Development of oconut oil meltable soap base.

[irishneil1]

Im developing a cococnut oil melt and pour soap base, but im struggling to get it to the required consistancy (meltable to workable liquid, using a double boilder). Im planning to do this at a larger scale later, with several coulours spliced together. So i ideally i need a consistancy that can be poured from a tap. This process will be using Lye, so its in this forum.

Later on, i will be using some additives in my soap like "kojic acid" and "tranexamic acid", these partically neutrilise if combined direcltly with lye in cold process, so i need to do a 2 sage process.

My Oils and Lye are as follows
1) coconut oil (60% of oils)
2) castor oil (5% of oils)
3) rice brand oil (20% of oils)
4) palm oil (15% of oils)

in 1000g, i will aim for 8% superfat with, 169g (16.9%) NaOH, 423g Water at 40% concentration.

I have ran 4) tests with fixed oils and lye, using the following variables at a % of the total oils. Also included 3% steric acid.

Glycerin
1) 8% 2) 8% 3) 15% 4) 15%

Propolene Gycol
1) 6.5% 2) 10% 3) 10% 4) 15%

Sorbitol (70% concentration)
1) 0% 2) 0% 3) 7% 4) 10%


Results

All batches where poured into a silion loaf mold with any additional discarded. All batches super gelled before cooling and harding.

Loafs 1-2 solidifed and formed solid, but had limiting melting during the melt test

Loaf 3, formed with a large soft guey bubble on the top and had partical melting during the test. But the whole sample peices changed in complexion to wax like after 15mins

Loaf 4, also formed with a guey bubble, but this time at bottom. Again during the melt test, the samples changed to a wax like after 15mins. This time i decided to stir the peices which broke them up into a stickly liquid consistancy.

Next Step?

Any recomendations bout the next step/test. I feel im at the limited for how much glycerin etc i can put in the mix.

 

[DeeAnna]

I can't help you with formulating the melt and pour base. I don't know of any small-scale soap makers who routinely make this type of soap -- most people make a few batches as an interesting experiment and then go on to other things.

Be aware it's very likely the acids you're thinking of adding will still be affected even if blended into finished soap. Soap has a high pH even after it's made and that alkalinity will cause acids to degrade. Most of the cleansers with kojic acid that I've looked at are a blend of synthetic detergents, not a lye-based soap.

 

[irishneil1]

Thank you for your reply and insight.

I have made some progress on this with test 8. Basiclly ive concluded that cold process wont work to make a melt and pour soap with this oil combinatiom, so ive invested in a crock pot.

Incase anyone else experiences a similar problem, let me explain that i got this working by using the hot process, using a crock pot/slow cooker. By maintaining a tempature between 60-80c and by continous stiring with stick blender. Firstly mix the oils and lye together. Once the soap becomes vasiline state add your solvents (glyscerin/glycol/sorbitol etc) and continue to mix untill everything has disolved, then put the lid on and cook for 30-45mins. Remember to give it a blast with mixer every 10-15mins.

In my last batch i used 20% glycerin, 20% proplene glycol 12.5% sorbitol. The base worked and continued to stay nicely melted even after 1hr30 in the crock pot. At this point the vast majority of the lye should be used up, so here i added my additives that are sensitive to alkaline.

The soap came out pretty useable, but a little soft, i think there is room for improvement so i plan to run some more tests. Next time i will reduce these solvent percentages.

 

[AliOop]

I think maybe your bigger point DeeAnna was: If you don't cook it until its fully saponified, but you simply mix well and pour into the soap molds, that is what cold process soap making is. So if you are going to add it to the soap molds before fully saponified, why bother cooking it at all? Just mix, blend well and add to the mold!

From what I can tell, the OP is making a melt-and-pour base. I've not seen that made via cold process, only HP.

 

[Saltynuts]

^^^^^ WOW, sorry about that, that was intended for a whole other thread! Not sure how that happened, please ignore that response. My bad!

 

[AliOop]

^^^^^ WOW, sorry about that, that was intended for a whole other thread! Not sure how that happened, please ignore that response. My bad!

I kind of thought that when I saw your response on the other thread. No worries, it happens to all of us!