Contemplating soy wax

[Mobjack Bay]

L

lol - you’ve probably scared @bookreader451 off, Mobjack!
I would say, just use the Soybean, fully hydrogenated option in any soap calculator coz it works fine. The fatty acid profile isn’t correct in any of them as @Mobjack Bay has explained. But for the purposes of the amateur soap maker it works out fine. One day, when you want to get all technical and science-y just ask @Mobjack Bay to explain it again

Thanks for the save . Using the lower sap will not cause any bodily harm.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I use it at 20%

Hi. Do you use soap calculator to add soy wax to your soap? what is the best percentage in your experience, if i may ask?

 

[bookreader451]

I think I will stick to using it for candles. I was curious because I do have 10lbs sitting here.

 

[SoapSisters]

Here's my first soy wax soap! My plan was to keep it simple – no colorants, an FO I know and trust – because I wasn't sure how fast the batter would trace. In hindsight, I would have had time to bring batter to emulsion, divide, color and swirl. I think the yellowish color of the soap comes from the beer I used as my liquid, relatively dark OO and maybe the FO.

I seem to have gotten some stearic spots (at least that's my diagnosis) on the top even though I covered my mold with its wooden cover and wrapped with towels and blankets immediately. Everywhere else is clear and smooth. I don't measure temperatures, but I think I soaped quite warm/hot because I melted the soy wax in the rest of my oils, instead of melting the soy and then adding room temp oils.

I unmolded and cut after 24 hours (as you can see I'm learning how to cut straight with a crinkle cutter), but I could have cut sooner. All in all, I'm happy with my first experiment and can't wait to try colorants and swirls next time.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Looking good

 

[penelopejane]

Here's my first soy wax soap! My plan was to keep it simple – no colorants, an FO I know and trust – because I wasn't sure how fast the batter would trace. In hindsight, I would have had time to bring batter to emulsion, divide, color and swirl. I think the yellowish color of the soap comes from the beer I used as my liquid, relatively dark OO and maybe the FO.

I seem to have gotten some stearic spots (at least that's my diagnosis) on the top even though I covered my mold with its wooden cover and wrapped with towels and blankets immediately. Everywhere else is clear and smooth. I don't measure temperatures, but I think I soaped quite warm/hot because I melted the soy wax in the rest of my oils, instead of melting the soy and then adding room temp oils.

This might be time to buy a laser thermometer if you want consistent results - they are about $10 on aliexpress).
The body of the soap looks great. It looks like on the top you might have scraped out the jug and that last bit may not have been quite as well mixed in to get to the right temperature to avoid stearic spots.

Covering your mold will avoid ash but not stearic spots. They are formed when you soap too cool.

 

[SoapSisters]

This might be time to buy a laser thermometer if you want consistent results - they are about $10 on aliexpress).
The body of the soap looks great. It looks like on the top you might have scraped out the jug and that last bit may not have been quite as well mixed in to get to the right temperature to avoid stearic spots.

Covering your mold will avoid ash but not stearic spots. They are formed when you soap too cool.

Thanks, I think you're right about the laser thermometer. Especially if I am going to continue with soy wax. That said, the batter was fluid and warm when I poured into the mold. I scraped the bottom-of-the-jug batter into an individual mold not in the pictures. It seems to me that the top of a loaf would cool off first, as it's most exposed, leading to stearic spots. That's the only way I can understand spots only on the top. In any case, I'll look for that thermometer and soap a bit warmer next tim.

 

[penelopejane]

Thanks, I think you're right about the laser thermometer. Especially if I am going to continue with soy wax. That said, the batter was fluid and warm when I poured into the mold. I scraped the bottom-of-the-jug batter into an individual mold not in the pictures. It seems to me that the top of a loaf would cool off first, as it's most exposed, leading to stearic spots. That's the only way I can understand spots only on the top. In any case, I'll look for that thermometer and soap a bit warmer next tim.

Not sure at all.
It appears that there are tiny patches on the top that are not mixed fully. Not just the spots.

 

[SeaSuds]

In my early days of using soy wax, my soaps were mottled if I didn't gel them or just put them on a heating pad covered in towels. Nowadays I CPOP and have no issues but I should add that I live in a cooler climate. I think you are right that the soy wax needs a particular environment in which to cool down evenly