Curing time

[bassgirl]

Hi all,

I made my first batch of CP soap 20 days ago. I hand milled a couple of bars of it eight days ago. I couldn't stand it any longer and just washed my hands with one bar. It lathered great and felt great, but afterwards my hands feel very dry. I tested the pH and it's at 7. I'm in a very dry climate so I thought I could get away with a shorter cure time. I was just reading an older thread about it, and someone was talking about the lye "zap." What is that? Is that the dryness? Is the "zap" a factor of the pH level? Will my soap get less drying over time?

(FYI, I used a 10% superfat discount.)

Thanks in advance for any input!

Dee

 

[Deda]

Do you have the percentages of the oils you used in your recipe?

A ph of 7 is perfect. What method did you use to test?

They lye in CP has been converted within about 48 hours, after that its getting milder and hardening.

 

[bassgirl]

I bought some pH test strips. I rubbed one on the wet bar of soap.

1.5 oz. cocoa butter
7.5 oz. coconut oil
11 oz. olive oil
3.5 oz. sweet almond oil
3.5 oz. palm oil

It's all nice and hard now (actually it was almost right away, even though it barely traced). Just a little concerned about the dryness.

 

[Deda]

Your recipe looks wonderful, the olive will make it very hard. I'm sure it will get better with age.

Just a note, but the first few batches I made I would stand at the sink and wash my hands FOREVER. Completely amazed that I had made this magical bubbly thing in my hands. Then I learned to make hand lotion because I had dried out washing them so much!

 

[MikeInPdx]

Hi all,

I was just reading an older thread about it, and someone was talking about the lye "zap." What is that? Is that the dryness? Is the "zap" a factor of the pH level?

No....it's not the dryness. "Zap" testing is wetting your finger, rubbing it on your soap bar, and then putting your finger on your tongue for a few seconds. If you feel a zap like you do when you put your tongue on a 9 volt battery, there is free lye in your soap. Same goes if your tongue starts burning.

If it just tastes like soap, you're fine. Personally, I think the zap test is more accurate than the ph strips. Your tongue is a very finely tuned instrument.

 

[Woodi]

I agree with MikeinPdx. The tongue test is the zap test, to see if your soap is lye heavy.
It may get milder in time. How much lye did you use in your recipe? Did it mix in well? Are there tiny white crystals in the soap bars? Sometimes lye doesn't get mixed in properly, which can cause the drying feeling. But my guess is you can just wait it out.
I do understand the impatience though.

 

[IrishLass]

Your recipe looks very nice!

I agree with Mike and Woodi regarding the 'zap' test. It's main purpose is to test if your soap is lye heavy (has free lye roaming around in it).

If your soap is too drying for you, it can be either of these -

1) It's lye heavy (zap test will either confirm or eliminate this possibility)

2) It's not been cured for long enough (I'd wait at least 30 days. Soap gets better and better the longer it ages)

3) Your skin does not like too high of a percent of lauric and/or myristic acid from the high cleansing oils such as coconut, pko, and babassu (just lower your cleansing oils in your recipe a tad)

or

4) The superfat amount (adjust it higher or lower to your skin's liking)

It could be that there might be some other factor, but the ones mentioned above are the most common and/or likely culprits.

It's only been 20 days out, so I would wait it out for at least 10 more to give yourself a better idea as to what it really could be. The waiting sure is the hardest part of making soap, but it's so worth it in the end.


IrishLass

 

[digit]

If it just tastes like soap, you're fine. Personally, I think the zap test is more accurate than the ph strips. Your tongue is a very finely tuned instrument.

I feel like such a naughty child nowadays because I get my mouth washed out with soap. Yeckkkk!!

Completely amazed that I had made this magical bubbly thing in my hands. Then I learned to make hand lotion because I had dried out washing them so much!

:shock: So that's my problem. I better get to work on that lotion making.

Additional thought: I have been seeing more people mentioning that they can not tolerate coconut oil in soap. Could be you are also sensitive to it.

Digit

 

[bassgirl]

Then I learned to make hand lotion because I had dried out washing them so much!

Yeah, I ran straight for the body butter I'd just made!

No....it's not the dryness. "Zap" testing is wetting your finger, rubbing it on your soap bar, and then putting your finger on your tongue for a few seconds. If you feel a zap like you do when you put your tongue on a 9 volt battery, there is free lye in your soap. Same goes if your tongue starts burning.

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm too chicken to put my tongue on a battery though, so I don't know what that feels like! I'll just have to make hubby do it.

How much lye did you use in your recipe? Did it mix in well? Are there tiny white crystals in the soap bars?

I used 3.7 oz. of lye and 10.25 oz. of water. I don't see any crystals in it.

I have been seeing more people mentioning that they can not tolerate coconut oil in soap. Could be you are also sensitive to it.

Isn't coconut oil the one that provides good lather? Because I really do like this soap's lather. If I cut it, say, in half, what would be a good oil to replace the rest with?

I'd wait at least 30 days. Soap gets better and better the longer it ages

Okay, okay.... *pouts*

Thanks, everyone!

 

[Rebelshope]

Thanks for clearing that up. I'm too chicken to put my tongue on a battery though, so I don't know what that feels like! I'll just have to make hubby do it.

apparently you did have older brothers! lol



Ya know when I saw people where saying at a soap looked yummy I didn't realize you guys actually tasted it. Lol

Thanks for the new information though.

And good luck bassgirl with you batch!

 

[Woodi]

Palm kernel and babassu also provide great lather. I switched out my coconut for PK 2 years ago, and find it is even more moisturizing, keeping all other ingredients the same.

I can send you a bar of homemade soap to use while you're waiting for yours, if you like!

PM me your mailing address and we can talk about scent choices. I have quite a few, mostly essential oils....also unscented.

 

[soap_lady]

Your recipe looks pretty good!!!! Was it "drying" or squeaky clean? Your skin feels so much cleaner using a hand made soap than a commercial made one. And sometimes that can be misinterpreted as feeling dry. Plus it will just get better with age.

 

[bassgirl]

Your recipe looks pretty good!!!! Was it "drying" or squeaky clean? Your skin feels so much cleaner using a hand made soap than a commercial made one. And sometimes that can be misinterpreted as feeling dry. Plus it will just get better with age.

It was just that dry "tight" feeling. It felt great until I dried my hands. It did feel like it got my hands really clean though. Maybe I'm just not used to that! But I don't want anyone to use this and feel dry and then not want any more!