Shea and cocoa butter

[Katie68121]

Hi everyone!
Im about to make my fourth batch! Woohoo! I’ve already learned so much about soap making from videos, to articles and forums, and making my own batches. It’s definitely an art form that I’ve come to love. I haven’t worked with butters yet and I would like to put Shea and cocoa in my next batch, both at 5% each. I’m also going to be using castor, coconut, and olive oils. Since the butters are solid at room temp, I will be microwaving them to reach liquid form, however what I’m concerned with is if the butters will start to cool when I’m making my batch and start to become solid? Also I’ve read the butters can get a graininess when heated then made into soap? I’m trying to figure out the best way to work with them, kinda nervous! Any advice on working with these butters? Thanks I appreciate you all!

 

[AlexanderMakesSoap]

As long as your other oils aren't cold, I don't think you'll need to worry about them solidifying as you work - this has not been an issue for me at least.

I've had issues with body butters and belly butters getting grainy, but not soap (yet). And at just 10% of your bar, I doubt it will be an issue.

Good luck!

 

[lenarenee]

I wonder if you’re thinking about about stearic acid spots...little bits of saponified stearic acid in the soap. Usually only a cosmetic problem. You can easily prevent this by making sure your melted oils and butter are clear, not cloudy or starting to harden. Your lye water should also not be cold, but at least room temp.

With the butters (and their higher melt points) mixed with the other oils, the overall melt point lowers, and keeps the stearic and palmitic fatty acids from solidifying into hard bits.

 

[GemstonePony]

I melt mine with my liquid oils, keep the temps under 200°f, give them time to melt and reheat as needed. I mix my oils once they're all clear, and stir again just before adding lye. I usually start melting my oils and butters together before I make my lye solution, since it takes roughly the same amount of time for me to measure and cool my lye solution as is does for my butters to melt and then cool off again.