2nd CP Soap

[lafemmeknitkita]

Hi again

So I tried making CP a second time, and this time I have attached a full picture

As you can see there are some holes, but I think those are from air pockets? The batter went from no trace to medium trace fairly quickly (but I think that may be because I added the lye water which was at about 110 degree's to the oils that were at 135ish degrees?), and got even thicker once I added the lilac fragrance, so once I was putting it into the mold, it was super thick. So I think even tamping the mold failed to get all the air pockets out. I see nothing in the pockets and I was able to cut it and wash the mold with my bar hands with no "zap" or burn. I did touch my fingers to my tongue and felt a little tingle, but I am assuming that is because it has only been 24 hours since it was put in the mold? There does seem to be a little smidge of moisture on it, but I think possibly the FO did not completely absorb because of the very thick trace it had. I am keeping it and testing it with the pH strips I am getting next week. Do I wait for full cure time to test?

What does it look like to the experts here?

My recipe is that I used is: ETA: this was ran through SoapCalc

Sweet Almond Oil - 1.3 oz
Coconut Oil (76 degree) - 3.9 oz
Olive Oil - 3.9 oz
Palm Oil - 2.6 oz
Shea Butter - 1.3 oz
Water - 5 oz
Lye - 1.9 oz
Lilac FO - .5 oz
Oxide colorants mixed with a little of the sweet almond oil (taken from the 1.3 oz above, mixed in at medium trance with the FO).
Superfat @ 3%

Suggestions? Constructive criticism? Did my oil temp cause the accelerated trace? Sorry for all the questions

Can I also share that I just found out I passed my states Bar Exam?

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions.

 

[Obsidian]

It very pretty, I like the subtle colors. Lilac FO is known to accelerate trace as are many florals and spice scents. The pockets are just from pouring thick so no worries there. If you have soap that accelerates and you still need to stir, switch to hand mixing.

That slight tingle you felt was mild zap which is normal so soon after pouring, it will go away in another day or so. I've heard the test strips are kinda worthless for soap, a nice long cure should be all you need.

I didn't put your recipe through soapcal, do you happen to have the cleansing numbers and what not handy to post? I suspect it will have a high cleansing number which could make a drying bar, especially with such a low superfat. Usually you want to keep your coconut oil at 20% or lower. I would also suggest leaving superfat at 5 or even increasing it to 7-8, depending on your skin type.

 

[lafemmeknitkita]

Hi! The numbers from SoapCalc are:

Hardness - 44
Cleansing - 20
Conditioning - 52
Bubbly - 20
Creamy - 24
Iodine - 55

I thought I would get a pack of the strips just to use until I become more accustomed to CP soaping, and it will keep me from worrying about Lye. I do think I will be bumping my superfat up to 5%, why I chose 3% is beyond me. Thanks for the compliment, reply & info! The colors came out more subtle than I wanted but I know coloring will be a learning process, which I welcome.

 

[sistrum]

Your soap looks lovely. Good job. I agree with the superfat % being more. Five percent is a good minimum, lower could cause problems for some people. Unfortunately PH strips don't work correctly on soap. Most people find keeping the lauric acid in soaps at 12% or under still gives plenty of bubbles without being to cleansing. (A Coconut oil fatty acid). Give it a nice long cure and it should be fine.

 

[Obsidian]

Those numbers aren't too bad, if you have dry skin try a 8% superfat. I'd wait at least 6 weeks before using your strips, 8 would be even better.

I still have trouble with colors, they are either too light or too vivid but I'm getting it figured out. Did your soap gel? That can intensify some types of colors. My pink and light pink batch went bright pink and eye bleeding pink when it gelled.

 

[lafemmeknitkita]

I didn't even attempt gel because I am using a small 1 lb silicone mold. I tried gelling my first batch, and it partial gelled since the mold was so small. I am making really small batches right now just to play and get a feel for things. My husband built me a 2lb wood mold to use, and I think I will try gelling with that. If not, I will be moving into the larger molds when I get a better feel for trace, etc.

Thanks for the encouraging words you guys !

 

[savonierre]

That turned out very pretty..

 

[CaraCara]

Congrats on passing your bar exam!
It's difficult to get the air pockets out of batter that accelerates so don't worry about those. Your soap looks soft and lovely. I just made a couple of mini batches tonight, one with Wisteria Lilac FO in a pure castille soap that accelerated and traced in about a minute, believe it or not. Smells heavenly though. Like the others mentioned, don't bother with the test strips. Give your soap a few days to settle and then do a zap test.

 

[innerdiva73]

Nice soap!! As far as the little wholes just bang blender at the bottom once inside the mixture right before you blend to decrease air pockets.
Yay, Congrats on the Bar!!