Teach Soap

I made a photo story of it on photobucket. Figured I'd just post the link if anyone is interested. I can't wait to try it out!

Congratulations on your first HP batch! Looks good! I've never tried swirling or layering hot process but am impressed when I see how well it turns out! My first batch ever was hot process, have you already done cold process, yet?
-Sherri

Thanks! I haven't done CP yet, mostly because I am just too impatient to wait for it to cure right now, lol. I have my first craft show for my M&P soaps on Saturday and then I probably won't be as busy so I plan to make some CP in the next few weeks. Part of my problem is having space to put a cure rack. Probably the guest bedroom, hope if I have guests they don't mind.

I have been letting my HP batch cure for a little over a week now. (Recipe called for a week cure time) It still seems a little soft to me, and the surface is a bit oily. Is HP supposed to be as hard as CP, or is it normally softer? Maybe it's my recipe. I think it would be ok to use, but will probably melt faster, like a M&P.

I didn't want to start another new post about this topic so I'll see if anyone answers here.

Just an aside, I did my craft show this past Saturday and saw a couple other soapers there. I bought a bar from each to support them and hopefully make friends, but one sort of looked at me with suspicion when I said how nice her soaps and labels were, and one asked me "You make soap, why would you buy some from someone else?". I told her that I love to try new things, hers aren't the same as mine, and I like to support other soap makers. She seemed to let her guard down then and talked a bit.

I've tried both bars already and they are both very good! Can't wait to start making CP!

HP benefits from a cure time. I would give it a couple of weeks.

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

Thanks! I'm so eager to try it! It seems to be drier now, not oily but still a bit soft, I can make a little indent in it if I press hard with my thumb. It may just be that way.

Congrats on your first batch! You are now officially on your way!
You mentioned that the softness may be your recipe, did you run it through the lye calc?
I agree with Irena, just because you can use it soon after making it, doesn't mean that it won't be better if you allow it some curing time. I prefer making cp soaps, but when I do a hp I still cure it for at least two weeks, but usually more. I would wait another week and see how it is then. If it is still too soft, I'd look at your recipe, re-run it through the calc and re-run the steps in your head and see if you made any errors. Probably it just needs time, but failing that, the recipe is usually the culprit.

_________________
Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

Yes, I ran it through the soapcalc site calculator. I couldn't wait any longer and used it in the shower yesterday! It was actually fine. It didn't melt away very fast and the bar seems to be harder now. My lather was a bit orangey due to the red palm oil I used, but it was amazingly foamy and bubbly!