Curious Question!

[Shaylyn Valdez]

I’ve seen many soap makers state that a zap from soap cannot be mistaken, however I am wondering… are there varying degrees of zap? Most describe it as a 9volt battery, but I am wondering if let’s say I have a veeery slightly lye heavy soap if this would give me the same zap as a 9volt or a very tiny easy to miss zap? Is soap safe if it doesn’t zap like a 9volt battery, or is it unsafe if theoretically varying degrees of zap exist and it zaps just a tinge. I’ve felt zaps many times before but I’ve always wondered this.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, the intensity of a zap can vary, just as the intensity of a static shock can vary. Zap is not acceptable however slight the zap may be. It's telling you the soap has free alkalinity (excess lye). Excess lye in even small amounts is damaging to the skin.

I'm assuming you're testing for zap after the soap is supposed to be fully saponified. If my assumption is true and you say you've felt "zaps many time before", have you looked into why this is the case? Perhaps you need to make some changes in your soap formulations or your methods of making the soap?

For a recipe formulated with a reputable so@p recipe calc and properly made with an HP or CP method, you should almost never get a zap after the soap is fully saponified. This might be less true for beginners who are still learning the process, but if you're an experienced soap maker and routinely finding your soap is zappy, that's an alert that something's not quite right.

 

[Shaylyn Valdez]

Yes, the intensity of a zap can vary, just as the intensity of a static shock can vary. Zap is not acceptable however slight the zap may be. It's telling you the soap has free alkalinity (excess lye). Excess lye in even small amounts is damaging to the skin.

I'm assuming you're testing for zap after the soap is supposed to be fully saponified. If my assumption is true and you say you've felt "zaps many time before", have you looked into why this is the case? Perhaps you need to make some changes in your soap formulations or your methods of making the soap?

For a recipe formulated with a reputable so@p recipe calc and properly made with an HP or CP method, you should almost never get a zap after the soap is fully saponified. This might be less true for beginners who are still learning the process, but if you're an experienced soap maker and routinely finding your soap is zappy, that's an alert that something's not quite right.

To clarify:When I say I’ve felt zaps many times before it is because I zap test my soap right after I cut it before it is saponified out of curiosity and then after a few days (which by that point it doesn’t zap) so no worries. Just a curious question was all my soap doesn’t zap, only before it is not fully saponified like everyone else’s soap