Teach Soap

Ok, so a Castile recipe can't require too much checking, but I just thought I would run it by you. The original recipe I am/was going to use it here:





BUT I am thinking of adding 5% Castor Oil so my recipe follows:

1187.5g OO (95%)
62.5g Castor Oil (5%)
Now, I've run it through MMS Calculator and the results are exactly the same (even when I run the original recipe through the calculator) except their water totals are 312 - 469g water. As I am a beginner at soap making, it's recommended that I use the higher amount of water. I was just going to go with the original 450g.

Plus I would include 25g of Sunripened Raspberry (possibly a little more) and some Madder Root Powder colouring.

Does this sound alright?

Hi soap9! Your recipe looks fine. I usually go with a lower amount of liquid when I make castille (as low as 25%) but since this is your first time making it I would use 33% water (412.5 gr). I think soapbuddy also makes castille with a low water amount. 33% water shouldn't cause you any problems. Is the FO known to accelerate trace? If it is, you may want to use more water. Good luck and be sure to post pictures!

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

If this is your first time making castile, I wouldn't discount your water too much. Make sure you use a stick blender; otherwise you will be stirring a loooong time. Make sure that whatever fragrance you use, it doesn't accelerate trace. You want to make this batch as easy as possible. Let it cure for a long time for a nice, mild soap.

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

Thanks Linda and Irena. The FO does actually trace quicker. My first batch of soap traced very quickly (used Musk Rose) and as a result, I was pouring a rather lumpy batch. Needless to say it turned out fine. Second batch, I used a stick blender to a thin trace, then once I added my oil (Rich Dark Chocolate) I used a spoon to get it to a decent trace. I was planning on doing this again with my castile batch, seeing the Raspberry FO does trace quickly. I will go with a higher water level for this batch and keep an eye on it as to when I should unmould it. I've read many stories on some who find it still soft after a few days and others who struggle to get a cutter through it after 24 hours!

Gee, I spend too much time thinking about soap lately....

Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to make a pure batch first off. 100% OO, no scent, no colour.
THEN, I'm going to do 95% OO, 5% Castor with the Raspberry FO and Madder Root Powder colouring.

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

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Hehe! Linda, I would love to try goats milk! I've got a nice recipe with some tips on how to avoid a stinky, lumpy mess!

I'm probably going to pop this in the oven to gel at 75C (170F). Does this sound about right? I'll preheat the oven first, then turn it off when I put the mould in, then leave it for 24 hours. I've never done this method before...

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

Thanks Irena! This will just be a pure castile, no scent, no colour, so it will just be lye and OO!

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

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I'm desperately awaiting a copy of The Soapmakers Companion. It's officially 4 days over the delivery date. Fingers crossed it arrives today!

Well! It's in the oven now, so fingers crossed, all goes well.

I ran into trouble with a batch of lye earlier, so I had to make another batch. Stupidly, I used my pyrex jug. I had used it for the first 2 batches to mix lye in, then read the post on the forum about NOT using pyrex. I bought another jug, plastic, but not good enough as it was rather soft plastic and could possibly collapse under the heat. Thinking I didn't have a strong enough jug around and determined to make soap today, I used my pyrex. Not only did the soda stick to the bottom of the jug, but it also flaked and floated on the top. It's now awaiting its fate down the drain while it cools. I found an old hard plastic jug in the depths of my cupboards and mixed my next batch of lye in it and all went well. Apart from that little hiccup, the rest of the process went quite well. I'm hoping this CPOP process works. I guess we'll find out tomorrow!

Now, to go clean up my mess!