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I agree.....a batch that small isn't a good idea, especially measured in oz. I hesitate to recommend it even in grams, which is what I use. It may be fine in a couple of weeks, or it may still zap. If your soap does zap after the maximum time length......put on some gloves, and shred it...

I use my regular recipe except I add about 2% stearic acid, up the castor to 10%, and add 1 Tbsp bentonite clay PPO. The bentonite works better than the other clays.

I find that making castile with a 40% lye solution makes the trace time and unmold time much quicker. Cure time......carebear is right.....it's just not at its best until it's cured a good long time.

I have never had it turn brown in the lye water.

Hello and welcome!

I read that yesterday over at another forum I belong to, and my blood ran cold. :shock:

No help with whiteness, but it will help with the bubbles a little if you mix it into some of your reserved water, and then add it to your lye solution. Make sure to dissolve it in a little water first or you will have gobs of sugar in your solution.

Congratulations! I used to have hands that got red and raw, cuticles that split, and constantly broke out in hives. Don't know for sure how much this has to do with it, but since I started making my own bath, laundry, and general cleaning soaps, I haven't had a hive, my cutiles are fine...

:lol: Don't know about the king, but here is one of my other favorite sites.... http://www.automaticwasher.org :lol: Now these folks can teach all of us something about laundry.....especially Launderess over there....she is a walking reference library of fabric care. I'm in awe of her.

No offense taken GoddessMama.....it sounds pretty orthodox at first. Let me explain my logic. Kerosene is flammable but isn't explosive like gasoline, but you're not using it for direct skin contact, and it's rinsing away. Plus, you're using about 1 1/2 oz in a pound of soap, putting a small...

I use quite a bit.....about an ounce per pound and then use some kaolin to help anchor it. Lately, I've just been using about 1.5 oz of kerosene in the place of the orange EO. Stinks like crazy but there isn't an oily spot that stands a chance. Kinda like homemade Fels Naptha.

I'm one of those impatient souls who does CPHP on HIGH and watches it like a hawk.....don't enjoy cleaning up molten soap volcanoes :lol: I've never had a problem with undercooking or crumbly batches.

Unless it's changed recently here in the USA, I don't think you have to label ingredients at all with just soap. Most soapmakers do it as a courtesy, and because we are a considerate, ethical bunch for the most part. :)

I don't sell, but I give lots away. No one has ever expressed a preference for the pretty fancy stuff, or for the plain ol' bars. So, I do big slabs now that I cut into bars. :)

I'm a lefty and it's been impossible to teach me to crochet, but I do knit. Do you have a picture of the soap run you would be willing to share? I think that's a GREAT idea.

I keep a can on the back of my stove like my great grandmother did. Every time I brown meat or fry something, the refuse fat goes into the can. When the can is full, I clean the fat and make a batch of soap out of it. I wouldn't want to use it as my exclusive bath soap, but it washes dishes...

Overlap???? I don't think I'm understanding your terminology.....do you happen to have a picture of what it is you want to do?

I currently work with a 50% lye concentration on my soaps. I still like to leave them for the full 4 week cure.....the soap just gets better, even if it was rock hard from the start.

It depends on how hard your water is......in the vast majority of cases, what you're doing is perfect. For some really bad water, there is always STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate). It's illegal to use in commercial detergents now, but you can still find it at The Chemistry Store. It's non-toxic...

For me......I can get a really rock hard bar with about 75% tallow or lard, 20% coconut, and about 5% castor. Up the superfat to about 7-8% and it will also be a very mild soap.