Six Weeks

[John Harris]

I have some recent bars that have passed the six week mark. I assessed them tonight and was impressed with how hard they are. I squeezed hard and they didn't flex at all.

Do you guys use the six week mark as a hard and fast rule? Do some of you go longer than six weeks? (If six weeks are good, then eight would be better, or ten, or twelve!)

Also, on a tangent, do you guys shower with your brand new soap before unleashing it on the public? A virgin run, of sorts?

So, two questions: 1) Six weeks; and 2) the Virgin Run.

 

[Carly B]

1) I try and wait at least six weeks. And I don't give them to people until they are ready to use. I've heard that it gets gentler as it ages, but I have so many soaps going at once I don't remember.

2) Since all my soaps are different blends of oils, I will try them before I give them to people. If something's wrong, I want to know about it first.

 

[Cat&Oak]

I personally go 8 weeks. That 2 extra weeks makes a difference IMHO. Maybe it's just all in my head and I'm being OCD though

 

[John Harris]

I personally go 8 weeks. That 2 extra weeks makes a difference IMHO. Maybe it's just all in my head and I'm being OCD though

And do you do a pre-unveiling test, Cat?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

2) Depending on how excited I am to test out my recipe tweaks, I rarely can make me wait longer than two weeks to give it a test (usually just for washing hands, though). More often than not, even just days after making. It's impressive to watch how the soap becomes better from day to day. (if something is left at all at the 6 weeks mark )

 

[earlene]

Remember that I do this as a hobby, so I can be as laid-back as I choose and take as long as I want. No pressing inventory storage cost vs profit concerns, only space limit concerns like if soap overflows the coffers.

I rarely test soap early, except for a small end cut at sink-side, but normally those are at least 2 or 3 months old before I start using them, often older because I have so much soap already. Now and then I will test a soap earlier, when it pertains to how it will respond to conditions that can only be met at a certain time, such as when I took newer salt soap to Hawaii to observe it in tropical conditions. Sometimes, like recently, when I just want to see what the colors (or fragrance) will do in use, I will put a small sliver at sink-side and use it for handwashing right after cutting a soap. But that's less about testing the soap than it is about either loving the color scheme or in some cases the fragrance.

And I rarely give soap away until it is at least 3 - 6 months old and often older, as I kind of put together variety packs from different batches when I make up my gift packs. Once I gave soap away early, but with written instruction that they were to be kept to cure for 'another xx months' to be at its best. They were Castile soaps in the wedding colors & matching the towel set for a family member's wedding.

 

[Megan]

I like to cure 8 weeks as well. For a new recipe, I would caution to wait at least 6 months to a year and use that soap to see how it affects your skin over all of the seasons. Customers often ask how long a bar will last or specific questions about the bar (lather, etc.) and when you've used it for that long, you are better able to handle those questions. I only have three or so recipes I sell so I don't tend to try a bar from every batch anymore (I already have more soap than I need for a lifetime!) but in the beginning I would try a bar from every batch after cure to make sure everything was okay.

 

[Cat&Oak]

And do you do a pre-unveiling test, Cat?

I do! Usually at 6 weeks lol

 

[maryloucb]

Six weeks is my minimum, but it's often longer than that before I give them away. I have been testing an end cut from every new batch. I really only have 2-3 recipes that I use, but I change up the essential oils and additives (clays, etc.) I have lots of different soaps in my shower--my husband used my shower the other day since his was out of commission and he asked how I chose which soap to use since there were so many!!

 

[Johnez]

Being I'm a bit impatient I'm glad I not only found HP, but also shave soap. Many test their recipe the very next day! I've found 2 weeks is fine, however the soap does improve the longer it cures. Have ya ever made shave soap John Harris? Also, thanks for reminding me, I've got a soap to test at the 4 week mark on Monday.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

So, two questions: 1) Six weeks;

When I was making soap for wholesale customers, the bars were ready to ship in 4 weeks. But then my recipes, with few exceptions, tend to be Sat/Unsat balanced and INS value in the 150-160 range, INS 160 being so-called 'perfect' soap.

and 2) the Virgin Run.

I usually pour excess batter into 1-oz. pucks that live in a soapdish, kitchen sinkside. I use them to wash my hands on a daily basis. I can't remember a time when that was a problem. I believe it is a good way to monitor the progress of bar soap. As always, the longer the cure, the better the soap.

 

[lenarenee]

Yes, I try every loaf of soap - even if it's from the batch (just in case I've made a stupid mistake along the way. Plus...it's fun!) I test them way before they are cured, and after. Because...it's fun!

As I posted in your other thread, when I use palm I find I don't really like them until 3 months. Six weeks is acceptable but there's still much room for improvement until 3 months. My palm recipe can be anywhere between 20 and 40% palm (sometimes a butter), with 20% coconut, and the rest is HO safflower or sunflower, with 5% avocado and caster.

High lard soaps cure faster in my opinion! No skin tightness at 3 weeks - and I wash my hands 2 dozen times a day .

 

[CpnDouchette]

My first soaps i made it to 5 weeks before I used one. These days I have what seems like an impossible number in the house at some stage of curing. My preference is 8 weeks plus but then I used a 5 week old bar because it had a touch of DOS and I wanted to use it rather than waste it.

I would not give away any under 6 weeks (although I have to very close friends with instructions not to use before xx/xx)

 

[Rsapienza]

I cure at least 6 weeks. I don’t sell a whole heck of a lot so many cure for much longer. I feel the lather and longevity greatly improve if waiting a tad longer than the 4-6 weeks. I always take a super thin end piece and at the very least wash my hands with it within a few weeks (or sometimes when I cut).

 

[Quilter99755]

I started out with HP soaps, so just cleaning up the crockpot was a test for the soap. Way too many blogs on HP soaps state that you can use it immediately, so I did...it was before I found this site. Once I learned about curing soaps, it took a while to build up an inventory of soaps to 8 weeks and I always used those with a weekly test of each of the soaps. Now I have enough that I can wait 3-4 months for curing and find that all of my soaps lather better and feel milder than when I used them straight out of the crockpot. I no longer test my soaps unless it is a new recipe or I manage to goof something up. Or if I added something in...like @Dawni's triple rice soap...and want to compare it to the same recipe without the rice. I don't sell...all this just for family and a couple of friends. Lately my soaps are all about the same, so I know how they turn out and haven't tested them at all other than the zap test. But then I have 3-4 soaps at every sink...enough that most of the time I'm no longer sure what I'm testing!