Will this soap harden more...?

[Chach]

Hello. New here. Ive made 6-8 batches of CP using recipes I found online with varied success. I wanted to create my own recipe so as to incorporate some of the luxury ingredients I have accumulated. I used a lye calculator. I researched the max/min percentage of which oils/fats are optimum for the qualities I wanted, etc. The soap mixture set up really fast (not expecting that) while I mixed the colored batch for a swirl and looked gloppy going into the mold. Turning the soaps out this morning they are really really soft. Will soaps harden up as they cure? Hoping this batch is not a write-off as I used some expensive ingredients... I am not against a "learning experience," but I want to understand what I am learning. I wish I could post the recipe but the recipe I created online (using a well known site's calculator) seems to have disappeared (not to self, make a pdf). It had 28% each coconut, palm and olive with added small amounts of shea butter, castor oil and argan oil. Olive 7 oz, Palm 7.o oz, Coconut 7.0, Shea 1 oz, Argan 1.5 oz, castor 1 oz. Used an online lye calc.

 

[artemis]

I suspect you unmolded too soon.

 

[Chach]

I suspect you unmolded too soon.

Thank you. You may be right...

Do you think it will harden more?

 

[artemis]

Yes. It will continue to harden. Tomorrow, or even later today, cut it up and set it aside to cure for 4-6 weeks. It should be fine.

 

[Chach]

Here's a photo, just for kicks. Individual molds.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Chach! Your soaps are lovely! I love the impressions on the tops.

Soap is at it's softest when newly unmolded, and if it did not go through the gel stage, it can be quite soft indeed (like cream cheese), but no worries.......it will harden up nicely during cure.


IrishLass

 

[linne1gi]

Hello. New here. Ive made 6-8 batches of CP using recipes I found online with varied success. I wanted to create my own recipe so as to incorporate some of the luxury ingredients I have accumulated. I used a lye calculator. I researched the max/min percentage of which oils/fats are optimum for the qualities I wanted, etc. The soap mixture set up really fast (not expecting that) while I mixed the colored batch for a swirl and looked gloppy going into the mold. Turning the soaps out this morning they are really really soft. Will soaps harden up as they cure? Hoping this batch is not a write-off as I used some expensive ingredients... I am not against a "learning experience," but I want to understand what I am learning. I wish I could post the recipe but the recipe I created online (using a well known site's calculator) seems to have disappeared (not to self, make a pdf). It had 28% each coconut, palm and olive with added small amounts of shea butter, castor oil and argan oil. Olive 7 oz, Palm 7.o oz, Coconut 7.0, Shea 1 oz, Argan 1.5 oz, castor 1 oz. Used an online lye calc.

In my opinion, there's almost no point in using such tiny amounts of oils. You really can't tell a difference in less than 5% - I believe your Argan was about 6%, still you'd benefit using larger percentages. The first part of the cure is the water evaporation - depending on how much water you used, it can take a while. Another aspect of curing is the formation of a crystalline inner structure making the soap harder and milder as it reacts with the carbon dioxide.

 

[Catscankim]

Here's a photo, just for kicks. Individual molds.

I love the color and the impression. Pretty!