soap not going hard

[regansoap]

Heeeellllllllllllllp
Made some hp soap think I put too much fragrance cornmeal and shea butter in as an addition at the end now a week on its still squidgy will it eventually got hard or should I rebatch?

I am a newly three batches under belt.

Thanks everyone x

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Can you post the recipe, including process?

 

[Obsidian]

We need your complete recipe along with the amounts of the additions.

 

[regansoap]

Firstly craig love your brand name.

The recipe was as follows:-

2/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup vegetable lard
2/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup lye
3/4 cup distilled water

Addition 1/4 cup fragrance
1/4 cup oats
2 ozs shea butter

Hot process - it's smells and looks nice but 1 week on squidgy.

Many thanks for taking the time to help me.

 

[Susie]

Firstly, soaping is done with weights. Not volumes. Period. Get yourself a good digital scale that will weigh 0.1 oz or grams(better to have both).

Secondly, here is a good tutorial for SoapCalc:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49627

Learn to use it, or another good lye calculator. Lots of us use this one because they give you some idea of how your soap will turn out(like hardness).

Thirdly, that is a LOT of fragrance for that size recipe.

 

[shunt2011]

First problem I see is you really need to measure by ounces at least and preferably by grams. You will not be accurate your way. You need to run the recipe through a soap calculator. That could be part of your problem.

It looks like you have 29.61% of CO, OO and Lard - 17% Shea. So with that you have approx. 6 oz water and 2 oz lye. According to the calc you should have used 2.5 oz lye at a 5% SF. So, that could be your problem. Not enough lye too much fragrance. You used 2 oz fragrance and at 1 oz ppo it should have been about an ounce so that could very well be a problem too. I would just give it some time and see if it firms up over time. By measuring the way you did could also be off.

I would highly recommend a good scale going forward to be more accurate.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

As above, it should be weights - any recipe not in weight should be treated with caution.

That aside, it's too much coconut for my liking, as a recipe.

How did you cook it? For how long and all that?

 

[Seawolfe]

Thats a tiny recipe done incredibly inaccurately. I would suggest learning to walk before you run - find a balanced, basic recipe of 1.5-2 lbs that uses no more than 3 oils and no additives. Once you've made a basic soap, try changing one thing.

 

[kumudini]

From what little experience I have, I think HP soaps are a little softer as in not hard as a rock CP soaps, but yes I would strongly suggest you invest in a good digital scale and see some videos on YouTube like the soap queen beginner ones to learn how to use it to weigh multiple ingredients in to the same pot etc. I would suggest something that measures in grams since the soap calc gives out the amounts in grams as well as ounces. That way there is less margin for error no matter the size of the batch.

 

[regansoap]

Thats a tiny recipe done incredibly inaccurately. I would suggest learning to walk before you run - find a balanced, basic recipe of 1.5-2 lbs that uses no more than 3 oils and no additives. Once you've made a basic soap, try changing one thing.

Hi there you are absolutely right I must take things more slowly I am so eager to learn everything that I am trying this trying that - I have made about five batches so far each with their own problems fine for friends and family. I have managed to kill off the fragrance in two of the five batches. Added chopped lavender to lard soap little black dots in white - not good.

 

[Seawolfe]

Added chopped lavender to lard soap little black dots in white - not good.

Ahh the dreaded mouse poop look Although one of my most popular soaps has lavender chopped up quite fine in a white soap, and people love it, so go figure. I do find that soaking my lavender EO in the finely chopped dried buds before adding to the soap batter does seem to help it stick.

Slow down - I know theres a TON of things you want to try, but build a good solid base first.