RTM

[soap1233]

I am currently making RTM, which is adding hot lye directly to hard oils then adding liquid oils...it is very fast and I have had good results. My question is anyone using this method and if so..to gel or not to gel?

Since it is hot I do wait for a cool down to add FO/EO, but I have edges that are crumbling and center is gel like. Is this normal for this method?

 

[busymakinsoap!]

Hi soap1233,
I have never heard of this method before? What does RTM stand for. I was under the impression that your lye and your oils needed to be around the same temp before you combined them......
Would love to hear how you do this

 

[JackiK]

I Googled RTM. The only thing remotely related to soap under that category was for M&P. I'm curious, too.

 

[judymoody]

I've read about this elsewhere but haven't tried it. My main concern is that the lye wouldn't melt everything completely if you're using a high percentage of butters or brittle oils like PKO. If you're getting crumbly edges perhaps it's overheating??? Maybe somebody else who has used this method can chime in here.

 

[LisaNY]

I've recently switched to this method. I mix up my lye and wait until it is clear, and then I pour it over my coconut and palm oils. (If it is a cold day, I will pre-warm those oils in the micro to soften them slightly.) Once those are melted from the lye, I will add my already pre-melted cocoa butter. ( I would not use lye to melt hard butters. I have used this method to melt pko, but I recommend pre-warming that as well.) Once that is incorporated, I add my soft oils, which have been warmed to around 120. I do this, as I have a high % of hard oils in my recipe and I don't want cooler oils re-hardening my hard oils. During this process, I stir with a slotted plastic spoon, and only use the stickblender to make sure all is incorporated. I gel all of my soaps, and have no problems at all. The results are the same with RT as they are with the more traditional method of cooling the lye and adding it to warm oils.

I really like this method, as it is a real time-saver. I no longer have to wait for my lye to cool. The whole process usually takes me around 45 minutes, sometimes less, if I'm feeling organized that day. )

ETA: I've seen this method abbreviated as "RTCP".