How to make extremely hard soap

[Ruth Gregory]

I’m trying to make an extremely hard soap. I have used coconut oil, beeswax and babassu oil, unfortunately the soap I’m making still isn’t hard enough. I’ve love it if anyone has some suggestions.
Thank you

 

[artemis]

Have you tried a long cure time?

 

[not_ally]

Link from my notes file (have not reread it, but the notes say its good!): https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/recipe-for-a-really-hard-bar.67389/#post-694039

ETA: just reread that link, it *is* a good thread! In part because it talks about the fact that many of the oils that increase hardness also increase the cleansing/stripping factor, so it will make your skin dryer. Also, I have never used babassu personally but often read that since it is so much more expensive and so close to CO in the resulting soap it's not really worth it to use in soap if you can sub CO.

 

[DeeAnna]

@Ruth Gregory -- Do you mean hard as in physically hard-like-a-rock? Or hard as in the soap being long lasting in the bath? People tend to confuse the two. While they're related properties, they're not really the same thing.

If you share the recipe that you're currently working with, people might be able to help you more effectively.

 

[LizzardBlizzard]

Have you tried adding salt? I believe the recommended ratio is 1 tsp/PPO but it's one of the methods I'm trying next for a harder bar. That, and tallow.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Have you tried adding salt? I believe the recommended ratio is 1 tsp/PPO but it's one of the methods I'm trying next for a harder bar. That, and tallow.

Or use vinegar as your water for the lye solution.

 

[AliOop]

I’m trying to make an extremely hard soap. I have used coconut oil, beeswax and babassu oil, unfortunately the soap I’m making still isn’t hard enough. I’ve love it if anyone has some suggestions.
Thank you

Coconut, babassu, and palm kernel oil (not palm oil) are pretty much interchangeable as far as the type of soap they make. Due to cost, I'd save the babassu for leave-on products. Use CO oil or PKO for soapmaking, and consider limiting those to about 20% of your total oils. Otherwise, your soap is likely to be very cleansing, that is, stripping the skin and drying it out.

Also, coconut oil makes a very hard bar of soap, but that hardness dissolves quickly when water is added. That means a bar high in coconut oil isn't a long-lasting bar even though it is physically hard.

For a physically harder bar of soap that also lasts longer, use ingredients that add palmitic and stearic fatty acids. The most common options include palm oil, soy wax, cocoa butter, shea butter, lard, and tallow.

Olive oil makes a very hard bar of soap, but takes a long time to cure unless it is combined with other oils. You could also try 2% of beeswax. Much more than that really dampens the lather and makes the soap feel waxy.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I second @DeeAnna’s question about your definition of hardness. And I have a follow up question that’s related. What is your purpose in creating a hard bar of soap?

 

[Whillow]

My 100% coconut oil dish soaps are hard as a rock. Not sure if that is what you are looking for. Pretty sure I could lay them out on my road as speed bumps. lol

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Coconut, babassu, and palm kernel oil (not palm oil) are pretty much interchangeable as far as the type of soap they make. Due to cost, I'd save the babassu for leave-on products. Use CO oil or PKO for soapmaking, and consider limiting those to about 20% of your total oils. Otherwise, your soap is likely to be very cleansing, that is, stripping the skin and drying it out.

Also, coconut oil makes a very hard bar of soap, but that hardness dissolves quickly when water is added. That means a bar high in coconut oil isn't a long-lasting bar even though it is physically hard.

For a physically harder bar of soap that also lasts longer, use ingredients that add palmitic and stearic fatty acids. The most common options include palm oil, soy wax, cocoa butter, shea butter, lard, and tallow.

Olive oil makes a very hard bar of soap, but takes a long time to cure unless it is combined with other oils. You could also try 2% of beeswax. Much more than that really dampens the lather and makes the soap feel waxy.

Thank you so much for that information. That’s so useful

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Have you tried a long cure time?

Not yet but I’m going to give it a go. Thanks

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Have you tried a long cure time?

My 100% coconut oil dish soaps are hard as a rock. Not sure if that is what you are looking for. Pretty sure I could lay them out on my road as speed bumps. lol

Thank you for that. Mine aren’t perhaps I need to leave them longer to cure . Thanks

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Link from my notes file (have not reread it, but the notes say its good!): https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/recipe-for-a-really-hard-bar.67389/#post-694039

ETA: just reread that link, it *is* a good thread! In part because it talks about the fact that many of the oils that increase hardness also increase the cleansing/stripping factor, so it will make your skin dryer. Also, I have never used babassu personally but often read that since it is so much more expensive and so close to CO in the resulting soap it's not really worth it to use in soap if you can sub CO.

Thank you very much for that info. I will have a good read of your link. Thanks

 

[Ruth Gregory]

@Ruth Gregory -- Do you mean hard as in physically hard-like-a-rock? Or hard as in the soap being long lasting in the bath? People tend to confuse the two. While they're related properties, they're not really the same thing.

If you share the recipe that you're currently working with, people might be able to help you more effectively.

Sorry I should have been more clear. I mean physically a hard bar of soap because I want to use it in a particular way and it need to be rock hard.
The recipe I have tried is 2% beeswax, 10% babassu oil and the rest coconut oil. Thanks

 

[Ruth Gregory]

I second @DeeAnna’s question about your definition of hardness. And I have a follow up question that’s related. What is your purpose in creating a hard bar of soap?

It’s a bit difficult to explain but I want to use it in a particular way and it needs to be really hard, but not necessarily long lasting. Thanks

 

[DeeAnna]

...The recipe I have tried is 2% beeswax, 10% babassu oil and the rest coconut oil. Thanks

That's your blend of fats, but that isn't a recipe. The recipe should also list everything else you put into the soap. Maybe you're using more water than necessary? Or superfat isn't ideal? Or some other issue?

It's best to provide all ingredients in weights, not percents, if you want troubleshooting help.

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Or use vinegar as your water for the lye solution.

I haven’t, I will give that a go. Thank you

 

[Ruth Gregory]

Have you tried adding salt? I believe the recommended ratio is 1 tsp/PPO but it's one of the methods I'm trying next for a harder bar. That, and tallow.

Thank you, I will give that a go

 

[Ruth Gregory]

That's your blend of fats, but that isn't a recipe. The recipe should also list everything else you put into the soap. Maybe you're using more water than necessary? Or superfat isn't ideal? Or some other issue?

It's best to provide all ingredients in weights, not percents, if you want troubleshooting help.

Sorry, I’m new to soap making. I’m using 5g beeswax,25g babassu oil, 220g Coconut oil,95g water and 43g of lye. I hope that’s more useful.
Thank you

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I want to use it in a particular way and it needs to be really hard, but not necessarily long lasting.

Are you going to use this as a bath soap? Or do you have in mind a purpose other than a person‘s body? Like maybe soap for keeping drawers from sticking or ???

If I just wanted a hard soap and wasn’t worried about a balanced recipe and bathing performance, I would make a steric acid soap using something like 100% soy wax, 0% super fat, and 40% lye solution. The soap calculator shows this formula as having 98% hardness.

Maybe someone else has better ideas?