Newbies random soaping questions

[Laurabolyard]

Sorry if I missed it, what recipe did you use?

There's definitely a few reasons your soap could be soft! Using lots of soft oils can definitely cause a slower hardening.

I'd still consider 30% Lye Conc fairly high water, I usually stick to 35%. But that's all personal preference. My soap sets up hard in about 24-48 hours and my recipes are around 60% hard oils (lard, tallow and coconut).

I had been using 33%, but I thought I would try lower, to get some design time! My only additive was SL, 2 tsp.
I poured at saponification for the first time. Does that make a difference as well?? I didn't let it trace. It was definitely thickened by the time I was done.

 

[toxikon]

Yeah I think pouring at emulsion might slow things down too. Your recipe doesn't look like it'd cause too much softness. Interesting! I'm sure it'll set up nicely soon.

 

[Laurabolyard]

I was checking to see if using more water would help it gel on its own, as it was a thin mold. I got partial gel, so in this case I know that I should have forced with maybe a heating pad. I didn't use sugar because I don't really understand the roles it plays yet. I need to do more reading. I have read that it helps with gel, but I don't know if it also speeds trace.

Unless you are using palm shortening most will lend to a whiter soap. Light Olive Oil, Canola, and Sunflower oil will also lend to a white soap along with tallow and lard. I prefer 45% tallow with 25% lard, of course many here will remember I run into Dos issues lard when no one else seems to, plus lately in some of my older soaps with lard I am beginning to smell the lard, and I fragrance strong. Funny how some things work well for one and not another person. Tallow shortening never give me problems but it is not as luxurious feeling as lard

Are you saying that crisco with palm doesn't lend itself to a whiter soap? I really thought it would! I have palm kernel flakes that I haven't used, what about those?

 

[DianaMoon]

Thank you!! That will buy me much more time!!

View attachment 28694 My white wasn't nearly white enough, I was going for a real muted blue and lavender with a nice white and black contrast against gray. Not enough black, for sure, but for the white I used a white mica. I now wish I had used TD (and more black). Is white mica best used for lightening colors only? It's only one tsp per lb oils, could I have used more?

View attachment 28696 My second attempt on the right. closer to the color pallet I was looking for, although the purple is now not muted enough.
I used TD this time and got a better white, although it's a bit 'crackly '. I didn't think I used too much. What do experienced soapers do to get a flawless bright white?

I think they're gorgeous. They look like camo to me.

 

[DianaMoon]

Here's my random question. I have heard repeatedly that you need to cure at least 4 weeks - perhaps longer - but a guy on Youtube (yes, I know) says that's bunk, and that curing is actually unnecessary, that the PH value of the soap is the same after you unmold it as it is after weeks of curing. He recommended the tongue test (which I can't bring myself to do, yet) to prove the theory but he didn't prove it with an actual test.
What do people here think?

 

[IrishLass]

YouTube guy is lacking in understanding of a few things. While most us here (me included) do recommend applying the tongue test, he lacks the understanding of what a tongue test actually indicates. Hint- it is not an indictator of pH- rather, it's an indicator of unreacted lye (two very different things). Because of his faulty understanding of what the tongue test is for, his conclusion is wrong. The pH does drop, although not dramatically.

Fellow forum member, DeeAnna, has a few excellent posts on what goes on inside of a soap during cure and why it is necessary:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=634104&postcount=51

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=35831

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=35831&page=2

and here's another of DeeAnna's posts in regards to pH (what it does and does not indicate):
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=553574&postcount=96


IrishLass

 

[DianaMoon]

YouTube guy is lacking in understanding of a few things. While most us here (me included) do recommend applying the tongue test, he lacks the understanding of what a tongue test actually indicates. Hint- it is not an indictator of pH- rather, it's an indicator of unreacted lye (two very different things). Because of his faulty understanding of what the tongue test is for, his conclusion is wrong. The pH does drop, although not dramatically.

Fellow forum member, DeeAnna, has a few excellent posts on what goes on inside of a soap during cure and why it is necessary:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=634104&postcount=51

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=35831

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=35831&page=2

and here's another of DeeAnna's posts in regards to pH (what it does and does not indicate):
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=553574&postcount=96


IrishLass

Thanks - I never doubted that cure is necessary, which is why I brought it up here.
I have some cleanup safety questions. I started a new thread on it.

PS - thanks for the links. This is all such wonderful information & I am so thankful I stumbled across this website.