How to I make my currect cold CP soap recipe into HP?

[Jen74]

Hi everyone.

I have been making a soap recipe now( 4 batches so far) using CP. I want to know how to make my same recipe I use using CP and make it using HP. I am just trying some different things and want to see if there is a difference. This is the recipe I use to make my soap using the CP

Water: 9.18 ounces
Lye: 4.52 ounces
Oils: Palm kernel oil( 6.40 ounces) and Palm oil ( 25.60 ounces).

I usually warm the hard oils until they liquify and then when it reaches a little over 100 degrees I add the lye. I then turn off the heat and proceed to mix it with a stick blender. When it is trace I then add it to my molds.

What changes would I have to make to make it HP? Do I need to add more water( but wouldn't that mess up the recipe)? I have never made HP and want to learn how to make it. I need to use my same ingredients( oils) though because I am super sensitive. Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions...

 

[cmzaha]

Up your water to 12oz which gives you an approx 27% lye concentration versus your 33%. You need the higher water to keep you hp from drying out. Adding in some Sodium Lactate, yogurt, or sugar solution at the end of you cook time can help smooth it out from what I read. I just stop cooking and pour when my hp is molten, it will finish saponifying during curing. Actually I think the SL is added to your lye solution, someone will give you the percentage or do a search here. sorry I am typing with 1 hand today so will let you search,

 

[AliOop]

^^^everything Carolyn said. I like to add the SL at the end of the cook for fluidity at .5% of total oil weight (not batch weight).

As she noted, you don’t need to watch for complete cooking, or going through all the stages. Sometimes they don’t all happen. Most people new to HP overcook it terribly bc they aren’t sure it is “done.” Then they think all HP is always dry and crumbly, never smooth, when in reality, they just dried it out by cooking too long.

Just like CP saponifies all by itself without any cooking, HP will also continue to saponify even if you pour it mid-cook. Better to pour it too early rather than after it has dried out.

Also, resist the urge to scrape all the soap off the sides of the cooking vessel. These dried bits will never incorporate well. They will remain as white or lighter hard spots in your soap. They don’t hurt anything, but they are usually ugly — and are just another reason people think they don’t like HP.

Good luck, and please show us your finished soap!

 

[Jen74]

^^^everything Carolyn said. I like to add the SL at the end of the cook for fluidity at .5% of total oil weight (not batch weight).

As she noted, you don’t need to watch for complete cooking, or going through all the stages. Sometimes they don’t all happen. Most people new to HP overcook it terribly bc they aren’t sure it is “done.” Then they think all HP is always dry and crumbly, never smooth, when in reality, they just dried it out by cooking too long.

Just like CP saponifies all by itself without any cooking, HP will also continue to saponify even if you pour it mid-cook. Better to pour it too early rather than after it has dried out.

Also, resist the urge to scrape all the soap off the sides of the cooking vessel. These dried bits will never incorporate well. They will remain as white or lighter hard spots in your soap. They don’t hurt anything, but they are usually ugly — and are just another reason people think they don’t like HP.

Good luck, and please show us your finished soap!

Thanks. So how long should I cook the soap? I have searched online and most places say an hour to an hour and a half. Will over cooking it ruin the soap? Do I have to add SL? I honeslty would prefer not to add anything because I am super sensitive to different chemicals and want to kind of keep with just the above ingredients. Your thoughts?

 

[Obsidian]

I've had soap cook and be ready to pour in 20 minutes. It just depends on the recipe and temps cooked at.
Its better to cook longer at low temps than risk burning or overcooking at higher temps.

No, you don't have to add SL, it just helps keep the cooked batter more fluid. If you don't overcooked, that shouldn't be a issue.

Over cooking can ruin the soap if its cooked so dry it won't stay together or if you absolutely burn it to death. Being a little dry or scorched won't hurt anything besides the looks.

Just to add, if you are making HP with the idea its ready to use immediately, thats just a myth. HP need to cure just as long, if not longer than CP.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks. So how long should I cook the soap? I have searched online and most places say an hour to an hour and a half. Will over cooking it ruin the soap? Do I have to add SL? I honeslty would prefer not to add anything because I am super sensitive to different chemicals and want to kind of keep with just the above ingredients. Your thoughts?

It really depends on the heat of your cooking vessel. I prefer the stove to the crockpot bc the crock is so heavy and awkward. But people like the crock bc they don’t have to babysit it as much.

Although I must say, most newer crocks get super hot even on low, so you still have to stay close. That’s especially true when it is your first time with a specific recipe. You just won’t know how fast it will cook until you try it.

I would plan to start with 45 minutes and see where it is at that point. The zap test will tell you if it has finished saponifying, if that’s your goal. But again, you can choose to pour while it still zaps, and that will be just fine as long as the batter is homogenous and not separating, ricing, curdling, etc.

SL is really just liquified salt. I react to so many things (which is why I make soap, as well as my own cleaning products), and I have no problem with SL at all. But if you prefer to leave it out, some other options to help with smoothing out the cooked batter are sugar water, coconut milk, goat milk, and plain yogurt. All of those things are pretty mild on skin, unless you need to avoid them due to reactions, of course.

You can also reserve some of your oils to add as a post-cook super fat (PCSF). There is a lot of debate whether the PCSF retains more of its good properties bc it isn’t reacting with as much lye. Regardless, it does make your batter more fluid when added after the cook is done. Let’s say you do a 5% SF. Simply reserve 3% of it to add after the soap has cooked.

Any of these additives should be warmed up or melted, as applicable. Adding anything cold or dry to your batter will stiffen it up, instead of loosening it. Also, palm is very drying to my skin, so I haven’t tried using it as PCSF myself. Sugar water is probably the simplest and will also help with adding bubbles to your soap.

 

[Jen74]

I've had soap cook and be ready to pour in 20 minutes. It just depends on the recipe and temps cooked at.
Its better to cook longer at low temps than risk burning or overcooking at higher temps.

No, you don't have to add SL, it just helps keep the cooked batter more fluid. If you don't overcooked, that shouldn't be a issue.

Over cooking can ruin the soap if its cooked so dry it won't stay together or if you absolutely burn it to death. Being a little dry or scorched won't hurt anything besides the looks.

Just to add, if you are making HP with the idea its ready to use immediately, thats just a myth. HP need to cure just as long, if not longer than CP.

Thanks. I think both HP and CP take 4 to 6 weeks to cure right? I know I've read some people use their HP soap within 2 weeks of curing as it's safe because the lye has been saphonified. However I think the soap is probably not hard enough in 2 weeks time.

 

[Obsidian]

Thanks. I think both HP and CP take 4 to 6 weeks to cure right? I know I've read some people use their HP soap within 2 weeks of curing as it's safe because the lye has been saphonified. However I think the soap is probably not hard enough in 2 weeks time.

Thats right and you are correct, its too soft at 2 weeks. Some people even use it right out of the mold, thinking cooking it replaces a cure completely. Then they wonder why the soap only lasts a few days.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks. I think both HP and CP take 4 to 6 weeks to cure right? I know I've read some people use their HP soap within 2 weeks of curing as it's safe because the lye has been saponified. However I think the soap is probably not hard enough in 2 weeks time.

You can certainly use your bars at two weeks, but as @Obsidian noted, they will dissolve quickly during use.

The length of cure really depends on your recipe, but four weeks is a good starting place. My high-lard bars are much better after 6-8 weeks, so I always have a batch curing (ok, lots more than one batch, but my soaping fascination is not the point here ).

Speaking of lard, it is really wonderful for sensitive skin. Consider trying 50% lard, 40% palm oil, and 10% palm kernel oil. With a very low cleansing number, it still cleans, but it doesn't strip off as many natural oils. It's definitely not very bubbly, but adding sugar water and/or yogurt after the soap is cooked will help increase the lather. A longer cure of 6-8 weeks also helps with that.

Lard is also inexpensive, although your challenge may be finding any without additives /preservatives, if those are a concern to you. The amount added to commercial lard found at Walmart and everywhere else is very miniscule, but I understand the desire to avoid even small amounts of questionable ingredients. Unfortunately, the pure, unpreserved lard found at health food stores is pretty pricey. That's why I render mine from fat provided from the butcher, and I clean up used cooking fat from roasts, ribs, etc.