I have just now created my first batch of cp 100% olive oil soap( my first soap ever!). It has come out of the mould well, as per my research I understand that this soap is going to take months to get cured (i am tracking the weight every week _ i suppose at a point if the weight does not vary that very day the soap is finally concluded to be cured) . Now my question is, how do you know if the soap I made is safe to use? Do I have to do some kind of lab test to check if its skin safe?
New to soaping !
- Thread starter Johncy
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Finnegan
Well-Known Member
Hallo Johncy and welcome to the addiction!!
I have a very unscientific way to test my soap: I wait a week or so, and then I wash my hands with it. If it burns or feel very dry or weird, I know to cure it for about 2 more months before I try the handwash test again. If the week old soap feels fine, then I know a 6 week cure is all it is going to need. But I'm sure there are better ways to test (maybe with pH strips or such), but I stand by my handwash test.
I have a very unscientific way to test my soap: I wait a week or so, and then I wash my hands with it. If it burns or feel very dry or weird, I know to cure it for about 2 more months before I try the handwash test again. If the week old soap feels fine, then I know a 6 week cure is all it is going to need. But I'm sure there are better ways to test (maybe with pH strips or such), but I stand by my handwash test.
AlexanderMakesSoap
Well-Known Member
From everything I've read and understood, it should really be 'safe' to use after 48 hours or so if your lye to oil ratios are correct, though it won't be any good that that point, in terms of soapiness.
Welcome, Johncy, and congratulations on making your first soap!
You can "zap-test" your soap at any time to see if it still has active lye, or if it is safe to use. I encourage you to do a search of this forum about zap-testing. It is cheap (free) and very reliable.
However, just because soap is "safe" doesn't mean that it is ideal. Soap needs time to "cure." Curing not only consists of losing the excess water weight, but also the time to allow soap crystals to form inside the soap bars. In general, the longer you allow it to cure, the better the soap will feel to the skin.
Now, high olive oil and especially 100% olive oil (aka Castile) soaps are rather unique. Even after they stop losing water weight, they are not fully cured. Most people cure Castile soap for at least six months, and more often for a full year. Before that, the lather will be very minimal, and the soap will feel slimy, with strings of soap sticking to your hand when wet. You can search this forum for pictures of slimy or "snotty" Castile soap.
If you want to try a slightly different process that may result in a shorter cure time for your Castile soap, search this forum for Zany's No-Slime Castile. Not everyone likes it, but many people swear by it.
Hope that helps, and welcome to the SMF forum!
You can "zap-test" your soap at any time to see if it still has active lye, or if it is safe to use. I encourage you to do a search of this forum about zap-testing. It is cheap (free) and very reliable.
However, just because soap is "safe" doesn't mean that it is ideal. Soap needs time to "cure." Curing not only consists of losing the excess water weight, but also the time to allow soap crystals to form inside the soap bars. In general, the longer you allow it to cure, the better the soap will feel to the skin.
Now, high olive oil and especially 100% olive oil (aka Castile) soaps are rather unique. Even after they stop losing water weight, they are not fully cured. Most people cure Castile soap for at least six months, and more often for a full year. Before that, the lather will be very minimal, and the soap will feel slimy, with strings of soap sticking to your hand when wet. You can search this forum for pictures of slimy or "snotty" Castile soap.
If you want to try a slightly different process that may result in a shorter cure time for your Castile soap, search this forum for Zany's No-Slime Castile. Not everyone likes it, but many people swear by it.
Hope that helps, and welcome to the SMF forum!
Thank you so much fo the response.. Umm as a beginer I did try the hand wash technique that you mentioned but I dont feel anything.. There is very little lather( i believe, that is what i need to expect from 100% olive oil soap) .. I might have to gain more experience and then will be able to apply "how do I feel " technique of yours.. Thanks again !!
Thank you so much fo the response.. Umm as a beginer I did try the hand wash technique that you mentioned but I dont feel anything.. There is very little lather( i believe, that is what i need to expect from 100% olive oil soap) .. I might have to gain more experience and then will be able to apply "how do I feel " technique of yours.. Thanks again !!
I am newbie still figuring out the safe oil lye ratio..m sure m going to master this soon n will be able to use my soap with out a second thought . Thnk you.
That helped a lot..wish i knew abt Zany's soap before i made my frst batch, i cud save some curing time...i ll be back soon with more doubts, expecting your help in making me a good soaper
michael732
Well-Known Member
I too am new. Just made my first batch last week. Now that the soap is out of the mold, formulate another recipe and go again. Find a combination that you think you will like. Use soapcalc.net and mess with the ingredients and percentages. Check the graph for the characteristics you desire. I know it didn't answer you question and I'm sorry. My point is just keep going. Have fun with it.
Todd Ziegler
Circle Z soaps
I think you will find that a minimum of 6 months cure time is the best place to start with a 100% OO soap.
If you like olive oil soap but don't want to wait 6 months or more for curing, then you might try a recipe with less OO, combined with some other oils.
I don't love or hate OO in soap and I cure all of my soaps for a minimum of 6 months, regardless of the recipe (my personal preference).
There are several oils that you can use in place of OO. I use high oleic safflower oil. However I don't use the safflower above 25% of my oils. As a matter of fact, I don't use any oil above 25%. I have found, for myself, that a combination of oils gives me a soap that I like and my testers have liked so far. I do make a batch of OO soap every once in a while and I only use 25%.
There are a lot of combinations of ingredients that you can use for soap making but it all comes down to what you want in a soap.
If you like olive oil soap but don't want to wait 6 months or more for curing, then you might try a recipe with less OO, combined with some other oils.
I don't love or hate OO in soap and I cure all of my soaps for a minimum of 6 months, regardless of the recipe (my personal preference).
There are several oils that you can use in place of OO. I use high oleic safflower oil. However I don't use the safflower above 25% of my oils. As a matter of fact, I don't use any oil above 25%. I have found, for myself, that a combination of oils gives me a soap that I like and my testers have liked so far. I do make a batch of OO soap every once in a while and I only use 25%.
There are a lot of combinations of ingredients that you can use for soap making but it all comes down to what you want in a soap.
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