Teach Soap

Hello guys, need your advice. I just made a bit bigger batch, as part of my practice (e.g., 2000g of base oil) and this was totally failed. the situation was, the oil and the lye-water solution hardened in just seconds. (I dont know why).

My recipe was Papaya soap with carrots, tomato and cucumber extract. With this formula:

coconut oil - 600g - 30%
palm oil - 600g - 30%
vegetable shortening - 500g - 25%
olive oil - 200g - 10%
castor oil - 100g - 5%

Lye - 284g. (without superfatting, lye is 306.26g. I want 7% superfat so I multiplied 306.26 to 93% to get the 7% reduction
of oils. So the result was 284.82g. I rounded it off to 284g)

water - 703.51g. I rounded it to 704g. I divided 704g water into the following:
papaya juice - 352g (50%) of the total liquid (water);
carrots juice - 100g (14%) of the total liquid;
tomato juice -100g (14%) of the total liquid;
cucumber extract - 35g (5%) of the total liquid; and
pure water -117g (17%)

This is what i did. I dissolved 284g lye into 117g of water, because im planning to add the juices during light/medium trace. For my oils, all oils where and pre-heated. I mixed lye-water solution into oil at 115 degree Fahrenheit. I dont know if this is right temperature.

When i poured the lye-water solution into the oil, i was not able mix it right away while pouring because i saw some thickened solution in my plastic container like thickened oil due to cold temperature (we called it here... sleeping oil. lol). So what i did was, i get all of those first using my wooden laddle. I think it only took for about 5 seconds before i totally cleaned up and poured all solution into oil. BUT I DONT KNOW THE REASON BEHIND, IT IS BECAUSE WHEN I SUPPOSED TO STIR NOW THE OIL (WITH JUST POURED LYE-WATER SOLUTION), I NOTICED THAT THE BOTTOM PART IN MY MIXING CONTAINER WAS ALREADY THICKENED. I TRIED TO FORCEFULLY STIRRED IT, it was broken into pieces but it retains like boulders or gravel. its really really hard.

So i poured immediately all the juices thinking all the while that its lack of water.. though the mixture was go back a little bit to normal like water-like mixture but those thickened fats like a stone retains like a stone.. so I ended it up with so disappointing.

GUYS, WHERE DID I GOT ERROR? PLEASE HELP ME GUYS...

Joseph

You've got to many juices going on. You need at least 50% water/lye solution to dissolve all the lye, then you can add the rest as juice.

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

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

Tammy

Papaya and tomato juice both have natural acids which can mess up the lye calculation. I bet if you made this same batch, but without all the juices, you would be fine.

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

there is a range for all oils and every calculator is a bit different. But, as I said, it was very close, so fine that way. I agree w SB, it was the juices. And, as we said, the acid will mess with the lye reaction and cause your recipe to be off. If you make it without all that juice and just use half water to dissolve the lye, you will probably be just fine.
And here is the calculator that I like, everyone has their own favorite! http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

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

Tammy

@Soapbuddy and Lavenderlady: Thank you so much, suggestions and advices are well taken.

yw, much luck!

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

Tammy