Recipes...Lots of Different or Stick with a winner?

[christinak]

When I started making soap, I made a different recipe for each one! Now that I have tried them I find that there are a few that I love and only manipulate the water part if I want to change it up. Do most of you feel that way or do you still use lots of different recipes?

Also, I really love using aloe but don't like how fast it speeds up trace. Anyone else have this dillema? I have yet to be able to layer or swirl it to the extent I want.

 

[Lindy]

I have a main recipe and then a couple of specialty ones. The changes I make with my main one is the liquid used (milk, GM, beer, etc.) and any additives I might want to make.

It allows me to master batch the oils.

 

[kharmon320]

I have played around with different recipes, but I do have a favorite that I use 95% of the time. I've also tweaked this base in the past few months because I realized I didn't really like the lather when I added shea butter or castor oil. I nixed those two and added just a bit of soybean oil. So, I use my new recipe almost exclusively.

 

[christinak]

That's what I've been doing, too, Lindy. Except I don't know about the beer...it sped up so fast it was crazy. I'll have to save that for a solid color maybe.

 

[Lindy]

With the beer try reducing it then do a 50:50 for your lye solution with water and add the balanced in reduced beer straight into the pot. Soap really cool and then you will have time to play. My recipes don't contain palm, which I have found speeds up trace too. Also my recipe contains a lot of olive oil.

 

[christinak]

That is how I usually add it! Darn. Maybe my stuff is still too warm when I mix it all up. I've been having almost the same problem with my aloe. I will try to let them cool even longer from now on and see if that helps. I do have palm and not alot of olive....hmmmm.

 

[danahuff]

I play around a little, but mostly stick to the same oils. I think a lot of soapers must do this. It would explain why soaping books with recipes sometimes have one oil recipe with variations of scent, additives, etc.

 

[green soap]

That's what I've been doing, too, Lindy. Except I don't know about the beer...it sped up so fast it was crazy. I'll have to save that for a solid color maybe.

I had read alcohol speeds up trace so I boil my beer and once it is room temperature I freeze it in ice cubes. In one of the forum discussions several members said they do not boil it to evaporate the alcohol and all is fine. I do boil it for two hours, which is probably overkill, but even with my fast tracing pomace I do OK with beer soaps. I estimated that after two hours my 5.5% alcohol ale was down to 0.5%, which is negligible. I have been making single colors though, but no acceleration so I could have swirled. Beer soap appeals to guys, and they seem to like simpler looking soaps.

To answer the OP question, I have about 5-6 recipes depending on what I make. I do shave, shampoo, salt bars, all these are different of course. If I have delicate low flash points EO then I do not use cocoa butter (to hot). OK, I think it is more like 7-8 recipes. I have them all written in a binder and just go to it when I need to make that particular soap. I use different amounts of water depending on the EOs or FOs (use more water with a known accelerator) and of course, reduce the temperature is you have a known accelerator.

 

[jcandleattic]

I have a main recipe and then a couple of specialty ones. The changes I make with my main one is the liquid used (milk, GM, beer, etc.) and any additives I might want to make.

It allows me to master batch the oils.

This...
This is exactly what I do as well...

 

[jcandleattic]

I had read alcohol speeds up trace so I boil my beer and once it is room temperature I freeze it in ice cubes. In one of the forum discussions several members said they do not boil it to evaporate the alcohol and all is fine.

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm one that doesn't boil my beer. I just let it go flat for a few days, or if that doesn't work (I have a stubborn beer that refused to go flat after sitting for a week) I add salt to it to make it go flat faster - just a pinch - then I freeze it. Add my lye to the frozen beer and haven't had problems. It is a little faster than usual, but nothing more than a slightly tricky FO might do... Oh and this is with my typical recipe which has 60% solid oils in it.

Anyway ... Carry on with the OP's original question.

 

[kazmi]

I'm new to soaping but I've put together the primary oils that I like and am playing with those to tweek it till I've settled on the right recipe and process I like (CPOH or room temp). I also am trying different additives and scents (FO and EO's). Next is colorants. I've just made a small batch with sea buckthorn oil (from the berries) and can't wait to see how it comes out. Right now the color is a beautiful orange and have my fingers crossed.

 

[Badger]

I have mostly used the same recipe so far, I have changed it up once to add some Shea butter, and I plan on trying to play around with lard to see how that effects the soap as well. If I like the way lard works, I will likely have a lard line and a vegan line. I am still very much in the experimenting stage though The only liquid change I have tried so far was tea, and I enjoyed that. I really want to try ginger beer or hard cider in soap still though.

 

[Smee]

I mostly stick with a couple tried n true recipes, only because of why I make soap -
family allergies. Since I don't sell, I don't need much variety, and FO's are mostly a
no no for us. I'm starting to play with some scents in small batchs of LS for my own use, tho.

 

[Miz Jenny]

My go-to recipe is my original. I have a different one for coconut milk; another for salt; another for honeycomb; another for ultra mild. My motto is: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

 

[lizflowers42]

I am in the same boat, I just keep trying new formulations because it's just exciting as a newbie!

 

[Lindy]

I have to say I don't find Pomace OO to be a fast tracer and I use a lot of it. I do find that cocoa butter speeds up my trace a bit but I love it....

I think when you're adding beer or any other different liquids, your recipe is going to be a determining factor more than the liquid. I really don't have a lot of trouble with the different liquid adds. I also think temp with make a difference. The hotter you are soaping, the faster your trace if going to be. I masterbatch my oils and my lye so they truly are at room temp. Fragrance, well that is a whole different story for me....

 

[christinak]

I think I might be using too hot of oils. I have to learn some patience. I have noticed that if I melt in the microwave they cool WAY faster than if I do it on the stove. My main reason for asking is that I need to cut back on spending so much and running out too soon. If I can settle on some basic ingredients, I can buy them in bigger amts. I really like the recipe Im using with aloe in it...I think that's a keeper. It's cleaning AND conditiioning

 

[kdaniels8811]

I have two recipes, one features shea butter or goat milk - leave out the milk and it is vegan. The other recipe features honey, great recipe that sets up hard so good for molded soaps. I play with scents and color to mix things up.

 

[Lindy]

Here's another idea to help cool your oils a bit faster. Melt only your hard oils & butters. Once they're melted add your soft oils and they will cool the other. Also make your lye mixture prior to starting on your oils, allowing additional time for cooling. Another option is put cold water in the sink and put your oils and lye in there to cool them down.

 

[Ruthie]

When I first started soaping 14 years ago I had a "Must try it" syndrome, brought on in big part by a yahoo soaping group I was on. I HAD to try every oil and every method, and almost every eo. Between that and selling to a B & B that loved my soap but was never quite satisfied for some reason (packaging, etc.) I was burned out when we moved to Oklahoma. For 10 years I didn't even make soap for myself. This go-round I have a different philosophy. Soap will be rinsed off, so my goal is to make one that does not strip the skin, feels good and lathers well. I have two recipes, one vegan and one not. I still enjoy playing with additives, but my basic recipe stays pretty much the same.