What are your perfect soapcalc numbers?

I am playing around with soapcalc to try and get the perfect bar and am having a hard time getting my bubbly up, while the cleansing lower then 14. So I wanted to know what are your perfect numbers or what are the numbers on your perfect bar?

Any ideas on how to drop the cleansing while upping the bubbly?

That is an interesting question, I don't really have perfect numbers, since every recipe varies. the one oil that will increase bubbles without increasing your cleansing is castor oil.

That I know and I maxed out my castors at 8%. I always add honey or use beer in my soaps so that probably aids my bubbly in a way soapclac does not calculate either.

sugar 1 teaspoon per pound of batch

What's considered "perfect"? I saw the suggested values on the soap calc but is there a reason for making the cleansing part lower? Does it dry out the skin? I put in a recipe I have and the numbers all came out pretty good. (First time so maybe I'm wrong haha)


Kate

Mockingbird Ramble said:

I am playing around with soapcalc to try and get the perfect bar and am having a hard time getting my bubbly up, while the cleansing lower then 14. So I wanted to know what are your perfect numbers or what are the numbers on your perfect bar?

Any ideas on how to drop the cleansing while upping the bubbly?

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There's no such thing as a "perfect" recipe.

Two of my favorite bars have skewed numbers on soapcalc so yeah, I don't really go by that. Castile bars with buttermilk are fabulous after a good year or so of cure and I absolutely love my 100% CO/Cocount milk salt bars (with like 20% superfat).

"...drop the cleansing while upping the bubbly..."

With the exception of castor, the fats that provide bubbly lather are the exact same fats that increase the cleansing number, so these two properties are directly related.

Focus on the cleansing and conditioning numbers and get them about where you want for your recipe. Use a reasonable amount of castor. Include a sensible amount of other additives that boost lather -- sugar, milk, beer, etc. And then try the recipe to see if you like it.

Dagmar is right -- there is no such thing as the perfect set of numbers. Use "the numbers" for general guidance, but don't obsess.

The labels on "the numbers" mislead people into thinking they can create a "perfect" recipe for soap. Honestly "the numbers" are really just approximate percentages of certain types of fatty acids.

Why are you so focused on 14 as your cleansing number? A higher cleansing number does not equate to drying or harsh. You want a conditioning or milder bar focus on the oils you use and your superfat. Also, soapcalc is off when it comes to castor oil. It always shows the higher amount of castor oil as being more sudsy but I find if I use more than 5% castor oil I get a lot less lather. I love castor oil and use it a lot but have learned the hard way to use it sparingly.

I also like splitting PKO and CO 50/50. I find too much coconut oil makes my skin dry and itchy but if I split it I get the same great lather without the dry itchy skin. So experiment a little. Change up your recipe and use soapcalc as a tool but your skin as your barometor.

Have been trying this too, getting the bubbly up while not losing conditioning. I recently learned that creamy is very important in the lathering because it produces a stable lather. The higher the creamy #, the more lather it will produce. Bubbly refers to the soap's ability to lather up. So, don't ignore the creamy. I don't worry much about going higher than 14 in the cleansing category, either.

What are you going to do if soap calc ever goes away? How do you expect to get help from experienced soapers that don't use the "numbers" that the people who design these soap calculators make up?
You really should formulate your soaps using the fatty acid percents of your oil and fat combinations that way no matter what calc you use your formulations will continue to improve to what ever goal you are trying to achieve. Which will always still be a personal opinion.

I think you all misunderstand what I am asking, I should have asked "what are the numbers from your favorite batch?"

I don't have fav. "Numbers". I have preferred fatty acid percents that balance my soaps cleansing, hardness and moisturizing properties to perfection.

And believe it or not "bubbles" in soap can be changed by technique and water percentages not just oils.

Also in how use wash your hands with it. My daughter in law once said that her soap did not make the bubbles that mine did, until I showed her how I used it. (They were from the same batch)

The numbers don't always tell the whole story of how the soap will bubble, lather and feels on the skin. I just tweaked my recipe until I found the combination my skin loved and my testers loved. I use SM3 so don't even know what the soap calc # would be.

I only base my recipes on the oils that I like and if I want the bars harder or more conditioning. I couldn't tell you what the individual numbers end up being when I put them in soap calc.

sistrum said:

I don't have fav. "Numbers". I have preferred fatty acid percents that balance my soaps cleansing, hardness and moisturizing properties to perfection.

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These!!! Paying attention to your fatty acid profiles will help you improve your soap and teach you a lot about soap properties. Soapcalc has a nice tutorial about fatty acid profiles.

Also, I agree with the poster who mentioned learning how to do your own calculations. I think every soaper should learn how to make their own recipes and calculate their lye and water % based on the SAP values of the oils they use. I have a spreadsheet I made so I can calculate and double check my recipes. Then I run it through a calc like soapcalc to see how it came out and if we are the same. I trust my calculations more than soapcalc but still use it a lot.

using the soapcalc.net is just a guide. it is not meant to be used as main resource for how well your soap performs. It's all about trial and errors.

Oh, Mockingbird, I think people have been reacting to "perfect" in your original question. I did, anyways. My apologies for misunderstanding.

When I look at "the numbers" in a preliminary recipe, the cleansing and conditioning values are my main interests. When I create a typical bath bar recipe, I like to see roughly 12% or so for cleansing (the sum of the % of lauric and myristic fatty acids). This keeps the solubility of my soap reasonably low, adds to the bar hardness, lathers well in cool/cold water, and creates a pleasant amount of fluffy bubbles.

For the same "typical" recipe, I like to see conditioning in the upper 50s or lower 60s (the sum of the % of oleic, ricinoleic, and linoleic fatty acids). This creates a longer lasting soap with a nice skin feel and abundant lather especially in warm water.

I don't get too fried about the other numbers. My "creamy" lather number seems to end up about twice the "fluffy" lather number, for what it's worth. The hardness number for most of my typical bath soap recipes is usually in the lower end of the "recommended" range, but all that means is that the soap might be a tad softer in the mold than someone else's. Even so, my soaps are always hard enough to unmold without problems, and they harden up well during their cure, so it's really not something I worry too much about.

I also check the INS out of curiosity -- is it close to the "recommended" range or not? -- so I have a clue if the recipe will trace fast or slow.

I hope this answers your question!

are you willing to share your spreadsheet so I can better understand how to perfect my soap?