Done with the cure, Now what?

[math ace]

NEWBIE to CP soap making here!

I've got a some soap that is reaching the end of its cure time. The question is "NOW WHAT?" Now what do I do with it?
How do I store it? Do I wrap it in saran wrap like I do M& P? Do I put it in ziploc baggies? What do I do to help the scent stay for another 6 months?

Also, How long do you cure your soap? What is the min cure time you use?
I know cure time depends on the recipe. How do you know when the soap is done curing?

THANKS for the advice

 

[DeeAnna]

Now what do I do with it?

Use the soap? Give bars to friends and family? I'm not quite sure what you have in mind when you ask this question, so I might be missing the point of your question.

How do I store it? Do I wrap it in saran wrap like I do M& P? Do I put it in ziploc baggies?

Either one will work fine. Other options are putting each bar in a small cardboard box, wrap in regular paper or waxed paper, encase in shrink wrap, or store "naked" in larger plastic or cardboard containers that can be closed with a lid.

What do I do to help the scent stay for another 6 months?

Wrapping in food wrap or storing in baggies are good choices for preserving scent. Shrink wrap and larger closed containers are also options.

How do you know when the soap is done curing?

Minimum cure time for any of my soaps is 4-6 weeks, but I agree some soap needs more time to be at its best. I decide that based on advice from other soapers, as well as ongoing personal experience with a given recipe. When I was a newer soap maker, I tested the lather and skin feel of various soaps for several months or even longer and kept records to know how long it takes a particular soap to be at its nicest. In my experience, the soaps that are 100% (or nearly 100%) made from any one given fat -- examples include 100% coconut oil or 100% olive oil or 100% lard -- are soaps that will probably need a longer cure to be at their best.

 

[IrishLass]

When done curing, I store mine naked in baseball card storage boxes (one scent per box). This size, the BCW 800, accommodates my 2.8 lbs batches of soap perfectly (my usual size batch, makes 9 bars of soap), with just the right amount of room left over to give each bar a little breathing space. This size, the BCW 400, accommodates my smaller 1.13 lb test size batches perfectly with enough breathing space (4 bars of soap). The boxes stack nicely, and can be reused, too.

My soaps keep their scents quite nicely in them, too, although I've found that the longevity of a scent is more dependent on the quality of the FO one uses rather than one's soap-storage method (this is something I learned the hard way through trial and error). The FO's I've since bought for my soap are chosen with care, i.e., I stick to the long-lasting ones and avoid buying known faders. The best way to do that (besides trial and error) is to read the scent review boards/lists. My soaps made with lasting FOs and stored naked in the baseball cards boxes keep their scents good and strong for well over a year. For example, I'm currently using a soap that I made 5 years ago and the scent is still as strong as the day I made it.

How do I know when my soap is done curing? Test it weekly and take notes. Like DeeAnna, based on the wise advice from those who had gone before me, I started with a minimum of 4 - 6 weeks, and later was able to see for myself from my own experiments of testing my soap every week that the old-timers knew what they were talking about. By testing every week, I found out that the majority of my soap formulas are at their "earliest best" in terms of lather, hardness, gentleness, longevity by 4 weeks, but they get even better by 6 weeks and beyond. The absolute earliest I ever use my soap or choose to give it away as gifts is at the 4 week mark, and no earlier.


IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

Oh, that's a very good point to bring up, Irish Lass -- whether the scent "sticks" or not depends as much on the fragrance itself as well as how you store the soap. Most excellent advice there.

 

[math ace]

IrishLass,
Thanks for the tip for & link to the storage boxes. Can I reuse these boxes or do they get contaminated by the absorption of the scent of the previous batch of stored soap?

DeeAnna,
Thanks for the testing info. I will start washing my hands LOL.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I tend to store 'similar' scents together - Florals, eg Rose, Sweet pea, Geranium etc, then citrus - lemon grass, lemon, orange bergamot etc. I don't tend to cover them though but they are kept in fairly close confines in a photocopy paper box-lid (get them from work before they toss them in the recycling!).

 

[Kiti Williams]

I wrap mine in plain brown paper, {I recycle the packing paper from Bulk Apothecary) and use a wee bit of glue stix to hold it together. I make a band with the soaps ingredients and my logo and then store them in a cardboard box.

 

[maxine289]

I don't sell much except during the holiday season so I'm not in a rush to package during the year and tend to leave my soaps on the rack for at least 6 weeks., sometimes longer Then I shrink wrap with banks that leave the sides open, or in bags where I cut off one of the corners so the soap can breathe and so people can smell the soap when it is on display. Then I store in shoe boxes or amazon boxes. My favorite storage box is a shipping box from Harry & David. Really sturdy and they have holes so there is good air circulation.

 

[newlee]

I wrap mine in plain brown paper, {I recycle the packing paper from Bulk Apothecary) and use a wee bit of glue stix to hold it together. I make a band with the soaps ingredients and my logo and then store them in a cardboard box.

That's a good idea.

 

[Kiti Williams]

That's a good idea.

Thank you! I am a very big on recycling here! Also, why re-invent the wheel if you don't have too?

 

[math ace]

. . . or in bags where I cut off one of the corners so the soap can breathe and so people can smell the soap when it is on display. Then I store in shoe boxes or amazon boxes.

Thanks for the tip... I just put some soaps in ziploc baggies and was concerned about the lack of air flow. This tip will relieve my anxiety over this concern!