Teach Soap

I've heard a couple different answers when researching CP..i'm new to soap making and heard that after you wait the 24-48 hours to cut your soap, you need to let it cure for 3 weeks. After hearing this I heard it's best to let your soap cure for 4-6 weeks. The range from 3 weeks to 6 weeks seems pretty large and I'd hate to not wait long enough and have some consequences....can someone give me a clearer answer on whats the safest amount of time to wait before beginning to use your soap? Thank you so much!

4-6 weeks is the norm for any handmade soap.

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

How would I know if it's a soap I only wait 4 weeks for or 6 weeks? A 2 week difference is a lot if it's a safety issue with the chemicals in the soap? Or is it not a safety issue anymore..is it more of a water evaporating out issue? I just don't want to give a soaps as gifts at 4 weeks and have people have a negative effect b/c it was supposed to be a 6 week wait before using the soap.

Soap gets better as it ages. My CP soap is safe to use right after I cut it - meaning that it has no free lye floating around. But it is not nice to use. It is drying and makes my hands feel chapped, and it doesn't lather. It is nice at 4 weeks and very nice at 6 weeks.

So, you could give your soap away at 4 weeks, but it will not be at its best.

I experimented to find what worked for my recipe and my climate. At 3 weeks, I sliced off a piece and tried it. Take notes of the quantity and quality of the lather, how quickly the soap dissolves, how it makes your skin feel, etc. I did the same thing each week until my soap was 8 weeks old. When your soap stops noticeably improving with longer curing time, then you've found when it's ready. If your recipe or curing conditions change, you may find the curing time changes too. Have fun!

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

Besides the water evaporating as the soap cures, the pH changes slightly lower making the soap milder.

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

Thank you for all the feedback! I understand a lot more now, I really apprecite it!! There is so much to learn but Im having so much fun!!

As others noted, its "safe" fairly soon, but its generally soft and not entirely gentle. It gets better with time. I just started swapping palm oil with GV shortening and I notice my soap isn't getting hard as fast, so I'm just going to shove it to the back of my cupboard and forget about it for another month.

I notice people really get into a hurry with this.

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Logansama aka Belinda
Nor Cal

I wait 3 weeks minimum before I sell any soap...I have had no issues with any sale, personally I don't even test my soap before its 3 weeks old.