CP Olive Oil Soap

sephera · Jul 16, 2014

Hi

I made Olive Oil 90% and Canola Oil 10% Milk Soap. Cold Process. I used 65% water to 35% Lye.

I weighted the water then added milk powder. I then froze the milk powder with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of sugar in a glass jar. Once frozen I weighed the Lye and added the Lye slowly to the milk powder. The mixture was stirred and became a cream yellow colour, at about 30' C I added the Lye solution to the oils, I got trace after 10 mins. I then added a Citrus Blend Essential Oil. Poured it into a metal tray started to go pretty hot.

After 24 hours the Soap is rock hard and Brittle and the PH is still 11. Is there a problem, why isn't the PH going down.

The Efficacious Gentleman · Jul 16, 2014

After 24 hours, there might still be some saponification going on, so it might not be finished. That said, pH testing is usually so unreliable. Does it pass a zap test at all?

sephera · Jul 16, 2014

Hi

I don't really want to do the Zap test but I am worried that this time I used a reduce water ratio, that there might not be enough water for the lye to Saponify.

shunt2011 · Jul 16, 2014

The only way to be sure is to zap test it as ph strips are not accurate but I would wait at least 24 hours. Also, you shouldn't be pouring your soap batter into metal as it can cause a reaction unless it's stainless steel. I would also be sure to line it.

seven · Jul 16, 2014

did you use a lye calc? i don't really understand the part about 65% water and 35% lye. what does it translate in oz or grams?

that said, i agree with TEG, 24 hrs is still a bit too early to judge and ph strips are notoriously unreliable.

do the zap test. it ain't as scary as it sounds.

sephera · Jul 16, 2014

Water247.798Lye - NaOH133.430 in grams

Oil Grams
Olive Oil945.0002
Canola Oil105.000

seven · Jul 16, 2014

i plugged in yer recipe and everything looks normal. my castile is also rock hard after 24 hours.

your water is still within the normal range. pretty steep discount, but doable. did you cut it yet? if the soap gets too hard it can get brittle when cut. maybe you should cut it sooner.

sephera · Jul 18, 2014

Hi I didn't insulated I think that is my problem. Can you use stainless steel moulds without lining.

sephera · Jul 18, 2014

My soap's PH is down to 8.5 which is what I want. Still drying as I think the Lye has not fully Saponified. Yes my hand is getting zapped. I am not sure if there is enough water content left to cure to rest of the Lye.

sephera · Jul 19, 2014

I made a soap with

80% Olive oil
10% Canola Oil
10% Coconut Oil

Normal 38% water to oil ratio by SoapCalc.

I love the formula, lather creaminess, hardness and consistency.

I would like to have the same characteristics but do away with Coconut oil because family members hate the coconut residue smell after using the soap. What can I do and replace coconut with?

CanaDawn · Jul 26, 2014

You don't zap test with your hand, you use your tongue. Although if you feel that your hand is being stung or zapped by the lye at this point, don't put it on your tongue, and check your scales and calculations.

Change to a different style of coconut oil that has the coconut smell removed via processing.

There's little chance you have a pH of 8.5 AND have zapping. pH testing with strips will NOT give you a good indication of your soap.

sephera · Jul 26, 2014

Ok but will Fractionated coconut which is liquid give the same hardness?

Dorymae · Jul 26, 2014

In my experience fractionated coconut oil seems to make a harder bar than the solid coconut oil. I'm not sure if it is scientifically true or if it is only my perception but I have noticed quicker hardening when I have subbed it in a recipe, and yes I did recheck lye amounts when I subbed it out.

eucalypta · Jul 26, 2014

sephera said:
Ok but will Fractionated coconut which is liquid give the same hardness?

In fact, all coconut oil is liquid, but depending on where you live.

It's even liquid here in summer.

Olive oil creates a very hard bar too...

Fractionated CO is stripped a.o. from its longer fatty acid chains, so that only the medium long ones remain. That's why it's also called MCT Oil (medium chain triglycerides).
Further bonuses: endless shelf life; light and dry oil, no scent.

It provides tons of lather and makes your soap rock hard.
It makes your batch move faster too. but I can't see you complain to that, regarding the 90% other liquid oils.

Check the properties in soapcalc! and run the recipe again for the correct amount of NaOH.

(hardness, cleansing, bubbles all 100).

BTW the cheapest CO is scentless too, and perfecet for soaping.
Never heard of anyone that could smell coconut in the soap or even the CO itself.

seven · Jul 26, 2014

eucalypta said:
Never heard of anyone that could smell coconut in the soap or even the CO itself.

me neither. even VCO doesn't leave a scent if used for soap.

sephera · Jul 26, 2014

Thanks for replies, I will try a batch of refined CO which is apparently scentless. $9.90 / Litre here And I will try a small batch of FCO, $18.70/500ml

I was really happy with my first batch of soap

80% Olive oil
10% Canola
10% Coconut Extra Virgin

I just used normal 38% distilled water of oil. Did not have a thermometer so I dumped the lye content into the oils as soon as it was all dissolved and liquid and solid oils. Traced pretty quick. It didn't become solid until 48 hours later. I then laid it in front of the fan heater for 2 hours it started to gel and I left in the sun for 5 days or so during the days. Now it's pretty rock hard after 4 weeks or so. And I love that the colour is pure white.

Ok but now I feel like I'm spending more money making soap than if I were to buy it off the shelf and from the supermarket. $2.5 for 4 bars of yellow laundry soap? $3 for a packet of 5 at ALDI?

$8 for Silicon mould, eyeing special wire cutters etc. :mrgreen:

DeeAnna · Aug 1, 2014

"...Ok but now I feel like I'm spending more money making soap than if I were to buy it off the shelf..."

Um, yeah. Welcome to the real world. :wink:

Handcrafted soap is pretty much always more expensive to make than supermarket cleansers and soaps. We don't make soap to save money, we make soap to make something better.

shunt2011 · Aug 1, 2014

I agree with DeeAnna.....we make better soap than anything you are going to buy at Aldi. More expensive but so worth it.

sephera · Aug 1, 2014

Hi

I don't think it's worth it to do a steep water discount to speed up the cure of CP olive oil soap. I did 65% water to 35% Lye. Unless you are an experienced soaper. My water discounted soap did not cut as nicely and look as smooth as my 38% water to oils batch. I may do a 30% water to oil discount.

Heavily water discounted soap is brittle and in bad shape edges knocked off etc.

sephera · Aug 2, 2014

I just did a batch

400grams of oil
20% Coconut
20% Canola
60% Olive
tsp of Salt

5% superfat for general use hand/shower soap

400grams of oil

50% Coconut
30% Olive
20% Canola
tsp of salt in water before Lye
tsp of sugar at trace for bubbles and lather.
1% Superfatting for a Delicates Hand wash Laundry soap.

I put them in a cooler bag to retain heat.

CP Olive Oil Soap

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