Avocado oil cure time?

[KiwiMoose]

Hello lovely peeps,
I have recently switched to using 10% avocado oil in my batches instead of 10% apricot kernel oil.
I have also recently noticed that the batches are taking longer to set up in the moulds before turning out. They’re a bit ‘tacky’ on the outer edges. So I’ve taken to unmolding them after 24hrs, but leaving them to sit uncut for a further 24 hours to harden up, and then cutting.
Putting two and two together, do you think this change to avocado oil is what is causing the softer soap?

 

[cmzaha]

I find any changes can, many times, act differently so it is possible. I do not use Apricot Oil in soap so I am no help there but I do not have trouble with AVO at 10-15%.

 

[lenarenee]

Possibly - avocado oil is higher in unsaponifiables than many other oils.

Why the change from Apricot oil? Just curious - I've never tried and would if there was a better price for it.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I can get AKO for $NZ18 per litre, and AvO for $NZ19, so it's similar pricing - just thought I would use avocado for its higher palmitic value. Maybe I'll try another batch tomorrow using just the AKO and see if it sets up as I'm accustomed to. That will confirm it I guess.

 

[DWinMadison]

I’ve made a few batches lately with avocado at 8-10%, and now that you mention it, they are still firm enough to cut at 24hrs, but they are much wetter, and they remain sort of soft/weepy/spongy for several weeks. My typical recipes which use safflower instead avocado cut easily at 24, but are more of a clay consistency and are often safe to use in 2 - 3 weeks. (I don’t use or gift that quickly, but I could).

 

[penelopejane]

I have used both. AvO doesn’t lead to sticky soap for me.
Sounds more like too much castor or too high SF? Could that be possible?

 

[cmzaha]

I believe it has been a couple of years now that I made a 100% AVO soap and I remember cutting it in my usual time frame of under 24hrs, usually in 8-10 hrs, but it was soaped with full vinegar.

The darn soap feels fantastic on the skin but only lathers with a bath pouf and is still very silimar to 100% OO in the fact it forms the gelatinous factor as OO. It does lather like a champ with a bath pouf, is a very hard long lasting bar

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

Hello lovely peeps,
I have recently switched to using 10% avocado oil in my batches instead of 10% apricot kernel oil.
I have also recently noticed that the batches are taking longer to set up in the moulds before turning out. They’re a bit ‘tacky’ on the outer edges. So I’ve taken to unmolding them after 24hrs, but leaving them to sit uncut for a further 24 hours to harden up, and then cutting.
Putting two and two together, do you think this change to avocado oil is what is causing the softer soap?

What’s your water:lye ratio? I do think that different oils make a difference in unmolding time but you may be able to cut that time down by reducing your liquids.

 

[KiwiMoose]

What’s your water:lye ratio? I do think that different oils make a difference in unmolding time but you may be able to cut that time down by reducing your liquids.

I'm using 28% lye concentration (2.57:1) in most of my soaps - to give me a bit more fluidity for swirling. However, I was using this same amount when soaping with apricot kernel oil and didn't notice so much softness.

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

I'm using 28% lye concentration (2.57:1) in most of my soaps - to give me a bit more fluidity for swirling. However, I was using this same amount when soaping with apricot kernel oil and didn't notice so much softness.

I started using 2:1 at room temp and have been able to get some good swirls. 2.25 on water is almost too much for me.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I have used both. AvO doesn’t lead to sticky soap for me.
Sounds more like too much castor or too high SF? Could that be possible?

I've reduced my castor to 5% ( I used 10% previously) and my SF is always 5%. Nope, I reckon its the avocado oil. I'll try a batch soon going back to apricot kernel and see if there's any difference and report back.

 

[penelopejane]

Maybe you could try a lower SF.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Maybe you could try a lower SF.

Yes - I have been wondering about that. Given that I tend to use lye at between 28 - 30% concentration in most of my soap there will be little chance that my soap would ever be lye-heavy. Would that be a fair assumption, or have I got that wrong?

 

[penelopejane]

Lye concentration is just the water/lye ratio in the soap. Even at 40% lye concentration the soap is not going to be lye heavy - there will just be less water to cure out.

If you have 0% SF your soap won’t be lye heavy. Lye isn’t 100% pure so there is a fair bit of wiggle room if you are careful with your weights.