Is the main purpose of superfatting just to help avoid a lye-heavy soap? Or is it to make a soap less drying? I always do a 5% but just because that's the default on soapcalc.
a VERY simple recipe to use as a base
- Thread starter Donee'
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Why I use superfat is my very dry skin. It helps leave a little oil on me that helps seal in some moisture. If I use a lower superfat, I have to use lotion after my shower. I have stopped increasing my SF to 8% in the winter now that I live where there is hard water. It just becomes soap scum over 5%.
midnightsoaper
Well-Known Member
I could have written this! I started out at 5% and I'm up to 8%. My goal is to create a soap that allows me to skip lotion after a shower. I'm thinking I'll just have to accept that I will always need the lotion and back down on the superfat. The soap scum is pretty bad (we have liquid rock coming out of the faucets lol).
Keep in mind soap calculators use an average for SAP values so you usually will end up with some superfat. I say usually, because depending on the oils and factors such as age of the oil, you could end up with a negative superfat. On top of that soap calculators can use different SAP values and lists of Oil Sap values can vary. Quite a few variables determine what the SAP value of a particular oil. Without the knowledge and ability to test every batch of oil you use for the true SAP value you cannot know if you are changing all the fats to soap or if you may end up with a negative superfat. I soap with a low superfat but not zero for this reason. I would only use zero superfat for laundry soap, which I no longer make. I will also mention I ended up with a nasty lye heavy soap once and the only reason I could figure out was a variance in the Sap value for one of the oils. It was measured correctly and had been run through a soap calculator. I will mention I cannot go much over a 2-3% superfat due to bad plumbing, so I had to learn to make a nice balanced soap with low CO, PKO and or Babassu so it was not to stripping.
Some of the chemist here can explain it better than I but you should be able to get the idea. When it comes to soapmaking not much is set in stone unless you can properly test. New soapmakers should still use some superfat.
Long cures, 6-12 months, tend to correct some problems in soaps but I bet you do not go for long cures. Time did help the soap, but it was never a nice soap and was not sold. Ironically, it was a recipe from a well know soapmaker and teacher
Sorry everyone, this post is a bit rambly, it is just one of those days
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