Too much additives?

[Soaped]

To make a long story short I am having an engagement party in 6 weeks and a part of my soapy obsession requires that I make heart shaped soap favours for my guest.

In the last 2 days I've consistently made 3 batches of terrible soaps...

I am using a recipe that I have used before and it was quite nice at the 6 week mark since most of my recipes normally are 'good' at 8 weeks. In that particular soap the recipe went supper thick almost as soon as I added my fragrance oil and therefore wouldnt allow me to have a smooth pour in my heart molds. As it was a new fragrance oil I assumed that was the culprit but the same thing happened with another fragrance that I use regularly and works well. This last batch I made tonight I only hand stirred and didn't stick blend once the lye had been added to the oils.

So with all that information my real question is if I caused the thickening by adding too many additives. I added, kaolin clay, goatmilk powder and corn silk. The kaolin clay and goatmilk powder were blended into the oils and the corn silk I put into the lye water.

My recipe is as follows:
Olive oil - 50%
Castor oil - 10%
Coconut oil - 25%
Cocoa butter - 15 %
Lye concentration- 35%
Superfat -5%

Let me know any suggestions you may have.

If all fails I may just buy some melt and pour and make the hearts with that. And in that case any good suggestions for a good melt and pour?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[AliOop]

So sorry to hear of your troubles! I am wondering if it could be the corn silk. I haven't used it before, but I could see it causing the batter to thicken, especially if you add it to the water instead of the oils. Maybe try a batch without it?

Also, while I generally love working at a higher lye concentration, 35% is not a good one for me. My batters always tend to speed up between 34%-38%, (-ish, I'd have to double-check my records), and slow down again around 39-40%. Given the amount of additives you have, maybe lower it to 33% and see how it goes. Good luck!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm eager to know if you have used all these same additives in your other batches that went awry. What was the last batch you made that went without a hitch? You've eliminated the FO as the culprit, so you know it must be one, or all of the three additives. Do you really need them all (or any)?

 

[Obsidian]

Try a batch without any additives, see how it behaves.
Since you are making soaps to be handed out to many people, I'd make it simple as possible in case some people have issues with the additives

 

[Zany_in_CO]

It's funny that you provided your recipe but not the amount of the additives you used. Hmmm.

The kaolin clay and goatmilk powder were blended into the oils and the corn silk I put into the lye water.

That's what I would do.

any good suggestions for a good melt and pour?

Elements Bath & Body Goats Milk M&P

 

[Soaped]

So sorry to hear of your troubles! I am wondering if it could be the corn silk. I haven't used it before, but I could see it causing the batter to thicken, especially if you add it to the water instead of the oils. Maybe try a batch without it?

Also, while I generally love working at a higher lye concentration, 35% is not a good one for me. My batters always tend to speed up between 34%-38%, (-ish, I'd have to double-check my records), and slow down again around 39-40%. Given the amount of additives you have, maybe lower it to 33% and see how it goes. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions I actually used the 35% on this batch ( always trying new things for fun) but I normally stick to 33%

I'm eager to know if you have used all these same additives in your other batches that went awry. What was the last batch you made that went without a hitch? You've eliminated the FO as the culprit, so you know it must be one, or all of the three additives. Do you really need them all (or any)?

I think I might have been a bit overzealous with the amount of additives. It's the nature of my expirementing all or nothing, which didn't quite work out lolol

Try a batch without any additives, see how it behaves.
Since you are making soaps to be handed out to many people, I'd make it simple as possible in case some people have issues with the additives

Because of covid this will just be a small party with my close family so around 20 people so at one point or another they would have gotten one of my soaps and have no reactions. But as it is a special occasion and I haven't seen them in over a year I wanted them to be special but point noted. Thanks

It's funny that you provided your recipe but not the amount of the additives you used. Hmmm.

I eyeballed the additives, just used a heaping teaspoon for each and a bit of the corn silk . With that being said I shouldn't be surprised it went crazy! Thanks for the melt and pour suggestion!

Thanks everyone, I think I need to dial back and just do one of my simple soaps and hope for the best. Maybe I put too much pressure on myself but feeling good enough to give it another go tonight

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I eyeballed the additives, just used a heaping teaspoon for each and a bit of the corn silk

Should be okay. The general rule of thumb for dry ingredients is 1 tsp. - 1 tbls. PPO

I eyeballed the additives

Tsk, tsk. LOL (Just kidding.)

Thanks for the melt and pour suggestion!

I've only made M&P once. I used Elements' "No Sweat" base, white and clear. I liked it very much. But now that they've been bought out by WSP I imagine you can get the same base there. Sadly, the No Sweat is no longer available.

 

[PepperJack]

Corn silk is an interesting addition. What’s the theory behind that? I assume it would be similar to a puréed vegetable in terms of contribution to the soap, albeit less sugar. I’m reluctant to try additives that seem suspect for spoilage, so I have no experience in the benefits of these additives.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Corn silk is an interesting addition. What’s the theory behind that?

It adds an elegant silky feel to soap.

Liquid Silk and Tussah Silk Fibers in CP

Back in the early days of my soapmaking career, the Iowa contingent would harvest corn silk during detasseling season. They would dry it and then use it in CP. I was the beneficiary of some of that and it did work as well as the tussah silk I had tried.
It's a good thing.

ETA:
How to Add Tussah Silk to Lye Solution

 

[maryloucb]

I guess my question is--what are you trying to achieve by adding those things? I would make a batch with just one at a time and see how it worked.

 

[Ford]

Short on time?? How about a batch of Zany's no slime Castile?

 

[PepperJack]

It adds an elegant silky feel to soap.

Liquid Silk and Tussah Silk Fibers in CP

Back in the early days of my soapmaking career, the Iowa contingent would harvest corn silk during detasseling season. They would dry it and then use it in CP. I was the beneficiary of some of that and it did work as well as the tussah silk I had tried.
It's a good thing.

ETA:
How to Add Tussah Silk to Lye Solution

Interesting, I understood the addition of tussah silk, I didn’t realize that corn silks would do something similar.

 

[Soaped]

Interesting, I understood the addition of tussah silk, I didn’t realize that corn silks would do something similar.

I actually saw the corn silk on this forum and decided to try it as I had lots of corn during the summer

Short on time?? How about a batch of Zany's no slime Castile?

This was my thought but I wanted to have them colored so that it would go with my theme, but I can always do a mica drizzle I guess

I guess my question is--what are you trying to achieve by adding those things? I would make a batch with just one at a time and see how it worked.

I had previously done a batch with those additives and it was a nice soap so wanted to duplicate