ShaeDB- sadly, Marieke has not visited the forum since 2015. I would take Susie's excellent advice to start a new thread with your question. You'll generate a lot more answers that way. 
IrishLass
IrishLass
CPOP: Cold Process Oven Process
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No. The zap test shows that there is no excess lye in your soap. The soap, whether hot process or cold process, still needs a minimum of 4 weeks to cure. If you use it or sell it before then, it will be soft and drying on your skin. The 4 weeks allow the structure of the soap to change and become much better. The soap needs airflow during the cure, so no wrapping either.
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Richard Perrine
Well-Known Member
Aha! Thank you. I did CPOP a couple of weeks ago and saw these bubbles. So, covering with seran wrap while the oven is cooling prevents them. Got it!
I am a little baffled regarding the difference between CPOP and HP. Fundamentally, both achieve the gelled state of the soap indicating that saponification has completed, right? So, why is the HP soap okay to use immediately and the CPOP is not? Are they not, essentially, in the same state? Or am I missing something?
Thank you all. I am loving this soap making hobby and the science behind it. :-D
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Any soap is safe to use on the skin shortly after saponification is done -- anywhere from a few hours for HP to 12 hours to several days for CP, depending on the CP technique used.
In CPOP or any other cold process method, you mold the soap and then it finishes saponifying in the mold. In HP, the soap mostly or completely saponifies in the soap pot and then you put it in the mold. Some people would also say HP methods usually include heating the soap batter in the pot and CP methods do not heat the soap batter, but that's not a clear cut distinction for HP vs CP in my mind.
When a soap becomes a gel, all that means is the soap got hot enough to turn from a solid form into a liquidy gel state. Reaching gel during sapoinification is not proof positive that saponification is complete. While it may be true the soap may is 99% done saponifying at that point, you can't absolutely know saponification is finished without testing.
It is also possible to create recipes that are not able to go into gel during saponification -- and they will still saponify quite nicely.
In CPOP or any other cold process method, you mold the soap and then it finishes saponifying in the mold. In HP, the soap mostly or completely saponifies in the soap pot and then you put it in the mold. Some people would also say HP methods usually include heating the soap batter in the pot and CP methods do not heat the soap batter, but that's not a clear cut distinction for HP vs CP in my mind.
When a soap becomes a gel, all that means is the soap got hot enough to turn from a solid form into a liquidy gel state. Reaching gel during sapoinification is not proof positive that saponification is complete. While it may be true the soap may is 99% done saponifying at that point, you can't absolutely know saponification is finished without testing.
It is also possible to create recipes that are not able to go into gel during saponification -- and they will still saponify quite nicely.
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Richard Perrine
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much, DeeAnna! This information sheds a new ray of light for me.
penelopejane
Well-Known Member
The problem with dragging up old threads is that soaping methods and CPOPing has changed since 2013. Do not follow the 2013 posts to CPOP. Read current threads about the process as it is now used.
DeeAnna’s advice is not outdated.
DeeAnna’s advice is not outdated.
BoSA
Member
I tried geling my soap with a heating pad and towel but I only got partial gel. Can I restart the gel phase 3 days later?
The "gel phase" is simply soap that's gotten warm enough to turn from a solid into a vaseline-like jelly form. Most soapers think soap only gels during saponification, but that's not strictly true. If you heat any soap until it's sufficiently warm enough, it will change from solid to a gel.
Here's a method to fix soap that has only partly gelled -- https://classicbells.com/soap/rescueOP.asp I recommend you watch Soapish's video first before you leap into action.
Here's a method to fix soap that has only partly gelled -- https://classicbells.com/soap/rescueOP.asp I recommend you watch Soapish's video first before you leap into action.
Dawn Bradley
New Member
Nice beautiful swirl design
Now I know why I got bubbles on my Cantaloupe...another lesson learned. Thank you.
Marieke was heating her soap for waaaaay too long, so it's no surprise to me the soap developed defects. I would not heat soap for 5-6 hours as she describes in Post #4.
If you want to know how to do the CPOP method for best results, ignore the 2013 posts and start reading this thread at Irish Lass's post #26.
If you want to know how to do the CPOP method for best results, ignore the 2013 posts and start reading this thread at Irish Lass's post #26.
I wasn't doing the 'old' way...it was an accident. I usually turn the over off BEFORE I put the soap in, but this last time I got distracted and forgot. Didn't realize it until several hours later.
So while 'baking' your soap is not a good thing, knowing the negative results is.
The information is still good and maybe someone else will see it and NOT 'bake' their soap.
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That is fine but you don't need to quote someone not here. You can make all the comments you want.
Old but important to note that you shouldn't leave your oven on while it's curing. You heat the oven to 170 then turn it off and put the soap in.
It's not curing in the oven, I think you meant to say it's just forcing gel & the saponification process. I don't CPOP any more as I've mastered my recipes getting them to gel without it. Plus I make too many at a time to be bothered. I also found 170 too hot. Caused issues.
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Speaking only for myself, I found out the hard way that heating my oven to 170 before turning it off causes aesthetic issues in my soap such as a bubbled/blistered look on its surfaces, and it also seemed to contribute to 'glycerin rivers'. I only let my oven heat up to anywhere between 110 degreesF and 120 degreesF maximum before turning it off and placing my soap inside it. I should mention that like most ovens, mine doesn't have an actual setting for 110F or 120F, but it does have a digital read-out display that shows me the changing temps as it is heating up, and it turns out that my oven takes only a mere 3 minutes to reach 110F from the time I turn it on.
IrishLass
IrishLass
What an interesting way to think about formulating a recipe. It seems there is always more to learn about making soap.
Seriously?!? Not a problem.
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