palm vs lard

[PaganArts]

I made two batches of soap with palm oil which I rarely use and both got soda ash. The last few batches I used lard and they're perfect. Anyone else notice that?

 

[IrishLass]

I've made side by side lard vs palm comparisons using the same recipe, except in one I switched out the lard for palm, and while I loved the lard version so much better , neither one got ash......but then again, it's very rare my soaps get ash ever since I began soaping warmer with less water, making sure to fully gel, and refraining from uncovering/unmolding until cooled down from gel.

Did the lard batch happen to go through gel and not the palm batch?


IrishLass

 

[PaganArts]

They both went through gel stage. I'm thinking it could be FO? Not sure but I'm not using palm and my last two batches are fine. I did soap at a lower temp than I normally do. I like to be at about 110.

I'm going to try Hot Process for the first time, I've been watching every video out there, there sure are a lot of different techniques.

 

[lenarenee]

Ash is mysterious. Some say lavender eo soaps tend to ash more, some say high lard soaps, some say more ash on humid days. I tend to get a lot of ash on my 60 to 70% lard soaps. Might it be the BHT in the lard itself, and not the lard (because sometimes I use lard without any additives - seems to ash less - but more dos)

It's hard to say because I don't keep track of the humidity level, temperature or other factors. I've been soaping long enough that I've learned to just let soap do what it wants. Sometimes the ash really looks cool - sometimes I wash it off.

 

[Catscankim]

I do both, and they both ash to a degree. Lately, for the last month, i have been cpop. It seems to help a lot.

i like the ash on some of my soaps. I have a charcoal soap that got ash all over the top. It seems to be growing by the day lol. My guy friend said that he really likes the back soaps with the frosting on the top

 

[TheGecko]

I made two batches of soap with palm oil which I rarely use and both got soda ash. The last few batches I used lard and they're perfect. Anyone else notice that?

According to modernsoapmaking.com: Soda Ash is caused primarily by any free sodium in sodium hydroxide interacting with oxygen, various fragrance constituents, and even heat, which forms sodium carbonate on the surface of the soap as it comes in contact with the air.

Given my own experience over the past year+ I have to agree that there no 'one' thing (or ingredient) that cause soda ash. My recipe contains 20% Palm Oil and I use the same recipe and same additives. The majority of time I don't get ash, but the times I do don't seem to have a rhyme or reason. The first time it happened was when I made a 2lb batch of Orange EO and some small 'sample' soaps and just left them in the kitchen; the ash on the sample soaps was so bad after four days that I just had to toss them. I thought it was because there was more carbon dioxide in the house than in the garage, or because it was warmer in the kitchen than the garage...but I didn't get any ash a few other times I left the soap in the kitchen. I've also gotten ash in the garage a few times. Over the last couple of months I started spraying my soaps with 99% alcohol...supposed to prevent soda ash. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I had two soap...same everything except for the FO (same company). Didn't put alcohol...one got ash, the other didn't. Was it the FO...who knows.

 

[SPowers]

I use both lard and palm in my recipe but lard at a much higher %. Sometimes I get a small amt of ash but generally not much at all.

 

[GemstonePony]

I use palm for my loaf soaps, and they rarely get ash on them. I don't use it for most of my trial batches, and they frequently get ash. Worst I've ever seen was my 100% CO soap.

 

[PaganArts]

According to modernsoapmaking.com: Soda Ash is caused primarily by any free sodium in sodium hydroxide interacting with oxygen, various fragrance constituents, and even heat, which forms sodium carbonate on the surface of the soap as it comes in contact with the air.

Given my own experience over the past year+ I have to agree that there no 'one' thing (or ingredient) that cause soda ash. My recipe contains 20% Palm Oil and I use the same recipe and same additives. The majority of time I don't get ash, but the times I do don't seem to have a rhyme or reason. The first time it happened was when I made a 2lb batch of Orange EO and some small 'sample' soaps and just left them in the kitchen; the ash on the sample soaps was so bad after four days that I just had to toss them. I thought it was because there was more carbon dioxide in the house than in the garage, or because it was warmer in the kitchen than the garage...but I didn't get any ash a few other times I left the soap in the kitchen. I've also gotten ash in the garage a few times. Over the last couple of months I started spraying my soaps with 99% alcohol...supposed to prevent soda ash. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn't. I had two soap...same everything except for the FO (same company). Didn't put alcohol...one got ash, the other didn't. Was it the FO...who knows.

I've read SO....many tips and troubleshooting articles. The last two batches I just made with lard were fine. I guess it could be anything at this point. I've also read many people use alcohol spritz and others say it doesn't do anything on CP soap. I use it on my M&P soap, stops air bubbles on top and smoothes it out.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I made two batches of soap with palm oil which I rarely use and both got soda ash. The last few batches I used lard and they're perfect. Anyone else notice that?

My last soap I used both' Lard & Palm & got Soda Ash' however I made a soap two weeks ago w/ both Palm & Lard No Soda Ash' both soaps are CP. The soap w/ no soda ash had Gelled' the one w/ Soda ash didn't . The Soap w/ Soda Ash had more water ratio too.

 

[AliOop]

Yup, ash is reduced when water is decreased, and also when soap is gelled. That being said, I always use lard, rarely use palm, always gel, and use a 1.5:1 water:lye ratio - and still get some ash.

 

[Highfive]

No experienced with lard. Soap with Palm Oil on occasions. Spraying 91% Isopropyl alcohol on top of the soap helps with "Soda Ash". Often times soaping at a lower temperature decrease soda ash as well. One last trick that has help with soda ash cove the soap up with plastic wrap