Please Critique My Recipe

[Zany_in_CO]

The "why" for me is always so key to learning, especially in a soap-making context. Never fear going in to too much detail here!

With all due respect, I only know what works for me... that's why I leave the whys & wherefores to you and the other more knowlegable members of SMF. :mrgreen: (cheeky grin)

 

[lenarenee]

Olive Oil 15%-it brings something indefinable to soap at this percentage, but I definitely miss it when I don't use it!.

I know exactly what you mean Susie. I use at least 10 - 20% of some kind of ho oleic oil, and always assumed it was the oleic acid that was adding that something special, but lard is already high in oleic. Lard bubbles are dense and dry looking, not very slippery.

Also, I think the ho oil helps it lather better - like it loosens up the bubbles. It definitely adds gloss to the overall bar, shine to the bubbles, and a bit of slickness (slip?).

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

With all due respect, I only know what works for me... that's why I leave the whys & wherefores to you and the other more knowlegable members of SMF. :mrgreen: (cheeky grin)

At the risk of taking this a tad off topic, maybe you should make it clear that "good" or "not good" means "good for zany" and so on.

But even then, your "why" it isn't good for you in your experience is also valid and can help others in some way.

 

[Iluminameluna]

I'm just going to add a little bit of info here because I also suffer from extremely dry skin. Anything but my own soaps makes the skin on my hands and fingers crack.
I spent over a year reading blogs and watching videos online before making my first soap, Soaping101's Bastile recipe back in 2014, which was mild but not enough for me.
My skin has gotten worse since then, but I've also kept reading about my addiction, I mean my hobby, and have found that a slightly lower saturated amount of oils makes a milder soap, say my current recipe that I've been making for about 20 months now, is a family pleaser.
Just in case anyone wants to give it a go:

Lard 50%
Olive oil, light 30%
CO76°F 15%
Castor oil 5%
Super Fat 6 or 7% (depends on the weather, skin type, your water quality, etc.)
Water:Lye 1.7:1

Below is the link to the soap recipe calculator I use. Should take you directly to my recipe and all it's characteristics. ETA: please let me know if it doesn't!

https://www.soapmakingfriend.com/soap-recipe/45336.soleseif-2-in-juneau
If you use this recipe by the hot process method, I'd suggest you use the the water to lye ratio 1 to 1 because it'll evaporate that little extra water.
And as others have suggested, I'll second, let your soap cure just like the cold process. I've made hot process and only once did I not cure it for the usual 6 weeks or longer, and it dissolved so quickly, less than 2 weeks, that I almost cried. It had mango puree that one...
Just hope this helps.

 

[LisaBoBisa]

If you use this recipe by the hot process method, I'd suggest you use the the water to lye ratio 1 to 1 because it'll evaporate that little extra water.

I'm curious--are you able to pack HP soap into a mold very well if you cook it with 1:1 water:lye?

 

[Iluminameluna]

I'm curious--are you able to pack HP soap into a mold very well if you cook it with 1:1 water:lye?

The few times I've tried my recipes in the pot (HP) I've used a tablespoon of nonfat Greek yogurt to keep my soap fairly moving (I usually kept my recipes to about a kilo). And added it at the end of the cooking.
However, I did not add salt to those recipes, and made sure to keep the sugar content to a minimum. I didn't have silicone molds at the time when I was trying out HP soaping, only plastic baskets lined with parchment, but it was easy to get soap batter into them.
They did take some time to set, about 24 hours, but maybe I should have stayed with my 1.7:1 liquid to lye ratio.
I just prefer CP nowadays to HP. It's much easier on my body.
Good soaping to you!

 

[AliOop]

I'm curious--are you able to pack HP soap into a mold very well if you cook it with 1:1 water:lye?

I can't even do CP with 1:1 water:lye, let alone HP, which for me is typically 2.5 or 3 to 1, depending on the recipe.

 

[LisaBoBisa]

I can't even do CP with 1:1 water:lye, let alone HP, which for me is typically 2.5 or 3 to 1, depending on the recipe.

I tried 2:1 water:lye HP once on accident and it was SOOOO dry and lumpy when I packed it in, but I didn't mix anything in after the cook. It made incredibly dense, hard, solid, smooth bars, though, and It would be awesome to replicate that without making ugly soap

 

[Arimara]

I tried 2:1 water:lye HP once on accident and it was SOOOO dry and lumpy when I packed it in, but I didn't mix anything in after the cook. It made incredibly dense, hard, solid, smooth bars, though, and It would be awesome to replicate that without making ugly soap

I have to agree there. I might try that sometime.

 

[LisaBoBisa]

I have to agree there. I might try that sometime.

Hope you post if you get anything dryer than 2.5:1 water:lye to work!
Maybe if I keep it sealed the whole time without checking it, and add yogurt after the cook (and warm up my molds/additives), and add a little extra liquid at the end? It was so uglydry that it's hard to imagine that being enough, but a friend really loved the texture, keeps comparing anything since to that accidental dry batch