Thought this would be better in a new thread
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Zany's no slime castile
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Doris Ann
Member
Thank you Zany for suggesting the baking soda and lower superfat! I have a question about the function of the baking soda.
Is there any logic to thinking that the addition of baking soda enhances lather? My original thought was that its primary purpose (together with the salt) was to create a harder bar and probably that it also helps to reduce the slime. I have made quite a lot of castile (and near castile - usually adding a bit of castor) since I started soaping a few years ago but adding the baking soda and reducing the S/F to 2% seems to have made a big difference to both hardness and lather at the early stages of cure.
I'm currently using a 95% EVOO bar that has been curing for 15 months and the lather and hardness are very similar to a bar made 3 weeks ago with baking soda added and a 2% S/F! Both are completely slime free. Of course it could just be lowering the superfat that helps the lather but I'm thinking there's another factor.....and the only other difference is the baking soda as I have always added sea salt to my castile soaps. I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this.....Thanks!
Is there any logic to thinking that the addition of baking soda enhances lather? My original thought was that its primary purpose (together with the salt) was to create a harder bar and probably that it also helps to reduce the slime. I have made quite a lot of castile (and near castile - usually adding a bit of castor) since I started soaping a few years ago but adding the baking soda and reducing the S/F to 2% seems to have made a big difference to both hardness and lather at the early stages of cure.
I'm currently using a 95% EVOO bar that has been curing for 15 months and the lather and hardness are very similar to a bar made 3 weeks ago with baking soda added and a 2% S/F! Both are completely slime free. Of course it could just be lowering the superfat that helps the lather but I'm thinking there's another factor.....and the only other difference is the baking soda as I have always added sea salt to my castile soaps. I'd be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this.....Thanks!
The addition of bicarbonate leads to the production of sodium bicarbonate, which acts as a “point of use” water softener. I’ve wondered if that might influence the lathering and also cut down on the sliminess.
In this recipe for Zany's NS Soap, a lot of discussion is on the water. I have a water softener, so my tap water is soft. I thought we would be using distilled water in the recipes. Is that a true statement or can ANY water be used?
@ShirleyHailstock Admittedly, I haven't reread the whole thread but using distilled water is the general recommendation for soap making. Some people do use tap water, but I have a softener and always use distilled.
Thank you. I've only used distilled water for the few batches I've made so far.
Thanks for your reply Mobjack Bay. My water supply is fairly soft already but I can see that would make sense.
I made a couple of test batches last week (so they're only a week old), one with salt & baking soda and one with double the salt, no baking soda. Same oils and water amount. Not castile but 60% EVOO. I've tried a little piece of each and the one with baking soda feels slightly harder, the lather is comparable but again baking soda seems a wee bit better.
The salt only bar became thick quite quickly. I'm thinking it was the larger salt quantity but maybe essential oils or addition of manjistha (first time using it) played a part too? It also crumbled a little along the bottom when I cut it (using a mitre box and blade). The salt/baking soda bar stayed beautifully fluid and the cut was smooth.
Rembetissa
Active Member
I use tap water to make bar soap. We also have soft water. I've used both tap and distilled to make this recipe and haven't noticed much of a difference. Provided there aren't crazy amounts of minerals in the tap water, I think the greater difference would be the quality of the water when actually using the soap. Anyone else have thoughts?
The Bubble Fairy
Member
I've used distilled, filtered and straight from the tap. It's never made a blind bit of difference. But then, our water is pretty good in New Zealand.
How does it smell? I have found beer soap to have an unpleasant smell without EO or FO. If it does not smell “icky,” would you share the brand of beer you used? Thanks!
Doris Ann
Member
I didn’t use enough beer in this one for it to smell. I did a full beer-for-water earlier this year. It had a bad smell originally, but the smell has since went away. It was Fat Tire beer.
Update on these fellas...well since we're burning through the soap, I went and got a new bar, kind of forgetting that these were Castiles that need longer to mature. Skin feels tight after using, so I'm assuming that's par for the course with an under-aged Castile? Good news is that no slime in sight!
Another strange thing is that these smell good, without having used any FO. I can't place the fragrance exactly, but they're more fragrant than many that I add official FOs to! Go figure!
LilyJo
Well-Known Member
Ok have read a ton of posts on this now and don't have a clue what I did wrong!
Made Zanys recipe yesterday and today 24 hours later the soap is still soft, nowhere near close to unmoulding.
Do I just wait or give it up as a bad job?
Made Zanys recipe yesterday and today 24 hours later the soap is still soft, nowhere near close to unmoulding.
Do I just wait or give it up as a bad job?
Did you follow it to the letter LilyJo? especially the water:lye ratio?
This is a terrific soap! I followed the directions and it came out beautifully. My customers love it as well. I think I will try it with Calendula petals later this summer when my flowers are grown.This is a tried and true recipe that I've made several times. Others have tried it with excellent results. Be sure to keep the bar high and dry between uses by using a soap-saver-type soap dish. Tweak to your heart's delight! (Like, do I even need to say that?!)
ZANY’S NO SLIME OLIVE OIL CASTILE
Ingredients: Olive oil, water, sea salt, sodium bicarbonate.
1) MAKE FAUX SEAWATER - Use for water portion of the lye solution.
1 quart warm water
1 Tablespoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
I make up a quart at a time and store it in the fridge until I need it.
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2) MAKE LYE SOLUTION - Mix and allow to cool to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F).
1.7:1 Water to Lye Ratio (Note decimal and colon)
0% Super Fat/Lye Discount
Notes: I’ve tried 2:1 and 1.5:1. 1.5:1 gets almost too hard and 1:2 is okay but a bit slimey, so, for me, 1.7:1 is the ideal. Olive oil is high in unsaponifiables; so 0% SF works best to reduce slippery slime.
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Prepare lye solution and set it in the sink to cool. Weigh olive oil into soap pot. Warm to 35°C - 40°C (100°F - 110°F). Combine when lye and oils are within -12°C (10°F) of each other. SB on and off to emulsion stage (5 - 25 minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.) Slowly pour into mold. Tap to remove bubbles. Spritz lightly with alcohol. Cover with plastic wrap. Insulate. Leave soap undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
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UNMOLD in 12-24 hours
CUT Day 2
CURE Ready to ship in 2 weeks. 6 weeks is best. The longer the cure the better the soap.
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Unscented, this soap is suitable for babies, sensitive skin, and for cancer patients undergoing radiation. Add 5% castor oil and 10% coconut oil for bubbles and an even milder soap.
If adding fragrance, add 0.85 oz. FO or 0.5% EO /PPO (Per 500 grams) to the castor oil an hour or so ahead of time (or overnight) and a teaspoon PPO of dry ingredient of choice -- corn starch, oat flour, arrowroot powder, White Kaolin Clay, etc. -- to help “stick” the fragrance.
VARIATIONS: Infuse Calendula Petals (yellow) or Bay Leaves (green) in oil ahead of time. Strain. Use up to 40% in the batch to add mildness and color.
LilyJo
Well-Known Member
Yep was really careful with the lye/water ratio just don't understand what I did wrong that's the frustration. Will review my quantities again to see if there is anything obvious but will leave it another day or so and see if hardens up at all but I'm not holding my breath!
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
Oh, LilyJo, I'm so sorry to hear that!
My best advice is to do nothing. I've been where you are right now. If the soap is too soft to unmold, just wait as long as it takes until it is ready. In the past, I've waited as long as a week or more to unmold.Secondly, forget everything else you've read and read post #1 again and tick each thing off item by item. Pretend you're Sherlock Holmes. Only you can answer the question of what went wrong. Take a deep breath, relax, I'm sure you will figure it out.
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Same thing happened to me. Soap was consistency of brie cheese. I left it alone and within a few days it firmed up and is now as hard as a rock (months later).
I still haven't used it because I want to give it a nice long cure, but have since made another castile (made it the following the day as a matter of fact) and had no problems; it worked just like it should. It was suggested that perhaps I didn't blend long enough, as OO soaps take longer to trace properly.
I still haven't used it because I want to give it a nice long cure, but have since made another castile (made it the following the day as a matter of fact) and had no problems; it worked just like it should. It was suggested that perhaps I didn't blend long enough, as OO soaps take longer to trace properly.
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