New to Cold Process Soap making

[Smoky Ash]

Hi everyone,
I am new to soap making and want to start on a small-scale business. Recently I tried my first batch of soap. I cured them for more than 12 weeks. But faced some problems like when I used it, my soap did not dry quickly rather become sticky.
My recipe contains:
olive oil 65%
coconut oil 20%
sweet Amond oil 10%
castor oil 5%

5% superfat
40% lye concentration

Can anyone guide me to a solution? I will be very grateful. Have a look at the picture attached.

Thank you.

 

[artemis]

You need a soap dish that will keep the soap from sitting in water. A lot of people like this type:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B08NF8R...abc_P85AZK3ZNAJM753BXFZ2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Smoky Ash]

I really appreciate your suggestion. Actually, I want to know, Is there any fault in my soap recipe? Or I can add something else to make it a harder bar.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I really appreciate your suggestion. Actually, I want to know, Is there any fault in my soap recipe? Or I can add something else to make it a harder bar.

You have a lot of liquid oils (olive and almond oil) in your soap, which tend to take a long time to harden. I don't know what oils you have available in your area. Have you tried using a soap calculator? You can plug in the oils that you have available and see the impact on the hardness of the soap as well as other attributes.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

You might try using Zany’s No Slime Castile (ZNSC) recipe with 10% coconut oil and 5% castor. The secret is to make and use the faux sea water.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/There are many many comments on this forum about ZNSC, including the rest of the thread in the link above. I think @artemis had a good suggestion also about keeping soap dry.

 

[AliOop]

Welcome! You've just discovered why it is recommended to make soap for a year or more before starting a soap business. It takes time to make lots of different soaps, and lots of different mistakes, so that you can hone your craft and really know how the soap will work for your buyers. Good for you for asking for help! Lots of smart and kind people here are willing to provide that.

Back to your question, I agree with @Nona'sFarm that your combination of oils is going to produce a soap that takes a long time to harden and cure. @artemis is spot on about the soap dish, and @ScentimentallyYours gave good advice about the ZNSC recipe, too.

Beyond that, I'd encourage you to study the properties of the various oils, or more specifically, their fatty acids (FAs). The combination of FAs is what makes a soap hard, soft, long-lasting, bubbly, sticky, and the like. You can also learn about ways to maximize or mitigate some of those properties using salt, sugar, and other additives.

It sounds more intimidating than it really is, but if you really hope to have a business, learning these things will provide you with the foundation you need to make a quality product. Good luck, and keep soaping!

 

[Smoky Ash]

You have a lot of liquid oils (olive and almond oil) in your soap, which tend to take a long time to harden. I don't know what oils you have available in your area. Have you tried using a soap calculator? You can plug in the oils that you have available and see the impact on the hardness of the soap as well as other attributes.

Yes, I have used soapcalc for the calculation of my recipe. So, can I solve this problem by using more hard oils like cocoa butter or shea butter, or any hard oil available in my area?
Thanks for the support.

Welcome! You've just discovered why it is recommended to make soap for a year or more before starting a soap business. It takes time to make lots of different soaps, and lots of different mistakes, so that you can hone your craft and really know how the soap will work for your buyers. Good for you for asking for help! Lots of smart and kind people here are willing to provide that.

Back to your question, I agree with @Nona'sFarm that your combination of oils is going to produce a soap that takes a long time to harden and cure. @artemis is spot on about the soap dish, and @ScentimentallyYours gave good advice about the ZNSC recipe, too.

Beyond that, I'd encourage you to study the properties of the various oils, or more specifically, their fatty acids (FAs). The combination of FAs is what makes a soap hard, soft, long-lasting, bubbly, sticky, and the like. You can also learn about ways to maximize or mitigate some of those properties using salt, sugar, and other additives.

It sounds more intimidating than it really is, but if you really hope to have a business, learning these things will provide you with the foundation you need to make a quality product. Good luck, and keep soaping!

Thank you @AliOop for your kind words. Yes, I want to start a small-scale business, but before that, I want to learn everything to make a perfect soap. I have noted your suggestions and will work on them.
Thank you once again.

You might try using Zany’s No Slime Castile (ZNSC) recipe with 10% coconut oil and 5% castor. The secret is to make and use the faux sea water.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/zanys-no-slime-castile.72620/There are many many comments on this forum about ZNSC, including the rest of the thread in the link above. I think @artemis had a good suggestion also about keeping soap dry.

I really appreciate you @ScentimentallyYours for helping me. I will try this recipe in the next batch and will share my experience, which you mentioned above with 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil using Zany's No Slime Castile recipe technique.

Thank you.

 

[lenarenee]

High oleic acid soaps are “thirsty“ and absorb a lot of water, and I mean a lot! Olive is one of the highest in oleic acid, and your recipe is 65% oo. Like already mentioned, it will need a very long cure, and keeping it as dry as possible between uses is best. In fact, I don’t keep a high oleic soap by the sink for hand wash simply because it doesn’t have time to dry between multiple uses and simply turns mushy within days.

 

[Hope Ann]

I really appreciate you @ScentimentallyYours for helping me. I will try this recipe in the next batch and will share my experience, which you mentioned above with 10% coconut oil and 5% castor oil using Zany's No Slime Castile recipe technique.

Thank you.

I think that is a great plan. It's a lovely soap AND it's fairly simple and slower moving so you can learn your craft and then play with colors if you choose. I haven't made it (though have made something similar) but her basic trinity would also be a good start.

You got other good comments here. I would add that I learned a ton here over the years from searching the forum. Search for a word (salt soap, Castille. Lard, etc.) and there is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. You won't be able to ask questions on old threads but you can make a new thread with your questions.

I suggest starting with very small batches - no more than a pound. Change one thing at a time so you know what it does for your soap. And KEEP NOTES. Print off your soap calc, date it and make notes as you make it (note ALL steps - lye and oil temp, exact fragrance oil and/or additives, did you attempt gel, etc), then slide in a page protector and keep with your soap. At cutting weigh a designated soap, updating your notes. Every 2 weeks test the soap (you can use the same piece, just be sure it dries well after the use) and again MAKE NOTES. Weigh your designated bar each week, again taking notes. This is the best way to learn.

Good luck. You'll go far with your learning attitude. ❤

Hope

 

[TheGecko]

Yes, I have used soapcalc for the calculation of my recipe. So, can I solve this problem by using more hard oils like cocoa butter or shea butter, or any hard oil available in my area?

You are welcomed to try my recipe:

35% Olive Oil
20% Palm Oil (RSPO)
20% Coconut Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

5% Super Fat
33% Lye Concentration

Soap around 90F. I let it sit in the mold for 2 days, I don’t gel. Cure for 8 weeks.

With 60% Hard Oils it makes for nice hard bar, but more importantly, it makes for a long lasting bar. The first time you use it you won’t see a whole lot of lather or bubbles, but you will the second time and it’s very nice.

 

[Hope Ann]

The first time you use it you won’t see a whole lot of lather or bubbles, but you will the second time and it’s very nice.

I make a triple butter lard soap and it also needs a wash or two to open up. I'm fairly certain it's the butters, ans it's just that the hard outside needs rubbed off. But I've never found a scientific explanation.

Your formula looks absolutely yummy!

Hope

 

[Benjifrazer]

a rule of thumb. i use is harder oils for harder band softer oils for softer bar - i usually aim for a 50/50 split but within 10% either way.

 

[TheGecko]

I make a triple butter lard soap and it also needs a wash or two to open up. I'm fairly certain it's the butters, ans it's just that the hard outside needs rubbed off. But I've never found a scientific explanation.

Your formula looks absolutely yummy!

Thank you. It started out as the Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit from BrambleBerry and then like every soap maker, I wanted to make something 'special' and started playing around with this and that. I like Butters and it was at the suggestion of the fine folks here that I increased them from 5% to 10% and a legend was born. LOL

A couple of years back, I found a bar of BRV Goat Milk Soap in the back of a drawer in my bathroom...I had bought it in '08. It had shrunk of course, but not as much as I would have thought for a 10+ year old bar of soap...and it still smelled like BRV. The first few washes were very disappointing so I tucked it away for a few months then brought it back out...two washes later it was lathering up beautifully. I think it's kind of like how, when you use a discoloring fragrance, when you first cut it you have that little band of brown around the outside of the bar? The outside being exposed to the air, it's the hardest part of the bar and forms a protective layer 'outer' layer. All part of the 'magic' of soap making.

 

[Smoky Ash]

High oleic acid soaps are “thirsty“ and absorb a lot of water, and I mean a lot! Olive is one of the highest in oleic acid, and your recipe is 65% oo. Like already mentioned, it will need a very long cure, and keeping it as dry as possible between uses is best. In fact, I don’t keep a high oleic soap by the sink for hand wash simply because it doesn’t have time to dry between multiple uses and simply turns mushy within days.

Thank you @lenarenee for guidance about the high oleic acid oils that give the slime and mushy nature to the soap. I heard that some oils are humectant that absorbs moisture from the surroundings and might olive oil be from that category.

I think that is a great plan. It's a lovely soap AND it's fairly simple and slower moving so you can learn your craft and then play with colors if you choose. I haven't made it (though have made something similar) but her basic trinity would also be a good start.

You got other good comments here. I would add that I learned a ton here over the years from searching the forum. Search for a word (salt soap, Castille. Lard, etc.) and there is a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. You won't be able to ask questions on old threads but you can make a new thread with your questions.

I suggest starting with very small batches - no more than a pound. Change one thing at a time so you know what it does for your soap. And KEEP NOTES. Print off your soap calc, date it and make notes as you make it (note ALL steps - lye and oil temp, exact fragrance oil and/or additives, did you attempt gel, etc), then slide in a page protector and keep with your soap. At cutting weigh a designated soap, updating your notes. Every 2 weeks test the soap (you can use the same piece, just be sure it dries well after the use) and again MAKE NOTES. Weigh your designated bar each week, again taking notes. This is the best way to learn.

Good luck. You'll go far with your learning attitude. ❤

Hope

Thank you @Hope Ann for your valuable advice and kind words. Yes, I am not fully satisfied with my colors but first want to work on oils percentage that give a perfect hard bar that can last longer in high humid areas. then I will work on coloring.
I have noted your instructions and will apply on the next batches.

Thank you for your support. ❤

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Are you in Pakistan? I have been to Rajasthan and out to the villages in the country near the Pakistan border in 2016. Depending on where you live, the market for starting a soap business may be very different from the ones we know in other parts of the world. You also may have difficulty sourcing ingredients that we would take for granted. That is why I suggested trying ZNSC with coconut and castor oil.

What kind of molds do you have access to? If you decide to scale up, could someone build a custom mold for you? I’m sure others here would be interested to know how resources may differ in Pakistan compared to where we are, even though we have people from all over the world in this forum. I believe we would also be interested in who you believe your customers would be if you start a soap business.
The good news is that if you properly re-search the market for starting a soap business and the investment that it will require in money and time, you will also have time during that process to perfect making soap for bathing.

When I was in Jodhpur, I visited a school for special needs (intellectual disabilities) children and adults. They had several business ventures such as making candles, jewelry, and soap. They did not have specialized equipment such as accurate scales to make soap for bathing, so their soap was for laundry only. Staff was very interested in learning to make soap for bathing and they had contacts for marketing. You need to know who is already making soap in your area, their market niche, and customers.

I think I just gave you enough to think about to keep you busy for a couple of months. Please keep us updated on your progress!

 

[Smoky Ash]

You are welcomed to try my recipe:

35% Olive Oil
20% Palm Oil (RSPO)
20% Coconut Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

5% Super Fat
33% Lye Concentration

Soap around 90F. I let it sit in the mold for 2 days, I don’t gel. Cure for 8 weeks.

With 60% Hard Oils it makes for nice hard bar, but more importantly, it makes for a long-lasting bar. The first time you use it you won’t see a whole lot of lather or bubbles, but you will the second time and it’s very nice.

Thank you so much @TheGecko for sharing your recipe and I would love to try it in my coming batches.

Are you in Pakistan? I have been to Rajasthan and out to the villages in the country near the Pakistan border in 2016. Depending on where you live, the market for starting a soap business may be very different from the ones we know in other parts of the world. You also may have difficulty sourcing ingredients that we would take for granted. That is why I suggested trying ZNSC with coconut and castor oil.

What kind of molds do you have access to? If you decide to scale up, could someone build a custom mold for you? I’m sure others here would be interested to know how resources may differ in Pakistan compared to where we are, even though we have people from all over the world in this forum. I believe we would also be interested in who you believe your customers would be if you start a soap business.
The good news is that if you properly re-search the market for starting a soap business and the investment that it will require in money and time, you will also have time during that process to perfect making soap for bathing.

When I was in Jodhpur, I visited a school for special needs (intellectual disabilities) children and adults. They had several business ventures such as making candles, jewelry, and soap. They did not have specialized equipment such as accurate scales to make soap for bathing, so their soap was for laundry only. Staff was very interested in learning to make soap for bathing and they had contacts for marketing. You need to know who is already making soap in your area, their market niche, and customers.

I think I just gave you enough to think about to keep you busy for a couple of months. Please keep us updated on your progress!

Yes, Rajasthan is a state in India. I am happy that you are familiar with the culture of this particular region. Your suggestion about ZNSC is really appreciated as the ingredients are easily available.Some of the ingredients are difficult to find but not impossible.

About the molds, both silicon and wood loaf type molds are available. I want to make soap for bathing and with proper research about the customers, I will start a bussiness as you mentioned above.

Sure, I will share my new Experiences.

Thank you @ScentimentallyYours for your valuable advice

 

[KiwiMoose]

I would imagine you can get cocoa butter or shea butter over there reasonably cheaply? Maybe have a go adding 15 - 20% of one of those to help with a harder recipe?

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I would imagine you can get cocoa butter or shea butter over there reasonably cheaply? Maybe have a go adding 15 - 20% of one of those to help with a harder recipe?

Using cocoa butter and Shea butter and palm oil would be beneficial for a Great bar of soap! I marked @TheGecko’s Recipe to try sometime in the next two weeks since I have all the ingredients. I thought @Smoky Ash could Try ZNSC now while waiting to track down other ingredients.

 

[Arimara]

Let your soap cure for another 12 weeks at the least. A soap that high in olive oil would likely be sticky still in some environments. Like @KiwiMoose suggested, try the coco butter or shea butter @ 15-20, if you can procure them.

 

[Smoky Ash]

I would imagine you can get cocoa butter or shea butter over there reasonably cheaply? Maybe have a go adding 15 - 20% of one of those to help with a harder recipe?

There are few suppliers of cocoa butter and shea butter and are a little bit expensive in our region.

Thank you @KiwiMoose

Using cocoa butter and Shea butter and palm oil would be beneficial for a Great bar of soap! I marked @TheGecko’s Recipe to try sometime in the next two weeks since I have all the ingredients. I thought @Smoky Ash could Try ZNSC now while waiting to track down other ingredients.

That's a good option for me until I manage to get all the ingredients to try other recipes like @TheGecko shares with me.
Thanks to both of you

a rule of thumb. i use is harder oils for harder band softer oils for softer bar - i usually aim for a 50/50 split but within 10% either way.

Thank you @Benjifrazer. I was thinking to try 50% soft oils and 50% hard oils in my recipe.