How low can I go?

[TashaBird]

My saturated:unsaturated soap oils ratio is 43:57, My shop temp is usually around 65. I need a very fluid batter for my design. I usually soap at 90F with no problems, if the FO works. Most FO tested are at 76-83, and then they say no acceleration. I’ve had some accelerate, even if I hand stir the FO into the batter after dividing and adding the colorant.
Here’s my question: with those ratios sat:unsat, can I soap that cool? Can I soap heat it all up and let it come down to 80? Or will I have issues? TIA!
Read dozens of customer reviews on the FOs. Big props to those who’ve actually used them. Bigger props to those who shared their soaping temps!! Only a couple out of dozens said they had slight acceleration, most said there was none.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

The sat:unsat ratio is only part of the story. It really depends which hard oils you have, that make up these 43% of saturated FAs. You can go quite far with lard, no-stir palm, palmolein, shea/cupuaçu butter, and soft qualities of soy wax, as well as laurics (coconut).
Cocoa and kokum butter, tallow, grainy palm oil/palm stearin, and harder soy wax is more prone to false trace issues. It might work, but you'll need to heat it up thoroughly in any case.

Always approach the soaping temperature from the hot side, i. e. heat up the oils (at least the hard oils) to well above the melting point (absolutely clear melt without anything solid floating around), and let it cool down while stirring.

You can always try by just mixing the oils, let them cool down (while stirring) and watch when they start becoming turbid.

Do you intend to force gel/CPOP afterwards?

 

[Carly B]

I have recently decided that sat/unsat doesn't mean that much by itself. I just made a batch of soap with a 46/54 sat/unsat ratio with a fragrance which doesn't accelerate according to reviews. But this thickened up much faster than any of my recent batches. Not soap on a stick, but no time for anything fancy.

It's confusing, because palm and coconut oil made up 60% of the oils, so I have NO idea how the 46/54 was determined.

 

[TashaBird]

The sat:unsat ratio is only part of the story. It really depends which hard oils you have, that make up these 43% of saturated FAs. You can go quite far with lard, no-stir palm, palmolein, shea/cupuaçu butter, and soft qualities of soy wax, as well as laurics (coconut).
Cocoa and kokum butter, tallow, grainy palm oil/palm stearin, and harder soy wax is more prone to false trace issues. It might work, but you'll need to heat it up thoroughly in any case.

Always approach the soaping temperature from the hot side, i. e. heat up the oils (at least the hard oils) to well above the melting point (absolutely clear melt without anything solid floating around), and let it cool down while stirring.

You can always try by just mixing the oils, let them cool down (while stirring) and watch when they start becoming turbid.

Do you intend to force gel/CPOP afterwards?

“Turbid” is my new fave word!
I will cpop. The unsat is %35tallow and %15CO.

 

[Marsi]

i agree with the owl
heat the hard oil and let them cool
except you can cool them further than the first signs of turbidity

both tallow and coconut easily stay soft after being fully melted
the addition of the lye solution will heat it all up again
even if there is some turbidity

if you are aiming to soap from 80F (before adding the lye solution)
try having the soft oils and lye around 75F so there is minimal temperature shock
add them to the (cooled from warmer) 80F hard oils

looking forward to seeing your new design!