My very first Hot Process soap! 🤗

[soapgeek]

I'm still new to soapmaking, but just made hot process soap for the first time today *happy dance*

I made it in a pan on the stove top with a whisk and a spatula (I don't have a slow cooker or a stick blender yet!); I was a bit worried it wouldn't work, but I think it has... It went kind of like mashed potato in the pan, and then a bit waxy like Vaseline. It wasn't as easy to mould as cold process, where you can easily pour the soap batter into the mould, so I scooped it in with a spoon instead.

I swirled the top with a cocktail stick, with the idea that the slices would have peaks/texture on the top - the peaks are a bit crumbly, but hey, hot process is supposed to be 'rustic', isn't it .

I made this at noon today, and I've been able to wash my hands with it already! It could probably do with a couple of weeks to cure and get harder, but it's usable right now

Scented with essential oils of:
Sweet orange
Patchouli
Ylang ylang

 

[shunt2011]

Congratulations!!! HP needs just as long of a cure as CP and sometimes longer due to more water/liquid needed to do HP. With HP saponification is a big quicker but CP is good to use in a 1-3 days depending on if gel is achieved.

 

[soapgeek]

Congratulations!!! HP needs just as long of a cure as CP and sometimes longer due to more water/liquid needed to do HP. With HP saponification is a big quicker but CP is good to use in a 1-3 days depending on if gel is achieved.

Thank you! I've had problems with gel phase in my last 2 CP batches, so thought I'd give HP a try. I'm going to leave these HP soaps to cure now, see how they go...

Because the soap is much thicker and I scooped it in, I'm wondering if the soap will develop cracks around the 'scoops'... time will tell

 

[Arimara]

Thank you! I've had problems with gel phase in my last 2 CP batches, so thought I'd give HP a try. I'm going to leave these HP soaps to cure now, see how they go...

Because the soap is much thicker and I scooped it in, I'm wondering if the soap will develop cracks around the 'scoops'... time will tell

When/if you do get a slow cooker, try to cover it with some plastic film and let it cook for a while on low. I've gotten a much more fluid HP that way and it definitely cut down on the cracked appearance. I would not try this on a stove however.

 

[szaza]

Congratulations! I just wanted to note that the method @Arimara mentioned also works in the oven in case you have one it works really well for me.

 

[lsg]

Congratulations on your first HP.

 

[soapgeek]

Congratulations! I just wanted to note that the method @Arimara mentioned also works in the oven in case you have one it works really well for me.

Thank you! My oven is out of action at the moment, waiting for a new one, but when I get a new oven, what temperature would it need to be to HP the soap? And would the soap need stirring from time to time?

 

[szaza]

When I do oven HP I keep the oven temperature between 70-80°C.
If I have a very slow moving recipe (think bastile type recipes with lots of soft oils) I sometimes let it go to 100°C for a few minutes in the very beginning to speed things up and then go down to my regular temperatures.
I don't have a low enough setting on my oven, so I keep it on the lowest setting and control the temps by opening and closing my oven door while checking on my oven thermometer.
I never stir.. just let it sit there, waiting for everything to be in gel phase and then mix in any additive I was planning on

 

[soapgeek]

When I do oven HP I keep the oven temperature between 70-80°C.
If I have a very slow moving recipe (think bastile type recipes with lots of soft oils) I sometimes let it go to 100°C for a few minutes in the very beginning to speed things up and then go down to my regular temperatures.
I don't have a low enough setting on my oven, so I keep it on the lowest setting and control the temps by opening and closing my oven door while checking on my oven thermometer.
I never stir.. just let it sit there, waiting for everything to be in gel phase and then mix in any additive I was planning on

Thanks @szaza , I'll give that a go when I get my oven... I presume it's ok to cook it in my stainless steel big pan?

 

[szaza]

I presume it's ok to cook it in my stainless steel big pan?

Absolutely!