to use to get that lather?


----------



## Mobjack Bay

linne1gi said:


> How much friction did you have to use to get that lather?


Not much.  I used it the same as I use any other soap when I wash my hands. The soap doesn’t make a dense creamy lather like lard, and it’s not bubbly like a high CO soap, but it’s definitely a gentle soap. I would not call it slimy.  I like it.


----------



## linne1gi

I’m glad it worked out for you. How old was your soap? Mine is about 2 months now, I have it stashed away. I’ll probably give it a try at the 3 month mark.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

linne1gi said:


> I’m glad it worked out for you. How old was your soap? Mine is about 2 months now, I have it stashed away. I’ll probably give it a try at the 3 month mark.


I made it on July 2.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

linne1gi said:


> I’m glad it worked out for you. How old was your soap? Mine is about 2 months now, I have it stashed away. I’ll probably give it a try at the 3 month mark.


Hi linne. FYI: No need to wait any longer. This is not like your normal castile. If you follow the exact recipe, with no variation, you can almost use it right away. I started  washing my face with it at 2 weeks with my last batch because I'd been completely out for while! LOL See Post #1:


> CURE Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.


----------



## Kiti Williams

Mobjack Bay said:


> Here’s a pic of the lather from the soap I made on July 2, so not quite a month old.
> View attachment 40595




  Using a shower poof makes oodles of lather.


----------



## linne1gi

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi linne. FYI: No need to wait any longer. This is not like your normal castile. If you follow the exact recipe, with no variation, you can almost use it right away. I started  washing my face with it at 2 weeks with my last batch because I'd been completely out for while! LOL See Post #1:


It doesn't seem as hard as my other soaps at the same amount of time.  It's not soft per se, just not as hard, if that makes sense, lol.  So I parked the soaps (I only made 1 pound=4 soaps) on a cloth on an aerated table in the corner of my bedroom and I figured I would try one out in about a month or so.  I made them sometime in June.


----------



## Mrsitaly22

Zany_in_CO said:


> Thank you, Sara! I'm happy it worked for you. And, yes, isn't it remarkable to get down to that last little sliver of soap and it still keeps its shape?!
> 
> Zero SF is the way to go if you want to reduce slime.
> Adding 10% coconut & 5% castor will give you the same nice, long lasting castile you first experienced, but with more dense lather. Dissolving a tablespoon of table sugar in the water to make the NaOH solution also helps lather.


I've been reading about this for quite some time; I am not understanding how this is not a harsh bar of soap with 0% SF? Hoping someone can give some insight...


----------



## linne1gi

I think it's because the OP said that olive oil is high in unsaponifiables.  


Mrsitaly22 said:


> I've been reading about this for quite some time; I am not understanding how this is not a harsh bar of soap with 0% SF? Hoping someone can give some insight...


I think it's because the OP said that olive oil is high in unsaponifiables.



linne1gi said:


> I think it's because the OP said that olive oil is high in unsaponifiables.
> 
> I think it's because the OP said that olive oil is high in unsaponifiables.


When I checked on Google - it stated that 2% of olive oil is unsaponifiable.


----------



## DeeAnna

Per industry standard, regular olive oil should be no more than 1.5% to 2% unsaponifiables. That's not any higher than most oils and fats to be honest -- the numbers I have range up to 2% for most of the fats/oils commonly used in soap making. Pomace olive is different -- it can be as high as 3% per industry standards. Fats that do have high unsaponifiable content include avocado (as much as 9%) and shea butter.

_"...I am not understanding how this is not a harsh bar of soap with 0% SF?..."_

It can be easy to confuse excess alkalinity (excess lye) with the cleansing strength of a soap, but the two are completely different things. Excess alkalinity is due to a soap that contains less fat than needed to fully react with the alkali. Even if you design a recipe with 0% superfat, there's relatively low risk that this will actually happen, given how most soap recipes are calculated.

The way most online soap recipe calculators are designed, they do not make any correction for the impurities normally found in NaOH. In other words, they assume the NaOH is 100% pure, but that's not really correct. If you set up a recipe with a 0% superfat, the soap you make with that recipe will actually have a small to moderate superfat. The actual % superfat will be equal to the difference between the assumed 100% purity and the actual NaOH purity. That's often somewhere in the 2% to 5% range.

As long as there is sufficient fat to entirely react with the alkali or a bit more fat than that, it is entirely reasonable to make soap with a low superfat and still have a nicely gentle bar, as long as you adjust the fatty acid profile with an eye toward creating a mild soap for your particular skin type.

If you make a soap that has a high "cleansing" number -- typically one high in coconut oil -- then you may need to increase the superfat high enough to reduce the cleansing ability on the skin. The soap becomes milder because you're forcing it to emulsify its own superfat, not strip the fats off your skin.


----------



## linne1gi

DeeAnna said:


> Per industry standard, regular olive oil should be no more than 1.5% to 2% unsaponifiables. That's not any higher than most oils and fats to be honest -- the numbers I have range up to 2% for most of the fats/oils commonly used in soap making. Pomace olive is different -- it can be as high as 3% per industry standards. Fats that do have high unsaponifiable content include avocado (as much as 9%) and shea butter.
> 
> _"...I am not understanding how this is not a harsh bar of soap with 0% SF?..."_
> 
> It can be easy to confuse excess alkalinity (excess lye) with the cleansing strength of a soap, but the two are completely different things. Excess alkalinity is due to a soap that contains less fat than needed to fully react with the alkali. Even if you design a recipe with 0% superfat, there's relatively low risk that this will actually happen, given how most soap recipes are calculated.
> 
> The way most online soap recipe calculators are designed, they do not make any correction for the impurities normally found in NaOH. In other words, they assume the NaOH is 100% pure, but that's not really correct. If you set up a recipe with a 0% superfat, the soap you make with that recipe will actually have a small to moderate superfat. The actual % superfat will be equal to the difference between the assumed 100% purity and the actual NaOH purity. That's often somewhere in the 2% to 5% range.
> 
> As long as there is sufficient fat to entirely react with the alkali or a bit more fat than that, it is entirely reasonable to make soap with a low superfat and still have a nicely gentle bar, as long as you adjust the fatty acid profile with an eye toward creating a mild soap for your particular skin type.
> 
> If you make a soap that has a high "cleansing" number -- typically one high in coconut oil -- then you may need to increase the superfat high enough to reduce the cleansing ability on the skin. The soap becomes milder because you're forcing it to emulsify its own superfat, not strip the fats off your skin.


Thank you for that explanation. I have found that my skin likes a relatively high super fat. In general I SF between 7-8. I have tried 1% all the way to 30% (coconut oil soap). When I made Zany’s recipe I super fatted at 5% even though the recipe said to use 0%. I just couldn’t do it, lol.


----------



## Mrsitaly22

Thank you Deeanna. When I entered this into soapmaker after running through soapcalc, their NaOH numbers were different. This in turn made me unsure of which was best, & a little uneasy given the lack of wiggle room in 0% SF. I was not aware that there was such a significant cushion in those calculators.


----------



## Dawni

Mrsitaly22 said:


> Thank you Deeanna. When I entered this into soapmaker after running through soapcalc, their NaOH numbers were different. This in turn made me unsure of which was best, & a little uneasy given the lack of wiggle room in 0% SF. I was not aware that there was such a significant cushion in those calculators.


Yeah the numbers never tell it all. It's more so in the case of salt bars n brine soaps with high coconut, Castile and bastille soaps with high olive... A high butter soap has wonky numbers too I recall. I'm sure there's others. 

You'll have to rely on your knowledge of each fat you use, the knowledge of others here, and trial n error.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

linne1gi said:


> When I made Zany’s recipe I super fatted at 5% even though the recipe said to use 0%. I just couldn’t do it, lol.


LOL Oh that's funny, linne! At least it explains your comment here, which had me scratching my head, BTW.  :


linne1gi said:


> It doesn't seem as hard as my other soaps at the same amount of time.  It's not soft per se, just not as hard, if that makes sense, lol.


----------



## Mrsitaly22

Zany_in_CO said:


> LOL Oh that's funny, linne! At least it explains your comment here, which had me scratching my head, BTW.  :


Tehehehe


----------



## Fiona Robertson

I made a wee test batch of this  soap a few weeks ago and loved it.  I made a larger batch yesterday but both times my brine water with added sugar turns into a gloopy mess once the lye is added.  I strained it twice before adding to the oils and all the gloop strained through but then on both occasions I have had to fish out a couple of flat white solid lumps from the batter before it has reached emulsion stage.  The soap passes the zap test but what are the lumps?  Is it because I have used course sea salt and a few grains re-solidify or is it something to do with the sugar?  I soap around 120c (used to soaping with wax).


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Fiona Robertson said:


> I made a wee test batch of this  soap a few weeks ago and loved it.  I made a larger batch yesterday but both times my brine water with added sugar turns into a gloopy mess once the lye is added.  I strained it twice before adding to the oils and all the gloop strained through but then on both occasions I have had to fish out a couple of flat white solid lumps from the batter before it has reached emulsion stage.  The soap passes the zap test but what are the lumps?  Is it because I have used course sea salt and a few grains re-solidify or is it something to do with the sugar?  I soap around 120c (used to soaping with wax).



Darn soap gremlins!

FWIW, maybe this could be a partial explanation for some of what you observed - there’s a limit to how much salt, bicarbonate, lye, sugar, etc. can be dissolved into a given amount of water.  When the max is reached, the solution is fully “saturated”.  Between the salt, bicarbonate and lye, your lye water could have been close to “saturation” and then when you added the sugar, you may have exceeded the capacity of the water to dissolve any additional solids.  In general, the higher the lye concentration of your lye water, the lower the capacity to dissolve additional solids.  The salt and bicarbonate add to the challenge of dissolving addition solids, relative to making the lye water with non-salty water.  Then (speculation!), if the sugar was forced out of solution first (or kept out of solution) and then it melted as the temp of the lye water increased, I can imagine that it would make gloop in the lye water.

I don’t have any ideas for the lumps in the batter   Are they soft, like partially solidified fats? Or do they seem more like crystalline solids?

As for the initial size of the salt crystals, it should not matter at all once the salt is dissolved. On the other hand, it may have affected the weight of the salt you ended up adding to make the faux sea water.  The coarse salt will not fill the measuring spoon as tightly as the fine salt.  If measuring spoons with coarse and fine salt are both leveled, the one with the fine salt will weigh more because the salt is more tightly packed in the spoon. Unfortunately, I don’t think this helps to explain what happened in your situation because faux sea water with a lower concentration of salt would have more dissolving power relative to fully saturated sea water.


----------



## Fiona Robertson

Mobjack Bay said:


> Darn soap gremlins!
> 
> FWIW, maybe this could be a partial explanation for some of what you observed - there’s a limit to how much salt, bicarbonate, lye, sugar, etc. can be dissolved into a given amount of water.  When the max is reached, the solution is fully “saturated”.  Between the salt, bicarbonate and lye, your lye water could have been close to “saturation” and then when you added the sugar, you may have exceeded the capacity of the water to dissolve any additional solids.  In general, the higher the lye concentration of your lye water, the lower the capacity to dissolve additional solids.  The salt and bicarbonate add to the challenge of dissolving addition solids, relative to making the lye water with non-salty water.  Then (speculation!), if the sugar was forced out of solution first (or kept out of solution) and then it melted as the temp of the lye water increased, I can imagine that it would make gloop in the lye water.
> 
> I don’t have any ideas for the lumps in the batter   Are they soft, like partially solidified fats? Or do they seem more like crystalline solids?
> 
> As for the initial size of the salt crystals, it should not matter at all once the salt is dissolved. On the other hand, it may have affected the weight of the salt you ended up adding to make the faux sea water.  The coarse salt will not fill the measuring spoon as tightly as the fine salt.  If measuring spoons with coarse and fine salt are both leveled, the one with the fine salt will weigh more because the salt is more tightly packed in the spoon. Unfortunately, I don’t think this helps to explain what happened in your situation because faux sea water with a lower concentration of salt would have more dissolving power relative to fully saturated sea water.




@Mobjack Bay thank you so much for your fabulous explanation, it all makes perfect sense now!!  I did some further reading and found out about the split method.  I think I will try again but split the water amount in two so I can see that everything is dissolving...fingers crossed!!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Fiona Robertson said:


> I did some further reading and found out about the split method.  I think I will try again but split the water amount in two so I can see that everything is dissolving...fingers crossed!!


Hiya Fiona, It's weird that your "wee test batch" worked fine but the next two batches didn't. I'd highly recommend posting your next attempt in the Recipe Feedback Forum to get input before making it.
*https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/*

I'd also recommend reading through Post #1 again... the higher temp (120°F) might be causing the problem. 


> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount


----------



## Fiona Robertson

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hiya Fiona, It's weird that your "wee test batch" worked fine but the next two batches didn't. I'd highly recommend posting your next attempt in the Recipe Feedback Forum to get input before making it.
> *https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/*
> 
> I'd also recommend reading through Post #1 again... the higher temp (120°F) might be causing the problem.



Well...my wee test batch followed your instructions exactly but as soon as I went off-piste things started to go wrong, so serves me right  Thank you for such a lovely recipe though, my brother is convinced that it helps his eczema xx


----------



## linne1gi

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi linne. FYI: No need to wait any longer. This is not like your normal castile. If you follow the exact recipe, with no variation, you can almost use it right away. I started  washing my face with it at 2 weeks with my last batch because I'd been completely out for while! LOL See Post #1:


I finally tried it! It is wonderful soap. Creamy, large bubbles, that last and last. Very mild and I love the scent I used. Frankincense & Myrrh.  I will have to check my notes, but I believe my soap is between 6 and 8 weeks old.  It still doesn’t feel as hard to me as my other soaps feel, but it was really lovely.  I had only made a small batch, 1 pound. Now I am going to make a large batch. Can’t wait!


----------



## SoapSap

Where can I find the recipe for this soap?


----------



## linne1gi

SoapSap said:


> Where can I find the recipe for this soap?


Page 1 in this forum. It’s a great recipe!


----------



## SoapSisters

I love this recipe too! I made a modified Zany's no-slime Castile soap last month – and I love the lather! So creamy and rich! No slime! In addition to adjusting the oils a bit (and superfat at 5%), I used coconut cream for a third of the liquid. Here's my recipe:

olive oil 81%
coconut oil 15%
castor oil 4%

I dissolved the salt and baking soda in the water before adding the lye. I added my coconut cream to my oils and combined before adding the lye mixture. The first time I made this the coconut cream accelerated trace a bit, but working fast is well worth the creamy soap I got.

Now I just need to get myself to lower the superfat!  I can probably go a little lower on the castor, since the coconut cream adds some sugar (and castor is expensive where I live). And since this has only been curing for a month, I'm curious to see how the soap is further on out.


----------



## earlene

SoapSap said:


> Where can I find the recipe for this soap?



Here: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/


----------



## linne1gi

SoapSisters said:


> I love this recipe too! I made a modified Zany's no-slime Castile soap last month – and I love the lather! So creamy and rich! No slime! In addition to adjusting the oils a bit (and superfat at 5%), I used coconut cream for a third of the liquid. Here's my recipe:
> 
> olive oil 81%
> coconut oil 15%
> castor oil 4%
> 
> I dissolved the salt and baking soda in the water before adding the lye. I added my coconut cream to my oils and combined before adding the lye mixture. The first time I made this the coconut cream accelerated trace a bit, but working fast is well worth the creamy soap I got.
> 
> Now I just need to get myself to lower the superfat!  I can probably go a little lower on the castor, since the coconut cream adds some sugar (and castor is expensive where I live). And since this has only been curing for a month, I'm curious to see how the soap is further on out.


Your soap sounds fantastic. Did you color it or scent it at all? And did you use your water at 1.7:1?  I was told I could use this soap right away, but waited about 8 weeks and I’m glad I did. It was worth the wait.


----------



## SoapSisters

Thanks! I colored it with green clay and scented it with a blend of lime and litsea EOs. It's lovely . .  and I'm hoping it will be lovelier at 8 weeks!


----------



## SoapSisters

Oops . . . green mica. And it looker greener in real life.


----------



## linne1gi

SoapSisters said:


> Thanks! I colored it with green clay and scented it with a blend of lime and litsea EOs. It's lovely . .  and I'm hoping it will be lovelier at 8 weeks!


Sounds wonderful, keep me posted!


----------



## CindyJ

If I add the coconut oil and castor oil to this recipe should I add an SF%?  Also, I live on the ocean, can I use sea-salt water right from the ocean, and if so, how do I prep. the saltwater?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

CindyJ said:


> If I add the coconut oil and castor oil to this recipe should I add an SF%?  Also, I live on the ocean, can I use sea-salt water right from the ocean, and if so, how do I prep. the saltwater?


Hi Cindy! The SF stays the same, 0% SF, when adding 10% coconut and 5% castor.  And, yes, you can use sea water from the ocean, but I haven't done that. Hopefully, someone will come along who's done it. Wish I could be more help but I just don't know.


----------



## Fiona Robertson

CindyJ said:


> If I add the coconut oil and castor oil to this recipe should I add an SF%?  Also, I live on the ocean, can I use sea-salt water right from the ocean, and if so, how do I prep. the saltwater?



This should tell you about using sea water:  https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/sea-water-for-soap.75076/


----------



## Kae

Cee you are amazing. Ahhh! The upcoming baby of the family will be very delighted. Errr, I mean my sister. Sooo lovin' this. Will buy more POO and make some more for the baby...


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Haha you made me giggle. I'm delighted to hear you're delighted! And, yes, I think you should make more for the baby...


----------



## Kae

Zany_in_CO said:


> Haha you made me giggle. I'm delighted to hear you're delighted! And, yes, I think you should make more for the baby...



I sure will. Oh and credit should be given of course.


----------



## Dawni

Kae said:


> Cee you are amazing. Ahhh! The upcoming baby of the family will be very delighted. Errr, I mean my sister. Sooo lovin' this. Will buy more POO and make some more for the baby...


Ganda! I'm curious to know how this cures where you are..

@Zany_in_CO have you done any testing regarding DOS? Or your Castiles don't get em at all, hence no need for testing lol

My Castiles without the faux seawater are looking yellow.... While the one made with your recipe, although I used the one with coconut and castor, is older and has no sign of DOS.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dawni said:


> @Zany_in_CO have you done any testing regarding DOS? Or your Castiles don't get em at all, hence no need for testing lol


Sorry to tell you... I never get DOS. I don't worry about it. Actually I've never seen so much discussion about DOS on any other group or forum as there is on SMF. VERY peculiar. I can't imagine why SMF  has that distinction, but it does. It's a head-scratcher. I wonder "why?" every time the subject comes up.


----------



## DeeAnna

I guess maybe some of us SMF folks as well as  Kevin Dunn as well as a host of large scale soap makers both modern and historic are just not enough in the know to avoid rancidity. Lucky you, Zany!


----------



## Dawni

Lol can't say, I'm not a member anywhere else. So far, only my Castile has it, and the HP one more than the CP. 

I better talk about it elsewhere, let's not go off topic from your recipe. 

I'll just repeat though, that the Castile I made using the faux seawater, although it has coconut and castor, has no sign of DOS 7mos down.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dawni said:


> I'll just repeat though, that the Castile I made using the faux seawater, although it has coconut and castor, has no sign of DOS 7mos down.


It must be Zany magic! LOL 







DeeAnna said:


> I guess maybe some of us SMF folks as well as  Kevin Dunn as well as a host of large scale soap makers both modern and historic are just not enough in the know to avoid rancidity. Lucky you, Zany!


I meant no offense, *@DeeAnna*. It truly is something I've wondered about ever first joining SMF. I wish I knew enough about it to figure it out, but I don't. 

I almost always use antioxidants, ROE & vitamin E; I tend to use full water rather than discounting water unless I feel a need to do that or if I'm making a customer's recipe; I always take temps (Old School here, I know), that's about all I can think of, except I don't get soda ash either -- but there I do cover my batches with 4-ply mylar and my wood mold has a top that goes on top of the mylar. Maybe it's the Colorado climate? Maybe the water (I use tap water)?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Dawni said:


> I better talk about it elsewhere, let's not go off topic from your recipe.


Thanks, Dawni. I agree.


----------



## DeeAnna

I know you didn't mean any offense, Zany. But the discussion comes up a lot because the problem happens to a lot of people. Again, lucky you that you've never had to deal with it.

It's not like your soap is somehow immune or utterly exempt from rancidity, however. From what you shared in your last post, it's just that you've taken sufficient steps to control the problem. So maybe the better way to put it is you've been fortunate enough to not encounter rancidity in your soap because you use antioxidants.


----------



## Cocolive

Thank you Zany for sharing the recipe.

So this is my first castile soap using your recipe. I have tried the recipe twice for 100% OO. First one by using a kind of salt in the kitchen (I don't know what to call it in English), which accelerate trace even with 100% OO, so smooth and quick that it harden so fast on the same day. Second one by using table salt (refined salt) and there were no accelerate things going. The batter was so soft until the next day and I heated it inside the crockpot to boost saponification. 

After this two experiment, I conclude there are something in the first salt which contribute to accelerate trace, boost saponification and harden the soap. Then I can sure the first salt was sea salt equivalent, which still contain a amount of impurities or mineral which help this recipe.  While the second salt (refined) which is nearly pure NaCl failed this recipe.


----------



## Fiut

Can I twist this recipe to boost curing time in multiple oils recipe? I mean if I use not only olive oil, but apply to 40:60 SAT:UNSAT  formula, can it still be beneficial to have harder soap bar faster? I hope so, as I just made such formula soap with some green tea and much clay in it. Looks great. Have to wait it to cure.


----------



## shunt2011

Fiut said:


> Can I twist this recipe to boost curing time in multiple oils recipe? I mean if I use not only olive oil, but apply to 40:60 SAT:UNSAT  formula, can it still be beneficial to have harder soap bar faster? I hope so, as I just made such formula soap with some green tea and much clay in it. Looks great. Have to wait it to cure.



Nothing cuts curing time.  Some require more than others.  I try to cure my soaps at least 6 weeks and linger for some.


----------



## cmzaha

Mine was made mid-February and still has slime and very little lather, made with 100% Pure OO from Costco. It is the OO I have always used.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Fiut said:


> Can I twist this recipe to boost curing time in multiple oils recipe? I mean if I use not only olive oil, but apply to 40:60 SAT:UNSAT  formula, can it still be beneficial to have harder soap bar faster? I hope so, as I just made such formula soap with some green tea and much clay in it.


Sorry, Fiut, it's not likely due to the very specific water to lye ratio and 0% SF to reduce the slime created by an Olive Oil bar. IMHO, a 40:60 SAT:UNSAT formula doesn't need that kind of help to produce good results. I also would expect the addition of clay to be problematic with the water discount in this formula. 

Remember, the first rule of soap making is PATIENCE.


----------



## Fiut

Zany_in_CO said:


> Sorry, Fiut, it's not likely due to the very specific water to lye ratio and 0% SF to reduce the slime created by an Olive Oil bar. IMHO, a 40:60 SAT:UNSAT formula doesn't need that kind of help to produce good results. I also would expect the addition of clay to be problematic with the water discount in this formula.
> 
> Remember, the first rule of soap making is PATIENCE.


Thank you very much! I'm trying to be patient  I just wonder does salt and soda do something special for soaping in general. Not only in this recipe, but in generic soap formula.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

For those who have made Zany’s faux seawater , is it correct that the lye water stays cloudy ? The FS was clear , I added the Sodium Hydroxide ( tiny balls ) and the water remained cloudy with little bits in it . I used it any way because it was first attempt, so I was expecting trial and error


----------



## Dawni

@Fiut I tried that.. Using this faux seawater with other soft oils and I did not notice a very big difference in hardness, and for sure not in cure time. There's a thread about that somewhere as I'm not the only one who tried it.

Salt is used in general to harden up your soap. It's not what makes it hard, but it helps when unmolding. Here's a good read on that.


Simply Yours UK said:


> For those who have made Zany’s faux seawater , is it correct that the lye water stays cloudy ? The FS was clear , I added the Sodium Hydroxide ( tiny balls ) and the water remained cloudy with little bits in it . I used it any way because it was first attempt, so I was expecting trial and error


Mine was slightly cloudy but no lil bits of anything were left before pouring into my oils. Could it be you needed to dissolve all the solid stuff more? Salt, baking soda, lye pearls?


----------



## Simply Yours UK

Dawni said:


> @Fiut I tried that.. Using this faux seawater with other soft oils and I did not notice a very big difference in hardness, and for sure not in cure time. There's a thread about that somewhere as I'm not the only one who tried it.
> 
> Salt is used in general to harden up your soap. It's not what makes it hard, but it helps when unmolding. Here's a good read on that.
> 
> Mine was slightly cloudy but no lil bits of anything were left before pouring into my oils. Could it be you needed to dissolve all the solid stuff more? Salt, baking soda, lye pearls?


That might be the case . I made the FS a few weeks ago and put it in the fridge . Should have put it through a strainer because I left it quite a while to dissolve . Thanks


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Simply Yours UK said:


> ... is it correct that the lye water stays cloudy ?


My lye solution is generally cloudy... most likely because I'm trying to use up some Dead Sea Salt scented with Tea Tree EO.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Simply Yours UK said:


> For those who have made Zany’s faux seawater , is it correct that the lye water stays cloudy ? The FS was clear , I added the Sodium Hydroxide ( tiny balls ) and the water remained cloudy with little bits in it . I used it any way because it was first attempt, so I was expecting trial and error


Some have reported cloudy lye water or precipitates using sea salt.  This is my post about it, and there were other posts noting the unusual lye water before me.  I strained my lye water before I added it.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

Mobjack Bay said:


> Some have reported cloudy lye water or precipitates using sea salt.  This is my post about it, and there were other posts noting the unusual lye water before me.  I strained my lye water before I added it.


I think straining  might have been a better idea . I wasn’t sure what the little white bits were .  I am hoping they were bits of the bicarbonate reappearing , not sodium hydroxide that refused to dissolve . Also perhaps it is better to use room temp FS , rather than straight from fridge, as maybe it means you have to wait longer for the sodium crystals to dissolve . Maybe impatient me was not very productive. Any way , I could take them out of their individual moulds after 8 hours . I think there are tiny black bits that may be from the inexpensive EVOO but in general , I am pleased .


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Simply Yours UK said:


> I think straining  might have been a better idea . I wasn’t sure what the little white bits were .  I am hoping they were bits of the bicarbonate reappearing , not sodium hydroxide that refused to dissolve . Also perhaps it is better to use room temp FS , rather than straight from fridge, as maybe it means you have to wait longer for the sodium crystals to dissolve . Maybe impatient me was not very productive. Any way , I could take them out of their individual moulds after 8 hours . I think there are tiny black bits that may be from the inexpensive EVOO but in general , I am pleased .


I’m happy to hear it worked.  You shouldn’t need to keep the faux seawater in the frig. The higher temps out of the frig will make it easier to keep the salts dissolved.  I *think* the precipitates are a carbonate of some sort and if that’s right, they shouldn’t affect the soap any more than adding a tiny bit of any other fine solid would.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

F


Simply Yours UK said:


> I made the FS a few weeks ago and put it in the fridge . Should have put it through a strainer because I left it quite a while to dissolve .


Hmmm. My faux seawater is clear. TIP: Add the sea salt & bicarb to cold water, stir for one full minute, then microwave to dissolve. If the solution is yellowish, heat briefly again and stir until the solution clears. 

I use it straight from the fridge and have no problem dissolving the NaOH in the lye solution. I set it in the sink and prep the rest of the batch while I wait for the lye solution to cool to temp. 

Is it possible your NaOH is old and perhaps weak? If it's not fully dissolving/heating up when you add it to the water then that would be my best guess as to what is going on.


----------



## Fiona Robertson

Simply Yours UK said:


> I think straining  might have been a better idea . I wasn’t sure what the little white bits were .  I am hoping they were bits of the bicarbonate reappearing , not sodium hydroxide that refused to dissolve . Also perhaps it is better to use room temp FS , rather than straight from fridge, as maybe it means you have to wait longer for the sodium crystals to dissolve . Maybe impatient me was not very productive. Any way , I could take them out of their individual moulds after 8 hours . I think there are tiny black bits that may be from the inexpensive EVOO but in general , I am pleased .



For the black specks have you checked your salt?  I found the occasional black speck in my salt and now run my brine mixture through a paper coffee filter before adding anything else.  I got the white spots too...


----------



## Kiti Williams

I made soap with Zany's FS, the soaps came out with all kinds of tiny bubbles in them. The cakes are nice and firm, just unique looking.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

Zany_in_CO said:


> Is it possible your NaOH is old and perhaps weak? If it's not fully dissolving/heating up when you add it to the water then that would be my best guess as to what is going on.



My FS is clear and then when I add the NaOH,I get the white bits . I bought it brand new off EBay so I would be cross if it was old . In answer to another suggestion,  my salt was perfectly free of black bits so I think it was in the oil . I am just a bit concerned  that there is undissolved NaOH in my lovely soap ! They have tiny bubbles too but that could be might be my mixing technique and not tapping as I go when filling the moulds.  

Extra note added : 

I made my lye water again and I really think it is the  bicarbonate of soda magically reappearing having been happily dissolved until the NaOH gets added . Strange !!!


----------



## linne1gi

Simply Yours UK said:


> View attachment 41137


Hm, my faux seawater, which I made about 2 months ago (and keep in the fridge) is clear. Did you use distilled water?


----------



## Simply Yours UK

linne1gi said:


> Hm, my faux seawater, which I made about 2 months ago (and keep in the fridge) is clear. Did you use distilled water?



Yes  I did . My FS was completely clear  UNTIL  I add the NaOH . The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH . Perhaps it is the purity of the NaOH - some how it is substandard. Might try a proper soap supplier like The Soap Kitchen .


----------



## linne1gi

Simply Yours UK said:


> Yes  I did . My FS was completely clear  UNTIL  I add the NaOH . The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH . Perhaps it is the purity of the NaOH - some how it is substandard. Might try a proper soap supplier like The Soap Kitchen .


Even after I add the NaOH mine remains clear. At the very least I would suggest you strain your solution before adding to the oils.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

linne1gi said:


> Even after I add the NaOH mine remains clear. At the very least I would suggest you strain your solution before adding to the oils.


Yes I did strain it but I am not 100 % trusting it because the bits are so tiny - I am sure some bits went through the stainless steel strainer - it would have had to be a coffee filter to catch it . I don’t want to be messing around with lye like that - it is a spillage waiting to happen !! Thanks everyone


----------



## Kiti Williams

Mobjack Bay said:


> Pure prettiness! Thank you @Zany_in_CO for sharing the recipe and the detailed methods!
> 
> View attachment 40080
> View attachment 40081
> 
> 
> The soaps spent the night covered in a warmed oven and were unmolded after approximately 12 hours. There are no signs of ash at this point.  As others have observed, I also had cloudy, slightly viscous lye water and some precipitates, which looked carbonate-ish.  I strained them out.  It’s possible that reducing the amount of sodium bicarbonate would help with this issue, but it’s easy enough to strain the lye.  It seems likely to me that the addition of the [sodium] bicarbonate, which is involved in the Ocean’s carbonate buffering system, results in some of the lye being neutralized.  If that is what’s happening, the result would be a soap with some superfat even though it is formulated to be 0%.  I am looking forward to trying the soap!




  Lovely soaps!


----------



## DeeAnna

Simply Yours UK said:


> ...The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH ...



I've not been impressed with the chemistry expertise shown by the Soap Queen's staff over the years. If you're relying on them for accurate chemistry info, you might want to find a more knowledgeable resource.

It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.

Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.

Or the bits may be fat impurities on your beaker that are reacting with the NaOH to make small flecks of soap. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened too.


----------



## linne1gi

DeeAnna said:


> I've not been impressed with the chemistry expertise shown by the Soap Queen's staff over the years. If you're relying on them for accurate chemistry info, you might want to find a more knowledgeable resource.
> 
> It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.
> 
> Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.
> 
> Or the bits may be fat impurities on your beaker that are reacting with the NaOH to make small flecks of soap. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened too.


Yes, One of the things the SoapQueen does, is to use glass measuring cups and bowls.  In my mind that is a big no-no.  And new soapers are watching her all the time, taking her words to the bank!


----------



## Simply Yours UK

[QUOTE="DeeAnna, post: 785606, member: 9248"
It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.

Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.

Thanks . Interesting information. The photos show the two different soaps I have made with my fluffy Lye water - different grades of OO - bottom one has the tiny coconut and castor oil recipe with EVOO- the top is a cheap refined OO with nothing added !! They both look great , even if the chemistry is maybe a bit suss.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

Quick update , I got some NaOH from “ The Soap Kitchen “ here in the UK  and tested it in my faux seawater ( just a small test ) - No white bits and once the chemical was fully dissolved , it was pretty much clear. I tried this NaOH in straight distilled water and it was also clear . I think I might have had some dodgy Sodium Hydroxide in the first place .  Now I just want to see if I can get away with de-ionised water as it is way cheaper than distilled, and you can buy it in Tesco ( DW can only be bought on line here ) . Thanks every one .


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Simply Yours UK said:


> Now I just want to see if I can get away with de-ionised water as it is way cheaper than distilled, and you can buy it in Tesco ( DW can only be bought on line here )


Wow! Interesting! Have you tried using your tap water? Our tap water comes from the Rockies and I've been using it ever since I first tried it early on in my soap making career. No problem.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi Cindy! The SF stays the same, 0% SF, when adding 10% coconut and 5% castor.  And, yes, you can use sea water from the ocean, but I haven't done that. Hopefully, someone will come along who's done it. Wish I could be more help but I just don't know.


I've done it!  I posted about it somewhere in this thread - but dunno where.  Maybe about  page 17 or so???  And I put pictures up in the gallery too


----------



## Amonik

Made a small batch of this today (chickened out and used 1% superfat). Was able to cut after 2 1/2 hours


----------



## Fiut

Hi, I want to use Black sea lye for salted water. https://www.luga.bg/en/lye_en/ The saltiness is about 8-9 %, should I use it as is, or better dissolve with same amount of water? I already made a lye solution with it, but it was for a extreme lye castille recipe, 200 ml plus 400 water. The solution was as milk at the end It turned out great and is curing. Do you think such percent of additives will be OK as is? The Black sea lye water is used for healing baths and have such benefits for health, so I'd like to put it in a soap for sure.
I'll make this recipe with 100%OO, part infused with laurel leaves.


----------



## Simply Yours UK

Zany_in_CO said:


> Wow! Interesting! Have you tried using your tap water? Our tap water comes from the Rockies and I've been using it ever since I first tried it early on in my soap making career. No problem.


Our water comes from who knows and is very hard . Full of lime scale .


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Simply Yours UK said:


> Our water comes from who knows and is very hard . Full of lime scale .






Fiut said:


> Hi, I want to use Black sea lye for salted water. https://www.luga.bg/en/lye_en/


Hi Fiut! Welcome to SMF!
That's a very interesting site. Lucky you to have such a wonderful ingredient available to soap with. Since you already have experience using it to make soap, your guess is better than mine as to how much to use. I hope you'll *start a brand new thread. Please link back to this one* so others  will know the basis of your experiment. I'm looking forward to learning more about Black Sea Lye.


Fiut said:


> I'll make this recipe with 100%OO, part infused with laurel leaves.


I've done that. Works well and gives the final product a nice feel and an olive green or tan color, depending on how much laurel you use. Maybe fragrance the soap with Laurel Essential Oil?


----------



## Fiut

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi Fiut! Welcome to SMF!
> That's a very interesting site. Lucky you to have such a wonderful ingredient available to soap with. Since you already have experience using it to make soap, your guess is better than mine as to how much to use. I hope you'll *start a brand new thread. Please link back to this one* so others  will know the basis of your experiment. I'm looking forward to learning more about Black Sea Lye.
> 
> I've done that. Works well and gives the final product a nice feel and an olive green or tan color, depending on how much laurel you use. Maybe fragrance the soap with Laurel Essential Oil?


Thank you welcoming me! 
The Black sea lye is an unique ingredient indeed. I've grown knowing about it and it's great. 
I have not so good news though. I'm afraid I ruined my batch. I made another recipe without a problem, but seems like it's not an easy ingredient to work with. The mineralisation is so high. To make your recipe I had to add more water to compensate extra minerals. My math was not perfect. The lye solution was not quite solution, but mashed potato like mass. I added a bit more water to make it liquid. At this point I feel a bit nervous, so added the lye "milk" still hot (I understand it now.) The mass got pretty heavy trace fast, so after a minute of SB I poured it in the mold. It looked like glossy butter cream. The batch was good looking until next morning (after 12 h apr) There were big puddles of liquid. Zap was strong. Cut to pieces, there were pockets with liquid here and there. I'm not sure what happened - there is no oil separation, the mass is not soft, but obviously lye is out. My other recipe looks much lighter and no liquid is leaking, despite the water percent was much more. I added BIack sea lye much more there, but diluted in some water. Guess I just panicked and did not handle it right. 
Anyway, now I'm waiting the pieces to stop sweating and then maybe I'll rebatch with HP. But will try your recipe again. 
Left is this weird batch, the right is the other recipe. Different color and texture. 
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pQXXikXAe5q5rvz4A


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Oh I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you, Fiut, but I admire your persistence! Go for it, lady!

I'm math challenged and short on the science of soapmaking, so I'm not much help. However, to attract more members to your unique challenge, I urge you to post your recipe on the Recipe Feedback forum. ( Include a link back to this thread so they know where you're coming from):
*https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/*

PS: DON'T pitch the failed batch... once we have more details, someone might come to the rescue and figure out a way to save it.


----------



## Fiut

Zany_in_CO said:


> Oh I'm so sorry it didn't work out for you, Fiut, but I admire your persistence! Go for it, lady!
> 
> I'm math challenged and short on the science of soapmaking, so I'm not much help. However, to attract more members to your unique challenge, I urge you to post your recipe on the Recipe Feedback forum. ( Include a link back to this thread so they know where you're coming from):
> *https://www.soapmakingforum.com/forums/recipe-feedback.34/*
> 
> PS: DON'T pitch the failed batch... once we have more details, someone might come to the rescue and figure out a way to save it.


Thank you very much for this reply! I'll definitely try this. Just took a pic of today's look of this sh#t and going to post it in a new thread.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

You're welcome.


----------



## JoeyJ

Couldn't find if anyone had already mentioned it on this thread yet, but this recipe (the coconut+castor +sodium lactate version) makes a real nice shampoo, I have flakey patches of skin but oily patches as well. I had the least itching and flakes I've  had in years!!


----------



## Mistrael

JoeyJ said:


> Couldn't find if anyone had already mentioned it on this thread yet, but this recipe (the coconut+castor +sodium lactate version) makes a real nice shampoo, I have flakey patches of skin but oily patches as well. I had the least itching and flakes I've  had in years!!



Oooh, really? I recently did a big chop on my hair and now I'm considering shampoo bars. I have a batch of semi-Castile (ran short on OO and had to use a bit of grapeseed oil) with kaolin and lavender EO aging now, but perhaps I'll have to try that too!


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## cmzaha

Hopefully, you do not have bad results using soap for your hair. The ph of soap is really not good for hair. Of course, there is a camp here that believes in using soap for hair. It is not shampoo, shampoo is a syndet product.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

cmzaha said:


> Hopefully, you do not have bad results using soap for your hair. The ph of soap is really not good for hair. Of course, there is a camp here that believes in using soap for hair. It is not shampoo, shampoo is a syndet product.


I'm in that camp.  This lovely little soap makes excellent lather for those of us who like a hair and body shampoo bar. Quite mild and leaves the skin feeling nice, not tight. I like to finish with an ACV rinse -- 1 tablespoon in 16 oz. water -- to remove excess soap residue from the hair and restore the acid mantle of the scalp.


----------



## Kiti Williams

I am in this camp as well!  My hair is due for an extreme cut, I am sitting on it, so it is time for the Length to be sent off to the wig makers at Pantine Lovely Locks.


----------



## Quilter99755

I'm with JoeyJ.  I have oily hair but it would flake off. Read an article about not using shampoo and started with baking soda to scrub my scalp with an ACV rinse. It left my hair very dry, so just tried my soaps on my hair and have had no problem. I can't even tell the difference with ACV or no ACV. That's been about 15 years ago.  But I have always had very fine hair (getting even finer as I age, but that's probably genetic) and washing with soap actually gives it a little extra body. Need to try Zany's recipe...another one for my Soaping Bucket List...which is getting longer every day that I read this forum!


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## Stacey W.

I love this recipe, it came out perfect! It was almost too hard to cut at 20 hours! I did a small test and no slime. My ratios were 1.7:1 and 2% superfat.


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## Quilter99755

That is a beautiful soap...one more reason to put it on my Soaping Bucket List.


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## Mistrael

Kiti Williams said:


> I am in this camp as well!  My hair is due for an extreme cut, I am sitting on it, so it is time for the Length to be sent off to the wig makers at Pantine Lovely Locks.



So like I said, I just did a big chop... 18 inches to be exact! And I'd read a while back that Pantene sells some donated hair, so I googled. Apparently they aren't accepting hair at all anymore because synthetics are cheaper!  https://pantene.com/en-us/beautiful-lengths

I'm planning to donate my braids to Wigs For Kids because they're still doing natural hair wigs, and because children with alopecia make me terribly sad.


----------



## Dawni

Dawni said:


> The reason I'm saying it's the olive oil is, the Castiles I made without the bicarb feel similar, although those are younger soap. It either means my skin just doesn't like olive oil, or it means it will like it but only after a longer cure.
> 
> That being said, my notes say that while none of the pure olive oil soaps I've made have slime, the one using Zany's recipe trumped the other two on lather, and it was harder faster but the others are catching up.


So this soap is nearing its 9 month mark. I sent the whole batch, bar two pieces, with my dad. One of my pieces has been cut several times over and I've tested it over the last few months. One piece is my souvenir piece lol

Anyway.. I got to try the soap with dad. He had just taken a bar to the shower a few days before I tried it. It's very hard, it lathers beautifully in his tap water (treated seawater), and has no sign of snotty slime.

On the other hand, my close to 7 months Castile, even with the amount of salt I used, is still snotty. I had also initially thought it was catching up quickly to Zany's one in terms of lather and hardness, but either I thought wrong or it has slowed down.


----------



## Kiti Williams

Mistrael said:


> So like I said, I just did a big chop... 18 inches to be exact! And I'd read a while back that Pantene sells some donated hair, so I googled. Apparently they aren't accepting hair at all anymore because synthetics are cheaper!  https://pantene.com/en-us/beautiful-lengths
> 
> I'm planning to donate my braids to Wigs For Kids because they're still doing natural hair wigs, and because children with alopecia make me terribly sad.



  Wow, thank you for the heads up!  I am sure there is a place pout there that will take my hair.  I have never colored it and I have very strong hair.


----------



## Rembetissa

Just reporting that I've tried this recipe both got and cold process. I like them both, but prefer cold process. Seriously, zero slime! Very mild.

I got a tiny bit of slime with hot process. YMMV with your cooking procedure. Still very enjoyable.


----------



## Mistrael

Kiti Williams said:


> Wow, thank you for the heads up!  I am sure there is a place pout there that will take my hair.  I have never colored it and I have very strong hair.



Same here! I'm Native American, so my hair is very straight, nearly black, and won't take dye without a lot of extra time, effort, and dye. Okay, it also doesn't style easily at all because it's so heavy. I'm pretty sure it will make someone a very sturdy wig.


----------



## cmzaha

Kiti Williams said:


> Wow, thank you for the heads up!  I am sure there is a place pout there that will take my hair.  I have never colored it and I have very strong hair.


Hair can be donated here. this is where my daughter has donated hers a couple of times.
https://locksoflove.org/get-involved/


----------



## Mobjack Bay

@Zany_in_CO - this might be totally off the wall, but here goes...

I came across a bit of information today (attachment) that has me thinking again about the sodium bicarbonate in the faux seawater.  As explained below, sodium carbonate is used to soften water, which it does by causing calcium and magnesium to precipitate out of the water.  I wonder if the sodium bicarbonate in the faux seawater could lead to the same reaction, with any available magnesium and calcium (from the sea salt) forming the insoluble precipitates that some of us have seen.  If that bit of chemistry can happen then the sodium bicarbonate may ultimately be acting as a water softener.  I also can’t help but wonder if that somehow influences/leads to the “no slime” result.  

Just some almost random thoughts for the day!
http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/Water-Hardness-Reading.pdf
http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/Water-Hardness-Reading.pdf


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Mobjack Bay said:


> If that bit of chemistry can happen then the sodium bicarbonate may ultimately be acting as a water softener.  I also can’t help but wonder if that somehow influences/leads to the “no slime” result.



[COLOR=#000000]Interesting. Thanks![/COLOR]


----------



## Dumfrey

Just attempted this recipe today (as my second cold process soap).  I had a lot of non-dissolving precipitant.  Thought maybe water was saturated.  
Filtered solution (coffee filter) and end result had MORE inclusions.

Was not certain how much was NaOH, so dumped solution and started with just distilled water and NaOH.

Came to ask about the precipitant.. maybe I did something wrong.....

Nope.  Just chemistry.  This batch is almost done gelling in the oven.
Will teach me to not read to the end of  a thread!

Will give this another go next week end.


----------



## Kosmerta

cmzaha said:


> Hair can be donated here. this is where my daughter has donated hers a couple of times.
> https://locksoflove.org/get-involved/



Charities such as Pantene Beautiful lengths also gives wigs for free. My mother was given one when she was going through Chemo several years ago
https://pantene.com/en-us/beautiful-lengths


----------



## MGM

I finally made this Castille! And, it's very weird, I have to say. Covered with plastic wrap (I usually don't) and piled a towel on top. In 12 hours, it looked and felt like mozarella cheese! It had a firm skin on it but was quite liquidy underneath, I realised. When I went to clean up the SB from last night, it was still at the medium trace as when I poured it!
So I'm going to leave it alone for a while, but I'm still really surprised: in the 25-30 batches I've made, I've never had anything quite like this! Especially since Zany's original message was so hopeful about unmolding at 12-24 hours!
Any thoughts?

ETA: Actually, it's maybe more like brie or camembert, with the firm part on top and the goopy part underneath


----------



## KiwiMoose

MGM said:


> I finally made this Castille! And, it's very weird, I have to say. Covered with plastic wrap (I usually don't) and piled a towel on top. In 12 hours, it looked and felt like mozarella cheese! It had a firm skin on it but was quite liquidy underneath, I realised. When I went to clean up the SB from last night, it was still at the medium trace as when I poured it!
> So I'm going to leave it alone for a while, but I'm still really surprised: in the 25-30 batches I've made, I've never had anything quite like this! Especially since Zany's original message was so hopeful about unmolding at 12-24 hours!
> Any thoughts?
> 
> ETA: Actually, it's maybe more like brie or camembert, with the firm part on top and the goopy part underneath


Hmmm - I have no idea.  Did you use the 100% OO option?  I usually do 10 CO and 5 Castor in mine.  Maybe check the metric conversion of the quart - I think there are two types?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

MGM said:


> I finally made this Castille! And, it's very weird, I have to say.
> Any thoughts?
> ETA: Actually, it's maybe more like brie or camembert, with the firm part on top and the goopy part underneath


Hmmm. Hard to say. Did you add anything extra? Maybe double check the recipe to make sure you didn't miss anything. The only other thing I can think of would be adulterated olive oil?


----------



## linne1gi

MGM said:


> I finally made this Castille! And, it's very weird, I have to say. Covered with plastic wrap (I usually don't) and piled a towel on top. In 12 hours, it looked and felt like mozarella cheese! It had a firm skin on it but was quite liquidy underneath, I realised. When I went to clean up the SB from last night, it was still at the medium trace as when I poured it!
> So I'm going to leave it alone for a while, but I'm still really surprised: in the 25-30 batches I've made, I've never had anything quite like this! Especially since Zany's original message was so hopeful about unmolding at 12-24 hours!
> Any thoughts?
> 
> ETA: Actually, it's maybe more like brie or camembert, with the firm part on top and the goopy part underneath


Hm, have you ever rebatched?  Looks to me like you are going to have to.  Probably you didn't stick blend enough.  I think we all get so used to only stick blending for a few seconds because most recipes trace fairly quickly.  Not high olive oils soap - I have made this recipe at least 20 times now (I really love it) and you do need to stick blend for quite a while.  I would give it a little more time - maybe it'll set up more.  Otherwise, scoop it into a pot (I rebatch on my stovetop) melt it all down, add a tablespoon of yogurt and pour into your mold.  The other thing I would do is check your scale, a nickel weighs 5 grams - perhaps your battery is low? And maybe your measurements are off?


----------



## Dru B.

MGM said:


> I finally made this Castille! And, it's very weird, I have to say. Covered with plastic wrap (I usually don't) and piled a towel on top. In 12 hours, it looked and felt like mozarella cheese! It had a firm skin on it but was quite liquidy underneath, I realised. When I went to clean up the SB from last night, it was still at the medium trace as when I poured it!
> So I'm going to leave it alone for a while, but I'm still really surprised: in the 25-30 batches I've made, I've never had anything quite like this! Especially since Zany's original message was so hopeful about unmolding at 12-24 hours!
> Any thoughts?
> 
> ETA: Actually, it's maybe more like brie or camembert, with the firm part on top and the goopy part underneath


Hello!
I also made this for the first time on Friday, and when I checked it Saturday, I had the same result. You gave a perfect description-like Brie cheese. I will check it later when I get home today. I’m interested in hearing how yours turns out


----------



## linne1gi

Mobjack Bay said:


> @Zany_in_CO - this might be totally off the wall, but here goes...
> 
> I came across a bit of information today (attachment) that has me thinking again about the sodium bicarbonate in the faux seawater.  As explained below, sodium carbonate is used to soften water, which it does by causing calcium and magnesium to precipitate out of the water.  I wonder if the sodium bicarbonate in the faux seawater could lead to the same reaction, with any available magnesium and calcium (from the sea salt) forming the insoluble precipitates that some of us have seen.  If that bit of chemistry can happen then the sodium bicarbonate may ultimately be acting as a water softener.  I also can’t help but wonder if that somehow influences/leads to the “no slime” result.
> 
> Just some almost random thoughts for the day!
> http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/11/Water-Hardness-Reading.pdf
> 
> View attachment 42259


And soda ash (which sometimes forms on the tops of our soaps is sodium carbonate.  It's a chemical reaction between the Sodium Hydroxide (lye) and the air (carbon dioxide).  When I make this particular soap (with the faux seawater) - I don't ever get any soda ash.


----------



## MGM

Interesting info thanks! As it happens, I've been on a bit of a soaping blitz (5 batches in 5 days) and everything else has been going just as usual: OO good, scale good, technique good.

I don't think the quart would make a difference, since you just use the quart measurement to make the faux seawater and then weigh the water from there.

I didn't add anything at all, not even fragrance or colour; nothing extra to the lye water. A very very pure batch!

The not SBing enough is the only thing I that makes sense....I did pay more attention to temps than usual since this was a new recipe (hence also covering with plastic wrap--I was by the book!) and I did SB for  5 or more minutes, which, you're right @linne1gi , is much longer than I usually have to (keeping in mind that Zany did warn 5-20 min). Recipe says to SB to emulsion and I was definitely past that....I was at light trace with a thick pudding, if that makes sense. The trace left behind by droplets was light, but the batter was thick.

And @Dru B. , you had the same result, just days ago?? So weird....

I've never rebatched before...guess that could be my December Challenge if I do it tonight . But, @linne1gi , you suggested leaving it a while longer...how long, do you think?

Thanks for all the help everyone!


----------



## linne1gi

Sorry it didn't work out for you.  I suggested waiting to see if it finally sets up and actually looks like soap.  If it does then you are good to go.  I didn't ask, but what was your water amount like?  I generally use a 33% lye solution or a 2:1 ratio.  If it is still weird looking you can rebatch at any time - actually the sooner the better.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

I made a batch today (100% OO) with 2% orange wax to add a bit of oomph to the citrusy lavender EO blend I used.  Orange wax always accelerates trace on me and today was no exception.  I was at light trace in just a few minutes.  The batter was a pretty yellow color that I hope holds up in the final soap.  I’ve had good luck with the orange scent sticking for more than a few months when I use orange wax.

ETA: I’ve made the recipe 3x before, without orange wax, and with no issues except that it took more like 15-20 minutes to come to trace using 37% lye concentration.  @MGM have you made high OO soap recipes before?  To me they seem very different in texture compared with recipes that are based on palm, lard, tallow or butters.  Your pudding comment made me remember that I was surprised by the difference when I first started making this recipe and some other high OO recipes after working mostly with lard and palm-based recipes.


----------



## SoapSisters

Mobjack Bay said:


> I made a batch today (100% OO) with 2% orange wax to add a bit of oomph to the citrusy lavender EO blend I used.  Orange wax always accelerates trace on me and today was no exception.  I was at light trace in just a few minutes.  The batter was a pretty yellow color that I hope holds up in the final soap.  I’ve had good luck with the orange scent sticking for more than a few months when I use orange wax.
> 
> ETA: I’ve made the recipe 3x before, without orange wax, and with no issues except that it took more like 15-20 minutes to come to trace using 37% lye concentration.  @MGM have you made high OO soap recipes before?  To me they seem very different in texture compared with recipes that are based on palm, lard, tallow or butters.  Your pudding comment made me remember that I was surprised by the difference when I first started making this recipe and some other high OO recipes after working mostly with lard and palm-based recipes.


@Mobjack Bay, Where do you purchase your orange wax? And is the 2% subtracted from your total oils, or is it used like an essential oil and added to 100% oils? Thanks


----------



## Mobjack Bay

SoapSisters said:


> @Mobjack Bay, Where do you purchase your orange wax? And is the 2% subtracted from your total oils, or is it used like an essential oil and added to 100% oils? Thanks



I bought it on Amazon (Dr. Adorable brand).  For this soap I did not adjust the lye, due to being lazy, which is fine because the recipe is nominally 0% SF and I was fine with the small amount of additional SF from the wax.  In other cases, I’ve used lanolin as a proxy in the calculator as explained here.  One of the references I linked in my first post on that thread suggested that max. usage of non-triglyceride waxes [such as lanolin, beeswax and orange wax, which are all high in unsaponifiables] should be 1.5%.  I’ve used orange wax at up to 3% and another member has gone higher, with success.  It accelerates for sure and you also need to be wary of false trace, but it’s workable.  There’s also the potential issue of photo sensitizing as there would be with most of the citrus EOs, but I’m not concerned about that in my soap.  I hope the thread I linked will prove useful if you decide to give it a try .


----------



## SoapSisters

Mobjack Bay said:


> I bought it on Amazon (Dr. Adorable brand).  For this soap I did not adjust the lye, due to being lazy, which is fine because the recipe is nominally 0% SF and I was fine with the small amount of additional SF from the wax.  In other cases, I’ve used lanolin as a proxy in the calculator as explained here.  One of the references I linked in my first post on that thread suggested that max. usage of non-triglyceride waxes [such as lanolin, beeswax and orange wax, which are all high in unsaponifiables] should be 1.5%.  I’ve used orange wax at up to 3% and another member has gone higher, with success.  It accelerates for sure and you also need to be wary of false trace, but it’s workable.  There’s also the potential issue of photo sensitizing as there would be with most of the citrus EOs, but I’m not concerned about that in my soap.  I hope the thread I linked will prove useful if you decide to give it a try .


Thanks so much for your reply! Very good information! I love an orange scent in soap so I might give this a try.


----------



## Rembetissa

The different results for different people is so interesting.

What kind of salt specifically is everyone using? I think even labeled "sea salt" can vary widely. Maybe it's a trace mineral hindering it setting up?


----------



## linne1gi

Rembetissa said:


> The different results for different people is so interesting.
> 
> What kind of salt specifically is everyone using? I think even labeled "sea salt" can vary widely. Maybe it's a trace mineral hindering it setting up?


Sea Salt has many minerals in it - that’s what gives it the excellent properties!


----------



## Scott Zahn

I tried using a little sea salt in my lye water, but I always seem to get some sort of precipitate in it. The salt dissolves just fine, but when I add the lye, I get some really tiny white flakes. Has anyone else had this? Does anyone know what this is? I don't like the idea of it going into my soap and would like to prevent it.


----------



## Rembetissa

Scott Zahn said:


> I tried using a little sea salt in my lye water, but I always seem to get some sort of precipitate in it. The salt dissolves just fine, but when I add the lye, I get some really tiny white flakes. Has anyone else had this? Does anyone know what this is? I don't like the idea of it going into my soap and would like to prevent it.




Yes, I strain it and the soap ends up just fine.


----------



## linne1gi

Rembetissa said:


> Yes, I strain it and the soap ends up just fine.


I put a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of sugar in my lye water (PPO) before I add my lye. I've never seen a precipitant. I don't use soap when I clean my lye container, just water - could the precipitant be a little left over soap?


----------



## shunt2011

Scott Zahn said:


> I tried using a little sea salt in my lye water, but I always seem to get some sort of precipitate in it. The salt dissolves just fine, but when I add the lye, I get some really tiny white flakes. Has anyone else had this? Does anyone know what this is? I don't like the idea of it going into my soap and would like to prevent it.



It's likely sodium carbonate from the lye sitting to cool exposed to the air.   I get some if I don't cover my container.  Just be sure to dissolve the salt well before adding your lye. 

I don't strain mine just pour it in.  It will work just fine.


----------



## KiwiMoose

The water goes cloudy and yes, some flakes are on top.  I stir it up before pouring through a strainer.


----------



## MGM

It's a New Year's Miracle!!
I had put the brie-like soap on the top of the fridge, intending to rebatch after our big meal on the 1st. But....
....what to my wond'ring eyes should appear
But a fully saponified soap
In 8 tiny spheres!
(actually it's 7, and they're rectangles and one flower)

@Dru B. any update on yours?


----------



## dibbles

@MGM I like those rectangle molds!


----------



## Dru B.

Woohoo for you @MGM! 
I’m going to check it right now, I’m excited, maybe there is hope for mine too..

Oh my gosh! I popped it out of the silicone loaf mold and it’s perfect!!! I’m so happy.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Yay for successful castile!!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

MGM said:


> ....what to my wond'ring eyes should appear
> But a fully saponified soap
> In 8 tiny spheres!


YAY! Success and a poet to boot! What's not to like? I love it! Love the little soapies too.


Dru B. said:


> Oh my gosh! I popped it out of the silicone loaf mold and it’s perfect!!! I’m so happy.


That is wonderful news! I can hardly believe that both of you had the same problem and both of them resolved themselves. Sometimes the best thing to do is 'nothing'... allow the soap to do its thing and watch what happens. It's a good lesson for all of us. 

Doin' the Happy Soaper Dance for both of you!


----------



## Dru B.

Zany_in_CO said:


> YAY! Success and a poet to boot! What's not to like? I love it! Love the little soapies too.
> 
> That is wonderful news! I can hardly believe that both of you had the same problem and both of them resolved themselves. Sometimes the best thing to do is 'nothing'... allow the soap to do its thing and watch what happens. It's a good lesson for all of us.
> 
> Doin' the Happy Soaper Dance for both of you!   View attachment 43234


Thank you for sharing your recipe @Zany_in_CO   I will make it again soon and SB longer to see if that makes a difference. I had been thinking that this was to be a learning experience, I was going to learn about re-batching. Not this time! Patience. Thanks to @MGM for posting her results first- what a funny coincidence, nice to have someone going through the same thing.


----------



## Rembetissa

How odd. I find I have to be very careful not to stick blend much at all or it's too thick to pour. It's even worse using lavender EO. I knew there was a reason I hate lavender EO.


----------



## KiwiMoose

Rembetissa said:


> How odd. I find I have to be very careful not to stick blend much at all or it's too thick to pour. It's even worse using lavender EO. I knew there was a reason I hate lavender EO.


LOL - so it's not just the smell then?


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Rembetissa said:


> How odd. I find I have to be very careful not to stick blend much at all or it's too thick to pour. It's even worse using lavender EO. I knew there was a reason I hate lavender EO.


Do you use pomace OO?  My understanding is that it comes to trace faster than virgin OO or EVOO.


----------



## MGM

More updating!
I deciding to try again, with lots more SB. Added FO (Bergamot & Mandarin by Crafter's Choice--meh so far. I smell mainly fake Creamsicle and cloves...) and a bit of liquid colour (that didn't mix in so well, but isn't DOS  )
So! SB off and on for over 20 minutes and it never really changed...was pretty thick from the beginning (like last time). It did thin out when I added the FO, which means I ended up doing a drop swirl with the (slightly) orange batter. 
This morning, not even 12 hours later, was hard as a rock! Unmolded the top right soap then. Waited another 3 hours and unmolded the rest.

Now need to let them cure and try them to make sure I like them!


----------



## KiwiMoose

MGM said:


> More updating!
> I deciding to try again, with lots more SB. Added FO (Bergamot & Mandarin by Crafter's Choice--meh so far. I smell mainly fake Creamsicle and cloves...) and a bit of liquid colour (that didn't mix in so well, but isn't DOS  )
> So! SB off and on for over 20 minutes and it never really changed...was pretty thick from the beginning (like last time). It did thin out when I added the FO, which means I ended up doing a drop swirl with the (slightly) orange batter.
> This morning, not even 12 hours later, was hard as a rock! Unmolded the top right soap then. Waited another 3 hours and unmolded the rest.
> 
> Now need to let them cure and try them to make sure I like them!


They look lovely!


----------



## Dru B.

So, I wanted to learn from this batch, and I did. Next time I can’t wait a whole week to cut it! It was hard! But it all turned out okay


----------



## Rembetissa

Mobjack Bay said:


> Do you use pomace OO?  My understanding is that it comes to trace faster than virgin OO or EVOO.



I do, but it's specifically my dad's brand made in Greece. I've also tried with his EVOO as well as store bought cheapy stuff. I find that all trace fairly quickly but I like the finished product with dad's pomace better.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

MGM said:


> More updating!
> I deciding to try again, with lots more SB. Added FO (Bergamot & Mandarin by Crafter's Choice--meh so far. I smell mainly fake Creamsicle and cloves...) and a bit of liquid colour (that didn't mix in so well, but isn't DOS  )
> So! SB off and on for over 20 minutes and it never really changed...was pretty thick from the beginning (like last time). It did thin out when I added the FO, which means I ended up doing a drop swirl with the (slightly) orange batter.
> This morning, not even 12 hours later, was hard as a rock! Unmolded the top right soap then. Waited another 3 hours and unmolded the rest.
> 
> Now need to let them cure and try them to make sure I like them!


Love the pale pastels for these soaps.  They’re very pretty in the flower molds


----------



## Zany_in_CO

@MGM & DRU B.


----------



## MGM

dibbles said:


> @MGM I like those rectangle molds!


Thanks! It's actually plain old rectangle molds but with some embossing stamps from Michaels placed on the bottom. They're made for M&P, but do ok with CP from what I can tell...you kind of have to dig them out of the bar when you unmold, which can make things less crisp, but no worse than my usual workmanship!  
You need to place them carefully and pour gently so they don't move too much. I also have letters, so sometimes I make monogrammed soaps (in M&P. This is the first time I've used any of them with CP).


----------



## dibbles

MGM said:


> Thanks! It's actually plain old rectangle molds but with some embossing stamps from Michaels placed on the bottom. They're made for M&P, but do ok with CP from what I can tell...you kind of have to dig them out of the bar when you unmold, which can make things less crisp, but no worse than my usual workmanship!
> You need to place them carefully and pour gently so they don't move too much. I also have letters, so sometimes I make monogrammed soaps (in M&P. This is the first time I've used any of them with CP).


Very clever!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Made ZNSC "Pretty in Pink" 12/29/19 Batch reached emulsion in 2 minutes and then accelerated! 
Probably due to adding too much sugar (1 Tbls PPO). Had to glop & plop into molds. Cut and rebatched 2 days later with 82 oz shreds + 8 oz. water. You can read about the rebatch _*here*_.


----------



## Mobjack Bay

MGM said:


> Thanks! It's actually plain old rectangle molds but with some embossing stamps from Michaels placed on the bottom. They're made for M&P, but do ok with CP from what I can tell...you kind of have to dig them out of the bar when you unmold, which can make things less crisp, but no worse than my usual workmanship!
> You need to place them carefully and pour gently so they don't move too much. I also have letters, so sometimes I make monogrammed soaps (in M&P. This is the first time I've used any of them with CP).


Could you glue them down with cocoa butter?  I’ve been thinking of trying something like that.


----------



## MGM

Mobjack Bay said:


> Could you glue them down with cocoa butter?  I’ve been thinking of trying something like that.


I don't think it's really necessary, TBH. Perhaps if you were using a paper liner, but the silicone-on-silicone seems to grip very well. The bigger issue is getting them properly place the first time!


----------



## Kcryss

Thought this would be better in a new thread


----------



## Doris Ann

I used Zany’s faux seawater to make a Bastile Soap with 75% Olive Oil yesterday. It unmolded easily at about 15 hours. It’s unscented and uncolored with kaolin clay mixed in a little beer and a scoop of goat milk powder.


----------



## Olive Oil

Thank you Zany for suggesting the baking soda and lower superfat!  I have a question about the function of the baking soda.  

Is there any logic to thinking that the addition of baking soda enhances lather? My original thought was that its primary purpose (together with the salt) was to create a harder bar and probably that it also helps to reduce the slime.  I have made quite a lot of castile (and near castile - usually adding a bit of castor) since I started soaping a few years ago but adding the baking soda and reducing the S/F to 2% seems to have made a big difference to both hardness and lather at the early stages of cure.  
I'm currently using a 95% EVOO bar that has been curing for 15 months and the lather and hardness are very similar to a bar made 3 weeks ago with baking soda added and a 2% S/F!  Both are completely slime free.  Of course it could just be lowering the superfat that helps the lather but I'm thinking there's another factor.....and the only other difference is the baking soda as I have always added sea salt to my castile soaps.  I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this.....Thanks!


----------



## Mobjack Bay

Olive Oil said:


> Thank you Zany for suggesting the baking soda and lower superfat!  I have a question about the function of the baking soda.
> 
> Is there any logic to thinking that the addition of baking soda enhances lather? My original thought was that its primary purpose (together with the salt) was to create a harder bar and probably that it also helps to reduce the slime.  I have made quite a lot of castile (and near castile - usually adding a bit of castor) since I started soaping a few years ago but adding the baking soda and reducing the S/F to 2% seems to have made a big difference to both hardness and lather at the early stages of cure.
> I'm currently using a 95% EVOO bar that has been curing for 15 months and the lather and hardness are very similar to a bar made 3 weeks ago with baking soda added and a 2% S/F!  Both are completely slime free.  Of course it could just be lowering the superfat that helps the lather but I'm thinking there's another factor.....and the only other difference is the baking soda as I have always added sea salt to my castile soaps.  I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this.....Thanks!


The addition of bicarbonate leads to the production of sodium bicarbonate, which acts as a “point of use” water softener.  I’ve wondered if that might influence the lathering and also cut down on the sliminess.


----------



## ShirleyHailstock

In this recipe for Zany's NS Soap, a lot of discussion is on the water. I have a water softener, so my tap water is soft. I thought we would be using distilled water in the recipes. Is that a true statement or can ANY water be used?


----------



## dibbles

@ShirleyHailstock Admittedly, I haven't reread the whole thread but using distilled water is the general recommendation for soap making. Some people do use tap water, but I have a softener and always use distilled.


----------



## ShirleyHailstock

dibbles said:


> @ShirleyHailstock Admittedly, I haven't reread the whole thread but using distilled water is the general recommendation for soap making. Some people do use tap water, but I have a softener and always use distilled.


Thank you. I've only used distilled water for the few batches I've made so far.


----------



## Olive Oil

Mobjack Bay said:


> The addition of bicarbonate leads to the production of sodium bicarbonate, which acts as a “point of use” water softener.  I’ve wondered if that might influence the lathering and also cut down on the sliminess.


Thanks for your reply Mobjack Bay.  My water supply is fairly soft already but I can see that would make sense.  

I made a couple of test batches last week (so they're only a week old), one with salt & baking soda and one with double the salt, no baking soda.  Same oils and water amount.  Not castile but 60% EVOO.  I've tried a little piece of each and the one with baking soda feels slightly harder, the lather is comparable but again baking soda seems a wee bit better.  

The salt only bar became thick quite quickly. I'm thinking it was the larger salt quantity but maybe essential oils or addition of manjistha (first time using it) played a part too?  It also crumbled a little along the bottom when I cut it (using a mitre box and blade).  The salt/baking soda bar stayed beautifully fluid and the cut was smooth.


----------



## Rembetissa

ShirleyHailstock said:


> In this recipe for Zany's NS Soap, a lot of discussion is on the water. I have a water softener, so my tap water is soft. I thought we would be using distilled water in the recipes. Is that a true statement or can ANY water be used?



I use tap water to make bar soap. We also have soft water. I've used both tap and distilled to make this recipe and haven't noticed much of a difference. Provided there aren't crazy amounts of minerals in the tap water, I think the greater difference would be the quality of the water when actually using the soap. Anyone else have thoughts?


----------



## Serena

I always use distilled water.  It's not expensive, and the soap turns out well.


----------



## The Bubble Fairy

I've used distilled, filtered and straight from the tap. It's never made a blind bit of difference. But then, our water is pretty good in New Zealand.


----------



## melinda48

Doris Ann said:


> I used Zany’s faux seawater to make a Bastile Soap with 75% Olive Oil yesterday. It unmolded easily at about 15 hours. It’s unscented and uncolored with kaolin clay mixed in a little beer and a scoop of goat milk powder.


How does it smell? I have found beer soap to have an unpleasant smell without EO or FO. If it does not smell “icky,” would you share the brand of beer you used? Thanks!


----------



## Doris Ann

melinda48 said:


> How does it smell? I have found beer soap to have an unpleasant smell without EO or FO. If it does not smell “icky,” would you share the brand of beer you used? Thanks!



I didn’t use enough beer in this one for it to smell. I did a full beer-for-water earlier this year. It had a bad smell originally, but the smell has since went away.  It was Fat Tire beer.


----------



## MGM

MGM said:


> It's a New Year's Miracle!!
> I had put the brie-like soap on the top of the fridge, intending to rebatch after our big meal on the 1st. But....
> ....what to my wond'ring eyes should appear
> But a fully saponified soap
> In 8 tiny spheres!
> (actually it's 7, and they're rectangles and one flower)
> 
> @Dru B. any update on yours?


Update on these fellas...well since we're burning through the soap, I went and got a new bar, kind of forgetting that these were Castiles that need longer to mature. Skin feels tight after using, so I'm assuming that's par for the course with an under-aged Castile? Good news is that no slime in sight! 
Another strange thing is that these smell good, without having used any FO. I can't place the fragrance exactly, but they're more fragrant than many that I add official FOs to! Go figure!


----------



## LilyJo

Ok have read a ton of posts on this now and don't have a clue what I did wrong!

Made Zanys recipe yesterday and today 24 hours later the soap is still soft, nowhere near close to unmoulding.

Do I just wait or give it up as a bad job?


----------



## KiwiMoose

LilyJo said:


> Ok have read a ton of posts on this now and don't have a clue what I did wrong!
> 
> Made Zanys recipe yesterday and today 24 hours later the soap is still soft, nowhere near close to unmoulding.
> 
> Do I just wait or give it up as a bad job?


Did you follow it to the letter LilyJo?  especially the water:lye ratio?


----------



## melinda48

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


This is a terrific soap! I followed the directions and it came out beautifully. My customers love it as well. I think I will try it with Calendula petals later this summer when my flowers are grown.


----------



## LilyJo

Yep was really careful with the lye/water ratio just don't understand what I did wrong that's the frustration. Will review my quantities again to see if there is anything obvious but will leave it another day or so and see if hardens up at all but I'm not holding my breath!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

LilyJo said:


> Ok have read a ton of posts on this now and don't have a clue what I did wrong! Made Zanys recipe yesterday and today 24 hours later the soap is still soft, nowhere near close to unmoulding. Do I just wait or give it up as a bad job?


Oh, LilyJo, I'm so sorry to hear that!      My best advice is to do nothing. I've been where you are right now. If the soap is too soft to unmold, just wait as long as it takes until it is ready. In the past, I've waited as long as a week or more to unmold.
Secondly, forget everything else you've read and read post #1 again and tick each thing off item by item. Pretend you're Sherlock Holmes. Only you can answer the question of what went wrong. Take a deep breath, relax, I'm sure you will figure it out.


----------



## MGM

Same thing happened to me. Soap was consistency of brie cheese. I left it alone and within a few days it firmed up and is now as hard as a rock (months later).
I still haven't used it because I want to give it a nice long cure, but have since made another castile (made it the following the day as a matter of fact) and had no problems; it worked just like it should. It was suggested that perhaps I didn't blend long enough, as OO soaps take longer to trace properly.


----------



## LilyJo

Thank you both, will leave it alone and keep my fingers crossed. I wonder if I didnt blend it for long enough but I will see what happens and have another go in a day or so.


----------



## LilyJo

Ok, I ignored it  (tbh I forgot it) and have just checked three days after making and its rock solid - thank goodness I made individual soaps!

Looks amazing, so white and creamy just have to ge patient now for the cure!

Thanks all


----------



## MGM

I'm going to pop in here with some advice for new soapers....make this recipe early! Maybe not for your first soap (although maybe), but within your first month. I waited and read and made other soaps and waited and waited and waited and finally made this one a few months ago. However, with such a long cure, I still have months go go to find out if I even like castiles! Add to this the fact that I did the same thing with salt soaps....waited until my 2nd year of soaping to try one. So same thing, I have these soaps that take forever to cure, but I don't know if I even like them yet. So I'm not making any more castiles or salt soaps while waiting to see. Boo.
Bottom line? Soap early and soap often!


----------



## Sparks

I'm about to start a tradition of making a Castile soap each year on, or close to, my birthday and the stamping them with the year as sort of a vintage mark. That way it's easy for me to remember when they'll be cured and it'll be a cool almost family heirloom kind of thing. I'm planning on using Zany's recipe this year, probably more. Anyway I'm a big history nut and I noticed that Zany and a few of you had done research into Castile and other styles of soap so my question is, where do you find such information? I've only been able to find the most shallow of references to them. Thanks.

I'll post picture when I finish it in a couple of weeks.


----------



## Sparks

Here it is just before popping in the oven for a brief CPOP. 70% Olive oil, 25% Coconut oil, and 5% Castor oil using Zany's faux seawater for the lye solution. Also to celebrate I just ordered a copy of "Soap through the Ages" by R. Lucock Wilson (c) 1952 which should quench my research thirst for a while.


----------



## SPowers

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.



Is this a shampoo bar??


----------



## cmzaha

SPowers said:


> Is this a shampoo bar??


No, "Soap" is Not shampoo.


----------



## shunt2011

@SPowers  I second cmzaha.....no soap is not shampoo.     I personally had my hair ruined using soap as shampoo.  Went from shoulder length to pixie in about 6 months or so.   The PH is too high I don't care what anyone says.  Use it at your own risk.   There are many others here who have had their hair ruined as well.  Castille of any kind is my least favorite soap.  but give this a try.  I personally didn't like it but many do.   I've been making soap 9+ years.   Soap isn't shampoo.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

SPowers said:


> Is this a shampoo bar??


This is a Castile soap. It can be used as a shampoo bar. Try it with *80% olive oil + 20% coconut oil* (Option: 15% coconut & 5% castor) to see if your hair likes it. Make sure to use an acid rinse (ACV or Lemon Juice) to restore the acid mantle of the scalp. Rinse thoroughly with increasingly cool water until it's as cold as you can stand it to be sure to remove all the soap residue.


----------



## SPowers

Thanks, going to try this.  Does it have to cure for a long time?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Sparks said:


> Anyway I'm a big history nut and I noticed that Zany and a few of you had done research into Castile and other styles of soap so my question is, where do you find such information? I've only been able to find the most shallow of references to them. Thanks.


I started soaping in 2003 when there was a lot of information on line, mostly from people who had been at it for quite a while before me and learned from others who came before them. Many members, like *Anne Watson* for one, wrote the first books on modern soapmaking. There were several other forums and Yahoo Groups like that. One of the best was an Australian forum that featured other B & B products, not just soap. One of the best books ever, *Soap Naturally* by Patrizia Garzena and Marina Tadiello, was a result of the information and recipes shared on that forum.

 Alas, most of those groups and web sites are defunct. I joined Handcrafted Soap Makers forum in 2004 where I met most of my mentors, all generous people willing to share not only their knowledge and expertise, but recipes as well. At that time, we were mostly "mad scientists" trying one thing or another and helping to trouble shoot problems. 

I went through a phase to learn to make some old-fashioned soaps: Pine Tar, Brown Windsor, Aleppo, old-fashion lye soap, transparent soaps -- although I've yet to try *"Pears"*. I'm working on a recipe but I'm not 'there' yet. Details elude me. So if you find a recipe for that in *Soap Through the Ages *I hope you'll share!


----------



## Hope Ann

I was never a fan of castile soap but made this last fall.  I did straight up and some with a smidge of coconut and castor or SAO.  I doubled the salt in the water, then subbed other liquid for half the water (aloe juice is my fave).  I actually love the 100% the most of my variations.  I was very thankful to have bars to use on my freshly radiated skin this spring.  I'm running low so just made a new batch with vinegar for my half water, plus added powdered aloe.  Hardened quite quickly. The leaves didn't dissolve like I thought they might (was a rougher grind than I realized) but at 48 hours already is surprisingly bubbly with a mild exfoliation effect.  A very happy accident that I think I will repeat on purpose.  I made some baby bars plus my loaf as I haven't ever the patience to wait.  :-D  I suspect this will be another fave soap and am looking forward to checking every couple weeks.

Thanks Zaney for sharing this one!  It also had given me the encouragement to play with low SF in other formulas.  I've been following the forum for 3-4 years but rarely post.  I do search a lot to glean wisdom from everyone and it's one of my favorite places to kill a few hours.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

SPowers said:


> Thanks, going to try this.  Does it have to cure for a long time?


You're welcome.  Please read: *Post #1*


----------



## SPowers

Hope Ann said:


> but at 48 hours already is surprisingly bubbly.



Are you using this soap right away or letting it cure first?


----------



## SPowers

The cure question answered!  Thanks Zany.


----------



## Hope Ann

SPowers said:


> Are you using this soap right away or letting it cure first?



Most of it is happily curing away for some future date.  However, I like to see how the soap changes over time, especially if I've done something new, so use the ends of a loaf, cut a slice into small pieces, or use guest soaps from overpour (keeping in mind that if I gelled the loaf the guest soaps may not have). It's fascinating to see how "oh fudge I really screwed up" turns into "eh, this might be salvageable" to "holy smokes this is fabulous". Or not.  :-D 

Hope


----------



## SPowers

great idea... thanks!


----------



## Sparks

Zany_in_CO said:


> I went through a phase to learn to make some old-fashioned soaps: Pine Tar, Brown Windsor, Aleppo, old-fashion lye soap, transparent soaps -- although I've yet to try *"Pears"*. I'm working on a recipe but I'm not 'there' yet. Details elude me. So if you find a recipe for that in *Soap Through the Ages *I hope you'll share!



I will, if it ever arrives. It was supposed to be here Tuesday. It is now Friday, still no book. I'm trying to be patient.


----------



## Malleebird

Help ! Another failed castile   
Yesterday I made Zany's castile with coconut oil & castor oil...perfect ! This morning it popped out of the mold beautifully...a lovely smooth hard bar.
So proceeded to do another with 100% OO this time.  All seemed to be fine...I was so confident, what could go wrong when you've only got 2 ingredients  .....well something !!
First photo was when I poured, the second after 12 hours !



I'd given it a light spritz with isopropyl alcohol, covered it with cling wrap and insulated with towels. That's a soft crust that's formed on top, underneath is thick custard.                                                                           I knew it wasn't going to improve overnight so I scrapped it back into the jug, added about a Tbs of the brine/bi-carb mix, microwaved to 37 C , then SB'd for about 2 or 3 minutes until it was almost too thick to glop into the molds. Spritzed, covered and insulated again....now waiting till morning ....but not confident.
Zany's instructions say to SB for 5-25 minutes depending on the quality of the oil.  As I was using my friends oil from her olives that only been pressed about 2 weeks ago I assumed about 7 minutes was enough as it appeared to be a good medium trace after that time. (It was for the first successful batch with CO & castor).
Any suggestions ? I really felt that perhaps I hadn't SB'd long enough... but was worried it was going to be too thick. 
Really want to get it right, as I was making these 2 batches for my friend.... who I think was a bit horrified that I was making soap out of her precious oil


----------



## miheypete

Zany, thanks so much for this recipe. I had been meaning to try it since you first posted it, and I finally made 3 loaves of this in early March (just after shelter-in-place order).  It's cured now I've been using it for a couple of weeks.  Lovely soap!  I always add 15% CO and 5% Castor Oil.  The first (smaller) loaf I accidentally left too long in the mold and it was crumbly to cut but I got a few nice bars.  My second loaf was olive oil; my third was half OO and half RBO (with CO and Castor in both).  All three loaves are no slime, soft and gentle, fluffy, abundant lather, and feel good on my skin.  This recipe is a keeper and it will be in my rotation forever.  I'm so happy to have this recipe.  Thank you!


----------



## Sparks

Malleebird said:


> I knew it wasn't going to improve overnight so I scrapped it back into the jug, added about a Tbs of the brine/bi-carb mix, microwaved to 37 C , then SB'd for about 2 or 3 minutes until it was almost too thick to glop into the molds.



I'm a beginner so I'm just guessing here based on what I've read. That looks sort of like "alien brain." Caused by overheating during saponification. I'm guessing that microwaving it once saponification had already started is what caused it.


----------



## Malleebird

Thanks Sparks...it certainly was alien brain and maybe it did overheat during saponification. I usually have a peek after an hour or two to see how it's going but I didn't this time...not for 12 hours, to find "AB"... so it well could have.
I didn't microwave until after I'd discovered this and had scraped it all back in the jug. As it was cold, I just wanted to warm it a little to give it another stick blend.
Anyway....problem was solved ! I just popped the rebatch out of the mold after about 15 hours and it's looking good....just been and taken a pic.
You can see it was quite gloppy when I put it in the mold the second time...and I lost two bars in the process but I think all will be good after a couple of months cure. But thanks for your suggestion of overheating being the problem... that hadn't occurred to me. 






miheypete said:


> This recipe is a keeper and it will be in my rotation forever. I'm so happy to have this recipe. Thank you!


I second miheypete's remarks...thanks Zany  
Just showered with it for the first time this morning...after nearly 6 week cure ....loved it and definitely NO SLIME


----------



## Zany_in_CO

miheypete said:


> This recipe is a keeper and it will be in my rotation forever.  I'm so happy to have this recipe.  Thank you!


You're welcome. 



Malleebird said:


> I didn't microwave until after I'd discovered this and had scraped it all back in the jug. As it was cold, I just wanted to warm it a little to give it another stick blend. Anyway....problem was solved !


Good thinking! Nice save!!!


Malleebird said:


> I second miheypete's remarks...thanks Zany


You're very welcome.  


Malleebird said:


> Just showered with it for the first time this morning...after nearly 6 week cure ....loved it and definitely NO SLIME


YAY!


----------



## AliOop

I agree with @Sparks - I don’t think there was anything wrong with your soap. It overheated a bit, which caused the wrinkled tops, but I think you could have left it to cure and it would have been fine.

The upside is, now you have experience with a microwave HP save - one that worked! That’s a good strategy to have in your arsenal.

If your friend is horrified, tell her next time you will save her good stuff for salad dressing if she will give you the pomace, or even the later pressings, for soap-making.


----------



## Sparks

Malleebird said:


> I didn't microwave until after I'd discovered this and had scraped it all back in the jug. As it was cold, I just wanted to warm it a little to give it another stick blend.
> Anyway....problem was solved !



Awesome! Happy it worked out. AND I learned something about troubleshooting from this. So Win-Win!


----------



## JoeyJ

Zany_in_CO said:


> where I met most of my mentors, all generous people willing to share not only their knowledge and expertise, but recipes as well. At that time, we were mostly "mad scientists" trying one thing or another and helping to trouble shoot problems.


Thanks Zany for paying it forward! I owe a lot of my soaping confidence to your kind words and encouragement. And this recipe is still my favourite!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

JoeyJ said:


> Thanks Zany for paying it forward! I owe a lot of my soaping confidence to your kind words and encouragement. And this recipe is still my favourite!


You're so very welcome!


----------



## Bari b

@Zany_in_CO thank you so much for the recipe! I tried my first batch of the No Slime Castile (+ 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil) and was thrilled with how things went. My lye solution did turn a little cloudy, but I didn't have any small particles precipitate out. No color, no FO's.




I unmolded it after about 14 hours and could have left it in for a few more but it was still okay, just one small section tried to pull away as I separated it from the mold. 




I will cut it tomorrow morning. I love the creamy white color. Can't wait to try it!  

Thanks, Zany!


----------



## Walrus

This goes hard really quickly you might want to cut sooner!


----------



## Bari b

Walrus said:


> This goes hard really quickly you might want to cut sooner!




Actually I did cut them! Ended up cutting them about 2 hours after I wrote my earlier post... Sure glad I didn't wait another 8-12 hours!!! 

Here are the cut bars -


----------



## Dibennett

Would using sea water from my local beach work just as well as mixing salt with water as above?  I am very new to soak making, I have only made 2 batches using 950g OO and 50g CO would these be considered castile?


----------



## pmrosie

I made this last evening.  Unmolded this morning.  IT LOOKS SO GOOD!!!!!!  Thank you for this lovely recipe!  I can't wait to be able to try it.


----------



## Misschief

Dibennett said:


> Would using sea water from my local beach work just as well as mixing salt with water as above?  I am very new to soak making, I have only made 2 batches using 950g OO and 50g CO would these be considered castile?


I had my son-in-law bring me a gallon of sea water from the west coast (they live on Vancouver Island). I boiled it to kill anything that might be living in it, then strained it to remove any sediment, and use it when I make this recipe. Why use faux sea water when I have access to the real thing?


----------



## Dibennett

Thanks for the information on boiling, I would not have thought of that, I would have just used it straight from the ocean! I am in Australia and very close to the coast in Victoria. I will give it a go.


----------



## Obsidian

My batch of no slime Castile is a year and a half now and I just started using it. The slime is significantly lower and the lather is better. 

Unfortunately, my skin still hates olive oil so I won't be using it. Need to find someone who wants it, no one I know likes Castile.


----------



## shunt2011

Obsidian said:


> My batch of no slime Castile is a year and a half now and I just started using it. The slime is significantly lower and the lather is better.
> 
> Unfortunately, my skin still hates olive oil so I won't be using it. Need to find someone who wants it, no one I know likes Castile.



I had the same experience.  I donated it.


----------



## Obsidian

shunt2011 said:


> I had the same experience.  I donated it.


Its near impossible to donate to our.one shelter here. Half the time you can't reach thwm.and the other half, they aren't accepting donations.

These are really ugly anyways, terrible silicone rash and weird rough texture from pulling them out of the molds while they were still sticky.


----------



## AliOop

@Obsidian I seem to recall you are in north Idaho, yes? Some friends down here in Ada County have sons in the CDA area, and they visit one another often. Next time one of them is making the trip, I'll check with you. Our shelters here in Ada County are all clamoring for soap, and I'd be happy to pass it along to them for you. No doubt there will be someone in the shelter with a coconut allergy who'd be thrilled, too, as all of my soaps have some CO in them.

ETA: One of their sons is coming from CDA to my area for Labor Day weekend. Feel free to PM me if you don't find someone locally before then, and you want me to arrange for a soap mule.   My husband just took 100+ bars to one of our local shelters. They have three locations and want as much soap as I can provide.


----------



## Obsidian

AliOop said:


> @Obsidian I seem to recall you are in north Idaho, yes? Some friends down here in Ada County have sons in the CDA area, and they visit one another often. Next time one of them is making the trip, I'll check with you. Our shelters here in Ada County are all clamoring for soap, and I'd be happy to pass it along to them for you. No doubt there will be someone in the shelter with a coconut allergy who'd be thrilled, too, as all of my soaps have some CO in them.



Yes, I'm about 45 min north of CDA. I'd be happy to pass them on to you, there is only a few though.


----------



## AliOop

Obsidian said:


> Yes, I'm about 45 min north of CDA. I'd be happy to pass them on to you, there is only a few though.


Great, feel free to PM me. The local shelters want as much soap as I can give them, so feel free to include any rebatch soap, older soap, or just excess inventory that you want to send along. Most of what I gave them was rebatch, but it smelled great and they were delighted.


----------



## sarahmarah

This recipe has become FB famous. Saw it posted in the Saponification Nation group today. Apparently some can’t wrap their heads around a 0% SF 
This is such a gentle recipe that I can wash my hands 95x a day and I have no issues. Definitely works well on my husband’s sensitive skin too. I’ll have to make up another batch soon. I add clay and it adds a nice extra bit of creamy factor.


----------



## AliOop

sarahmarah said:


> This recipe has become FB famous. Saw it posted in the Saponification Nation group today. Apparently some can’t wrap their heads around a 0% SF
> This is such a gentle recipe that I can wash my hands 95x a day and I have no issues. Definitely works well on my husband’s sensitive skin too. I’ll have to make up another batch soon. I add clay and it adds a nice extra bit of creamy factor.


I wish I could like Castile soap, but I haven't yet. I need to make a batch of this and put it away to see if it changes anything for me.


----------



## sarahmarah

AliOop said:


> I wish I could like Castile soap, but I haven't yet. I need to make a batch of this and put it away to see if it changes anything for me.



I made unscented standard Castile for my husband and I can’t stand it. The slime is so off putting. Not my favorite. I definitely recommend Zany’s. There was significantly less oleic ick factor after just weeks. A longer cure would be even better.


----------



## cmzaha

This recipe does not work for everyone. It went very dossy for me in 6 months and I just found the printout today in which I followed the recipe as written. It was okay because like Obsidian I cannot use and do not like Castille soap, or any high Oleic soap for that matter.


----------



## Paulainsc

Sparks said:


> I will, if it ever arrives. It was supposed to be here Tuesday. It is now Friday, still no book. I'm trying to be patient.


Hi. I’m going into the Soaps in History phase as we speak. I bought some Aleppo and have been working on my Castile. Let us know how you like the book. I may have to hunt it down and get it. I’m currently wading through Scientific Soapmaking which is like being in HS chemistry again, lol. It will require another read to get deeper as I’m only touching the surface this time around.


----------



## Syllvviiaa

New to soapmaking and followed this castile soap recipe. Very glad to see the bars come out of the mold easy and firm. I was surprised to see how beautiful white they are. But I've reading how Castile soap is a light yellow or green. Do these white bars mean something is wrong with them?


----------



## Cal43

Syllvviiaa said:


> New to soapmaking and followed this castile soap recipe. Very glad to see the bars come out of the mold easy and firm. I was surprised to see how beautiful white they are. But I've reading how Castile soap is a light yellow or green. Do these white bars mean something is wrong with them?


Nope, nothing is wrong with them.  that’s how mine comes out also .”, especially if you’re using the lighter oil rather than the dark oil.


----------



## Olive Oil

cmzaha said:


> This recipe does not work for everyone. It went very dossy for me in 6 months and I just found the printout today in which I followed the recipe as written. It was okay because like Obsidian I cannot use and do not like Castille soap, or any high Oleic soap for that matter.


cmzaha, I don´t think the DOS is down to the recipe, more likely the oil itself, no?  I know there are many on this forum that don't like high olive oil soaps and I completely understand, regular castille can get a bit gloopy but I've been really surprised that people comment that it's drying to their skin.  I was wondering about this because I noticed that most who have said they find OO drying seem to be in the US.  I have read that an astounding amount of OO that ends up in the US is adulterated (mixed with cheap often oxidised oils).  This could explain your dossy castille soap cmzaha and maybe why people find the soap harsh as the recipe isn't what you think it is.

Obviously, as you can tell by my name, I'm an OO fan.  I love how creamy, gentle and lotion-like very high OO soaps are but I know that people are different and like different qualities in their soaps. I just wondered if this could be why people aren't getting on with OO?


----------



## penelopejane

Olive Oil said:


> cmzaha, I don´t think the DOS is down to the recipe, more likely the oil itself, no?  I know there are many on this forum that don't like high olive oil soaps and I completely understand, regular castille can get a bit gloopy but I've been really surprised that people comment that it's drying to their skin.  I was wondering about this because I noticed that most who have said they find OO drying seem to be in the US.  I have read that an astounding amount of OO that ends up in the US is adulterated (mixed with cheap often oxidised oils).  This could explain your dossy castille soap cmzaha and maybe why people find the soap harsh as the recipe isn't what you think it is.
> 
> Obviously, as you can tell by my name, I'm an OO fan.  I love how creamy, gentle and lotion-like very high OO soaps are but I know that people are different and like different qualities in their soaps. I just wondered if this could be why people aren't getting on with OO?


I know what you are saying about the US OO but cmzaha is a very experienced soaper and would know the cause of the DOS. She is not alone with having problems with this recipe. Unfortunately, I know  Australia’s (including me) who have not had success with this recipe. Real sea water works fine though which is traditionally what a lot of soapers used to use.  
BTW I love OO too but we are in the minority on this forum. 
Everyone’s skin is different too which goes a long way to explaining soap likes and dislikes.


----------



## shunt2011

Olive Oil said:


> cmzaha, I don´t think the DOS is down to the recipe, more likely the oil itself, no?  I know there are many on this forum that don't like high olive oil soaps and I completely understand, regular castille can get a bit gloopy but I've been really surprised that people comment that it's drying to their skin.  I was wondering about this because I noticed that most who have said they find OO drying seem to be in the US.  I have read that an astounding amount of OO that ends up in the US is adulterated (mixed with cheap often oxidised oils).  This could explain your dossy castille soap cmzaha and maybe why people find the soap harsh as the recipe isn't what you think it is.
> 
> Obviously, as you can tell by my name, I'm an OO fan.  I love how creamy, gentle and lotion-like very high OO soaps are but I know that people are different and like different qualities in their soaps. I just wondered if this could be why people aren't getting on with OO?



Many things can play into DOS.   As PJ said cmzaha is experienced and knows what she's talking about.  I'm another one who dislikes OO soap.  I too made this recipe and disliked it.   But some like it well enough.  So, personal preferences.


----------



## Olive Oil

penelopejane said:


> I know what you are saying about the US OO but cmzaha is a very experienced soaper and would know the cause of the DOS. She is not alone with having problems with this recipe.


Hi, it wasn't my intention to question cmzaha's knowledge at all.  I have limited experience with DOS (only had some bars get it when they got damp during cure - or at least that's my best guess). All of my soap is high in OO and quite a lot is castille so I'm very interested to know how this could interact with DOS problems.  Cmzaha, when you say that this recipe doesn't work for everyone and you got DOS, do you think it's something to do with this particular variation of castille (the baking soda/salt combination for example?) or something more generally to do with high olive oil soaps?  

PenelopeJane and Shunt2011, I completely agree with you; different skin issues, different needs/preferences. The important thing is that we can all find something that works for our skin.


----------



## Sparks

Paulainsc said:


> Hi. I’m going into the Soaps in History phase as we speak. I bought some Aleppo and have been working on my Castile. Let us know how you like the book. I may have to hunt it down and get it. I’m currently wading through Scientific Soapmaking which is like being in HS chemistry again, lol. It will require another read to get deeper as I’m only touching the surface this time around.



Unfortunately, it was a little disappointing in the soap history department. It's more like a pamphlet, weighing in at a mere 16 pages. It doesn't mention any recipes at all. Soaphistory.com has most of this information already. It DOES have some really cool illustrations. Advertisements, etc. from back in the day.

I wish there was more information available about this. But it seems there isn't much that's been preserved.


----------



## Dollyk8

Thanks Zany_in_Co.

Rocky Mountain High...da de dum. I'm going to create another post on curing CP soap faster with water discount.
I look forward to your reply.


----------



## melinda48

Dollyk8 said:


> Thanks Zany_in_Co.
> 
> Rocky Mountain High...da de dum. I'm going to create another post on curing CP soap faster with water discount.
> I look forward to your reply.


Look forward to reading it!


----------



## Zany_in_CO

sarahmarah said:


> This recipe has become FB famous. Saw it posted in the Saponification Nation group today. Apparently some can’t wrap their heads around a 0% SF


Haha. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this information, @sarahmarah.  ❣ I predicted early on, since we have some 500 Lookie-Loos (aka non-members) visiting SMF on a daily basis, that this recipe would make the rounds of soap makers everywhere in due time. Which would be great! I consider it my legacy to the soapmaking community in deepest gratitude to those who generously shared their knowledge and experience when I first started soaping. 


Dollyk8 said:


> Thanks Zany_in_Co. Rocky Mountain High...da de dum. I'm going to create another post on curing CP soap faster with water discount. I look forward to your reply.


Hiya @Dollyk8! I'm happy to reply, but only if you please start a New Thread rather than posting here. We already have too many hijacks (off-topic conversations). While interesting and even helpful, it does increase the length of the thread unnecessarily, therefore making it more challenging for future readers to slog through. JMHO.


----------



## shunt2011

Zany_in_CO said:


> Haha. Thank you SO MUCH for posting this information, @sarahmarah.  ❣ I predicted early on, since we have some 500 Lookie-Loos (aka non-members) visiting SMF on a daily basis, that this recipe would make the rounds of soap makers everywhere in due time. Which would be great! I consider it my legacy to the soapmaking community in deepest gratitude to those who generously shared their knowledge and experience when I first started soaping.
> 
> Hiya @Dollyk8! I'm happy to reply, but only if you please start a New Thread rather than posting here. We already have too many hijacks (off-topic conversations). While interesting and even helpful, it does increase the length of the thread unnecessarily, therefore making it more challenging for future readers to slog through. JMHO.


She said she’s starting another thread.


----------



## math ace

@Zany_in_CO 

I did your faux salt water bastile soap.  After a 90 day cure, I sent it out to about 20 testers.  Of those about 50% picked it as one of their favorite soap recipes so far.  I, personally, didn't notice any slimeyness.


----------



## Melysg25

Dawni said:


> I figured I have time to try this tonight... But realized the only salt I have on hand is one we don't know the origins of lol it was bought in the wet market so I cannot be sure it is sea salt, compared to the packet I have finished which was clearly labeled. This one isn't fine also, FYI.
> 
> Is this still OK to use in the same amount posted?
> 
> Also, I wanted to be the odd woman out and try to HP this but I have a question regarding the liquid amount. Will 1.7:1 be ok for HP? Or should I use slightly more water? I don't lift the lid often btw, just once to stir when 50% of it has gelled, and then when it's done.
> 
> Thank you in advance for any suggestions


Did you ever find a good HP version for @Zany_in_CO  no slime castile recipe? I'm also a HP gal and would like to try this but I know their has to be some tweaking with liquid. Any help/tips would be much appreciated.


----------



## Dawni

Melysg25 said:


> Did you ever find a good HP version for @Zany_in_CO  no slime castile recipe? I'm also a HP gal and would like to try this but I know their has to be some tweaking with liquid. Any help/tips would be much appreciated.


Here is what I did


----------



## kevenaeakin

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


Thank you Zany I knew I had it but I simply couldn't find it anywhere thank you again


----------



## Melysg25

Melysg25 said:


> Did you ever find a good HP version for @Zany_in_CO  no slime castile recipe? I'm also a HP gal and would like to try this but I know their has to be some tweaking with liquid. Any help/tips would be much appreciated.


Pic of my rice cake soap...lol


----------



## KiwiMoose

Melysg25 said:


> Pic of my rice cake soap...lol


LOL - been there done that!


----------



## Kiti Williams

We call those "Rustic".


----------



## linne1gi

Here's my HP - Zany's no slime Castile.  Made about 1 1/2 months ago.  I tried one the other day and wowza - fantastic suds!


----------



## Melysg25

linne1gi said:


> Here's my HP - Zany's no slime Castile.  Made about 1 1/2 months ago.  I tried one the other day and wowza - fantastic suds!View attachment 52829


What water lye ratio did you use?


----------



## linne1gi

Melysg25 said:


> What water lye ratio did you use?


I made this HP - so I used the default  water in SoapCalc.  When I make CP Castille, I use a 1.5:1 water to lye ratio.


----------



## Garden Gives Me Joy

Eager to try. Notice Zany uses Pomace. I imagine 100%. Does everyone else also use 100% Pomace .... and or EVOO with the salt?

*Do ppl add citric acid to the lye water* (along with the necessary NaOH adjustment)? Would the citric acid prevent shower tile scum? Should I also consider it to prevent DOS .... if that is even an issue with?


----------



## YoshinoTree

Garden Gives Me Joy said:


> Eager to try. Notice Zany uses Pomace. I imagine 100%. Does everyone else also use 100% Pomace .... and or EVOO with the salt?
> 
> *Do ppl add citric acid to the lye water* (along with the necessary NaOH adjustment)? Would the citric acid prevent shower tile scum? Should I also consider it to prevent DOS .... if that is even an issue with?



Zany said they use pomace, I think, and a lot of people have said they use evoo. I just made a test batch with CA in it last week and I'm trying really hard not to play with it yet 

Here's a thread someone started about adding citric acid to this recipe, there are also links in it to more citric acid use resources:






						Citric Acid in Zany's no slime castile?
					

A few weeks ago I made Zany's no slime castile and really like it, except I get a lot of soap scum with my hard water. I generally add 2% citric acid to my water before adding the lye, but since the recipe has sodium bicarbonate in the 'faux seawater' I left the CA out this time. In a next batch...




					www.soapmakingforum.com


----------



## linne1gi

Garden Gives Me Joy said:


> Eager to try. Notice Zany uses Pomace. I imagine 100%. Does everyone else also use 100% Pomace .... and or EVOO with the salt?
> 
> *Do ppl add citric acid to the lye water* (along with the necessary NaOH adjustment)? Would the citric acid prevent shower tile scum? Should I also consider it to prevent DOS .... if that is even an issue with?


People do whatever they like. Personally I add citric acid and the necessary NaOH to compensate, but it is up to you and what kind of soap you want.  I highly suggest you try yourself by making small batches of soap of 1-2 pounds.  That’s the only way you will know what you like. And it’s the best way to avoid wasting a lot of product.


----------



## Melysg25

linne1gi said:


> I made this HP - so I used the default  water in SoapCalc.  When I make CP Castille, I use a 1.5:1 water to lye ratio.


Thank you! I will retry this


----------



## SoapSisters

Garden Gives Me Joy said:


> *Do ppl add citric acid to the lye water* (along with the necessary NaOH adjustment)? Would the citric acid prevent shower tile scum? Should I also consider it to prevent DOS .... if that is even an issue with?



My experience has been that citric acid and faux seawater (salt + baking soda) in the same recipe makes the soap soft and slimy. Even after a considerable cure. If you go ahead and do it, I'd love to hear about your results.


----------



## soapmakermonica

If you want no slime, don't add a slimy oil like pumice the waste of the olive oil. I only use food grade olive oil and when I could not afford the best I still only used pure food grade oo. Never slimy. Now I am blessed and have a large customer base and use organic extra virgin olive oil and organic extra virgin coconut oil. Distilled filtered water, and food grade sodium hydroxide. Anything else will bring down your bubbles and bubble content is what cleans, bubbles surround dirt and evoo contains oleic acid along with glycerin. Don't waste your money on poor grade ingredients they only lead to soap scum and having to explain your soap. Make something that out performs the regular bar and who knows you may make a name for yourself too!


----------



## linne1gi

soapmakermonica said:


> If you want no slime, don't add a slimy oil like pumice the waste of the olive oil. I only use food grade olive oil and when I could not afford the best I still only used pure food grade oo. Never slimy. Now I am blessed and have a large customer base and use organic extra virgin olive oil and organic extra virgin coconut oil. Distilled filtered water, and food grade sodium hydroxide. Anything else will bring down your bubbles and bubble content is what cleans, bubbles surround dirt and evoo contains oleic acid along with glycerin. Don't waste your money on poor grade ingredients they only lead to soap scum and having to explain your soap. Make something that out performs the regular bar and who knows you may make a name for yourself too!


I don't care to use extra virgin olive oil, in any of my soaps because it tints my colors and I like to make pretty detailed soaps.  Pomace, I would not use.  I disagree with you though, using non organic oils/butters doesn't necessarily contribute to soap scum.  That is a result of soap mixing with your hard water.  I personally add citric acid to my lye water in all my soaps (to create sodium citrate) which helps with soap scum as I have very hard water.


----------



## soapmakermonica

linne1gi said:


> I don't care to use extra virgin olive oil, in any of my soaps because it tints my colors and I like to make pretty detailed soaps.  Pomace, I would not use.  I disagree with you though, using nonorganic oils/butter doesn't necessarily contribute to soap scum.  That is a result of soap mixing with your hard water.  I personally add citric acid to my lye water in all my soaps (to create sodium citrate) which helps with soap scum as I have very hard water.


I don't have any discoloration it creates "The White Bar". I am not saying non-organic butter or oil cause soap scum, I am saying pumice causes soap scum it is the dregs of the olive oil. No redeeming properties. And Yes water has minerals, I only use distilled water. Citric acid however changes your ph! So not sure why you would choose to use hard water? And continue to "fix it"? 
My formula makes an incredible lather, makes sensitive skin happy can be used daily as a shampoo, body, shave, and facial soap, great for infants and I make liquid cold-processed aloe shampoo, body washes, and facial soap with the scraps that I liquify with horsetail, aloe vera powder, and colloidal oatmeal.


----------



## linne1gi

soapmakermonica said:


> I don't have any discoloration it creates "The White Bar". I am not saying non-organic butter or oil cause soap scum, I am saying pumice causes soap scum it is the dregs of the olive oil. No redeeming properties. And Yes water has minerals, I only use distilled water. Citric acid however changes your ph! So not sure why you would choose to use hard water? And continue to "fix it"?
> My formula makes an incredible lather, makes sensitive skin happy can be used daily as a shampoo, body, shave, and facial soap, great for infants and I make liquid cold-processed aloe shampoo, body washes, and facial soap with the scraps that I liquify with horsetail, aloe vera powder, and colloidal oatmeal.


When you add citric acid to your lye water it becomes sodium citrate (it does not lower the pH of soap, it increases your superfat).  You add citric acid because the water is hard - not to create hard water.  Generally when you have hard water, it means you have a lot of minerals in the water, sodium citrate binds to those minerals, which reduces the soap scum.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

soapmakermonica said:


> If you want no slime, don't add a slimy oil like *pumice* the waste of the olive oil.


Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you are referring to "pomace" olive oil, not pumice, a stone or powder used for exfoliation. Yes?


----------



## Jersey Girl

I posted this in the “What Soapy Thing” thread, but thought I should post here too. I made a version of  @Zany_in_CO No Slime Castile yesterday and cut it this AM (15 hrs later after gelling on a heating pad). Came out beautifully and a sliver lathered amazingly!  I didn’t use 100% OO but instead used 80% OO (Costco), 15% CO, 5% Castor along with the Faux Sea Water and followed the instructions exactly for lye:water ratio etc. I did add fragrance marinated in a couple tsp of Kaolin Clay. I’m very happy with the outcome and can’t wait to test this as the weeks go by.


----------



## Hope Ann

Jersey Girl said:


> I made a version of  @Zany_in_CO No Slime Castile yesterday and cut it this AM (15 hrs later after gelling on a heating pad).



Would you mind sharing the hearing pad technique?  I feel like this soap is so much better gelled but I can't master CPOP.

Hope


----------



## Jersey Girl

Hope Ann said:


> Would you mind sharing the hearing pad technique?  I feel like this soap is so much better gelled but I can't master CPOP.
> 
> Hope



I put the Loaf of soap on top of a heating pad set on high. Spritz with alcohol. I cover it with a cardboard box (with the bottom cut out) and then place towels over the box. I check on it frequently and when I see it is in gel I turn off the heating pad. Depending on the recipe and the FO used it could get quite hot pretty quickly so you do need to babysit it and remove it from the heat if it gets too hot. I use an infrared thermometer and check the temperature during the process too. Here are some pics of the process.


----------



## kevenaeakin

Dawni said:


> Not Zany but I've only tried a handful of batches using saltwater and I noticed that the soaps are much harder than the ones without.. Could also be to cut down on the slime you usually get with Castile?
> 
> Just a guess, but someone with more knowledge and experience will come along hehehe
> 
> Thanks for the recipe @Zany_in_CO, I must have a go at this.


Putting salt into the lye gives a harder bar. Dissolve the salt in the water before adding the lie and it will harden the soap but don't put too much or it will cause it to crack and crumble.


----------



## ravenscents

The difference between EOO and Pomace. 3 days in Pomace is still a bit soft, EOO is almost brittle.


----------



## earlene

ravenscents said:


> The difference between EOO and Pomace. 3 days in Pomace is still a bit soft, EOO is almost brittle.


Interesting.  And the soap with pomace (on the left, correct?) is also whiter.

That is not my experience with different OO's regarding how long they take to become hard, as long as all else is equal (lye concentration, insulation, same/comparable mold - not all molds produce the same set up time, etc.)


----------



## quinta do veloso

In my experience, there are definitely differences in soap using different EVOOs (never mind differences between pomace and EVOO etc.), but my experience is kind of unusual maybe. We have a traditional old olive grove and make our own organic EVOO. We only sell the most recent harvest's oil, but it keeps  well for years, so since we can only use so much olive oil ourselves (we use a lot), we make pure olive oil soap, both liquid and CP bars, with the excess from previous harvests. We have five or six different varieties of olive in our grove, all mixed up, so every year the oil is a little different (color, aroma, taste). 

Even if I use the exact same recipe, with two different olive oils, I find color, hardness, time to trace, and lather can all be very different. It's so obvious that I have different recipes for different oils. For instance, with oil from one year's harvest, liquid soap paste needs more than four times its weight in diluting water to be pourable, while with oil from the year before, it only needs two and a half times the water (that's a recipe with just olive oil and KOH and distilled water, no glycerin, nothing else).

I guess that's less of a thing with commercial olive oil, since it's usually combined from many different sources and pretty homogenized, but all olive oil--even from the same grove, harvested and milled the same way, definitely with no adulteration or mixing—can have a varying fatty acid profile and therefore have its own specific behavior in soap. It doesn't seem surprising that pomace, "light" (ie refined), etc. would also act different.


----------



## ravenscents

More Zany’s soap made with Sam’s club OO
EVOO on the right, mild OO on the left. 30 hours old. 
Made at the exact same time under the same conditions, I measured everything to the gram.
30 hours is too long in the mold, I should have cut at 12-18 hours. The soap at 30 hours is slightly brittle and hard to cut.

I did not gel or freeze. Room temperature cure. The EVOO has a slight gel ring


----------



## AliOop

Made my first batch of it two days ago, using 80% OO, 15% CO, 5% castor, with added sorbitol. Used the faux seawater at the recommended ratio. They were supposed to be vegan, but I spaced out and added GM powder instead of coconut milk powder. Oops.

The FO thickened the batter so fast that the mold details didn't come out that great, and they are getting a little ashy. But they smell great, and lather-testing the scraps showed some early promise. I'm excited to try them in a few weeks!


----------



## Tara_H

AliOop said:


> the mold details didn't come out that great


I think they look amazing! A real classic look


----------



## AliOop

Tara_H said:


> I think they look amazing! A real classic look


Aww thank you. There are tons of air pockets, and the bars towards the back have very little detail from the molds. But these will go to my testers anyway, and they don't care. They just love getting free soap from me.


----------



## Jersey Girl

AliOop said:


> Made my first batch of it two days ago, using 80% OO, 15% CO, 5% castor, with added sorbitol. Used the faux seawater at the recommended ratio. They were supposed to be vegan, but I spaced out and added GM powder instead of coconut milk powder. Oops.
> 
> The FO thickened the batter so fast that the mold details didn't come out that great, and they are getting a little ashy. But they smell great, and lather-testing the scraps showed some early promise. I'm excited to try them in a few weeks!
> 
> View attachment 55282



This is the exact recipe I made 2 weeks ago and my little test slivers are already lathering beautifully.  Love these molds!


----------



## AliOop

Jersey Girl said:


> This is the exact recipe I made 2 weeks ago and my little test slivers are already lathering beautifully.  Love these molds!


Thanks! For nexpensive Amazon molds, they are pretty decent quality. I think there was a good discount to buy both sets together, if I recall.  All my testers seem to like the designs - such an easy way to make the bars look "custom."


----------



## AliOop

I posted in the other thread but will confirm here, as well. I started testing one of the bars at 9 days after unmolding, and it is lovely! It's the first castile/bastille soap that I have ever liked. I believe it's the combination of a bit of CO, GM and sorbitol for great lather,  as well as the salt to combat the slime/snot. My bars have absolutely zero slime despite our water (which used to be pretty decent but is now a bit harder and much more chlorinated).


----------



## Zany_in_CO

AliOop said:


> I started testing one of the bars at 9 days after unmolding, and it is lovely! It's the first castile/bastille soap that I have ever liked.


That was my reaction the first time I made it too! I honestly look forward to washing my face with it every morning... and I take my time doing it.


----------



## Jersey Girl

AliOop said:


> I posted in the other thread but will confirm here, as well. I started testing one of the bars at 9 days after unmolding, and it is lovely! It's the first castile/bastille soap that I have ever liked. I believe it's the combination of a bit of CO, GM and sorbitol for great lather,  as well as the salt to combat the slime/snot. My bars have absolutely zero slime despite our water (which used to be pretty decent but is now a bit harder and much more chlorinated).



My batch is 17 days old now. I used a bar in the shower tonight.  No slime, didnt dry out my skin, a Nice hard bar of soap. I’m impressed.


----------



## Basil

AliOop said:


> I posted in the other thread but will confirm here, as well. I started testing one of the bars at 9 days after unmolding, and it is lovely! It's the first castile/bastille soap that I have ever liked. I believe it's the combination of a bit of CO, GM and sorbitol for great lather,  as well as the salt to combat the slime/snot. My bars have absolutely zero slime despite our water (which used to be pretty decent but is now a bit harder and much more chlorinated).


Beautiful soap! My family loves @Zany_in_CO no slime Castile goat milk soap too! One of my daughters stopped buying products to shave her legs and now uses it instead.


----------



## Albertina

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


Hello Zany,
Sorry to ask. I am Italian, could you please say what a quart amounts to? I searched on the internet and I got too many different results. Thank you


----------



## AliOop

Albertina said:


> Hello Zany,
> Sorry to ask. I am Italian, could you please say what a quart amounts to? I searched on the internet and I got too many different results. Thank you


A quart in the US is 32 fluid ounces, which equals 907.18g. HTH!


----------



## Albertina

AliOop said:


> A quart in the US is 32 fluid ounces, which equals 907.18g. HTH!


Thank so much! Yes this helps (I had to look it up)


----------



## Albertina

AliOop said:


> I posted in the other thread but will confirm here, as well. I started testing one of the bars at 9 days after unmolding, and it is lovely! It's the first castile/bastille soap that I have ever liked. I believe it's the combination of a bit of CO, GM and sorbitol for great lather,  as well as the salt to combat the slime/snot. My bars have absolutely zero slime despite our water (which used to be pretty decent but is now a bit harder and much more chlorinated).


Hello Ali, 
How did you make your recipe with both faux sea, GM and sorbitol, do you mind posting it? Or linking me to it?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Albertina said:


> Hello Zany,
> Sorry to ask. I am Italian, could you please say what a quart amounts to? I searched on the internet and I got too many different results. Thank you


1 QUART (32 oz.) = 1 LITER (approximately) (33.8 ounces)


----------



## AliOop

Albertina said:


> Hello Ali,
> How did you make your recipe with both faux sea, GM and sorbitol, do you mind posting it? Or linking me to it?


Hello Albertina, I used the recipe from the first post in this thread. She explains how to make the faux seawater there. My additives were 1% sorbitol and 1tablespoon of powdered goat milk per 500g of oil. I stick-blended the powder into the oils before adding the lye water.


----------



## Albertina

AliOop said:


> Hello Albertina, I used the recipe from the first post in this thread. She explains how to make the faux seawater there. My additives were 1% sorbitol and 1tablespoon of powdered goat milk per 500g of oil. I stick-blended the powder into the oils before adding the lye water.


Thank you very much


----------



## Fenchurch

GreenDragon said:


> It is interesting that the original recipes called for using natural seawater.  I would imagine that the natural presence of Ca and Mg, which make up the components of "hard water" and bind to soap molecules making soap less effective, are in effect probably working against the "slimey" properties of castile type soaps right in the bar.


Well, I guess it's also because Marseilles, were Castille soap originally comes from, is on the seaside, so they could have water (even if sea water) for free.  

Happy Bubbles,
Stéphanie


----------



## AAShillito

Looking forward to trying this as we have a huge bucket of aquarium ocean  salt for our aquarium


----------



## AAShillito

I'm really struggling tonight trying to get Zany's recipe into the SMF calculator. Is this correct? I appreciate the help. Just a rough night here with grumpy teenager and hubby.


----------



## earlene

AAShillito said:


> I'm really struggling tonight trying to get Zany's recipe into the SMF calculator. Is this correct? I appreciate the help. Just a rough night here with grumpy teenager and hubby.


If you look back at post # 1.  Zany's recipe is 100% olive oil (no castor) and has a SF of 0% (Zero). That's the first thing I notice that is different from what you have entered.  Although she does later in the post, suggest 5% Castor & 10% CO for a "bubblier & milder" soap.

The other thing you can do, but don't have to so, is to input the additives: salt & Sodium Bicarbonate.  If you input them, they will show in your list of ingredients.

n.b.  First you would need to add the Sodium Bicarb as a custom additive to the list of additives.


ETA:



Zany_in_CO said:


> Just an FYI (Please don't be offended): You're new to SMF so you probably aren't aware that there is a separate forum for help with a recipe:  *RECIPE FEEDBACK FORUM* <snip>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If it isn't too much trouble, you too!
> View attachment 56454
> 
> *ETA:* The Edit Button is only available for 24 hours.




Will do if and when.

Actually the edit button does not always appear to be a specific length of time.  For some odd reason, I have found it to vary in how long it is available, for me, anyway.

*@AAShillito* , you don't actually have "delete" option, but you can remove (delete) all your words and replace with a new word or words, using the "edit" radio button in the lower left of your post.

If you do want to start a new thread as Zany suggests, make sure to copy and paste from the above post, otherwise you will be having to start from scratch with a new post.  Your choice.


----------



## AAShillito

earlene said:


> If you look back at post # 1.  Zany's recipe is 100% olive oil (no castor) and has a SF of 0% (Zero). That's the first thing I notice that is different from what you have entered.  Although she does later in the post, suggest 5% Castor & 10% CO for a "bubblier & milder" soap.
> 
> The other thing you can do, but don't have to so, is to input the additives: salt & Sodium Bicarbonate.  If you input them, they will show in your list of ingredients.
> 
> n.b.  First you would need to add the Sodium Bicarb as a custom additive to the list of additives.


So all I need to do is change the oo to 100% and add the additives? Thanks. I needed that! I think the original percentages were throwing me off as I didn't see oo amounts


----------



## Zany_in_CO

AAShillito said:


> I'm really struggling tonight trying to get Zany's recipe into the SMF calculator. Is this correct?


Just an FYI (Please don't be offended): You're new to SMF so you probably aren't aware that there is a separate forum for help with a recipe:

*RECIPE FEEDBACK FORUM*

There are two reasons for this:
1) You are likely to get more responses by starting a new thread.  
2) Your query invites what is likely to develop into an OT (Off Topic) discussion. This is considered a "Hijack". Although hijacks are fairly common, it is still considered rude by some members who would prefer to keep their threads to the least number of pages as possible. Currently at 33 pages, it's a lot for first timers like yourself to slog through.

If it isn't too much trouble, you can use the EDIT button to delete your post and move it to where it belongs.



earlene said:


> If you look back at post # 1.  Zany's recipe is 100% olive oil (no castor) and has a SF of 0% (Zero). That's the first thing I notice that is different from what you have entered.  Although she does later in the post, suggest 5% Castor & 10% CO for a "bubblier & milder" soap.



If it isn't too much trouble, you too! 






*ETA:* The Edit Button is only available for 24 hours.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

earlene said:


> Actually the edit button does not always appear to be a specific length of time.  For some odd reason, I have found it to vary in how long it is available, for me, anyway.


I wish that were true for me. 
I planned on deleting my post this AM but forgot!  
Now my edit button is gone. 
Thanks just the same, Earlene. I appreciate your taking the time to at least make the effort, also for your help and support.


----------



## AxtFarm

@Zany_in_CO Do you think this recipe could be used if the salt and baking soda was mixed with fresh goat milk before freezing and then used to make Goat Soap? (Assuming it freezes)


----------



## Basil

AxtFarm said:


> @Zany_in_CO Do you think this recipe could be used if the salt and baking soda was mixed with fresh goat milk before freezing and then used to make Goat Soap? (Assuming it freezes)


@Zany_in_CO and @AxtFarm - I'm not Zany, but this is how I do it when I make her no slime castile.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Basil said:


> I'm not Zany, but this is how I do it when I make her no slime castile.


I was hoping you would pop in to take that question @Basil. 



I've never done it with fresh goats milk.


----------



## Juggsy

there's 33 pages and I don't feel like reading them all this morning... I did search but nothing popped up. 
 I've not used faux sea water before (don't know why) but was hoping @ResolvableOwl or @Zany_in_CO have you HPed this? I've HPed a bastile before, but I've been asked for a "real" castile so, I thought I'd ask before hand, what results people have had HPing Zany's formula.


----------



## ResolvableOwl

You beast know exactly how to trigger me to do more experiments 
Seriously, I've made my very first ZNSC (or rather, jojoba-castor TNSJ) with faux sea water only today, and it went fine so far without HP. It was hard like cocoa butter when I took it out of the CPOP oven (some 5 hours after making it), and I'll unmould it tomorrow (individual silicone moulds).

So long, back to literature work. Maybe I just had a bit more luck in searching this thread, but there are a few promising mentions of HP from @Rembetissa @Dawni @linne1gi:
Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | and also I tried to HP Zany's no slime Castile
At a first glance, it boils down to “If you are a HP aficionado, HPing ZNSC is totally possible and performs about as well as with CP – but YMMV”. I personally would probably give HP a try; but on the other hand I'd be too curious about the proverbial speed-up to miss the opportunity to compare it to non-ZNSC in CP.


----------



## Juggsy

ResolvableOwl said:


> You beast know exactly how to trigger me to do more experiments
> Seriously, I've made my very first ZNSC (or rather, jojoba-castor TNSJ) with faux sea water only today, and it went fine so far without HP. It was hard like cocoa butter when I took it out of the CPOP oven (some 5 hours after making it), and I'll unmould it tomorrow (individual silicone moulds).
> 
> So long, back to literature work. Maybe I just had a bit more luck in searching this thread, but there are a few promising mentions of HP from @Rembetissa @Dawni @linne1gi:
> Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | Zany's no slime castile | and also I tried to HP Zany's no slime Castile
> At a first glance, it boils down to “If you are a HP aficionado, HPing ZNSC is totally possible and performs about as well as with CP – but YMMV”. I personally would probably give HP a try; but on the other hand I'd be too curious about the proverbial speed-up to miss the opportunity to compare it to non-ZNSC in CP.


didn't realise I could search actual thread (I'm an idiot - I know there's advanced search - just didn't think). Am reading links now. thank you lovely - your post in the other thread was what triggered my intrigue. For the last month, my niece has been asking me to make castile for her. But, in the past, I just found it too slimy and preferred bastille. But, no venture taken, no adventure had.


----------



## Dawni

Juggsy said:


> there's 33 pages and I don't feel like reading them all this morning... I did search but nothing popped up.
> I've not used faux sea water before (don't know why) but was hoping @ResolvableOwl or @Zany_in_CO have you HPed this? I've HPed a bastile before, but I've been asked for a "real" castile so, I thought I'd ask before hand, what results people have had HPing Zany's formula.


Short answer - it's one of the easiest recipes to HP, in my opinion.

My thread is linked above, with far between updates spanning a year lol.

I used very less water compared to my other HP recipes but go with the amount you think you can still control.


----------



## Juggsy

Dawni said:


> Short answer - it's one of the easiest recipes to HP, in my opinion.
> 
> My thread is linked above, with far between updates spanning a year lol.
> 
> I used very less water compared to my other HP recipes but go with the amount you think you can still control.


Just reading all your posts at the moment, I made the faux water (it's in the fridge), just going to read a little more first before I give it a go. Will post update later today. but it's Friday and I'm supposed to be formulating not soaping. But telling myself school work can wait. I feel like soaping it's nice winter weather.


----------



## miheypete

I've made ZNSC about 4 times now, both CP and HP.  I make it adding the coconut and castor oils.  When I hot process in my crockpot, I always add about 1 oz more of faux seawater and 1 Tbs sodium lactate to 3 lbs. oil to keep it a little easier to stir.  Zany's soap comes out fine in HP form.  A little prettier loaf when I CP, but it's still just fine as HP soap. Good luck with it.


----------



## Juggsy

So I did add a bit of sodium lactate at the end because I'm using cheap silicone moulds and HPing. I did add a little bit more water. I ran out of olive oil. Thought I had a little more than what I had - always forget it's heavier - I assumed I had about 850 - 900 grams - I had 684.8 grams; because of my size of mould holds 1.3kg  (I underestimated) I added 171.2 grams of coconut oil - ended up being 80% OO and 20% CO - as I said I underestimated. My total batch weight was 1.2 kg. I didn't want to go less than 80% OO because I didn't want to add anything other than CO and 20% CO is kinda high. I would have added castor (but I'm waiting on an order - had hoped would arrive today before weekend - so of course it didn't).

It traced nicely, so issues with batch (other than being on the small size) looks good, still quite soft but it's only been a few hours out. I used some rosemary, rosewood and frankincense EO to scent - I wasn't going to scent at all - but changed my mind the last minute.

Child#3 Miss10 decided it needed flowers on top. So she added some jasmine (hope they don't discolour the soap - they shouldn't?)

@Zany_in_CO your formula is lovely. Faux sea water easy to make. Look forward to testing it.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Juggsy said:


> @Zany_in_CO your formula is lovely. Faux sea water easy to make. Look forward to testing it.


Well done! And thank you!
TIP: In the future, it might be best to post your results in the Photo Gallery and link back to this thread, to share your experience with others and allow room for discussion.


----------



## gardengeek

Most of the time I use dual lye. Wondering if anyone has tried that? I'd like to give Zany's famous recipe a go.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

gardengeek said:


> Most of the time I use dual lye. Wondering if anyone has tried that? I'd like to give Zany's famous recipe a go.


Best to ask that in a new thread... more members likely will see it and you'll get more responses.   
As far as I know, no one has tried dual lye, not even me. Curious about it though. Please feel free to give if a go and start a new thread "ZNSC Dual Lye" or something along those lines.


----------



## Basil

Zany_in_CO said:


> I was hoping you would pop in to take that question @Basil. View attachment 58074
> 
> I've never done it with fresh goats milk.


I've been out of the loop for awhile, @Zany_in_CO but I'm slowly returning. Yes, I LOVE your ZNSC with goat milk, and so do all my daughers, my mother, my sister and many of my friends. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with experimenting with other recipes. You nailed this!!!


----------



## Basil

Basil said:


> I've been out of the loop for awhile, @Zany_in_CO but I'm slowly returning. Yes, I LOVE your ZNSC with goat milk, and so do all my daughers, my mother, my sister and many of my friends. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with experimenting with other recipes. You nailed this!!!


Oh here I go again @Zany_in_CO responding to myself . I have to add my DH to that as he’s a burn victim and it works for him!


----------



## LynetteO

@Zany_in_CO I joined to thank you for your Zany’s no slime Castile! I made today with your tweak of a touch of coconut & castor. I titled my soapcalc sheet “ZNSC”. I don’t sell my soap but I will always reference it as “Zany’s no slime Bastille”. Thank You x1000


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## LynetteO

ZNSB 7/26/21

Finished messing with top @ 9:38AM, it’s 7:42PM & this loaf is HARD!


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## Bubble Agent

Thank you for sharing this recipe, Zany, I want to try this one!  

It has been a _long _time since I made olive oil soap now, so I really feel an experiment coming on! I have spent the last coupple of years to finetune my recipes for my CPSR, so I haven`t done much experimenting or playing with other things. Now I have my CPRS, so this peaked my interest, with faux sea water no less, that was new to me!

So trying something different will be fun!

Will post pictures! I have some new and adorable silicone molds that would be perfect for this!


----------



## AAShillito

Zany help! I waited too long to cut and it's crumbly! Can I rebatch????


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## Zany_in_CO

AAShillito said:


> Zany help! I waited too long to cut and it's crumbly! Can I rebatch????


It's better to take this discussion over to the *Recipe Feedback* forum.


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## Marsi

AAShillito said:


> Zany help! I waited too long to cut and it's crumbly! Can I rebatch????



Not Zany (answering your question on rebatching this crumbly soap)
You can rebatch any soap

this one will curdle quickly, similar to salting out


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## SOR Sam

penelopejane said:


> 36 Oz water = 1000g water
> The recipe requires 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of bicarb.
> 
> US tablespoon = 15ml (Australian tablespoon = 20ml)
> 
> So you made about 1/4 of the batch and used about 1/4 of the additives (give or take and in this situation that’s fine).
> 
> What might have impacted on you was if you mixed the salt into the lye water (very difficult) or if you miss measured the lye or water.



I hope someone else corrected this down the chain (still reading through the 35 pages of comments), but 32ozs of water weighs 907.2 grams, not 1000 grams…


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## SOR Sam

Zany_in_CO said:


> LOL "plain old olive oil" is just as good. It's the EVOO that is mostly adulterated here in the States.



@Zany, I appreciate the recipe. I produce olive oil here I CA and have been looking for a good recipe to use on my seasonal leftovers (perfectly good oil, just didn't get sold before the next season.)  One reaction to your comments about oil… the adulteration risk comes from imported EVOO to the US (the Italian brands especially!) There are a considerable number of US producers where that is not a risk. Our challenge is making sure the US oil meets the EVOO standards and is not just VOO sold as EVOO. Check the label for either the CA Olive Oil Commission or Olive Oil Commission of CAfor the seals to validatecertifications.

You pointed out the lower acidity. Since I am using EVOO, what adjustments to the 1.7 ratio would you make?


----------



## earlene

SOR Sam said:


> I hope someone else corrected this down the chain (still reading through the 35 pages of comments), but 32ozs of water weighs 907.2 grams, not 1000 grams…


You mis-read what you quoted:



penelopejane said:


> 36 Oz water = 1000g water
> The recipe requires 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of bicarb.
> 
> US tablespoon = 15ml (Australian tablespoon = 20ml)
> 
> So you made about 1/4 of the batch and used about 1/4 of the additives (give or take and in this situation that’s fine).
> 
> What might have impacted on you was if you mixed the salt into the lye water (very difficult) or if you miss measured the lye or water.


@penelope said 36 ounces, not 32 ounces.

Also, please note that she is in Austrailia where a conversion of fluid ounces to the Australian cup is 250 ml =

If you want to be precise, I get 1020.58 grams, but 1000 grams is close, and to throw a monkey into the works, as I recall there are some differences in how much is in an Imperial (or Troy) Ounce versus the ounce used in the US.  (I know, that's probably not helpful.)

Just as a point of reference, there IS a difference in volume measurements in different parts of the world, which is another reason they should not be used in soapmaking.

Reference:  Imperial and U.S. Systems of Measurement – Basic Kitchen and Food Service Management





						Water Measure cup AU to g converter for culinary baking and diet.
					

Convert how many grams of water (g) of water measure are in 1 Australian cup of water (cup AU). This online baking water measure conversion tool is for culinary arts schools and certified bakers. Convert water measure measuring units from Australian cups of water ( cup AU ) into grams of water (...




					www.traditionaloven.com


----------



## SOR Sam

Great recipe! I made it last night and it worked like a dream. It set very quickly (~18 hours) and has a very nice lather. I started to blend at a little higher temperature (~124 degrees F/51 degrees C) as that seems to work better with my oils. As seen in the picture, it is a nice creamy yellow-tan color.


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## Zany_in_CO

SOR Sam said:


> Since I am using EVOO, what adjustments to the 1.7 ratio would you make?


I"m a little late to respond but no adjustments are necessary when using EVOO. Well done!


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## lenarenee

Someone on YT made a video of Zany’s recipe!


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## Zany_in_CO

YAY! I'm a "movie star!!!"


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## Arlo

I'd like to try this recipe but wonder if I have to read through 34 pages of comments (!) to know if there are any changes or adjustments to the opening post. I do like reading comments, but am unable to go through them all. If I understand correctly, it might be hard to edit the opening post, which is why I ask. Thank you, and I hope I will soon have happy results to report.


----------



## Johnez

Arlo said:


> I'd like to try this recipe but wonder if I have to read through 34 pages of comments (!) to know if there are any changes or adjustments to the opening post. I do like reading comments, but am unable to go through them all. If I understand correctly, it might be hard to edit the opening post, which is why I ask. Thank you, and I hope I will soon have happy results to report.


Yes I felt the same way when tackling songwind's shave thread haha. There's a time limit to edits unfortunately, but Zany posts often so I'm sure you can get answers directly from the creator if ya got questions.


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## LynetteO

Arlo said:


> I'd like to try this recipe but wonder if I have to read through 34 pages of comments (!) to know if there are any changes or adjustments to the opening post. I do like reading comments, but am unable to go through them all. If I understand correctly, it might be hard to edit the opening post, which is why I ask. Thank you, and I hope I will soon have happy results to report.


No need to read em’ all if ya don’t wanna. The recipe is unchanged & FABULOUSLY WONDERFUL. I highly recommend. I’ve made it using her,  @Zany_in_CO , recommended tweak of 85% 10% CO + 5% castor. Have also made it with 90%OO + 10% castor. The recipe is famous & another soaper has posted it to YouTube.


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## Zany_in_CO

ETA: @LynetteO --- Haha. I couldn't have said it better myself! As a matter of fact, I did say it. LOL But you beat me to posting it. Well done! 



Arlo said:


> I'd like to try this recipe but wonder if I have to read through 34 pages of comments


Hi Arlo, Good question! No, you don't have to read through the whole thread -- unless you want to try a variation from what I wrote. In my defense, I attempted to lock that thread at 15 pages for exactly that reason but it was not allowed.

I am sorry it is as long as it is but you can feel confident about following the recipe as written. Pay close attention to the way the lye calculation is set up, i.e. type in 1.7:1 and use 0% SF.




I glanced through your previous posts and see you are familiar with making CP olive oil soap. You may want to review those threads to refresh the advice you got there. I think you'll be pleased with how this formula compares to the way we used to make OO Castile soap.

That video that @LynetteO posted makes it look SO easy:

Pay attention to the temps recommended in the recipe to trace more quickly than she does in that video.

You might like the 85% Olive Oil, 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil variation. It's the one I make for personal use. I start using it at the 2-week mark, but of course, the longer the cure the better.

I advise you to make a small 500 gram / 16 oz trial batch first with no color, fragrance, no sodium lactate or other additive until after you experience the soap as intended.

Make the faux sea salt water a day or so ahead and store it in the fridge until you're ready to make soap.

That's about it.

HAPPY SOAPING!


----------



## Arlo

Thank you, Zany and others. I haven't been making soap for the last couple of years so it was fun to read my old posts. I did learn something! But now after entertaining myself watching many, many videos I'm inspired to try again especially since I've decided to do very small batches (500g oil) so not that much to lose if I mess up, but a lot to learn. So far the hardest part is lining the small mold my husband made... The sea water is in the fridge and ready to go!


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## Arlo

This is what my soap looks like 18 hours after making it. Not sure what I did wrong. I sprayed it with alcohol, covered with plastic wrap, a cardboard cover and wrapped in a towel. When I peaked at it 4 hours later, the top was crinkly.  And although the top seems hard now, when I removed it from the mold, the bottom was soft So it’s back in the mold. A pH strip says it’s around 11. Any thoughts?


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Arlo said:


> When I peaked at it 4 hours later, the top was crinkly.  And although the top seems hard now, when I removed it from the mold, the bottom was soft So it’s back in the mold. ... Any thoughts?


It's hard to say. To troubleshoot, we need more info. It's best to share your detailed recipe and blow by blow description of your process.


----------



## LynetteO

Arlo said:


> This is what my soap looks like 18 hours after making it. Not sure what I did wrong. I sprayed it with alcohol, covered with plastic wrap, a cardboard cover and wrapped in a towel. When I peaked at it 4 hours later, the top was crinkly.  And although the top seems hard now, when I removed it from the mold, the bottom was soft So it’s back in the mold. A pH strip says it’s around 11. Any thoughts?
> View attachment 61553


 Have made 4 batches of ZNSC (1just about 30min ago) & all previous batches got very hard, very fast. The only time I’ve seen “brain” like top once was with a palm, OO & CO batch & we decided the top was brainy from possibly overheating our oils.  But we were guessing. Soap was fine just a skosh lumpy. What recipe did you choose?


----------



## ResolvableOwl

Arlo said:


> the top was crinkly. And although the top seems hard now, when I removed it from the mold, the bottom was soft So it’s back in the mold. A pH strip says it’s around 11. Any thoughts?


*Alien Brains!* are a purely cosmetic issue. You can plane it off if you dislike how it looks, or just leave it as is. As long as your recipe is sound (when in doubt, cross-check with a different lye calculator), and you've got to stable emulsion, it's fine soap. Give it a few days.
ad pH: Don't mind. Besides this, it's much too early to worry about lye-heavy soap anyway. Wear gloves when handling it, and you're on the safe side. Do a zap test after a week or so.


----------



## Arlo

Zany_in_CO said:


> It's hard to say. To troubleshoot, we need more info. It's best to share your detailed recipe and blow by blow description of your process.




Ok, here goes! As per soapcalc:
500g olive oil (Costco olive oil; not EV)
115g Faux sea water
68g NaOH

I infused overnight about 75g of the oil with about 1 Tbsp broken up bay leaves thinking I'd get a greenish tinge, but the oil did not change color at all.

Lye and oils were within the 103F - 105F range.
Stick blended until very light trace. [I know the recipe said "until emulsion" but I was not sure enough of myself on this. The trace was really, really light. I SB'd by pulsing/stirring/momentarily resting for about 10 minutes.]
Poured into mold; tapped; sprayed w/99% alcohol.
Covered w/plastic wrap, then covered with cardboard, then wrapped in a bath towel.

I did see something recently about alien brains on EverydayElly so I will try to find that. And will do other research.

If this is only cosmetic, I'm not that concerned as I saw this as experimental.
Thanks for everyone for their input.
Edit: room temp was about 64F.


----------



## AliOop

We've got some interesting threads here on SMF about alien brains - you can find them using the search bar at the top of the page. Typical pH strips are not very helpful for testing soap, as they are not likely to be very accurate. They also don't tell you whether the soap is lye-heavy or not. If that's what you were trying to check, a zap test is going to be your best bet.


----------



## LynetteO

Author states that recipe without color &  scent,   is safe for even the most sensitive skin. I keep trying to color my ZNSC batches & just can’t get the color to stick. Pretty sure the faux sea H2O is to blame. Rather than adding more & more color when I clearly wasn’t “seeing” any purple hues, after adding mica premixed w/ glycerin.  I decided to let it be. Glad I chose that path considering even the purple confetti shreds aren’t showing & overall result matched confetti shreds better this way. 
Also worth mentioning that the fragrance is different with the loaf bars that went thru gel phase. The scent is basically non existent. Where as, the cavity molds that did NOT gel are lightly scented. I used “earth meets sky” by Nurture Soap.  I was prepared for a light scent with only adding 15g F/O to a 900g (oils) batch.


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## Catscankim

i am a castile soap hater LOL. But I followed ZNSC recipe and I have the most wonderful soap ever. I used no colorants and no fragrance. It is a nice white, super hard bar. I love this soap. It is so pretty all by itself.

Out of the mold it had an odd OO color, but the longer it cured, the whiter it got. My bars right now are about 6 months old. I never used them because like I said, I hate castile soap lol. But this one sent me over the top. I have regular castile soap that I made a year and a half ago, and I won't use it to even wash my hands at the sink.

i am waiting on my order of essential oils, so I might make another batch with Lavender EO this week, but I love the white so much, that I am not going to add any color to this one either.


----------



## Zany_in_CO

Arlo said:


> Ok, here goes! As per soapcalc:


I'm sorry your batch turned out the way it did. From what you wrote, you did good. I don't see anything wrong with your process. With a little more experience you may be able to figure it out for yourself. 


Arlo said:


> I infused overnight about 75g of the oil with about 1 Tbsp broken up bay leaves thinking I'd get a greenish tinge, but the oil did not change color at all.


Hmmm.  It t'were me, I would have used 28g bay leaves in the total 500g olive oil the same way I make *Carrot Tissue Oil* to achieve a nice green.  However, the one time I used comfrey infused oil to make ZNSC, the color faded. I suspect the salt water is the culprit. Just guessing.


LynetteO said:


> I keep trying to color my ZNSC batches & just can’t get the color to stick. Pretty sure the faux sea H2O is to blame.


 That makes 2 of us.


Catscankim said:


> I love the white so much, that I am not going to add any color to this one either.


Me too. It kinda stands out against the riot of color going on in other threads.


----------



## Bubble Agent

LynetteO said:


> I keep trying to color my ZNSC batches & *just can’t get the color to stick. *
> 
> ...I used “earth meets sky” by Nurture Soap.  I was prepared for a light scent with only adding *15g F/O to a 900g* (oils) batch.



Aha! I thought my Black Raspberry vanilla was a bit dull compared to how it usually is!

I have made 2 colored batches of ZNSC (I did 80% olive, 15 coconut, 5 castor.) One was with Black Raspberry vanilla from Nurture, with colors that  _were _red, black and white, but after a few days turned into pink, grey and white

(I may re-name into _Bland Razzmaybe Vanill' ish)_

The other one was sharp yellow, turned into a soft yellow (not a biggie that one). This has never happened to me before, the colors are always so crisp and bright in my recipe, so when the faux seawater was mentioned here I realized that would be why my colors went _pfffth_...!

The duller yellow color works out just fine, I was testing my own blend of essential oils I use in my cleaning spray for the kitchen, to see if it works in cp soap, which it does. So that color ended up perfect for the blend anyway.
(I should go and add that blend to EO calc, it is a total sticker at 3% in soaps.)

*15 grams of fragrance in 900 grams of oils*, that was not a lot, I agree. That is in the ballpark of 1.6% fragrance, or something? _(right?)_

Btw - fun to try the faux seawater! I have made olive, coconut, castor soaps before many times, but never with this type of water. Fun!


----------



## ScentimentallyYours

Just made my first batch of @Zany_in_CO’s NSC with 5% castor and 10% coconut. I made the quart of faux sea water, making sure to dissolve all sea salt and sodium bicarbonate. When I added sodium hydroxide, I could not get all of it to dissolve.  Of course, I didn’t realize that until I had poured it into my oils.   I went ahead and stick blended everything and stuck it in the oven to keep it mildly warm since it is a small batch. I anticipate that I will have to throw it out tomorrow.

So now I am starting over, this time making sure I can get the sodium hydroxide to dissolve in the faux sea water first. Unfortunately, not all of the beads of sodium hydroxide have dissolved. In fact it appears that some of the salt and sodium bicarb are coming out of solution. Has anyone else had problems getting the faux sea water + sodium hydroxide into full solution?

Maybe I should also mention I used tapwater, which is hard in my community.


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## Bubble Agent

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Just made my first batch of @Zany_in_CO’s NSC with 5% castor and 10% coconut. I made the quart of faux sea water, making sure to dissolve all sea salt and sodium bicarbonate. When I added sodium hydroxide, I could not get all of it to dissolve.  Of course, I didn’t realize that until I had poured it into my oils.   I went ahead and stick blended everything and stuck it in the oven to keep it mildly warm since it is a small batch. I anticipate that I will have to throw it out tomorrow.
> 
> So now I am starting over, this time making sure I can get the sodium hydroxide to dissolve in the faux sea water first. Unfortunately, not all of the beads of sodium hydroxide have dissolved. In fact it appears that some of the salt and sodium bicarb are coming out of solution. Has anyone else had problems getting the faux sea water + sodium hydroxide into full solution?
> 
> Maybe I should also mention *I used tapwater, which is hard* in my community.



Sorry to hear about your troubles
I think you will be right to throw out the soap _if _it has undissolved lye crystals in it. I don`t know if it is any point to rebatch it if you are not sure if you can get it to dissolve properly if you do, and it is a small batch, as you said.

And I don`t know for sure if your hard water could be the cause or at least contribute a great deal to the issue of the water, but it really doesn`t do you _any _favours in this case either. 

*Can you get a hold of distilled water? Or demineralized water/de-ionized water? (the type you can use to refill the water in a car battery) *

When I made the faux seawater I had no issues, the water was cloudy but no undisolved grains of salt or the bicarbonate. The lye dissolved just fine when I portioned out the part to use as my lye water. The rest of the quart I set asside in the fridge.


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## ScentimentallyYours

Bubble Agent said:


> Sorry to hear about your troubles
> I think you will be right to throw out the soap _if _it has undissolved lye crystals in it. I don`t know if it is any point to rebatch it if you are not sure if you can get it to dissolve properly if you do, and it is a small batch, as you said.
> 
> And I don`t know for sure if your hard water could be the cause or at least contribute a great deal to the issue of the water, but it really doesn`t do you _any _favours in this case either.
> 
> *Can you get a hold of distilled water? Or demineralized water/de-ionized water? (the type you can use to refill the water in a car battery) *
> 
> When I made the faux seawater I had no issues, the water was cloudy but no undisolved grains of salt or the bicarbonate. The lye dissolved just fine when I portioned out the part to use as my lye water. The rest of the quart I set asside in the fridge.


All the salt and bicarb dissolved before I mixed it with lye.  I came back out and tried mixing the clear faux sea water (tap) with lye beads again.  Once again, all of the lye did not dissolve and the sea salt and sodium bicarbonate started to come out of solution. 

So I dumped out all of the first sea water made with tapwater and started over again with distilled water to make faux sea water at a more concentrated strength in order to mix it with my masterbatched lye 1:1 solution. This time the solution was dissolved and clear when I mixed it, but then…

The solution turned cloudy, and then flakes started appearing on top and eventually in the solution itself as I measured out the oils. I went ahead and blended everything together anyway and poured it into the molds.

I will see what I have in the way of soap in the morning. Somewhere in the house among soaping supplies I have phenolphthalein to test for excess lye. I won’t try to re-batch because I doubt sodium hydroxide beads would dissolve and incorporate into the soap during a cook.

Thank you for your advice!


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## ResolvableOwl

When you're working with (hard) tap water, (bi)carbonate will precipitate some of the Ca/Mg. It appears as if some of the “faux sea water minerals” have precipitated, but it's actually limestone. Lye made with tap water is cloudy (that's one of the reasons why one shouldn't use hard water for soapmaking).


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## ScentimentallyYours

ResolvableOwl said:


> When you're working with (hard) tap water, (bi)carbonate will precipitate some of the Ca/Mg. It appears as if some of the “faux sea water minerals” have precipitated, but it's actually limestone. Lye made with tap water is cloudy (that's one of the reasons why one shouldn't use hard water for soapmaking).


Except for the faux sea water, I always use distilled water. My thought was that some of the natural minerals in tapwater would make it even more like sea water.  Something precipitated out of the sea water made with distilled water, too. When he gets out of his meeting online, I can ask the resident hydrogeologist about water used to make faux seawater.


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## Bubble Agent

ScentimentallyYours said:


> I will see what I have in the way of soap in the morning.


You`re welcome, sorry I couldn`t be of better help! Hope it works out for you, and that it works out somehow. Don`t give up!
Oh, and you have an hydrogeologist stashed around somewhere? How convenient



ResolvableOwl said:


> When you're working with (hard) tap water, (bi)carbonate will precipitate some of the Ca/Mg. It appears as if some of the “faux sea water minerals” have precipitated, but it's actually *limestone*. Lye made with tap water is cloudy (that's one of the reasons why one shouldn't use hard water for soapmaking).



Ok, so limestone eh? Interesting!  I`ll bear that in mind so I can _smack someone in the head_ share that info next time someone keeps asking me why I "feel the need" to use _speshul_ water,_ "when water is seriously just water, no need to get so fancy..."_


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## ResolvableOwl

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Except for the faux sea water, I always use distilled water.


Hmm. Then I'm not sure what's happening. The chloride and carbonate are close to their solubility limit in a 1.7:1 hydroxide lye. Maybe it's a matter of temperature fine-tuning? Gritty precipitates, even if harmless, don't make well in a soap that is intended to look smooth and clean.

@Bubble Agent
Well yes, carbonate will remove dissolved calcium from solution. Regardless if it's from soda ash (old home remedy for water softening), ZNSC faux sea water (carbonate from bicarbonate + hydroxide), thermal decomposition of bicarbonate (aka scale in boilers, washing machines, and kettles), or burping plankton, building up limestone deposits on the ocean floor over the eons.


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## ScentimentallyYours

Bubble Agent said:


> You`re welcome, sorry I couldn`t be of better help! Hope it works out for you, and that it works out somehow. Don`t give up!
> Oh, and you have an hydrogeologist stashed around somewhere? How convenient
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, so limestone eh? Interesting!  I`ll bear that in mind so I can _smack someone in the head_ share that info next time someone keeps asking me why I "feel the need" to use _speshul_ water,_ "when water is seriously just water, no need to get so fancy..."_


I have been contemplating the best way to get the resident hydrogeologist to engage in the finer points of making soap. Or to engage in any part of making soap at all. My thought is to hand Kevin Dunn’s book to him and have him read through the chemistry part. Any other ideas?


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## Zany_in_CO

ScentimentallyYours said:


> I anticipate that I will have to throw it out tomorrow.






Obviously, I have problems with anyone throwing a batch out. Haha I suggest you give the soap a chance to do its thing. Put it somewhere and forget about it. Over time, you may be surprised. At the very least, you'll learn something.


ScentimentallyYours said:


> Has anyone else had problems getting the faux sea water + sodium hydroxide into full solution?


This is a new one for me. Perplexing (scratches head). Once the NaOH is added to the sea water, it should heat up enough for the beads to dissolve. Is it possible the NaOH is old or maybe flat due to being exposed to the air?


ScentimentallyYours said:


> So I dumped out all of the first sea water made with tapwater and started over again with distilled water to make faux sea water at a more concentrated strength in order to mix it with my masterbatched lye 1:1 solution.


Okay, I don't understand what you're doing here. Are you adding NaOH to faux sea water at a ratio of 1.7 water to 1 NaOH and then adding that to your masterbatched lye solution? If so, don't do that. 


ScentimentallyYours said:


> Somewhere in the house among soaping supplies I have phenolphthalein to test for excess lye.


Phenolphthalein drops work well to test liquid soap. There's really no need for them in hard bars (as far as I know).


ScentimentallyYours said:


> I won’t try to re-batch because I doubt sodium hydroxide beads would dissolve and incorporate into the soap during a cook.


Earlier today I came across this thread about *COLD PROCESS REBATCH*. It involved a 3-month old batch of Castile soap. Might be an option? Not sure. But it wouldn't hurt to wait 3 months before deciding.


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## ScentimentallyYours

Helloooo from the bottom of the rabbit hole!  Guess what happens when you blend sodium bicarbonate with sodium hydroxide in solution? You get sodium carbonate + water. (washing soda)
“Sodium bicarbonate reacts with bases such as sodium hydroxide to form carbonates: *NaHCO3 + NaOH → Na2CO3 + H2O*.”
More info: Why is a mixture of NaOH and NaHCO3 incompatible?
So this gets me wondering about what’s going on with @Zany_in_CO’s special blend.

I don’t think it would’ve made a difference, but I did not let the Sea salt and baking soda age overnight. I spoke to the resident hydrogeologist, who thought that some of the soda or salt could have precipitated out based on very high pH. Tomorrow I will repeat mixing faux sea water for ZNSC and take pictures as it ages for five minutes.

@Zany_in_CO, The NaOH and sea salt and sodium bicarbonate are all fresh. My master batch of lye, used in the 3rd try, is a 1:1 solution. For the soap, I made a concentrated faux sea water and added .7% to make the total a ratio of 1.7:1 for the lye solution. (not sure how to explain it, but I hope you get the idea.) The formula ended up with the right amount of water and lye for the soap according to your recipe.
But wait. If mixing in liquid at 1.7, some of that weight is sea salt and sodium bicarbonate, not water. My understanding is that is how you formulated your recipe, correct? Technically the water ratio is not actually 1.7, but that is the amount of the faux sea water?

My understanding is that
Phenolphthalein can be used to test for excess Alkali in bar soap by first dissolving the soap in distilled water. Do you think that would work?

I plan to repeat my sea water and lye mix tomorrow in the daylight and take pictures. I noticed that some other people very early on in the thread had some strange reactions in their water. And now I want to know what is happening with turning the lye and bicarb into washing soda and what that does to a soap recipe.

Oh, and the resident hydrogeologist informs me that we have naturally soft water.  I guess my first two flaky solutions were not due to high mineral content in the water after all.


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## Zany_in_CO

ScentimentallyYours said:


> But wait. If mixing in liquid at 1.7, some of that weight is sea salt and sodium bicarbonate, not water. My understanding is that is how you formulated your recipe, correct? Technically *the water ratio is not actually 1.7, but that is the amount of the faux sea water?*


Correct. 


ScentimentallyYours said:


> I plan to repeat my sea water and lye mix tomorrow


NOT a good idea.  Make the lye solution *with the faux sea water only*. TIP: I add the sea salt and sodium bicarbonate to some of the water, stir, and nuke it in the microwave for a minute. Stir. Nuke again if it isn't completely dissolved. Then add enough water to make a quart. Refrigerate. It should be clear. 


ScentimentallyYours said:


> My understanding is that
> Phenolphthalein can be used to test for excess Alkali in bar soap by first dissolving the soap in distilled water. Do you think that would work?


If @DeeAnna were here, she would tell you that's the way to test the pH of bar soap, i.e., it's NOT a way to test for excess alkali. With all due respect, you're over-thinking the process. It's simply not necessary. If you follow the directions precisely, you will be amazed at the result.


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## ScentimentallyYours

Zany_in_CO said:


> Correct.
> 
> NOT a good idea.  Make the lye solution *with the faux sea water only*. TIP: I add the sea salt and sodium bicarbonate to some of the water, stir, and nuke it in the microwave for a minute. Stir. Nuke again if it isn't completely dissolved. Then add enough water to make a quart. Refrigerate. It should be clear.
> 
> If @DeeAnna were here, she would tell you that's the way to test the pH of bar soap, i.e., it's NOT a way to test for excess alkali. With all due respect, you're over-thinking the process. It's simply not necessary. If you follow the directions precisely, you will be amazed at the result.


I followed the directions precisely the first time. Some of the sodium hydroxide did not dissolve, despite the temperature. My understanding is that we should never put lye solution in the microwave. 
What kind of sea salt do you use? Do you know how much a tablespoon of it weighs? Phenolphthalein is recommended by Kevin Dunn on page 12 of scientific soap making to use for the analysis of pH in finished soaps.  My concern is that I believe I saw undissolved bits of lye that may not incorporate into the finished soap. I will go check information on the proper way to test for residual lye unless you have a link to share. In the meantime, perhaps @DeeAnna will come put me straight.


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## LynetteO

@Zany_in_CO You are so correct in that, if directions are followed a beautiful soap is born. I had a coworker & friend ask me to make them a batch of soap & I said “sure, but you have to try a ZanyNSC bar 1st. I’m  taking her some tomorrow. I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again… THANK YOU for all your hard work, fine tuning & best of all SHARING such a wonderful recipe!


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## ResolvableOwl

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Helloooo from the bottom of the rabbit hole!


There's a bottom??? 



ScentimentallyYours said:


> you have a link to share. In the meantime, perhaps @DeeAnna will come put me straight.


Not @DeeAnna , but here is the link anyway: “Phenolphthalein drops and pH test strips are notoriously inaccurate”.
Point is, the phenolphthalein colour change happens just in the pH region of the buffer range of soaps (FAs + FA alkali salts), i. e. the indicator is insensitive to rather large additions of acid/base. Plus, soaps are mixtures of different FAs, so where exactly the pink colour emerges, depends heavily on the recipe (FA chain lengths, superfat, …)! Soap that stays colourless might be lye-heavy, and soap that turns magenta might be just fine (e. g., soda ash is purely aesthetic, yet alkaline enough to trigger a false alarm wrt pH indicators).


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## Zany_in_CO

ScentimentallyYours said:


> My understanding is that we should never put lye solution in the microwave.


You are correct.
  Do NOT put lye in the microwave. I guess I wasn't clear. To make the faux sea water, I nuke ONLY  the baking soda and sea salt  to get it thoroughly dissolved before adding more water to make a quart.


ScentimentallyYours said:


> What kind of sea salt do you use? Do you know how much a tablespoon of it weighs?


Morton's.
Um, you can easily answer the second question by weighing it, yes?


ScentimentallyYours said:


> Phenolphthalein is recommended by Kevin Dunn


Cathy, dear heart, it's best to leave Kevin Dunn / phenolphthalein out of this conversation. Remember 20 years ago when you were making soap regularly? Don't overthink this. Let the failed batches do their thing over time and deal with that later. What you need right now, to my mind at least, is the experience of making a successful batch.

GOOD LUCK & HAPPY SOAPING! 

ETA: If you have any more questions, or to post your results, please start a new thread. You can reference back to this conversation with this link:
*https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/page-35#post-914377*
Thanks.


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## Bubble Agent

ScentimentallyYours said:


> I have been contemplating the best way to get the resident hydrogeologist to engage in the finer points of making soap. Or to engage in any part of making soap at all. My thought is to hand Kevin Dunn’s book to him and have him read through the chemistry part. Any other ideas?



A great start! You could ALSO give him a couple of soaps and make him wash his hands in a LOT of different types of water, that will make him experience how a soap will act differently in _very hard water, soft water, distilled water, carbonated water, a thousand year old glacier water_, and other waters like an aficionado like him probably has stashed under his bed. (_a waterbed. Obv_)

 The possebillities are endless! He may even end up starting from fresh, with a clean slate... 
*insert lame smirk here*


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## ScentimentallyYours

I threw the first batch ZNSC out. Better safe than sorry.  The second batch came out great. I cut it this morning and have it up on the rack to cure. I plan to make another batch this evening, but this time, I’m not going to use a stick blender. Hate seeing those air bubbles in beautiful soap.
Thank you for developing and sharing your formula, @Zany_in_CO!


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## AliOop

@Zany_in_CO and @ScentimentallyYours

In this other thread, I actually did the calculations to figure out how to use 1:1 master-batched lye solution with the correct amount of extra water, salt, and bicarb to make the equivalent of faux sea water. It worked out just fine, and I was thrilled not to have to make separate sea water and extra lye solution.


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## Zany_in_CO

AliOop said:


> In this other thread, I actually did the calculations to figure out how to use 1:1 master-batched lye solution with the correct amount of extra water, salt, and bicarb to make the equivalent of faux sea water.


Brilliant! I bookmarked it.


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## ScentimentallyYours

AliOop said:


> @Zany_in_CO and @ScentimentallyYours
> 
> In this other thread, I actually did the calculations to figure out how to use 1:1 master-batched lye solution with the correct amount of extra water, salt, and bicarb to make the equivalent of faux sea water. It worked out just fine, and I was thrilled not to have to make separate sea water and extra lye solution.


Thank you @AliOop!  Yes, that is how I prepared the faux sea water for the second, successful batch of ZNSC. The only question I’d had was regarding variations in the weight of a tablespoon of sea salt. I have a couple with different sized grains. In measuring, I can also end up with weight variations with the same large grained salt from one tablespoon to another. That’s why using weight instead of volume is helpful in soap formulas. I appreciate your help!


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## AliOop

ScentimentallyYours said:


> Thank you @AliOop!  Yes, that is how I prepared the faux sea water for the second, successful batch of ZNSC. The only question I’d had was regarding variations in the weight of a tablespoon of sea salt. I have a couple with different sized grains. In measuring, I can also end up with weight variations with the same large grained salt from one tablespoon to another. That’s why using weight instead of volume is helpful in soap formulas. I appreciate your help!


I thought about that issue as well, and decided to stick with one kind of salt for this recipe, so I know that the weight is . But I guess that doesn't help the rest of you who might be using a different kind of salt. I believe the problem remains whether you switch to volume or stick with weight - your final resulting measurement may not be exact. But I also don't believe that every sample of sea water will be the same either, and that whatever we create is going to be close enough for those of us who aren't working under strict regulations.


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## earlene

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


Zany, I finally gave your No-Slime Castile a try and I am impressed!

I was traveling, and did no have a true "Tablespoon" for the measuring of the Bicarb and Salt, but I'm not bad at guesstimating cooking measurements, so I think it was close enough.  Nor did I have my IFR thermometer, but I felt that I could sort of tell by hand feel when the oil (heated in microwave oven) & lye solution were about in your recommended range.  The only real deviance was that I thought I had brought a bottle of distilled water, but had forgotten that I had bought drinking water (same size & shape container at Walmart) when I found the distilled water had all been sold out and there was only drinking water left on the shelf.  So that's what I used, rather than go out and look for it in another store in Texarkana (where I was at the time.)

I used [38% Lye] & 0% SF and it went very fast for a plain olive oil recipe.  It was all done, swirled & molded within a half hour of starting, I think (aside from the faux seawater preparation, which I did the night before), and possibly a bit longer waiting for the lye solution to cool enough, but I didn't really time it to the minute.

Because I was traveling and didn't really want to cut another soap free hand, I left it in the mold 2 days (about 30 hours maybe) and it was so hard, I was really not expecting it, even though you stated above to cut on Day 2.

This soap reminds me a lot of soap made with vinegar to harden via Sodium Acetate.  It's got the same smooth surface and getting a sheen on the surface with a polishing cloth is super easy with this soap.  It may also be a lot like the surface of a high Palm oil soap, but it reminds me more of the vinegar soap somehow.  And the amount of bubbles from the clean-up after planing & beveling was really nice, very sudsy, which I wasn't quite expecting, having added nothing to enhance bubbles.

I am looking forward to making this again, as well as to test the soap at 6-8 weeks.  I'll try and remember to bring some with me on our Christmas trip as that will be about 8 weeks out and there will be 5 of us to get some feedback on how it compares to an older Castile (I don't have any other young Castile to compare.)

Next time I may use *AliOop's calculations* to create this soap using my MB lye & the appropriate amount of Salt & Bicarb to get the correct faux-seawater lye solution.

Thank you for sharing your recipe!


ETA:  No color weirdness noted in the soap I made, but will keep an eye on it.  The colors are as bright & vibrant at day #4 as when I made the soap.  I mention this because a couple of pages back there were folks who experienced muted colors & thought it was the faux seawater.  So I'll watch & report back if the colors fade.


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## Zany_in_CO

earlene said:


> Zany, I finally gave your No-Slime Castile a try and I am impressed!


WOO HOO! Coming from you, that is high praise indeed!


----------



## laraffinee

Wow...thank you, Zany! I have been looking for a good recipe for a Castile Brine Soap and this sure sounds like what I have been looking for!

I am a Doctor and I have always appreciated the importance of pure, gentle, basic soap in maintaining the health of our skin. I have several hundred bars of soap from around the world (really!) in my research about the healing effects of a gentle soap especially for eczema and psoriasis. I thought of visiting Marseille and the traditional soap makers there, and I may still do that, but I am going to start at home and make a batch of this soap. If that goes well, I will experiment will adding herbal extracts to it.  Question - liquid herbal extracts, would they be added to the water mixture before adding to the oil or after it starts to trace?  Thank you so much!


----------



## Peachy Clean Soap

Zany_in_CO said:


> This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?! )
> 
> ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
> Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
> 
> 1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
> 1 quart warm water
> 1 Tablespoon sea salt
> 1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> 
> I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to  35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
> 1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
> 0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
> 
> Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).  Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25  minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.)  Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate.  Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> UNMOLD   in 12-24 hours
> CUT   Day 2
> CURE   Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
> 
> If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
> 
> VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.


this time I booked marked it


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## Zany_in_CO

laraffinee said:


> Question - liquid herbal extracts, would they be added to the water mixture before adding to the oil or after it starts to trace? Thank you so much!


LOL You're welcome so much! 
Great question!  To avoid adding to an already overloaded thread, please start a new thread *"Herbal Extracts in ZNSC"* or something along those lines. This will enable more members to see it and contribute... myself included.


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## Mobjack Bay

Post has been moved here: Latest ZNSC

@Zany_in_CO I’m curious as to why you are classifying my soap as a variation.  I used  the recipe you provided for the coconut and castor version. A quick search of this thread reveals many previous posts about making ZNSC with coconut and castor (including over the last few weeks) and with variations in temp and lye concentration.  Also, the post you mention below is my post, this one.  Did you mean to reference a different post?


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## Zany_in_CO

Mobjack Bay said:


> Post has been moved here: Latest ZNSC


Perfect!


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## AliOop

@Zany_in_CO I think the best way to address your concerns is to ask the mods to lock the thread to any further replies. If they decline to do so, and the thread remains open, then people will continue to post here since the mods have decided to allow it. 

I will admit that it is a bit confusing to me, and perhaps others, as to why some of the recent posts are ok with you, and others aren't.  Not trying to argue - just letting you know how things look on this end of the screen.

Have a blessed day.


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## Zany_in_CO

@Mobjack Bay @AliOop  I sent you each a PM.



AliOop said:


> I think the best way to address your concerns is to ask the mods to lock the thread to any further replies.


Good idea! I'll try that.


----------

