Teach Soap

When researching superfat levels on one of the Soap Queens websites she mentions that she usually doesn't go higher then 5%...and if she uses more then 5%..her soap tends to go "rancid."...I thought that completed soap bars only get better with age the longer they sit. Is she talking about once you start using the soap (and getting it wet) that it can go rancid if you use a higher superfat level or while the soap is dry and curing it can go rancid? And has anyone used more (or less) then 5%..I pretty much always use 5% and make 50oz batches..just curious what other have used and how their soap turns out. Thanks!!

I prefer 5% but I know others that prefer 7%, or even up to 10%. It depends on your skin and your personal preference. =)

100% coconut oils soaps are usually superfatted 20%, but that is the only soap like that.

The more unsaponified oils you have increases the chance for DOS but going up to 7/10% should still be fine.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... anation-2/

so if I continue to use 5% superfat...am I safe from my soap ever going "rancid?"

You can still get DOS or rancid spots on your soap. This is going to depend on many things. Having a superstar that is not too high is just one of the factors. Always using distilled water so there are no impurities is one of the things I was told helped. Also a good storage environment where the soaps can still breathe and that is not too humid will also help.

Any soap can go rancid. I make a coconut oil soap with a 20% superfat and it's fine.

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

Agreed! 7-10% superfat is fine but there are still other factors that can cause oils to go rancid. As long as the oils are within their shelf life, stored properly and from a reliable source you should be okay.

There is a good post here on common oils and their shelf life; http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... king-oils/

does shelf life count once it's in the soap and the soap is complete? For example, Avocado Oil says 1 year...do this mean 1 year while IN the bottle on the shelf or if you've made soap with Avocado Oil, your completed soap is only good for one year? I only ask b/c I always heard the longer a soap cures the better it becomes...wasn't sure if there was a fine line between it curing for a long time making it harder and it curing too long to where it becomes rancid.

Oils saponify into a type of salt. They are no longer just oils. If you use fresh oils, you should not have a problem.
Now, with that said, some soaps still get DOS or become rancid. I have not figured out yet why.
I had a batch of pure, unscented Castile develop DOS. The batch had no color of fragrance. The oil was fresh. It was superfatted at 7%.

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