In this post, I wanted to answer some of the cold process soap most common questions that I get asked through your comments and emails. You can find a lot of great information about cold process soap and how to make cold process soap and various recipes to try in my post on the basics of cold process soap making. That post is a great starting point. I have also posted several different ideas for cold process soaps with various different formulations. You can find all of them in this link with my full list of posts in the cold process soap category. You can also find the link in the menu above, just hover over the DIY skin care menu link and click on cold process soaps. I have over 10 different design ideas with cold process soap formulations. Bookmark the page because I continuously add ideas as I make various soap batches.
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Now on to the most common questions I’ve regularly get about cold soap and cold process soapmaking
Formulating cold process soap recipes is very exciting and a perfect way to find the best cold process soap recipe for your specific needs. Some are perfectly fine with using animal products and others prefer only vegan soaps. Some love to include aloe vera or goat’s milk. Additives are also a great way to differentiate the soap and add specific qualities as well.
Why is cold process soap better than store bought soaps?
One of the most important reasons why cold process soap is better than other store-bought soaps is that the handmade, natural cold process soaps retain all the glycerin that is created in the saponification process. This glycerin is generally removed from standard store-bought soaps to sell as separate natural glycerin. However, in cold process soaps, it is fully retained and its wonderful moisture retaining/attracting properties are fully retained in the natural cold process soaps. Also, in the natural method of soap making, you have full control over the ingredients that are used in the soap. This flexibility allows you to have a fully vegan or vegetarian soap if you wish to. Most store-bought soaps are made with tallow. Also, cold process soaps are not only great for the skin but also made with unique designs, colors, and scents that can enhance the experience.
When is cold process soap safe to use?
One of the most common questions I get asked is when is the cold process soap safe to use? The cold process soap is safe to use after the saponification process is complete. This can take up to 48 hours. At this point, the soap can be used but it will be very soft, as the water used in the process has not yet fully evaporated. As the soap “cures” over a period of four to six weeks the soap also becomes milder, and harder and goes through some additional “crystallization”.
Why does cold process soap sweat?
Soap “sweat” is also known as glycerin dew and this is more common in melt and pour soaps. This is due to the humidity and temperature in the environment in which the soap is kept. Cold process soap can “sweat” if kept in a humid and hot environment. Some of the most common reasons why cold process soap “sweat” is either a fragrance oil that was not fully incorporated or other additives such as salt and honey can impact the cold process soap. However, the main reasons are the humidity and temperature. With all the natural glycerin in the soap, it will attract some of the humidity in the room. It is best to keep the soaps in a well-ventilated and dry space.
Ready to start making your own cold process soaps? Then this eBook with 25 different cold process soap formulations is the perfect resource. With so many formulations, you will have lots of inspiration to experiment and find the perfect one.
This eBook also includes best practices to modify the formulations to your liking.
Where to cure cold process soap?
Cold process soap should be cured in a well-ventilated room. Each soap bar should have enough space to air out and allow for water evaporation. I’ve used cardboard boxes, shoe boxes and metal racks lined with freezer paper. Cold process soaps can be cured in stainless steel racks as well.
What makes cold process soap harder?
What makes cold process soap harder is another question that I get all the time. In addition to formulating for a high hardness you can also include some additives to the soap to increase the hardness.
Oils and butters that add hardness are coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel flakes, and babassu oil. You can also formulate your soap batch to include stearic acid or beeswax in small amounts. The recommended use for stearic acid is up to 1% of the total soap formula. For beeswax, the recommended use is up to 3%.
Additives such as salt, kaolin clay, tussah silk and sodium lactate are also used to add hardness to the soap. It is really hard to measure how much hardness the additives will add but it is good to experiment and find what works for you.
Does cold process soap have to gel?
Gel phase is the term used in cold process soap making to identify when the soap is turning translucent during the saponification process. This is due to the heat. There are some benefits of allowing the soap to “gel”. Some of the benefits are that the soap can be ready out of the mold a bit faster than if not allowed to gel and that colors can be more vibrant after the gelling process.
Insulating the soap can help with making sure that the soap gels.
However, to answer the question cold process does not have to gel. You may not want the soap to gel if you are making milk soaps or if you have added sugars or honey to the soap batch. In the case of milk soaps, the heat can burn some of the milk and give a light brown color to the soap, also it could give a burnt milk smell to the soap as well. In the case of sugars and honey, these additives already cause the soap to heat up, if the soap is allowed to gel it could create a “volcano” or crack the top of the soap due to overheating.
Can cold process soap be remelted?
Can cold process soap be remelted? Absolutely, this is called “rebatch” and this process makes really great soaps with the combination of so many great ingredients. The bars of already made soap can be grated and heated again to remelt and then pour back into the mold to make a new soap. Soap-making suppliers also sell soap ready for “rebatch” for those that are looking to get a great bar of cold process soap but do not want to work with the lye.
What causes cold process soap to crack?
The two most common reasons why soap cracks are heat and a formulation with too many hard butters or waxes. The temperature of the soap can increase too much and this can result in a crack on the surface of the soap. Adding sugars, honey, milks and other purees increases the chances for the soap to go through the gel phase. While the surface of the soap is at a lower temperature than the inside this causes the surface to crack. Adding clay to the soap can also increase the chances of the soap cracking as it absorbs water. I use kaolin clay in all of my soaps because I love how the soap feels on the skin and it is an anchor for the scent when I am using essential oils. Keep this into consideration if you are using clay.
How to incorporate honey, sugar and salt in cold process soaps?
Salt and sugar are usually added to soap to increase the hardness and the lathery bubbles respectively. I do use these occasionally. The best way to add salt and sugar to the soap is to add it to the distilled water before adding the lye. After weighing the water for the batch add the salt and sugar. The salt can be added at a rate of one teaspoon per pound of oil. The sugar can be added at a rate of one tablespoon per pound of oil. Make sure that both the salt and sugar are fully dissolved before adding the lye. Then soap per your standard process.
Honey can be incorporated into the soap by adding it to the melted oils and butters. Make sure that it is also fully incorporated. This is my preference; however, it can also be added after the soap has reached emulsion. This is definitely a preference. Honey can be added to the cold process batch at a rate of one teaspoon per pound of oil.
The honey and sugar will impact the temperature of the soap and cause it to gel so remember to soap at cooler temperatures when using these ingredients.
Download the list of the Top 10 Cold Process soap making suppliers below:
I hope you found lots of great information in this article on the cold process soap most common questions answered. I hope you got all your questions answered here as well.
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