Is this recipe okay?

[BriannanSilva]

I’ve been making soap for a little over a year now, but I’m just starting to really get into it. How does this recipe look to you? I used to use 50% coconut oil and had no idea why my soap was so drying! Now that I know better I’m using much less. Thanks guys!

 

[Anstarx]

It looks like a well-balance shower soap to me! Congrats!
That is a very steep water discount tho.

 

[GemstonePony]

Looks good to me too! Ditto on the liquid amount though- I expect this to trace rather quickly.

 

[Arimara]

I never use grapeseed oil due to the shelf life- it's short. If you want to use the grapeseed oil, go ahead but keep that usage down but keep a bar to observe for DOS. You can also allocate that oil's percentage to the olive oil if you want.

I do have one question- why are you making such a big batch for a tester soap?

 

[earlene]

I agree with the above comments. I'd definitely recommend making a much smaller batch for any new recipe. Say, cut it down to 350 to 400 grams of oils so your Total Batch Weight is more likely to give you 4 bars of soap (with possibly a little left over to pour into an individual mold as a tester.) That way if you make an error or you hate it, you haven't wasted much. An added bonus with a little left over for an individual mold is you can compare gelled soap to non-gelled soap, if you wish (by gelling the loaf & not gelling the single bar).

Using grapeseed oil is certainly tempting as a beginner because it is so readily available (at least here in the US); I know I did when I was new to soaping. I rarely use it anymore because there are so many other oils with a longer shelf life that I don't have to try and use up before they go rancid.

I am also curious why you have chosen such a high lye concentration. It's just generally uncommon with new soapers. Although it is not a bad thing, if you know why you are doing it and what to expect.

 

[violets2217]

That is a very steep water discount tho.

So... I always soap with a 33% lye concentration, which I always heard was recommended. The higher the concentration the less water needed? Thus the water discount? Never really been able to wrap my head around that. Need to do some more reading.

 

[GemstonePony]

So... I always soap with a 33% lye concentration, which I always heard was recommended. The higher the concentration the less water needed? Thus the water discount? Never really been able to wrap my head around that. Need to do some more reading.

Pretty sure "water discount" just an imprecise way of saying "less water than normal." Hence the preference for ratios and percentages to measurable things.
30-40% lye concentration is fairly normal for CP soap, which is why BreannanSilva's 43.48% concentration is raising a few eyebrows. Technically, any ratio below 50% is fine, but the batter is more prone to either staying fluid for forever or tracing in a flash, and it can be squirrelly on which way it will go, so you have to be prepared for either way. Which is why it's not recommended unless you feel adventurous. And not in large batches, unless this is the best you can do for an adrenaline rush in this time of plague.

 

[violets2217]

And not in large batches, unless this is the best you can do for an adrenaline rush in this time of plague.

OMG! An accelerating batch of soap can get your blood pumping!!! I’ll keep that in mind the next time I need to spice things up a bit! Thanks for the explanation and the laugh!!!!

 

[BriannanSilva]

I agree with the above comments. I'd definitely recommend making a much smaller batch for any new recipe. Say, cut it down to 350 to 400 grams of oils so your Total Batch Weight is more likely to give you 4 bars of soap (with possibly a little left over to pour into an individual mold as a tester.) That way if you make an error or you hate it, you haven't wasted much. An added bonus with a little left over for an individual mold is you can compare gelled soap to non-gelled soap, if you wish (by gelling the loaf & not gelling the single bar).

Using grapeseed oil is certainly tempting as a beginner because it is so readily available (at least here in the US); I know I did when I was new to soaping. I rarely use it anymore because there are so many other oils with a longer shelf life that I don't have to try and use up before they go rancid.

I am also curious why you have chosen such a high lye concentration. It's just generally uncommon with new soapers. Although it is not a bad thing, if you know why you are doing it and what to expect.

I’ve done a high lye concentration before and I prefer it. I’ve read that it cuts the curing time, not sure how accurate that is though and it does make the bars harder.

Thanks for the info on the grape seed oil, I had no idea. How long do you think these bars have a shelf life of?

 

[BriannanSilva]

Looks good to me too! Ditto on the liquid amount though- I expect this to trace rather quickly.

It took forever to trace honestly! It gave me a long time to do the design that I wanted

 

[BriannanSilva]

The batter did take a long time to trace, but that gave me time to do the designs that I had planned.
I split the batter into two and did two different scents/designs.
I placed them into the oven overnight without covering and they look great today!
I’ll post pictures after they’re unmolded and cut.
Thank you all for your responses!

 

[earlene]

Thanks for the info on the grape seed oil, I had no idea. How long do you think these bars have a shelf life of?

Do you add Rosemary Oleoresin Extract to your bottles of oil when you open them? It is an antioxident that can help ward off rancidity. Here's a link to an interesting experiment of additives for reducing the occurrence of DOS: LINK.

However, as long as your oils were fresh, and no contaminants were introduced during the making & handling of the soap, I'd say it's likely to last just as long as any of the others soaps you have made. This soap doesn't have a lot of grapeseed oil in it, but since it can't be determined which oils the lye will interact with and which ones it leaves behind, there is always the chance that DOS can develop from the oils left behind in the SF. Which is why using ROE in newly opened bottles of oils is recommended.

Your soaps are quite lovely, BTW.