Water

[JanetsCandles]

What percentage of water do you guys use in your CP? And a stupid question. I am assuming that increasing your water % will make the recipe move slower. I was just thinking about the Soap Calc thing and wondering why they have default at 38% water. Thinking of playing around with the water % to see if I can get it more fluid to get better at swirling. What do you guys think? Am I on the right track to do that?

[ah-soy]

Water will certainly effect fluidity and the time it takes for the soap to cure. I think it mostly depends though with your recipe and fragrance oils. You can soap a mover at full water and still have soap on a stick. If your recipe has lots of hard oils, that will accel trace too. I really wouldn't go much above the 38%, which is considered "full water".

I still use it when soaping a new scent when I don't know how it will behave. I've gone to using a 30 to 33% solution, depending on which recipe and fo I'm using.

Or stick blend just until you have an emulsion, right before light trace and start swirling. Have all your colors in cups ready to go. Using a whisk will also slow down trace.

[TallTayl]

The default of 38% of water to oils is roughly a 31% lye solution. My standard lye solution is 40% (using the SoapCalc % of oils that would be about 26%) and I still have plenty of time to swirl and decorate with my formula.

Yes, water can help extend time - depending on other variables mentioned in the previous post.

If you really want time to practice swirling I'd work with oils that have a longer working time, such as lard, olive oil, etc.

IME adding water not only extends curing time, but bars of soap can become misshapen as they cure.