Did I boo-boo my first attempt?

[MadMadamMim]

Hello everyone! I found this forum a few days ago when I finally mustered the courage to try my first CP soap. Great forum and I'm glad to join you.

I did the recipe 2 days ago, here is what I used: 30% coconut oil, 20% castor, 20% olive oil, 15% avocado, 15% palm oil. I ran the numbers through Brambleberry's soap calculator and used the amounts of water and lye they recommended.

The batch looks smooth and well mixed, though there is some dusting of what I think might be soda ash? on the outside. My concern is it is still a little soft (think cold cream cheese texture) and there is no evidence of gelling. 48 hours in, is this a bad thing? It was definitely harder this morning than yesterday.

Many thanks for any guidance you can give this newbie!

 

[jenneelk]

The only thing I notice is the castor a bit higher than I'd use but overall without plugging numbers it's looks fine. If it didn't gel then it wil be softer a little longer .. Just let it go another day.
I've had some soft soft batches and they do turn out just fine, after a longer wait.
The dusting on top is likely ash starting. I wouldn't worry unless you're seeing spots at some point.

Congrats on your first.. It will turn out fine in the end. the fact that it's firmer today shows it's reacting the way you want.

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and welcome. The only thing I see that may cause your soap to remain softer and perhaps sticky is the Castor. It's not recommended to use more than 5-10%. So, I would just give it some time and see if it hardens up after some cure. Congratulations on your fist soap!

 

[MadMadamMim]

Thank you both! I can exhale now

I have a soap makers book that shows pictures of the gel stage which the author said should start within 24 hours. I was concerned that I made a mistake since it looks exactly the same as when I poured it, minus the dusting.

The castor oil is high because I intend to use these as a shampoo bar and many of the recipes I came across had a higher dose of castor. Guess I'll find out if I should cut that back in the future!

I think I read here that you can spray the tops with isopropyl alcohol to keep the soda ash dust at bay. Should I try that now or will it be ok?

 

[cmzaha]

Welocome to the forum and Soapmaking!
I would definitely lower the castor to 5%. Castor is a funny animal, it will help bubbles, but will make a sticky bar when used in excess. If you want to remove it from the mold you can put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Your soap will be fine, just takes patience. I personally do my best to keep my soaps from gelling since I do not like the color change in gelled soap. Some think it makes the colors pop I feel the opposite. JMO, and I like the creamy look of ungelled. Water content in your soap will makes a difference in when you can pull from the mold
this is how I would change your recipe and you will have a longer lasting bar with higher condition and lower cleansing
OO 40%, CO 20%, Palm 20%, Avocado 15% Castor 5% with a 5% superfat

I know some seem to have success with alcohol and ash but it has never made a difference to me. It will wash off and hand steamers will help take it off, if you do not like the look of ash

 

[jenneelk]

Ash is just cosmetic but yes you can spray with alcohol. I have. 80/20 alcohol water solution I use.
It works best right after pouring but I also have had luck using it after the ash has set. I just need I use more and it does tend to give a glossy look. Could be good or bad.

 

[jenneelk]

These already had a nice amount of ash by day 2 and I sprayed them good. Can you see the bit of sheen on them?

 

[MadMadamMim]

cmzaha, thanks for the welcome and the advice! Maybe the next batch (the addiction --er, hobby has begun!) I will sub some of the castor for olive.

Oh my, jenneelk, those bars are divine! Perhaps I'll spray the tops of some of them (used an individual silicone mold) and compare how they turn out. Thank you!

 

[dixiedragon]

Did you wrap your soap in something to keep it warm? If it's not warm enough, gel won't happen. But that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with your soap! It will just take a little longer to get there.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Welcome!

As the others have said, a lower CO (many won't use more than 25% and some get dry skin just looking at that number!) and lower Castor. I don't colour my soaps so ash isn't really an issue, plus as I'm going for rustic looking soaps at the moment, it is not a concern at all.

Looking forward to seeing pictures!

 

[MadMadamMim]

Thanks dixiedragon, I did wrap the mold with a bathtowel inside a shoebox with two towels on top of that. It is winter here and my house temp is set to 69 degrees or so... could that be part of it?

Gentleman, thank you for the welcome! If the ash is only cosmetic and doesn't affect the soap itself then I don't mind as it is only for personal use (and possibly the hubby and dog). I found Genny's thread about shampoo bars after I already made mine, so if the CO is too stripping, then I'll borrow a few of her elements.

Now for the hard part... waiting 4-6 weeks to use them!

 

[MadMadamMim]

Well, I stuck the bars in the fridge so I could get them out of the mold last night. Quite hard this morning so I think they will turn out ok. During the process I ended up with more soap than mold space so I grabbed an unsuspecting plastic food storage container and dumped the rest in. I used a knife on the edges to loosen it and with a little more finesse, it might have looked neat.

Here is a photo... not very pretty but it is my first try. I'm just thrilled it seems to be turning into soap You can see the ash on the tops.