Teach Soap

I have read that even CP soap is ready to use after a couple of days. I didn't know that.. I thought the curing time on CP soap was to allow to completely cure the lye in the soap.. but I have read that is a misconception about CP soaping. The article says CP soap CAN be used after 2 days, but it will be a soft bar which will dissolve quickly (which makes sense), and that the reason it needs to "cure" to allow the water to evaporate ending on a harder bar.

so, my question is this..
if i do a batch using water discount in CP, say 33% lye concentration and another batch at full water in HP?
same amount and same exact oils.

Which one will produce a hard bar faster?

Once saponification takes place you can use the soap because the lye is inactive at that point. HOWEVER...the reason we cure soap is to let all the water evaporate out and to make a milder bar of soap. Even HP benefits from a cure time of several weeks.

A harder bar is based mostly on the oils/butters you use. It doesn't matter if you CP or HP. Usually, HP will be harder at first because more of the water is lost during the process, but at the end of cure time, the bars should be pretty much the same.

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

ljm1180,
I understand what you mean, but not sure if that answered my question though, but I appreciate your response

I understand that at the end of curing, both soaps will be the same.
my question is.. if you use exactly the same type of oils on both batches, but on CP you do water discount and on HP you use full water.. which version will give you a faster finished product?...not sure if my question makes sense. My main point is I want to HP if it's going to save me time and will allow me to use my soap any faster than CP.

My reasoning is, if CP takes longer because the water in the soap needs to evaporate because it tends to take longer than in HP..then by using LESS water in CP will it compensate and take the same time curing as HP?

There is no shortcut. CP and HP take the same amount of time to cure. The pH of the soap slightly changes as the soap cures making for a milder soap.

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

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

that's part of my original statement..
why would the soap be drying if there's not lye after 48 in most cases..i would understand the soap in 3 days will be too soft and will dissolve quickly, but drying?

Anyway.. so can you answer this..
If I make 2 batches today.. one CP and one HP.. same amount same everything.
24 hrs later, I cut them into bars... which bars will be harder in 3 weeks.. the CP or HP?

Yes, the lye will have saponified, but the soap will be drying due to the pH. If you do a water discount both will be hard at about the same time.

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

oh wow.. so there's really no saving time then huh
i was actually looking forward into making HP soap because I keep reading that the soap is actually cured/dried faster than CP.. getting different info depending on where I search..some say HP is faster and others same is the same... this is very confusing lol

Patience dear grasshopper.

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