CPOP advice

[daisy8]

I have a soap order to fill in a hurry. I've never done CPOP before and wondered exactly how to do it, and whether the soap's ph at the end of the process is really suitable for immediate use.

I have read up on it - literature says that one puts the mould into a pre-warmed oven at 170 C, switches the oven off and lets the soap stay there for 2 - 3 hours. Is it hard at the end of that period? Will it cut easily?

Any advice is going to be much appreciated! Thank you.

 

[DeeAnna]

Most of the batches I've made are done CPOP, which ensures the soap will usually fully gel. CPOP does shorten the time in which most of the saponification occurs, but I really don't expect CPOP soap to be any quicker to unmold than regular CP soap.

At 2-3 hours after pouring, CPOP soap may still be in full gel and quite hot, so it would be a disaster to unmold. That said, I have unmolded and cut CPOP salt bars at that point, but the salt filler hardens the soap enough to safely unmold even though the soap is uncomfortably warm to handle.

In my experience most regular CPOP soap is ready to cut in 18-24 hours, although some need a little more time to really firm up. The water content, type and percentages of oils used, and the other ingredients control this issue as much or more than the degree of saponification, IMO.

I hate to rain on your parade, but honestly CPOP is not a shortcut to selling soap quick. My tests show CPOP soap still needs about 3-4 weeks of cure time to lose moisture and stabilize.

 

[daisy8]

Thanks DeeAnna, I want help so it's important for me to learn that it still requires 3-4 weeks curing time.

 

[Moody Glenn]

I agree with DeeAnna. The oven method only makes gel happen completely but you still have to wait for the cure. If you did the HP method that would speed things along a whole lot faster but I would not chance doing it unless you have done this method before. Explain to your client why the delay. You want to make a quality product for them. Tell them you will throw in a couple extra bars or more for the wait. This should help smooth things over. Nobody can turn down a freebie or more. :smile:

 

[DeeAnna]

Even the HP method does not result in soap that is ready to sell right away. Any soap, including HP soap, needs some weeks of curing at the very least so the water content in the soap can stabilize. Even if you don't put any stock in the "soap is like wine" theory of curing soap, the loss of moisture is a concrete issue. A soap that has a stable moisture content will be as firm as possible and is not as soluble in water. That means the soap will last longer for the consumer. The soap will also be more stable in size and weight; both of which help the seller.