Cure time rule

[sososo]

What do you thimk about this simple rule for cure time for CP soap:

CureTime = 20days + 1day for each percent of soft oils

So:
- for a soap made only from hard oils (coconut, palm, talow, lard, etc):
CureTime = 20days

- for a castile soap (100% olive oil):
CureTime = 20days + 100days = 120days

- for one of mai favorites (15% coconut, 25% palm, 25% lard, 30% olive, 5% castor):
CureTime = 20days + 30days + 5days = 55days

 

[jenneelk]

 

[Lion Of Judah]

Question : doesn't cure time basically have to do with water content in the soap ? The saponification process is a few days lets say , and the rest of time is for drying out .
just thinking out loud .

 

[jenneelk]

The feel does change also during that time which is why I'm curious about this estimation. But I'm guessing many will say that there are no good rules for curing other than waiting a few weeks and trying them out. Unless working with bastile and castile.

SO.. I sit here with my popcorn waiting to see what other say too.

 

[sososo]

Question : doesn't cure time basically have to do with water content in the soap ? The saponification process is a few days lets say , and the rest of time is for drying out .
just thinking out loud .

Is my experience: for a soap made of coconut oil, pal oil and lard I wait only 3 weeks (20days in my formula) for a soap made of 50% soft oils I wait aprox. 2 months (20+50=70days in my formula), for a castile (100% olive oil) I wait 4months (20+100=120days in my formula).

 

[Paintguru]

Question : doesn't cure time basically have to do with water content in the soap ? The saponification process is a few days lets say , and the rest of time is for drying out .
just thinking out loud .

I'd agree that one needs a water content variable in that equation.

 

[sososo]

I'd agree that one needs a water content variable in that equation.

In all my recipies I use water as 38% of oils (the default in SoapCalc).
I know that curing means drying, but I'm sure that everyone wait much more for a castile (100% olive oil) than for a soap made of coconut oil and lard even if this two soaps contains the same quantity of water.

 

[sistrum]

I have found that a lot more goes on during the time soap cures than just losing water. I think it's more like aging whiskey, you can have a good good whiskey after a certain amount of time but a much better drink if you wait. I routinely make my soaps in the mornings and test them in the shower before bed. I continue using the soaps many times a day for a few weeks, then set them away for awhile and test again later. Most soaps will continue to get better as they age. I havent been able to find a peak cure time that works for all soap so I do think a lot depends on the formula, just think they need more time than stated above.

But then I suppose it depends on your definition of "cure".

 

[sososo]

I have found that a lot more goes on during the time soap cures than just losing water.

I totaly agree with you. I said "curing means drying" just to simplify the things.

Maybe the hard oils are losing the water faster than the soft ones? Or, to be more accurate - "the salts of the hard oils are losing the water faster than the salts of the soft oils?" (because speaking of soap, whe speak about a collection of salts)

 

[dagmar88]

I think every soap needs at least 6-8 weeks.

 

[pamielynn]

6 weeks minimum for me. Be it cp or hp. It's not just about evaporation, IMHO.

 

[savonierre]

I let my soap cure at least 6 weeks and prefer 3 or 4 months. I know they are better after a good long cure. If you plan ahead there is no need to rush the cure time.

 

[sososo]

I think every soap needs at least 6-8 weeks.

I think that 6 weeks is to much for a soap made of coconut oil, palm oil and lard. 3 weeks is enough.

 

[DeeAnna]

Hey, it's your soap, so you get to choose the cure time. :razz: If your empirical formula helps you figure that out, I'm tickled to hear it works for you.

 

[Paintguru]

In all my recipies I use water as 38% of oils (the default in SoapCalc).
I know that curing means drying, but I'm sure that everyone wait much more for a castile (100% olive oil) than for a soap made of coconut oil and lard even if this two soaps contains the same quantity of water.

Ah I thought you were trying to have this equation be usable across all formulations of soap, not just your personal ones. If you are using the same water across all your recipes, then yes, you can leave it out.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

it's good to keep in mind that the older a soap is the better it is ....becomes milder and lathers well . most of the original castile soaps ( Savon & Aleepo ) are aged over a year . i treat all of my different soap formulas the same , they all go the 4-6 + weeks of cure time .
it seems to come down to personal choice

 

[jenneelk]

It seems like soap is to be treated like a fine wine. Drink it early if you choose and have nothing else but letting it age makes it all the better.

 

[sososo]

You can cure a soap for one, or two, or ten years - I agree with this. But I try to give a formula for minimum cure time based on the observation that the more soft oils I used, the longer this time is.

Hey, it's your soap, so you get to choose the cure time. :razz: If your empirical formula helps you figure that out, I'm tickled to hear it works for you.

My english is very bad. Explain "tickled", please.

 

[cerelife]

sososo, if by "cure" you mean a usable soap...then sure, 3 weeks is plenty of time. But IMHO, it would be a subpar soap and one I wouldn't care to have associated with me as I do have plans to sell in the near future.
I personally don't agree that the only thing happening during cure is water loss. I can tell a marked difference in the quality of a 3 week old bar and an 8 week old bar of my basic soap. And even recipes that I didn't really care for after an 8 week cure feel wonderful when I drag them out of the back of the closet over a year later! This holds true for pretty much every recipe I've tried, from 100% CO soap to salt soap to butter heavy soap and everything in between. I've kept a bar from every batch I've ever made, and they REALLY DO get better over time.
That said, I tend to use one of the end pieces of a new recipe after a week's cure to get a feel of what it will be like and if I want to soap that recipe again.
My personal goal (from a business perspective) was to create a signature soap that would be divine after an 8 week cure. But some of my specialty soaps need a much longer cure to make them great.
When I do launch my teeny little business, I want to be sure that the folks who buy my products are getting my very best...and I just can't see that being any soap that's only cured for 3 weeks.
Of course this is only MHO and I certainly don't mean to knock your equations...we all do things differently.

 

[jenneelk]

Ok so I'm curious after reading through all this with my popcorn.
I know the soaps get better in time even though saponifying is done in a few days. I'm not going to argue that because I believe it's true and seems a verifiable fact by the masses who agree.
But I'm wondering... Why? Soaping is such an interesting thing for something that has just a few ingredients (oil/fat and lye) and really on the surface is simplistic in its makeup. We know its not truly a 'simple' thing though and its fascinating how things work with it.
This knowledge that things get better with the bar even though it doesn't have to do with water makes me wonder what's going on then inside the bar that changes between weeks 1 and say 6?

Sorry if its an annoying pitb question. I'm a curious sort.