Feedback needed please

[makes_scents]

I need opinions if you guys don't mind. Lay it on me!

 

[shunt2011]

I would up the lard and drop the castor and cocoa butter to 5% each. Should be a lovely batch

 

[kumudini]

Just decrease the AO to 10% and add the rest in lard, that should make a better bar and less prone to DOS problems. Also, if you are not doing any fancy stuff you shouldn't need full water, you could do a lye concentration instead of water as percentage of oils, and use 33% lye concentration. Make sure to soap closer to a temp of 100 F.

 

[Dorymae]

I say try it the way you have it written. Try it you may like it, sometimes you need to bend the rules a bit to find your own favorite recipe. The old stand by's will give you the old stand by.

This is why we formulate our own recipes - once you try what you think you'll like then tweak it to eliminate or accentuate what you want or don't want.

 

[makes_scents]

I don't and haven't really worried about temps as I let the lye mixture melt/heat my oils. I actually have made all of my batches this way except one. The one batch I actually heated my oils and let everything cool a bit seized up on me.

Thank you everyone for the suggestions. I have made the changes suggested so far and also dropped my FO amount to 1.6 since that is 5 percent (I forgot this the first time).

 

[cmzaha]

It really is not a bad looking recipe and I love high avocado oil soaps and hate high OO soaps. I would also suggest you try it, you just might love it and I have never had dos problems with avocado oil in soap, only lard gives me problems at times.

 

[makes_scents]

From the beginning I have bent the rules. In my life there is no box...I used fragrance, colorant and 5 oils/butter...I have never used someone's recipe that was previously written....Other than lowering the fragrance I did in the end decide to try it the way I originally had it just to be edgy. After all rules really only apply when it comes to laws and sports.

I do, however highly appreciate everyone's advice.

 

[rparrny]

Just decrease the AO to 10% and add the rest in lard, that should make a better bar and less prone to DOS problems. Also, if you are not doing any fancy stuff you shouldn't need full water, you could do a lye concentration instead of water as percentage of oils, and use 33% lye concentration. Make sure to soap closer to a temp of 100 F.

I agree with most of the above, but I would make the lye at 30%.

 

[makes_scents]

I agree with most of the above, but I would make the lye at 30%.

I would do that, but I want to work on swirls and stuff....would that not speed up trace and make that harder?

 

[rparrny]

I would do that, but I want to work on swirls and stuff....would that not speed up trace and make that harder?

No it should be okay... that is with your original recipe. With the changes it would be on the border but still should be fine.

 

[makes_scents]

So I went ahead and made the batch. It traced SUPER fast.....but not unworkable. I used black oxide, snow white mica and Tahitian Teal for colors and Black Tuxedo for FO.

I put a thin layer of black and swirled in white on the very bottom. Then poured some teal and put dots of black and white and swirled that layer, then I repeated until I got to the top of the loaf. Should be interesting to cut. I will post pics Monday after I cut (before and after pics)....Thank you everyone for the advice and tips.