recipe critique please?

[azimuth]

I am attempting a beer soap this weekend. Can anyone please critique my soapcalc recipe? Many thanks ~


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[Hazel]

What qualities are you looking for in your soap?

Personally, this soap would be too drying for me because of the 34.5% CO but other people love a higher percentage of CO. I also wouldn't use such a high percentage of shea but that's mainly because I'm cheap.

 

[beedale862003]

I am EXTREMELY new at this so please take this with a grain of salt but I think you have a little too much coconut oil. But don't know enough to suggest what to tweak.

 

[carolyntn]

That much coconut would be too drying for me, too. Also, that does't seem to be a lot of water to dissolve the lye in.....

 

[judymoody]

I would up the SF to maybe 8-10% with that much coconut.

 

[azimuth]

What qualities are you looking for in your soap?

Personally, this soap would be too drying for me because of the 34.5% CO but other people love a higher percentage of CO. I also wouldn't use such a high percentage of shea but that's mainly because I'm cheap.

Hazel -
I'm looking to make a beer soap that is moisturizing.

 

[Hazel]

Technically, soap isn't moisturizing. You can lower the CO and shea and up the % of olive to make it more conditioning.

If I was using these oils/butter, my recipe would be something like the ones below.

70% OO
25% CO
5% shea

Hardness 34
Cleansing 17
Conditioning 63

or

65% OO
25% CO
10% shea

Hardness 35
Cleansing 17
Conditioning 61

or

67% OO
28% CO
5% shea

Hardness 36
Cleansing 19
Conditioning 60

Even though the hardness value is low, the soap would eventually get hard because of the olive but it's going to require a longer curing time. Do you have any other oils?

Castor would make a good addition because it would help to boost and stabilize the lather. It's also conditioning.

 

[Soapy Gurl]

Hmmm, it is a recipe I would try. For me I would split the shea with another oil, I like lots of different ones. I did make a 25% one that I liked a lot though. I use 25% water, so that is close. Also I bumped mine up to 6% superfat from 5% on all the recipes I do now. It is a small enough batch to give a try. Although you might want to pick a tried recipe for a beer soap. then if something doesn't work, you will know if it was the recipe or the beer.

 

[azimuth]

Thanks everyone for the help. It's greatly appreciated. My water discount is ok at what its at now? I've heard of going all the way to 40 percent in some cases, but not so sure about that.

 

[Hazel]

I'm not very experienced with soapmaking so I prefer to work with more liquid. I'd use about 7 oz to 7.2 oz.

 

[fiddletree]

I'm bring down your coconut to be under 30%. I use about 30% shea sometimes.... makes it more expensive but it feels so very very nice in the finished soap! Shea tends to make things move fast, so increasing your water is a good idea, especially with a new recipe. Maybe a 30-33% lye concentration would be better?

 

[azimuth]

I put in some Aloe Butter in place of the Shea, but used only 10%. Decreased the CO to 25%, SF 7%, Lye concentration is 33%

 

[Hazel]

This sounds nice bit it's going to take longer to cure. I've never used aloe butter so I'm interested in hearing how it turns out.

 

[azimuth]

I am EXTREMELY new at this so please take this with a grain of salt but I think you have a little too much coconut oil. But don't know enough to suggest what to tweak.

Actually you are right. That was just one small part of the recipe I didn't even check until it was pointed out on here... :roll:

 

[Sunny]

I would up the SF to maybe 8-10% with that much coconut.

This!

I don't mind a high coconut at all if it's paired with a little higher SF.

 

[azimuth]

I made an olive/coconut oil soap once, and it turned out to be too drying for me, with the CO being at 28%/5% SF. My kid & hubby said they liked it, though. I think I'm going to stay with 25% on this one and up the SF to 7% and see how it turns out. One more question about the beer! Do I HAVE to measure by volume and not weight? I know you must measure the lye by weight, but I was reading on Brambleberry they do it by volume. Would this really make a difference?
Thanks everyone ~

 

[Hazel]

I always weigh the beer for accuracy.

That's what I do on most of my batches - 25% CO with a 7% SF. It's what my skin likes.