Finally using cured soap

[SPowers]

I finally got to use one of my cured soaps. I like it quite a lot but one thing I'm having trouble with. When I use the soap, I can't determine if the actual 'feel' of the soap is silky or slimy! I used the soap in the shower and quite like it - my skin feels nice and doesn't feel dry or tight. It seems be when I'm just washing my hands and I'm lathering that I keep questioning that aspect of the soap.
This is the recipe: 30% OO; 20% CO; 25% PO; 25% Canola. Prior to using this soap, I only ever used Bronner's castile in the shower. Is there anything in the recipe that might suggest whether I'm feeling silky or slimy? TIA

 

[Obsidian]

For me, slimy soap has actually snotty slime form on the bar.
Silky is just a nice slick bar with slippery lather.

Here is a video of my Castile, this is about as slimy as it gets.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I’ve only made one soap using Canola and used it at 30%. It was for a challenge and I made a few attempts so wanted to use an economical oil. It is the only soap I have made that felt a bit slimy to me when I first started using it. It wasn’t to the extent as @Obsidian shows in the above video, but it was noticeable to me. As it’s cured more it feels less so. I blamed it on the canola. Curious to see if others have had that experience.

 

[SPowers]

For me, slimy soap has actually snotty slime form on the bar.
Silky is just a nice slick bar with slippery lather.

Here is a video of my Castile, this is about as slimy as it gets.

ewwwwwe... glad to say my soap is not slimy. I think maybe the words 'slick' & 'slippery' describe it better than 'slimy'. Thanks for that visual!

 

[AliOop]

@Obsidian that is a great visual for snotty slimy Castile!!

I've had a few people say that my bars with tussah silk feel slimy to them. Others think they feel silky, as do I. In the end, you have to go with what you like, or if you are selling, what your customers like.

 

[Saponificarian]

I love Canola in soap and I feel it adds silkiness but that could be another person’s slime so as @AliOop said, make what works for you and your consumers.

 

[MGM]

I have never tried canola as I thought it was one that was more prone to rancidity....do ppl recommend it?
@Saponificarian I think you might be in southern AB (maybe?), but my mom just drove from Saskatoon to Westlock (NW of Edmonton) this weekend and said that the canola fields were GORGEOUS. Flax was just starting, she said.
I'm glad she had the fields to keep her company, 'cause that is a long, boring drive....

 

[TheGecko]

The reason why it feels 'slimey' is because you are used to commercial soaps and the whole "squeaky clean" deal. No question that you want your dishes and pot and pans to be 'squeaky clean', but when you do that to your hair and skin, what you have done is strip all the natural oils from them.

A well-balanced bar of homemade soap doesn't strip your skin, it just cleans. You'll get used to the feeling after a while and won't even notice it. But you WILL notice the difference when you go to use a commercial soap.

I put a bar of my soap in the lady's room at work, but the cleaning folks tossed it out. Rather than waste soap or having to carry my soap with me, I just keep a bottle of hand lotion in my drawer.

 

[Saponificarian]

@MGM I use Canola between 30%-50% and I have never had DOS. Lard on the other hand, DOS. Corn oil, no DOS. Sunflower oil, DOS.

Different strokes, I guess. I prefer Canola/Rice Bran oil to Olive oil.

Yes, am in Calgary and the Canola fields are beautiful when driving to Edmonton. Yellow fields as far as your eyes can see

 

[cmzaha]

I find the combination of these three fatty acids lend to the slick slimy feel and prefer to keep them at a total of 50% or less, with Oleic being the higher of the three, Oleic, Linoleic, and Linolenic. In my vegan soap, the fatty acid is: Lauric 9% Myristic 4% Palmitic 23% Stearic 7% Ricinoleic 5% Oleic 40% Linoleic 10% Linolenic 0%
It is not my favorite but it is not slimy and it lasts a decent time. The total in your recipe is 62% so it is possible that is why you are getting the silky, slick, slime feel.

I am with Saponification I never had DOS with regular Canola up to 30%, but I only go up to 20% with HO Canola because I do not like high Oleic in my soaps which is why I don't use a lot of OO.

 

[MGM]

Looks like I should have read these positive canola reviews before hitting "purchase" on my most recent NDA order (literally 90 seconds ago)! Got avocado and castor oils and looked at the canola.....mind you, that's really easy to get at the grocery store.

So weird with the DOS experiences....I just had my first experience with it and am learning that everyone has a "pet" oil that gives them DOS, but they're not all the same!

Reminds me of my water kefir making days where I would always do the *exact same thing* and the water kefir would come out vastly different day to day. Kefir does what it wants, yo!

 

[Gaisy59]

I love Canola in soap and I feel it adds silkiness but that could be another person’s slime so as @AliOop said, make what works for you and your consumers.

Looks like I should have read these positive canola reviews before hitting "purchase" on my most recent NDA order (literally 90 seconds ago)! Got avocado and castor oils and looked at the canola.....mind you, that's really easy to get at the grocery store.

So weird with the DOS experiences....I just had my first experience with it and am learning that everyone has a "pet" oil that gives them DOS, but they're not all the same!

Reminds me of my water kefir making days where I would always do the *exact same thing* and the water kefir would come out vastly different day to day. Kefir does what it wants, yo!

I think you can buy avocado oil in grocery too. Don’t pay for shipping and extra price if you don’t have to

 

[linne1gi]

I finally got to use one of my cured soaps. I like it quite a lot but one thing I'm having trouble with. When I use the soap, I can't determine if the actual 'feel' of the soap is silky or slimy! I used the soap in the shower and quite like it - my skin feels nice and doesn't feel dry or tight. It seems be when I'm just washing my hands and I'm lathering that I keep questioning that aspect of the soap.
This is the recipe: 30% OO; 20% CO; 25% PO; 25% Canola. Prior to using this soap, I only ever used Bronner's castile in the shower. Is there anything in the recipe that might suggest whether I'm feeling silky or slimy? TIA

That's one reason I always suggest you make small batches - until you have a soap recipe that you really like.

 

[linne1gi]

I have never tried canola as I thought it was one that was more prone to rancidity....do ppl recommend it?
@Saponificarian I think you might be in southern AB (maybe?), but my mom just drove from Saskatoon to Westlock (NW of Edmonton) this weekend and said that the canola fields were GORGEOUS. Flax was just starting, she said.
I'm glad she had the fields to keep her company, 'cause that is a long, boring drive....

I have to watch oils and I don't use the short shelf life oils - I live in South Florida, the home of heat and humidity. So I avoid Canola (unless high oleic), Grapeseed, Hemp, Rice Bran Oil.

 

[Hope Ann]

The reason why it feels 'slimey' is because you are used to commercial soaps and the whole "squeaky clean" deal.

I respectfully disagree. I've used a variety of lye soaps over the years - mine and others because I like to support other people. Some are slimy and some aren't. Some are drying, some feel oily and hard to wash off. Depends on age and composition.

My first guess was the canola. My personal experience is in small amounts it feels silky bit larger amounts becomes gloppy in feel (which could be slimy).

Hope

 

[linne1gi]

I respectfully disagree. I've used a variety of lye soaps over the years - mine and others because I like to support other people. Some are slimy and some aren't. Some are drying, some feel oily and hard to wash off. Depends on age and composition.

My first guess was the canola. My personal experience is in small amounts it feels silky bit larger amounts becomes gloppy in feel (which could be slimy).

Hope

Probably as you say, high Oleic, which benefits from a longer cure.

 

[SPowers]

Thanks for all the great comments. This is just the 2nd batch I made and was still learning a lot about the forumlas, oils, etc. This is the only soap I've made with Canola in it and it was used at 25%. The other thing I just noticed is the combined numbers for linoleic and linolenic acids is 15 - a bit higher than is recommended I think. So I think all of that accounts for what I'm feeling in the soap. As I said, it's always on first touch that I think slimy but then it goes to a more silky feel. Forever learning!

@linne1gi you mention high Oleic - what is the best number for that? This particular recipe shows Oleic at 47.

 

[linne1gi]

Thanks for all the great comments. This is just the 2nd batch I made and was still learning a lot about the forumlas, oils, etc. This is the only soap I've made with Canola in it and it was used at 25%. The other thing I just noticed is the combined numbers for linoleic and linolenic acids is 15 - a bit higher than is recommended I think. So I think all of that accounts for what I'm feeling in the soap. As I said, it's always on first touch that I think slimy but then it goes to a more silky feel. Forever learning!

@linne1gi you mention high Oleic - what is the best number for that? This particular recipe shows Oleic at 47.

I can’t tell just from the number 47. I would need to look at the whole recipe. Did I miss that post?

 

[cmzaha]

Your Oleic may be 47 but look at my earlier post. The Oleic, Linoleic, and Linolenic all add to slick feel which adds up to 62%

 

[linne1gi]

I can’t tell just from the number 47. I would need to look at the whole recipe. Did I miss that post?

Ok, I went back through the posts. I see you used 30% OO and 25% Canola, there are 2 kinds of Canola, regular and high Oleic. If it wasn’t high Oleic, then it was high linoleic, which also contributes to the slimy feel. So basically if you cure it longer, it may have a better feel in a couple of months.