Recipe advice for newbie

[lanafana]

Yes, any oil works for superfatting. When you make CP, the lye will use which ever oils it wants, you won't be able to choose which remain after saponification. If you want a certain oil to remain, you will need to make HP.

What kind of skin do you have? If you have really dry skin, you will want a lower amount of coconut.

I do have dry skin. That's wired because I thought coconut would be good for that (don't ask me why). What oils should I increase in for dry skin??

 

[lanafana]

Wow graycework!!! Thank you so much for all the useful tips and info. Lots of things to consider. I really wanted to eventually do a pure olive oil Castile soap, but now I don't know (omg one year to cure!!) my patience would really be tested with that one!

Thanks for the recipes, I am going to go look for castor oil this weekend. I see it in so many recipes, it must have good qualities.

So if I add up all the oils to 100% minus the superfat and put it in soap calc and then add my superfat at the end...the calc will tell me the amount of lye needed adjusted according to the superfat added?

 

[lanafana]

grayceworks, that was such a terrific comprehensive answer!

Do you have a stick-blender? That's going to be an important tool for easy trace and happiness. If you don't, we have tips. Where do you live, by the way? (Since you have very particular oils easily available, I'm nosy!)

When you do move up to using milk, (I agree, wait until you're comfortable with water recipes) I recommend that you use small molds, or at least a narrow loaf mold. If it's a wooden or thick silicone mold, depending on its size have it in the fridge or freezer before adding the soap to it. Milk soaps tend to overheat because of all the sugar, and wood insulates. Most people put their milk soaps in the freezer to prevent overheating, which also prevents gelling (usually) but some larger molds will still partial-gel, which makes a dark area in the center of the soap.

Wow, I had no idea milk could be so hard to work with! I really wanted to make milk soap because of my easy access and because of all the good things I hear about its properties and effects on skin. I'll have to tread carefully with that one.

I ordered a stick blender and it should be here in a couple of days (can't wait). I also got a good scale and thermometer. I haven't purchased molds yet because I am completely confused as to which kind to get. I think if I order now I will end up with ten different molds, empty pockets, and no idea where to start!!

I live in Maryland, but I have people that can get me coconut oil and Shea butter from Nigeria in bulk. So that's why I'd like to use it as the base in the soaps. Thanks so much! And please ask on, I need to be educated!

 

[lanafana]

By the way, what is gelling? Is it something you don't want to happen? If so how do I prevent it??

 

[lanafana]

It really makes no difference, and the extra oil can be harder to mix in at trace. In soap calc adjust your superfat, 5 being the default. You really cannot control which oils will saponify and which will continue floating around in your soap

Thanks, I didn't know that. I thought the superfatting was a sure thing. I didn't know it varied from HP to CP either.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Local stores will also have things that can be used.

As above, I would try to get another oil to add in, to lower the OO so that you don't have to wait so long to use the soap!

And in Cold Process, don't worry about adding superfat oils in at trace as it makes no difference. Add it all at the start as the superfat will just be a % of all of the oils in the mix anyway - adding them at trace just adds a step to your process and is misleading for people who then read it and think that it changes anything. You can only select which oil is the superfat if you do Hot Process.

So when using soap calc, just put in the amount of oils you want to use in total and then at the top right of the form is the setting for Superfat - this will change the amount of lye calculated so that a % of your oils has no lye to react with, so they stay as oils.

As for moulds, you can just use a basic silicone baking mould - personally I wouldn't then use it for food afterwards, only soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Gelling:

When the lye and oils combine (saponification) it causes heat. The heat can change the soap to being more translucent - particularly in the middle of the soap.

Preventing it, or ensuring it happens to all of the soap rather than just a part of it (a partial gel, a gelled middle usually, which ungelled around it) is mainly cosmetic and nothing to worry too much about.

 

[lanafana]

Local stores will also have things that can be used.

As above, I would try to get another oil to add in, to lower the OO so that you don't have to wait so long to use the soap!

And in Cold Process, don't worry about adding superfat oils in at trace as it makes no difference. Add it all at the start as the superfat will just be a % of all of the oils in the mix anyway - adding them at trace just adds a step to your process and is misleading for people who then read it and think that it changes anything. You can only select which oil is the superfat if you do Hot Process.

So when using soap calc, just put in the amount of oils you want to use in total and then at the top right of the form is the setting for Superfat - this will change the amount of lye calculated so that a % of your oils has no lye to react with, so they stay as oils.

As for moulds, you can just use a basic silicone baking mould - personally I wouldn't then use it for food afterwards, only soap.

Thanks so much for the pointers. Things are starting to become a bit clearer for me now! I get the superfatting, still don't know what gelling is though. I'm going to look it up online.

I'm going to look for castor oil today. What other oils can I find locally at the store that are good for soap making. I'm going to look for a silicone loaf mold as well. Also, when we slaughter goats/sheep I usually render my own tallow from the fat...can I use this??

 

[lanafana]

Gelling:

When the lye and oils combine (saponification) it causes heat. The heat can change the soap to being more translucent - particularly in the middle of the soap.

Preventing it, or ensuring it happens to all of the soap rather than just a part of it (a partial gel, a gelled middle usually, which ungelled around it) is mainly cosmetic and nothing to worry too much about.

Thanks again! Hadn't read this when I posted the last comment. How do you control the gelling process if you wanted to?

And, I see people refrigerating their poured soaps, using plastic wrap, insulating it in the oven, putting in freezer, is all of this necessary and why? What about if your soap is taller than the mold (on purpose) then what would you do? And is praying with alcohol necessary to prevent ash or are there other ways to prevent it (I really do to want to use alcohol). OMG, I know everyone is tired of me by now with all the questions!!!!! You all have no idea how much it's helped me though! Many thanks...

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Get tired of talking about soap? Oh, dear girl, you really don't know us at all!

Rendered tallow? Oh YES you can use it! Maybe 20% CO, 40% OO, 35% tallow and 5% Shea? Things like Crisco, sunflower oil and so on can all be used for soaping. Or maybe even 15% CO and 10% shea if you prefer?

Out of interest, how can you pour your soap higher than the mould? Can you picture pouring soup higher than the soup bowl?

As for controlling gel by preventing it, you can put the mould in the freezer just after you pour the soap (do it before you make soap if you really want to be safe), then after 12 or 24 hours move it to the fridge and then a cold place and keep an eye on when it is good to be cut. There are people on this forum much better at I am for preventing gel.

To control gel by making sure you get a full gel, you can put your oven on to a low setting as you soap and then, when ready, turn the oven off and put the mould inside (make sure the mould is oven safe!) but keep an eye on it. It can overheat, so it's not an idiot-proof method (I won't try it! ) or you can put it on a heat pad or wrap it in towels and put it some place toasty. It's of course possible to get a partial gel even with this - the key is PRACTICE and learn what you need to do with your recipe, moulds, house and so on. Alas no one answer will fit all cases with this

As for ash, you can put Seran wrap over the soap when poured, but then you can't do fancy tops (if you're in to that). Ash is just cosmetic, will go after a use or two in the shower and is really nothing to worry too much about for now

 

[lanafana]

Get tired of talking about soap? Oh, dear girl, you really don't know us at all!

Rendered tallow? Oh YES you can use it! Maybe 20% CO, 40% OO, 35% tallow and 5% Shea? Things like Crisco, sunflower oil and so on can all be used for soaping. Or maybe even 15% CO and 10% shea if you prefer?

Out of interest, how can you pour your soap higher than the mould? Can you picture pouring soup higher than the soup bowl?

As for controlling gel by preventing it, you can put the mould in the freezer just after you pour the soap (do it before you make soap if you really want to be safe), then after 12 or 24 hours move it to the fridge and then a cold place and keep an eye on when it is good to be cut. There are people on this forum much better at I am for preventing gel.

To control gel by making sure you get a full gel, you can put your oven on to a low setting as you soap and then, when ready, turn the oven off and put the mould inside (make sure the mould is oven safe!) but keep an eye on it. It can overheat, so it's not an idiot-proof method (I won't try it! ) or you can put it on a heat pad or wrap it in towels and put it some place toasty. It's of course possible to get a partial gel even with this - the key is PRACTICE and learn what you need to do with your recipe, moulds, house and so on. Alas no one answer will fit all cases with this

As for ash, you can put Seran wrap over the soap when poured, but then you can't do fancy tops (if you're in to that). Ash is just cosmetic, will go after a use or two in the shower and is really nothing to worry too much about for now

Lololol . I'm sure the noob questions can be quite annoying at times. But I haven't even made my first batch yet and I can't stop talking about soap (my husband has got to be insane by now) So yes, I can see how that could happen!

With regards to pouring above the mold I meant decorative tops or tops that kind of peak towards the center. Stuff I probably won't try til much later though. I just think is looks nice and would hate to have it touched by Saran Wrap!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You can steam ash off using all sorts of things, just be careful while doing it. I would suggest googling "steaming hot ash" but it might think you meant something else...........

 

[shunt2011]

You can make a nice soap with the ingredients you have. Personally use coconut up to 25% with no issues and I too have sensitive skin. I superfat between 8-10 percent. You could do 70% Olive oil, 20% Coconut and 10% Shea. Minimum of 5% superfat. You can get Castor Oil at Walmart or at some pharmacies. If you added that I would just subtract 5% from your Olive and add 5% Castor. You'll have to let us know how your soap turns out. Welcome to the addiction

 

[Seawolfe]

You can make the top piled high and fluffy just as if it were cream cheese - you fluff it up with your spoon or spatula! But you cant do it with soap that was at a light trace - has to be at heavy trace, or after HP. And you can fluff soap that is below the top of the mold as well - you'll see. Honestly, for my first batch I did not care nor know about gelling - just dont worry about it for now - I should not have even mentioned it because its so not a big deal. Besides, I still have the newbie perspective that partial gelling and ash are free decorations for your soap, and proof of its awesome handmadeness.

 

[Sherry1956]

Hi Ianafana
I found the most wonderful thing at Miller Soap dot com. A list of all the soaps with their properties. I use it all the time I formulate a new batch of soap.

 

[lanafana]

You can make a nice soap with the ingredients you have. Personally use coconut up to 25% with no issues and I too have sensitive skin. I superfat between 8-10 percent. You could do 70% Olive oil, 20% Coconut and 10% Shea. Minimum of 5% superfat. You can get Castor Oil at Walmart or at some pharmacies. If you added that I would just subtract 5% from your Olive and add 5% Castor. You'll have to let us know how your soap turns out. Welcome to the addiction

Thank you for the warm welcome, and although I haven't even gotten my feet wet, I can feel the addiction forming! I hope my first attempts go well and I am not completely discouraged. Right now I am so excited in afraid there's nowhere to go but down!

I am going to try out that recipe and see how it turns out and I will definitely share the results.

 

[lanafana]

You can make the top piled high and fluffy just as if it were cream cheese - you fluff it up with your spoon or spatula! But you cant do it with soap that was at a light trace - has to be at heavy trace, or after HP. And you can fluff soap that is below the top of the mold as well - you'll see. Honestly, for my first batch I did not care nor know about gelling - just dont worry about it for now - I should not have even mentioned it because its so not a big deal. Besides, I still have the newbie perspective that partial gelling and ash are free decorations for your soap, and proof of its awesome handmadeness.

Thanks for the encouragement! Hearing all these new terms scares me sometimes so thank you all for helping me put things in perspective. I think the hardest part is going to be just getting it done, making that first move. This is kind of how I felt when I first started baking bread (so scared of using yeast and failing at it) but after my first loaves I couldn't stop! I hope soaping has the same effect! It's got so much room for creativity, I can't wait to get started!!

 

[lanafana]

Hi Ianafana
I found the most wonderful thing at Miller Soap dot com. A list of all the soaps with their properties. I use it all the time I formulate a new batch of soap.

Wow, that site is a great resource. Just what I need right now. Thanks for the link.

 

[lanafana]

One more question (for now ). The soap calc has three different types of coconut oil listed. What do they mean and what if I don't know what type I have...will it make a big difference??

 

[grayceworks]

If you're not sure, just go with 76 degree. That's what most CO is,unless you specifically bought the other kinds. Fractionated is specialty CO that won't turn solid so is used as a carrier oil in stuff, and 92 degree has a higher melt-point good for body butters