MP spongy

[Jo.]

Hi I'm new and only tried my ever first soap last week(MP). Some time ago I bought some ready homemade CP soap from a local crafter and it felt hard like the commercial bars I used to buy before. Whereas the MP base I bought feels softer and when I melted it and added EO, colour and let it harden my soap feels sort of a little spongy. Is this normal ?
Is there any trying I can add to make it harder?
Secondly: Is it normal that MP soap gets used up quicker than the CP soap or the commercial ones?

Thank you
Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[lsg]

Was the M&P base made by the local crafter? If so, it may not melt and harden like a commercial base. You can try adding a little melted stearic acid to the melted M&P before pouring into the mold.

 

[Jo.]

Was the M&P base made by the local crafter? If so, it may not melt and harden like a commercial base. You can try adding a little melted stearic acid to the melted M&P before pouring into the mold.

Yes the MP soap was made by the local crafter.
It has stearic acid in it's ingredients. Maybe I can add some more? Is it melted with water ?

I was thinking of buying a MP base from Amazon just to feel if there is any difference.
Thanks for the tip

 

[lsg]

Stearic acid is melted by itself or with the M&P base, no water.

 

[Jo.]

Thank you ISG

 

[C0hrisLynn]

In my experience I do find that my MP soaps do seem to melt a bit faster when used than other CP/HP and store-bought soaps. Idk if this is just how they are or not though, I am not super-familiar with MP. I still have a good base though, and like the little fun soaps I can make with it. And no, my MP soaps never dry rock-hard. They always have a generally more soft feel to them.

 

[Ronda Stika]

I always add 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of MP for harder soap. It also helps release from the silicone mold.

 

[Hollybrooke]

When I looked at the instructions for sodium lactate, it said to use 1tsp. per 1 pound of oils in the soap, not per pound of soap. However, it was talking about cold processed soap. Does melt and pour require 1tsp per pound? How would you even know when you have a pound of oil in a melt and pour base?

 

[IrishLass]

When I looked at the instructions for sodium lactate, it said to use 1tsp. per 1 pound of oils in the soap, not per pound of soap. However, it was talking about cold processed soap. Does melt and pour require 1tsp per pound? How would you even know when you have a pound of oil in a melt and pour base?

Welcome, Holly- looks like Ronda hasn't logged in for about 3 weeks now, so I don't know if or when she'll pop back in to answer your question, but sodium lactate can be used from 1% to 10% in soap and B&B formulas. I personally use it at 1 tbsp. ppo in my CP, which is about 3% ppo, so adding it at 1 tsp. per pound of MP base should be perfectly fine. The folks over at the Sage (MMS) tested sodium lactate in MP and found that adding 1/2 oz. per pound of MP base helped to make the MP firmer.


HTH!
IrishLass