Cocoa-Nut Soap: My fifth batch and my first FAIL. It sucks because I used fragrance, which is not cheap.
4.74oz Lye
10.56oz Coconut Milk
9.6oz Coconut Oil
6.4oz Lard
6.4oz Soybean Shortening
6.4oz Canola Oil
3.2oz Hazelnut Oil
1/3 of the batch plain, without superfat, scent, or color
2/3 of the batch with 2oz Coconut Fragrance
Last 1/3 of the batch with 2 tblsp Cocoa Powder
My goal here was to create progressive layers that would show me how much my Coconut fragrance would discolor the soap, then add a dark layer with the cocoa powder to imitate the skin of a coconut. I figured scenting 2/3 of the batch would be sufficient for smelling purposes.
I stuck the coconut milk in the freezer for a bit, so it would get slushy. Then I put it in an ice bath while mixing in about a tsp of lye every 5 or 10 minutes. I kept the temp under 95F, most of the time around 65-85F, but it still turned yellow and smelled icky by about halfway though.
I mixed the coconut lye solution with my oils at around 135F (the lowest I could get the oils in my double boiler). I stick blended until thick trace, then turned the heat up to medium and covered it.
My batch skipped all stages in between thick trace and gel. It didn't bubble or mini-volcano or separate. It took forever not to zap me though, and it was dry and hardened way too quickly to accomplish the layers I was attempting. The last layer didn't even adhere to the one below it. When I took it out this morning and cut it, the top portion came away from the other two layers and was crumbly. That was the layer to which I added cocoa powder.
I think learned some things, but I wanted some feedback and validation for what I've written below. If I'm wrong in anything, please let me know so I don't continue soaping in ignorance.
1. I got better at using the camera.
2. Soap does not always go through all the stages between light trace and gel phase - watch for translucence, not just bubbling.
3. When using a thick liquid, like coconut milk, add a small estimation of water in place of the excessive oils and sugar inside the coconut milk.
4. Dissolve cocoa powder (or any other powders) in water or oil, whichever is appropriate for the type of powder, before adding to the soap.
5. If the smell is RANK when adding lye to the liquid, it will likely carry over to the finished product if not adequately scented.
6. Coconut fragrance oil really does discolor white or cream soap to a darker creamy tan. It's because it contains vanilla, which, in any form or quantity, will darken soap at some point in the gelling or curing process.
7. Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) is not the ingredient in coconut fragrance that turns things brown. It's a plasticiser in cosmetics that I'm not sure is even IN my fragrance.
8. I will no longer buy fragrances from places that will not tell me what's in them.
9. Perhaps making my lye solution with discounted water and adding the coconut milk after trace would be a better way to make hot process coconut milk soap.
10. Always superfat at least 2% liquid oil if the majority of the oils are solid. Just to be safe.
Sorry this post was so long, but I'm really trying to learn from my mistakes. Any input is welcome.
4.74oz Lye
10.56oz Coconut Milk
9.6oz Coconut Oil
6.4oz Lard
6.4oz Soybean Shortening
6.4oz Canola Oil
3.2oz Hazelnut Oil
1/3 of the batch plain, without superfat, scent, or color
2/3 of the batch with 2oz Coconut Fragrance
Last 1/3 of the batch with 2 tblsp Cocoa Powder
My goal here was to create progressive layers that would show me how much my Coconut fragrance would discolor the soap, then add a dark layer with the cocoa powder to imitate the skin of a coconut. I figured scenting 2/3 of the batch would be sufficient for smelling purposes.
I stuck the coconut milk in the freezer for a bit, so it would get slushy. Then I put it in an ice bath while mixing in about a tsp of lye every 5 or 10 minutes. I kept the temp under 95F, most of the time around 65-85F, but it still turned yellow and smelled icky by about halfway though.
I mixed the coconut lye solution with my oils at around 135F (the lowest I could get the oils in my double boiler). I stick blended until thick trace, then turned the heat up to medium and covered it.
My batch skipped all stages in between thick trace and gel. It didn't bubble or mini-volcano or separate. It took forever not to zap me though, and it was dry and hardened way too quickly to accomplish the layers I was attempting. The last layer didn't even adhere to the one below it. When I took it out this morning and cut it, the top portion came away from the other two layers and was crumbly. That was the layer to which I added cocoa powder.
I think learned some things, but I wanted some feedback and validation for what I've written below. If I'm wrong in anything, please let me know so I don't continue soaping in ignorance.
1. I got better at using the camera.
2. Soap does not always go through all the stages between light trace and gel phase - watch for translucence, not just bubbling.
3. When using a thick liquid, like coconut milk, add a small estimation of water in place of the excessive oils and sugar inside the coconut milk.
4. Dissolve cocoa powder (or any other powders) in water or oil, whichever is appropriate for the type of powder, before adding to the soap.
5. If the smell is RANK when adding lye to the liquid, it will likely carry over to the finished product if not adequately scented.
6. Coconut fragrance oil really does discolor white or cream soap to a darker creamy tan. It's because it contains vanilla, which, in any form or quantity, will darken soap at some point in the gelling or curing process.
7. Diethyl Phthalate (DEP) is not the ingredient in coconut fragrance that turns things brown. It's a plasticiser in cosmetics that I'm not sure is even IN my fragrance.
8. I will no longer buy fragrances from places that will not tell me what's in them.
9. Perhaps making my lye solution with discounted water and adding the coconut milk after trace would be a better way to make hot process coconut milk soap.
10. Always superfat at least 2% liquid oil if the majority of the oils are solid. Just to be safe.
Sorry this post was so long, but I'm really trying to learn from my mistakes. Any input is welcome.
