Conditioning

[godschild]

My recipe on soapcalc shows conditioning only being 45 out of 69 where it has 44-69. What do you condition your hp regular bath bars at? I am superfatting at 5%. I tried upping the sf but it didn't change the numbers. Other than the conditioning, the numbers are all in the middle of 44-69 so I was wondering if I need to change my conditioning so it won't cause skin to be dry. I'm using lard 63%, coconut oil 25%, soy or olive oil (whichever I have enough of) 9%, coco butter 1%, and castor 2%. I tried changing it to 2% coco butter but that didn't up the conditioning. As a side note, I won't be using stearic acid anymore. It made my soap ugly from having specks all in it and didn't help my soap at all. I tried my best to keep it from re-solidifying but it didn't cooperate. I will just stick to the sodium lactate. I like it better. My soap that I used the stearic in turned out gummy or like modeling clay. Gross.

 

[jenfrat]

To start you could lower the CO below 20% and up the olive to make up the difference. High amounts of coconut can be drying to some people.

 

[Obsidian]

Yep, increase the OO and reduce the coconut oil. I always use at least 50% olive oil, its a very conditioning oil. My conditioning number is usually around 60-65.

 

[godschild]

But how do I make up for the hardness that I was using that amount of coconut for?

 

[jenfrat]

Should still be plenty hard. Olive oil, coconut, and lard all contribute to hardness. You could also add some sodium lactate if you're concerned.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Dropping the coconut oil to 20% and upping the olive barely changes the hardness rating. That's still over 80% hard oils. Many use only 60% hard oils, and most castile and bastile recipes are 0-25% hard oils. You'll still end up with a hard bar.

 

[dryalligator]

Do you add the superfat to the cooking part or after? When I HP I superfat 2% during the cook and 3-4% at the end of the cook. I can predict some of the qualities but not all sadly. I like my soap alot though and I have really dry skin.

 

[dryalligator]

I forgot to say that I use stearic in my soaps but I don't put it in till the first good stir. When I do the next good stir its melted in. I dump it on top and it completely melts. Essential Soap has good videos

 

[godschild]

Thank yall for coming to my rescue yet again. I just use soapcalc at 5% and do it that way because that's all I know how to do. And about the stearic, I added it to my oils that I melt and add the lye to. I still ended up with greasy, spotty, waxy soap. What temp do you add your fo with hot process? Maybe I let it get too cool waiting on it to drop low enough to add my fo. I ended up with lil gobs of fat in my soap bars somehow but I did do my superfat like Kim at Essential Soap does hers, at the end. I just used Olive oil and vitamin E.

 

[godschild]

Maybe I will just stick to not superfatting at the end. I am wondering if that's why it ended up like modeling clay somehow.

 

[cmzaha]

Dropping the coconut oil to 20% and upping the olive barely changes the hardness rating. That's still over 80% hard oils. Many use only 60% hard oils, and most castile and bastile recipes are 0-25% hard oils. You'll still end up with a hard bar.

Hardness in soap calc will not determine if your bar will be long lasting.

Coconut oil in soap makes a very soluble soap which may feel hard but it will be used up quickly. Being one reason it will lather in salt water. If you are not opposed to palm oil it will add longevity to your soap. With palm you can easily lower the coconut oil and add in some canola, sunflower or rice bran oil to make a very nice mild bar. Keep in mind if the coconut oil is to low and cleansing below 10 on soapcalc I find unless you lower the superfat to 2 you will get an oily feeling bar. My rule is low coconut low superfat. Won't mention how low I go...Hopefully I have not cunfused you more. If you can list the oils you have tomorrow I can pm you with a couple recipes. Off to sleep now

 

[Lin]

My soaps that I like are all 60-70 for conditioning. I made a soap recently that I was going for more cleansing and lather for my boyfriend and it was only a 53 conditioning. It was a little too cleansing and drying for me, I actually washed half of my body with it and the other half with a different bar and could tell the difference. Mostly in my legs where my eczema is the worst when it flares, I found myself dry and itching on only the left leg.

 

[godschild]

Hi yall. I don't have any palm oil yet but I'm calling places in my area to see if they have some today. I am using Lard, coconut oil, olive oil, castor, sodium lactate, and sugar. I also have soy and some cocoa butter. I'm making it to sell and nobody in my area will pay more than $5 a bar. I have the cooking part down, just need to perfect a recipe. I still have to order some micas and oxides asap. Just broke till payday. My ex husband ruined my credit so I can't get anything on a card.

 

[cmzaha]

Lard is a definite good replacement in soap, but I still like adding palm with lard. 38% lard, 38% olive, 19% coconut, 5% castor, will give you a gentle bar that will last a decent length of time. It will be a little more creamy than bubbly but your sugar will help with the bubbles

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Using the SL will also help out with the hardness of a bar, but of course does nothing to the numbers in the calcs!

If selling is your goal, I would consider leaving the butters out of soaps - lard and palm work just as well in a soap and are much cheaper (usually!)