Water as percent of oil weight

[welj]

What are the advantages to using lower water percent to oil. At present I use 30%. My lye concentration is 32%. Water to lye ratio is 2.036:1. Super fat /discount is 7%. Total weight of oil is 103 oz.. The water to lye is 30oz to
15 oz. My goal is for a faster cure time. I have been told less water faster cure time. Is this correct?

 

[MissMori]

This might seem like a stupid question, but why do you want to reduce cure time? Is it just that it takes too damn long?

 

[welj]

lower water percent

I need faster turn around time because I sell alot of it.

 

[Sunny]

Curing doesn't just allow the water to evaporate out, the soap also becomes less harsh to the skin and the quality improves. At least a 4 week cure is advised, usually. A much longer cure is required for some recipes.

 

[lsg]

If you want a faster turn-a-round, why not hot process your soap?

 

[IrishLass]

I agree with Tasha. Less water in your recipe means there will be less water to evaporate out and the soap will harden up quicker, but if you ask me, there's a little bit more that goes on during the cure than just water evaporation. Some soapers might quibble with me on that and that's okay, but based on how my own soap behaves and feels to me when tested at weekly intervals, it gets incrementably milder and bubblier the longer it ages. I've found 4 weeks to be the time when I feel my soap is at its earliest best, although it still improves even after that.

I don't pay attention to the "water to oils" ratio. It's irrevelant to how I calculate my formulas out. The "lye to water" ratio is more important to me. I mostly soap with a 33% lye solution, a 2:1 water to lye ratio.

IrishLass