opinions on newbie soap recipe

[LindaColo]

I am thinking of making soap for the first time. Using the soapcalc.com

10 % Caster Oil

30 % Coconut(92)

10% Hazelnut Oil

10% Mango Butter

30% Olive Oil

10% Palm Oil

Thinking of a 1 kg batch (I figure my scale is more accurate in grams than in oz)

380 g water

139 g lye

39 Hardness

20 Cleansing

56 Conditioning

29 Bubbly lather

28 Creamy lather

57 Iodine

156 INS

Is it too low on the hardness and conditioning?

[Carriegsxr6]

nope that is good hardenss, and the conditioning is alright. I would however try and make your creamy lather higher than your bubbly lather. I think you may be able to do that by decreasing your coconut oil and increasing your mango butter (or increase both mango and palm oil*).

Decrease the coconut oil to 20% and then increase the mango to 20% (or mango and palm 15% ea) and you will see the conditioning and the creamy lather increse alot. The hardness, cleansing and bubbly will decrease slightly but not too much to worry about. It will be much less drying on your skin.

*Not sure if you are trying to conserve your mango, so thats why i also suggested the palm, but if it were me i would use 20% mango ;-)

37 Hardness

13 Cleansing

62 Conditioning

22 Bubbly lather

32 Creamy lather

60 Iodine

146 INS

10 % Castor Oil

20 % Coconut(92)

10% Hazelnut Oil

20% Mango Butter (or 15%)

30% Olive Oil (used olive pomace for this selection)

10% Palm Oil (or 15%)

Also might I suggest one more thing....I would actually start off making a smaller batch, try half that size. Trust me, you will want to make more and more batches once you get bit by the bug and you dont want too many extra bars laying around.

[LindaColo]

Thanks for the feedback. I'll try upping the mango and making a smaller batch. The larger batch was just because I thought larger batches are safer to make.

[Carriegsxr6]

You should be alright, as long are you are using the full water amount, I would avoid adding any frgrance or color for your first few batches, just to get the "true" idea of how it should look and feel and how it traces. The high butter ratio may make it trace a little faster, but the full water will help you alot. if you are using a stick blender, use the low setting and mix slowly.

[LindaColo]

Good point about keeping it simple, and not adding any fo. I'm torn between trying the recipe out tomorrow or cleaning the house for guests on the 13th. I am in some swaps and have my goodies laying all around the house.

Thank you for your input.

[LindaColo]

Carriegsxr6,

Just wanted to say thank you for your help. I decided that the housecleaning could wait until tonight and tried my hand at soaping this afternoon. The soap is in the cooler and waiting to firm up. Now to think about using the crockpot for the next batch, so there will be less wait before using my soap...

[eugenia]

Carriegsxr6,

Just wanted to say thank you for your help. I decided that the housecleaning could wait until tonight and tried my hand at soaping this afternoon. The soap is in the cooler and waiting to firm up. Now to think about using the crockpot for the next batch, so there will be less wait before using my soap...

You can use the CP after a day or two (not to sell) just to see, LOL! You cannot judge the batch by the first uses as it will get better with age, but you sure can be proud. :smiley2:

[LindaColo]

Thanks Eugenia,

I am just itching to try my new hobby soap. It's hard to resist peaking, but it's nice to know that it won't be weeks before it can be touched by human hands.

I keep thinking that if I do anything wrong with this batch, the world will end as we know it. So, I've been overcautious but figure that's better than being too careless.