cure time Question

[earthsessencellc]

I've always understood that a soaps 'cure time' was to allow the soap to mellow for the PH in the soap to drop, now I just read off of this one soapmakers site that soap is done after it has been allowed to gel, that the saponification is complete at that time.... IS this right? I have to wonder, have I been wasting my time allowing my soaps to cure for normally 4-6 weeks for no reason, when I could have been selling it right after it gelled......

this site states that the only reason why soap needs to cure is because of the excess water. Please someone go to this link and read it, I've read it a few times over and over, am I reading what he/she is writing right or am i totally off kilter here, please someone, ANYONE!

here is the link to the site:

www.soapnbath.com/makingsoap.htm

I think it should take you directly to the page, it's the page where he/she is talking about the difference between melt and pour soaps and CP soaps, But she does state that CP soaps are done after they have gelled.

 

[MikeInPdx]

I agree AND I disagree...

Soap IS safe to use right after it goes through gel. Ungelled soaps take several days before they don't "zap" anymore.

However, in my experience, it gets milder and milder over the course of several weeks, in addition to the excess water curing out.

I would say continue curing for your typical 4-6 weeks....it really does make for much nicer soap. I may use a sliver right after gel, but I wouldn't give it to anybody.

 

[Deda]

Saponification is usually complete in about 24 hours if the soap is allowed to gel. The first few days after that the soap is getting milder, after about a week its just a matter of evaporation, allowing the soap to harden into a long lasting bar.

Times differ with your process, temperature, whether or not you gel and your recipe.

 

[earthsessencellc]

thank you for your replies, I knew that a soap got milder the longer it aged, I can not imagine telling people that a soap is okay to use right after it's gelled, just because your going to get someone who is going to go off and make CP soaps allow them to gel and sell them right away.......... I know it may not hurt you, but wouldn't it be really drying to the skin, I mean I like to live in my skin, not feel like I am being dried out of it, lol, ya know?

Maybe I am being al little too nit picky here, but I just didn't think this advise was good advise to put out there for people to read, some people just don't know much about soapmaking and I wouldn't want to give us soapmakers a bad rap, ya know???????????????????? :wink:

 

[IrishLass]

This is one of those hot button topics where there different soapers hold to different views.

For the most, I take my view from the results of a chemist on another soaping board who has tested her soap in the lab, and also by how my soap feels to me and performs for me at different stages.

The results of the chemist that I mentioned concluded that while a major part of saponification is done in 24-48 hours, that there are still minor chemical changes that are still going on in the soap as it cures.

Those minor changes are where curing can get very subjective, depending on the person using it (hence all the differering views). In purely chemical terms, soap may be perfectly safe to use in only a few days, but through testing my soap at different stages, I found that it doesn't perform at it's best level until some weeks have gone by. It's usually by the 4th week mark that I've noticed that my soap performs at it's earliest best in terms of mildness and lathering properties, so that's why I wait 4 weeks for mine.


IrishLass

 

[SimplyE]

I read through it, and I don't believe they are selling the soap just after it is unmolded or cut. It just says that SAP is done after 18-48 hours and once SAPed, it is okay to use, but should cure for 4-6 weeks.

This was taken from the site.

After the insulation period the soap is firm enough to be removed from the mold and cut into bars. At this time, it is safe to use the soap since saponification is complete. However, cold-process soaps are typically cured and hardened on a drying rack for 2-6 weeks (depending on initial water content) before use. If using caustic soda it is recommended that the soap is left to cure for at least 4 weeks.

 

[Norai]

This is one of those hot button topics where there different soapers hold to different views.

For the most, I take my view from the results of a chemist on another soaping board who has tested her soap in the lab, and also by how my soap feels to me and performs for me at different stages.

The results of the chemist that I mentioned concluded that while a major part of saponification is done in 24-48 hours, that there are still minor chemical changes that are still going on in the soap as it cures.

Do you remember where this was posted? I'd be interested in reading more about it, or anything else this person has tested.

 

[Jola]

the curing time is killing me! I made my first batches just over a week ago and it feels like forever! I never knew I was such an impatient person! lol

 

[carebear]

Was that Kevin Dunn the Caveman Chemist?

I don't think his book is for sale yet, tho some of us have been fortunate enough to proofread his book. I have learned a TON from him. And the learning continues.

 

[earthsessencellc]

This is really interesting! I am learning new ways to make soap, new things you can actually make soap out of, and now that the 'cure time' isn't as huge as an necessity as I had originally learned, I am liking my profession more and more, LOL!!!!! Loved it before now that love is even stronger, LOL!

The original books about soap making were so rigid, telling you that you HAD to measure twice to make sure your measurements and weights are EXACT, now there is a little leeway to this whole thing, it's not so ummmmmmmmm how do I say it?????????????? UMMMMMMM, an EXACT rigidity to the whole thing...... That you can REALLY have lots of fun adding this and that and reinventing the whole soap making process.

Now when I try something new I'm not as scared/nervous to try it. Now I actually look forward to the end result, LOL!