Cure time?

[ChinahSea]

I am pretty impatient and the curing process is helping me learn "all good things come to those that wait". I understand that the longer the cure time, the milder the soap, but I'm curious - how do you know when the cure is complete? Is it a personal thing, or is there a way to tell?
How long do like to wait before you use/sell your soaps, and do you allow different times depending on what your ingredients are?

 

[MooreThanBags]

I wait three weeks but truthfully my soap is very dry by 2 weeks. I sell my soap so I wait the three weeks before I sell any or if a large order to one individual I may tell them it needs to dry longer and they don't mind the wait.

 

[ParkSoap]

I choose one bar of soap from each batch and weigh it every few days, and track it on a little cure card. When it stops losing weight, I consider it fully cured.

 

[Smee]

I won't give any to anyone that's less than three weeks. Usually it's
at least four. But, I will cut off a piece and try it on myself after a
week or so just to get an idea of how it turned out. I learned the
hard way not to test it much sooner than that :sick:

As for when it's "done"? I don't know. It seems to me that soap
can continue to change over the course of many many months.

 

[jcandleattic]

When I sold, I would not sell any bar for any reason that was less than 4 weeks old, but I normally liked to wait at least 6 weeks, unless it was a high OO soap, then I would wait at least 8-10 before selling.

People who are familiar with handmade soaps can usually tell the difference between a 2-3 week old soap from a soap that has cured much longer.

As I have said in many many threads here as of late, curing is so much more than just "drying" "hardening" or "evaporating"... There is much more going on with that soap during this cure time than just that. And the mildness it achieves is very much worth the wait IMO.

And when I start to sell again, the same rules will apply - I will not sell anything less than 4 weeks old, but will prefer to wait at least 6 or 8-10 if it's a high OO soap.

 

[ChinahSea]

Thank you MooreThanBags.. I have a family member asking for a whole batch. Whenever you sell one full batch, do you cut it and cure it, or do you cure in full and give uncut (which is what she is asking for..) and if cure in full, does it take longer?

 

[ChinahSea]

ParkSoap - AWESOME idea!!! This is going to be my new practice!! I get to play with them more this way!!

 

[DeeAnna]

...Whenever you sell one full batch, do you cut it and cure it, or do you cure in full and give uncut (which is what she is asking for..) and if cure in full, does it take longer?

I know this probably sounds like sacrilege, but as long as your buyer is fully informed, why not sell the uncured log and let the buyer do the cutting and curing?

I was buying uncut 3 pound logs of soap from a soapmaker before I started to make my own soap. I knew before purchase that the soap wasn't fully cured, which was fine with me. (It was definitely zap free, however!)

I got a break on the price because the soapmaker didn't have to mess around with cutting the logs and curing the bars. And I had the fun of cutting my own bars. I didn't mind waiting for the soap to cure. In my opinion, it was a win-win for both of us, and I got a lot of enjoyment out of the whole process.

I don't think I'd want to let a whole soap log cure uncut -- it would take longer to dry that way, and I think it would be harder to cut after the cure.

Hope this helps! --DeeAnna

 

[ChinahSea]

Good point - would be really hard to cut :smile:

 

[DeeAnna]

And, upon reflection, I should also add that selling an uncured soap log would depend on my perception of the buyer -- would he/she be willing to learn about my soap and why it needs to cure and then enjoy the process of letting the soap cure properly? If not, I think I'd opt for selling only cured bars. --DeeAnna

 

[jcandleattic]

I know this probably sounds like sacrilege, but as long as your buyer is fully informed, why not sell the uncured log and let the buyer do the cutting and curing?

If it was someone I knew VERY well and trusted, then maybe, but probably still not even then.
I would not trust them enough to not turn around and then sell/give it to someone who wasn't fully aware and then there goes MY reputation.
To me, it just isn't worth the risk.
When I give or sell something I want it to be at it's utmost best possible so that they know they are getting a quality product and will continue to want to get product from me.

 

[CaliChan]

I won't let anyone try my soap unless its cured for a full 6 weeks.
The first week is harsh
The second week its more mild but still drying
3rd week it starts to get more bubbly but just barely
4th week is fine but its not the best
5th week is good but not enough to get people sold
6th week is the best. Much milder (for my friends with sensitive skin) and way more bubbly and creamy. I've always gotten the best reviews from. 6+ weeks.

 

[CaliChan]

I wait three weeks but truthfully my soap is very dry by 2 weeks. I sell my soap so I wait the three weeks before I sell any or if a large order to one individual I may tell them it needs to dry longer and they don't mind the wait.

What do you mean by "dry" I weigh my soaps almost on a weekly basis to see how much water has evaporated and even at 6 weeks a lot of my bars/batches still have a lot to lose.

 

[Donna]

I agree with CaliChan. 6 weeks minimum for me. I will, however, let my DH take a bar of uncured soap. He puts it in his
truck and says it makes the truck smell great!

 

[CaliChan]

Whenever you sell one full batch, do you cut it and cure it, or do you cure in full and give uncut (which is what she is asking for..) and if cure in full, does it take longer?

When I sell a whole batch they are pre cut and cured. It would take significantly longer to cure a full log. I herd some were on here about an experiment were someone tried that and when thy cut it open the center was rancid

 

[100%Natural]

Six weeks and not a day less for any soap that is leaving the house. I also PH test, hand test, face test and body test every batch. My skin is highly sensitive and I find six weeks the minimum for trouble free soap.

 

[danahuff]

I used to buy handmade soap at my local farmer's market, which is what started me thinking about making my own. The lady who sold it said she cut the bars on x date (always some time earlier that week) and recommended putting them up for two weeks before use. I was ignorant at the time and didn't realize she was selling me uncured soap, most likely because she was having trouble keeping up with demand. And even so, two or three weeks may not be enough. I never had problems with her so, but I decided I would sell no soap before its time (remember those old Paul Masson wine ads with Orson Welles?), so I sell my gelled soaps at 4 weeks and ungelled at 6. However, I have tested them earlier than that with no ill effects.

Here is my thing: if people buy handmade soap, they want to use it that day. It is hard to wait.

 

[DeeAnna]

Hmmm.... Well, okay, I promise I will never again volunteer such heresy! :sad:

 

[danahuff]

DeeAnna, I think it depends a great deal on the customer. Some might like your idea very much.

 

[MooreThanBags]

I have never sold any uncut soap and probably won't. Half the fun of soaping for me is the process and unmolding and cutting the soap is what I like to do best.