Force curing

[davidsoaps]

I just read something about force curing cold processed soap in the oven in order to shorten the curing time. Does anyone know about this method of curing? Oven temp/time, etc.

regards,

David

 

[soapcakes]

I think what you are referring to is forced gelling, the method known as CPOP (cold process oven process). You place your CP soap in an oven-proof mold and put it in a 170F oven for 1-2 hours. Then, turn off the oven and leave the soap in the oven overnight.

Whether or not it shortens cure time is debatable; personally, I still let them cure the normal time. For me, the advantages were that I always got complete gel, never had ash and the soap always popped out of the mold very nicely. You shouldn't do this with soaps that overheat easily, like milk or honey soaps.

 

[Lindy]

It actually works a lot like HP in that it processes the soap much quicker.