using lye to melt beeswax?

[Fiona Robertson]

Hello, I am a complete newbie. So far I have used my lye and water mixture to melt my hard oils then added the soft oils which has worked well for me. If I were to include a tiny amount of beeswax with my hard oils, would the lye mixture be enough to melt the wax? I hope I've explained myself clearly!

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and welcome! It totally depends on how much beeswax you are adding. You could certainly try it. What you do is called the heat transfer method. Some use that method. I tried it and didn't care for it personally but if it works for you that's great. I don't use beeswax much and generally melt it separately as I soap pretty much at room temp, a bit higher when adding beeswax. It does need to stay warmer to keep from solidifiying.

 

[Fiona Robertson]

Hello and welcome! It totally depends on how much beeswax you are adding. You could certainly try it. What you do is called the heat transfer method. Some use that method. I tried it and didn't care for it personally but if it works for you that's great. I don't use beeswax much and generally melt it separately as I soap pretty much at room temp, a bit higher when adding beeswax. It does need to stay warmer to keep from solidifiying.

Thank you so much for your speedy response!! I think Ill play safe and heat it separately!

 

[DeeAnna]

It's not very likely this will work well. You would have to add the wax -- and only the wax -- directly to freshly made, hot lye solution to have any hope the wax will melt. The wax won't mix with the lye; it will float on the surface.

If your fats are cooler than the melt temperature of beeswax (about 160 F / 70 C), the beeswax is going re-solidify within seconds after you pour the lye solution into the fats.

If your fats are at the melt temp of beeswax, then there's no reason to bother with melting the wax in the lye.

 

[Fiona Robertson]

OK thanks DeeAnna, maybe I'll wait until I've got some more experience!!

 

[LilianNoir]

Hello and welcome! It totally depends on how much beeswax you are adding. You could certainly try it. What you do is called the heat transfer method. Some use that method. I tried it and didn't care for it personally but if it works for you that's great. I don't use beeswax much and generally melt it separately as I soap pretty much at room temp, a bit higher when adding beeswax. It does need to stay warmer to keep from solidifiying.

I've been thinking of trying the heat transfer method because it seems to make things a touch easier, one less step, right? Why didn't you like that method? What happened?

 

[Andrew]

I see two easy(ish) methods for adding beeswax. The first one is to microwave it and then add it with the heated oils. The second one is to put it in the pot first , let it melt, then start to add the other oils. Beeswax will stay liquid until about 130 if I am not mistaken.

 

[Ladka]

I add beeswax to my hard oils and melt them on a water bath while mixing, then slowly add liquid oils with further mixing, and then add lye solution. If wax solidifies partially I just continjue mixing on the water bath.

 

[DeeAnna]

I've been thinking of trying the heat transfer method because it seems to make things a touch easier, one less step, right? Why didn't you like that method? What happened?

There is only so much heat in the hot lye solution so it can only melt a given amount of fat on its own. If you try to melt a large amount of solid fats (lard, palm, coconut oil, etc.) with this method, you'll find the lye just can't do the job -- you have to add extra heat.

Beeswax, stearic acid, and other ingredients with even higher melt temperatures may not melt at all the room temperature method. The room temp method is best suited to recipes with a low to moderate amount of solid fats.

In the right circumstances it works fine, but it is not a panacea for all types of soap recipes.

 

[penelopejane]

Heat transfer method doesn't melt my high shea butter recipe enough to stop stearic spots. If I soap warm (110*F) for all ingredients I avoid spots and swirls and it gels easily and completely. I feel like I have more control and more consistency by heating oils and lye separately.

 

[Fiona Robertson]

Thanks for all your help...I'm looking forward to trying the techniques you have all recommended in my next batch

 

[Susie]

I have used the heat transfer method extensively in the past, and will probably return to it in the next couple of months as I test new recipes and such. I LOVE the heat transfer method, as it does save the extra step. And you can ask anyone how much I love that! However, it only works well with certain oils/fats. I do not like it at all with butters or waxes (which I rarely use anyway). I use primarily lard, which is soft, and CO, which melts at a low temperature. For those, it works a dream.

I have mostly been masterbatching oils for efficiency here lately. Get a big old stock pot and throw 4 or so batches worth of oils in there, then weigh out each batch into its own bucket. I typically do this the day before soaping. I masterbatch my lye also, as well as my additives. So, on soaping day, I use V amount of colorants + W amount of FO + X amount of oils (premeasured) + Y amount of lye + Z amount of additives. Works a charm, and allows me to concentrate on design. And yes, that is the order I measure them out. I put the oils in the microwave just long enough to get clear oil, then while it is zapping, I weigh out the other ingredients.