Teach Soap

OK, no soaping for me this long holiday weekend, LOL...still waiting on my BB shipment!
I've purchased a digital scale with readings in oz and grams (with the tare feature), a Rubbermaid pitcher for my lye solution, two candy-making thermometers, two high-heat silicone spatulas, two 8-qt SS pots, and a stickblender (BTW all this is to be used exclusively for soap-making). Got my lye, my olive oil, my coconut oil, and my wooden molds lined with freezer paper. Also have my safety glasses and gloves...Ready to go as soon as I get my BB package!! Am I missing anything?
I've read "The Soapmaker's Companion" from cover to cover, and I plan to try the basic recipe first to get my feet wet...but I REALLY want to try the recipe with cocoa butter! It calls for jojoba oil, which BB was out of, so what can I expect by substituting castor oil? I ran it through the BB lye calc, so I know I need more lye, but are there any significant differences in using jojoba vs castor oil?
Also, everything I've read says to cut your soap after 24 hours and then allow it to cure for 4-6 weeks. Should I stifle my impatience and wait the full 6 weeks for a better soap?

I am no expert on either oil off the top of my head (cue soapbuddy!!), but those two ingredients -- castor oil and jojoba oil -- have very different INS numbers. I don't know the exact recipe, but if you put the original recipe with jojoba oil and then the substitution with castor oil into http://www.soapcalc.net, it will tell you the difference in the batches under several different categories, like hardness, conditioning, and bubbling power. Soap Calc also tells you if the recipe will produce soap in the "target" INS range of 136-165. I try not to go outside of that range, and I haven't had problems with soap that fell within that range (and within all the other category ranges).

Patience is definitely the most valuable tool in soapmaking! Some people do a tongue test to see if the soap is still zapping that you may eventually muster the courage to try (I hate the taste of soap!). They touch their tongue to the soap bar to test for a battery-like "zap" which indicates a remaining overabundance of lye and an unsafe bar.

In any case, always do a test spot first. Sounds like you are geared up and ready to jump into soapmaking. Warning: This hobby is addicting! I call it my "habit"!

I would study each soapmaking oil and see what it brings to your recipe. Some oils will make the soap soft. You can make a small batch, using a subbed oil, just make sure that you run it each time through a soap calculator. Depending which recipe you choose, your soap could be cut after 24 hours. I cut mine sooner, but that's me. I normally let my soaps cure for four to six weeks. You can use your soap after one week, but it will most likely be drying and will melt fast, due to presence of water. Once the water evaporates, it will make for a harder soap, which will last longer in the shower.

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

I have encountered a lot of issues with my soap making but here is one suggestion you should do. MAKE A DIARY. Record which recipe you used. Fragrance and amount. Color. Mold type. Temperature you soaped. Any issues or special notes.
I wish I had done this from the beginning.

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

Each time I make a batch of soap, I print out the recipe from SoapCalc. Then make notes on any additives or substitutions like coffee or milk instead of water. Then I make all my notes directly on the recipe. I have also started making notes on the weight of a sample cut bar when I cut them and each day for the first week, then weekly until cure is complete. When I am done, I put the page in a 3-ring binder for future reference.

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Thanks for all the great advice! LOVED soapcalc...lots of good info and fun to play around with different variables. After doing more research on castor oil, I saw that while it has a good rep for increasing lather when used in small percentages, more than 5% will produce a slimy, soft bar of soap. So I def WON"T be subbing castor for the 15% jojoba oil the recipe calls for, LOL!
Thanks again for all the great advice, you guys are wonderful!

As you get more familiar and more comfortable with soapmaking, you will find some rules can be pushed. I made a batch of soap with 15% castor. The soap was soft for some time, but it was never slimey. Now that it has cured, it makes for a great soap! It was hard to unmold from a round PVC pipe though.

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

Thanks, soapbuddy...I will def make a note of that! All the stuff I looked up on castor oil made me really excited to use it when I get a little more experienced!
My BB shipment will be here tomorrow, and I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve! Even though I'm dying to try tons of stuff after all my research, I know I have to master a very basic recipe first, AND I have to wait for the weekend to soap for the very first time...I'm rallying every ounce of my self-control, and constantly repeating this mantra to myself, "You must learn to crawl before you try to run".
Typical newbie behavior...just hoping I don't completely suck at soapmaking...that would break my heart; but at least I know I have you guys to help me, even if my first experience is a total train-wreck, LOL!
Good or bad, I'll be posting something soon!!

I understand your excitement at making your very own batch! We have all been there at one time or another. Get yourself a stick blender & start out simple. That way you know how oils/butters behave with lye. Know what trace is. Practice all the safety rules that come with making soaps. I wish you the best of luck!

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

Thanks for the support, soapbuddy! Got my stickblender ready for the weekend, LOL! I've watched every youtube video I can find on recognizing trace, just to see different viewpoints.
The recipe I'm starting out with is the beginner's "Soap Essential" from the Soapmaker's Companion. The author lists fragrance oils as optional, and I really want my soap to have a nice smell, so I ordered FO's from BB that didn't mention speeding up trace for my first adventure into soaping. The FO I chose were Grass Stain, Vanilla Vanilla, and something like Blueberry Delight. I don't really care if the vanilla one makes my soap dark, but I would like your opinion on newbies like me using FO our first time out. I just purely hate unscented anything, so I really want to add some scent, but I'm interested in your opinions!
Thanks for the quick post!

I would go with the Vanilla then if you don't mind brown soap. That one is easy to work with. I would also run that recipe through a soap calculator just to be on the safe side. Mistakes in books do happen. I want you to get a sucessfull batch.

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

Vanilla it is!
I'll run my recipe through the calcs as advised, and I HOPE, HOPE, HOPE I have some happy postings this weekend!! If not, I'll be "virtually" crying on your shoulder, LOL!
Thanks so much!!