Teach Soap

I have been having an issue with my lip balm. I have noticed that with the heating and cooling that goes on with my farmer's markets and shows in the summer, that my lip balms eventually become grainy. I have tempered my shea and mango butters, so I didn't think this would be a problem. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this? It shouldn't be a problem until next Spring when the markets start again, but I hate to go through this every season. I think I have "fixed" the ones that did this by reheating and re-pouring them. I am testing a few to see if the graininess comes back. What do you think?

_________________
Pitter Pattern Designs - http://www.pitterpatterndesigns.com
blog - http://www.intheinterestofannie.blogspot.com

Some people swear by Butter-EZ from Lotioncrafter.com It helps with the graini-ness
I haven't personally tried it so can't give an opinion.

_________________
|

Shea and mango butter are prone to graininess whether you temper them or not. You could try 92 degree coconut and/or use cosmetic grade candelilla or carnauba wax.

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

Thanks. Perhaps I will rework my formula. I am glad to hear that it is not only me though.

_________________
Pitter Pattern Designs - http://www.pitterpatterndesigns.com
blog - http://www.intheinterestofannie.blogspot.com

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

Hope this makes sense. I'm never good at explaining this stuff myself.

http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/askthechemist.html

Shea and mango are very high in unsaponifiable matter. If they are incorrectly heated, upon solidification they will form little fat granules or crystals that feel bumpy to the skin. These bumps will melt down when rubbed into the skin, but they can be annoying and unsatisfactory if added to a formulation that is supposed to be smooth.

To remove the graininess from your shea or mango butters simply heat the butter in a doubleboiler on the stovetop. Gas works best as it keeps a more steady temperature than electric. Heat the butter to 170-185F. This is NOT hot enough to damage the properties of the butters. Keep the temperature steady - between 170-185F - for 10-15 minutes. The steady heat will cause the fat crystals to be obliterated. Rapid cooling may help stop the crystals from reforming. If you find that crystals have reformed upon solidification, go back and repeat these steps, paying close attention to time and temps.

_________________
Rachel
|

I know it's been ages since this post was active, but I cam across it during a search.

Regarding tempering to eliminate the graininess - it works, but only to a point. If your lip balm is exposed to temperature shifts the grains can reappear. Yes, tempering properly should eliminate the seed crystals, but it's very hard for us to ensure they are all gone and don't re-form during tempering and chilling (even bumping your pot can do it).

My fix is Butter-EZ or to eliminate the buttes altogether (palm oil makes a lovely sub).

On another note, have you tried just putting them over ice to prevent the melting and subsequent cool down? If the problem is repeated heating and cooling cycles, you may be able to short circuit the whole process by keeping them cool to begin with. Good luck!