Teach Soap

I am a lurker here on this forum and have learned so much. One question I have is how soon can I try out my soap once I take it out of the mold. The suggestion has been made here that one should make and try different recipes before sharing with friends and family. I have made one batch and it looks pretty good. Do I have to wait the 6 week cure time or can I try sooner? I have ordered some more supplies and can't wait til they arrive. So if I try various recipes (after running through the soap calculator ) how soon can I try them to see if they do what their properties say they should ex :lather, moisturizing, hardness, softness, etc? Do i keep track at different intervals in the curing time as well?? Do you share with anyone to get another opinion or just rely on your own?? I know it may be elementary but ............
I love this forum and the great information I've gotten already.
Thanks
Rhonda

4 to 6 weeks is a good rule of thumb, because by that time the soap would be cured and most of the water has evaporated. From my experience, soap gets milder as it cures. I find new soap very drying, but after a couple of weeks, it makes a good soap. Also, if you use the soap too soon, it will melt faster, due to the water content still in the soap.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I tend to cut my bars up, then take one bar and cut it up into 4 to make mini soaps / sample sizes. I usually reserve one of these that I try after 2 weeks, This is just for me though - to test bubble factor, scent stick, etc. More so to give me an idea when I've changed a recipe.

Everything else waits a minimum 4 weeks... usually longer with my bad memory and distraction levels.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I test out sample size soaps after about 2 weeks too...and continue to use it over the next few weeks...always gets better and abetter...I am just so impatient. I don't give any to testers, family, friends till about 4 weeks and sell sometime after that.

So i can just keep making soap and trying out different recipes, colors, and scents for at least the next 6 weeks till I can try my original batch? If only my DH and daughters will cooperate.. Better find more storage space for all those drying bars.

Rhonda

Oh yes, space is important! I took over the 20 X 14 ish dining room LOL. It is now my "laboratory room B" room A mom keeps calling "her kitchen"... but it is clearly a soaping laboratory! She is surely delusional! hehe

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I completely re-arranged my laundry to fit in a curing rack.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I do the 4-6 week rule too...however, I also do the feel test. I have a couple soaps that are really soft when they come out and they didn't "feel" (still a little give when I push on them) ready so I let them sit a little longer.

I'm still in my testing phase before I sell (been selling M&P for a year now) and usually wait at least 6 weeks. And not going to lie, I bought a calendar specifically so I could write all of my soap dates on it. And since I'm still testing, I actually keep 3 bars for myself. One that I test at the 4-6 week mark, another 3 months out, and another at 6 months out. I want to see how they perform & hold up after that amount of time.

I have to say, I did a really high olive oil content soap that was nice at 6 weeks, and now, 4 months later, it's amazing. Some soaps actually get better with age, like the true castille (all olive oil) and bastille (really high olive oil %).

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Inspiri Body - Bath & Body products Inspired by Life

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

As long as it passes the tongue test you can try it a few days after it's made, but like everyone said above, it gets much better when cured.

I realized this when I would stop at my mom's and use a bar to wash my hands.... and think to myself 'this was a really good bar of soap'. Finally I realized that she is using the soap that is about 5-6 months old... and it morphed into even better soap than when I made it! Now that said... I have not been able to get my act together and have my soap made up for the holidays or seasons say 3 months ahead. Case in point tonight I will be making my Easter soap! This is one of the reasons I know I am not ready to sell.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I love the calendar idea and the cutting the bar into 4 pieces too. I'm thinking I'll do both. I have to confess I'm an organization freak so this will work for me. Thanks for all the suggestions.

I would love to have a seperate work area for soaping. But right now with 2 teenagers it's impossible. The kitchen will have to serve as my "lab". And I'm thinking the soap will have to dry in the guest room.

Looks like I now have license to buy more ingrediants and soap away!!!

Rhonda

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!