Soaps staying caustic! Why?

[DeeAnna]

An update on phenolpthalein --

pH above 12: Fuschia gradually fading to colorless
ph between 10 and 12: fuschia (deep pink)
pH between 8.2 and 10: pink
pH below 8.2: Colorless

Your phenolpthalein is working just fine -- your fuschia color, if it is staying true (not fading), is telling you is that the pH in the spot(s) you tested is between 10 and 12. I wouldn't want to see that high of a pH in a cured soap, but I wouldn't be too concerned with a soap just a few days old. Give it time.....

 

[judymoody]

Cured soap typically has a pH of 9-10. As others have said, you needn't have worried.

 

[pamielynn]

My suggestion would be to understand WHY you are using the tools you are using. A lye calculator and a good scale will help you to formulate a balanced recipe without needing to rely on other tools, such as PH strips (those things are so inaccurate for what we do, anyway). The pH of real soap is always going to be high - it's the nature of real soap. And that is OK - you should be more aware of being lye-heavy. A pH of 9 is somewhere near the pH of baking soda and IF washing with it raised the pH of your skin, the skin would return to it's normal state within minutes. pH isn't nearly as important as a balanced lye-neutral recipe.

It takes some time to understand what your soap is doing - there is a learning curve and a period you have to go through before you feel competent and confident in the soap you make; and you'll get there! Just take the time to formulate a good recipe (or recipeS), use your safety gear and go for it. Each batch will tell you something different and soon you'll realize that a lot of the information you read out there is just crap.

Here is one of my best tips - patience!!!!! This is the hardest lesson I had to learn. Don't freak out immediately if the soap in the mold is doing weird things (going through gel, has a bit of oil on top) - let it sit and do it's thing. If you feel the need to test for zap or put a pH strip to it - wait! Give it a couple of days. To me, soap is a living thing, with it's own time frame and personality Just keep soaping!

 

[Bicycle808]

I make tons of soap without using any thing beyond my tongue to test the pH. I tend to make the soap, un-mold it, and cut it. I zap test an end piece right then and there; after 24 hours in the mold, my soaps never zap me (typically 5% superfat). After the soap cures for a month, I tend to zap again, just due to OCD. If you start with a sound recipe, and carefully measure (weigh) your ingredients, you're probably going to be ok. Zap-test to be sure, but don't sweat it and stop buying so much peripheral stuff that doesn't even make soap. =D

Hardest part of soaping, for me, is cutting the bars straight. I suspect soaping's harder for some folks b/c they make it harder, via over-thinking and second-guessing.

Good luck!
-Rob

 

[Petclerk]

Thanks again everyone! I have let my soaps cure for 6 weeks before testing, I'm going to go with the zap test, seems to be the real accurate one. Fortunately no zaps for me :razz: