Need feedback on my recipe. Help

[daniellel]

So this is only my third attempt at making soap. I checked my recipe on internet soap calculators after-the-fact, and their calculations are different than what I wound up using. But this third batch soap turned out beautiful, like perfectly tempered white chocolate! It looks like a really nice, creamy soap, but I'm nervous that something's wrong with the forumla. Can you please check my recipe?

This is for a small batch:
3 oz avocado oil
1 oz sweet almond oil
4.5 oz olive oil
4.5 oz coconut oil
3 oz lye
8 oz frozen goat milk
a few drops of scented oil at the end

Thank you all so much for your feedback!
-Danielle

 

[dragonfly princess]

Um................please post the pics! I would love to see lovely white chocolate mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
mmmmmm oh sorry got carried away

 

[Guest]

I hope I'm wrong Danielle. I ran it through SoapCalc and I get 1.9 oz lye and 4.9 oz liquid. That's using its standard 5% superfat and 38% lye concentration. I'm sure you got the same numbers when you ran it through the calculator.

I suggest that you test the pH before using to ensure it isn't alkaline, like perhaps using the tongue zap test.

I'm kind of curious why you went with the 3 oz lye.

 

[Guest]

I agree with DF. I'm a sucker for any soap pictures. I just *LOVE* seeing those pictures! Even modest beginner's batches are great to look at!!!

Post the pics!

 

[daniellel]

According to online calculators, I used too much lye and too much milk... but, what happens if I use more milk and lye than recommended? Some calculators are showing I should have only used 4 oz liquid and I used 8, and also only about 2 oz lye and I used 3... anyone have experience with adding more milk than suggested?

 

[Guest]

If you use more liquid your bars will take longer to dry and may possibly remain sticky and soft for an indefinite time. Even if they do dry they will very likely shrink and change shape as they cure. Too much liquid is not a serious problem except for aesthetics.

However, too much lye is far worse. The theory is that you add more fat than the lye can eat up ("superfatting") or in other words use a smaller amount of lye than what would just 100% saponify all the oils ("lye discount"). The two terms are simply different ways of looking at the exact same thing.

When you have too little lye there are excess fats and oils in your soap bars, and this is a good thing in moderation, perhaps 5-10% or so more fats/oils. It has moisturizing properties and replenishes your skin oils that were washed off by the soap.

When you have too much lye your soap will be alkaline, and taken to extreme may be alkaline enough to burn your skin or bother your eyes, maybe even damage your eyes and other moist membrane areas of your body. Too much lye is a serious problem.

You've used almost 50% too much lye. I'm no expert but I'll venture to guess that you may not be able to use that soap, or may have to rebatch it at best.

I'm curious why you decided to ignore the calculator results. Were you following a recipe given to you? If so I suggest that you become skeptical about your recipe source.

 

[Guest]

Yes - always run your recipes through a calculator and follow the exact lye and liquid amounts. Even those you get from books. It looks like maybe you tried to halve the recipe or something which would require you to run it thru the calcs again.

You need to rebatch the soap - adding as much oils as necessary to properly react with the lye.