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Yes, you should not need much KOH and you can always add more - easier to do that than add to much KOH and have caustic soap. I don't really measure but add the KOH/water by dropperfuls checking the pH in between additions. Also keep in mind when checking pH, the pH will be lower when the soap...

Looks like you took the pH too low the the citric acid. You have to be very careful when using it and know what your staring pH is and add it just add the solution a small amount at a time. Once your soaps pH goes below about 8.5 it will start to cloud then break apart. What you can do is...

Soap is a wash off product and as such is not meant to scent your skin (or shampoo to scent your hair) - it is meant to cleanse and remove the residue as it does its job not leave stuff behind. It's job is not to deposit product onto the skin/hair. Body lotions, conditioners, perfumes are much...

First you can try to simmer out some of the excess water. 100% coconut oil liquid soap does not need a lot of water to fully dilute it. I find that mixed lye soaps don't always create a thicker soap but do give the soap more "body". The dual lye seems to be most effective on creating a...

I have tried to make cream soap with no stearic acid up front and just using some at the supercream stage. It will work and you will get a nice thick flowing liquid depending on how much water you add - BUT, it always seems to want to go translucent as it sits over time. Starts with streaks of...

Have you added anything else to your soap - fragrance or other additives? I have seen slight color changes over time, but not as drastic as what you are describing. Is is possible your soap has gone bad?

A 3 day cure - Melt and Pour Soap. There is another thread here about that same company and pics were posted of some of the soaps that were clearly not cold process soap.

To really see the differences, use the same formula and make it using water instead of glycerin and compare the two. Using water does take a bit longer for the formula to come to trace, BUT, that is also dependent on your oils. A formula with a high olive oil content can take a very long time...

I find that using 100% glycerin does make a darker soap, but others may not. I usually use 50% glycerin/50% water to get the benefits of the glycerin method without the high heat and mess. I have not used canola oil so I don't know how that would perform but would assume it would make a...

Yes, the oils will make a difference but I find using the glycerin method also creates a darker soap than using only water to dissolve your KOH.

It is hard to address thickness/dilution as each formulation is different. Some require more water than others to achieve full dilution. If you have chunks of paste, then it is not fully diluted. Start small and add water slowly. I start 1:1, allow it to dilute than add additional water as...

Salt will not thicken 100% coconut oil or mostly coconut oil soap. HEC will. I find HPMC works best on dual lye soaps. Crothix is most likely what you are referring too. Have never used it and have heard mixed results regarding its use for thickening these types of liquid soaps.

I would definitely try to improve the pics and have more offerings. You are limiting yourself with just salt soaps, but if that is the niche you are looking to focus on, then you need more choices and not just by size. Your homepage is very wordy and hard on the eyes. Maybe a nice landing...

Salt will only work to thicken liquid soaps that are very high in olive oil content - it will not thicken all soaps. The correct amount is all about trial and error as it depends on the thickness your soap is to start with and how thick you want it. The thickening happens over the course of an...

You cannot bring the ph down that low. Your soap will separate back into oil and alkali. Soap is an alkaline product, if you take the ph too low, you no longer have soap. I don't use borax at all. I superfat my soaps a small amount (1-3%) to keep them clear and they never need...

I test fragrance and EO in about 3 - 4 ounces of diluted soap and let them sit for a few days. Some will immediately cloud the soap but it will clear as it sits. Some thicken it, some thin it, some cause separation. I always start at 1:1 ratio but that is just my preference. High olive oil...

Each formulation will require a different amount of dilution water so there is no real direct answer. I don't use soapcalc so I don't know what numbers you are referring to. When I dilute soap I always start at a 1:1 ratio (less water if 100% coconut oil) and slowly add more water as needed to...

My favorite way to wrap round soaps that are not decorative is to use coffee filters. You get a very attractive packaged soap depending on how you do your labels, the soap breaths and the scent can still come through yet the soap is totally encased and stays clean.

After doing a single craft fair and using shrink-wrap bands on the cold processed soaps - I completely encase them now (with some airholes so the scent comes through and the soap can breath. You can see the soap, smell the soap and it can breath and, most importantly it remains sanitary...

This is how I do it: http://alaiynab.blogspot.com/2013/08/how-to-use-water-soluble-paper-to-embed.html