Teach Soap

Hello all! I am new to soaping and am trying out new recipes with every batch. I'm interested in developing a hard bar of soap that will last longer in the shower. Can I get a long-lasting bar without using palm oil, tallow, or lard? I am vegetarian (10 years!) so the latter two are out of the question, and it seems there is so much controversy surrounding palm oil that it'd be easiest, ethically, to steer clear. Am I destined to make slimy, melty bars of soap or is there an oil I am not aware of, or confused about, that will contribute to a hard bar?

Welcome! Order Palm Oil from Brambleberry.com their product is from a sustainable source. Also it is not as much a problem as the media likes us to believe.

You can also use sodium lactate to aid in hardening your bars.

You can also use salt to harden your bars

Welcome! Would you care to share the recipe you have been using? It will help a lot in terms of making recommendations.

I always start out with Olive, Coconut, and Castor oil...then I add in other goody oils. After a nice cure of 4-6 weeks, I have no problems with slim. Also the old ways are the good ways..make sure the bar isnt sitting in a puddle of water between uses. My Mom turned a beautiful bar of soap into a puddle of jelly-she is more careful these days.

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Dawn

Sodium Lactate has made a difference in my bars.

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Your 70% olive, 20% Coconut and 5% castor soap will be a nice hard bar once it cures. This is one of my favorite recipes. I do discount my water a bit when I make it and it cures for 8 weeks minimum. It lasts a long time if it's kept out of standing water. I also add 1 tsp. of table salt PPO to all my soaps.

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

I think that adding 1% beeswax has helped mine stay harder longer but am not sure if you would want to use that as it isn't a vegetable source?
Sherri

You could try cocoa butter in your soap as well which will add harness to your bar. Just keep your temps a little higher when using it or you can get false trace if it starts to solidify. When I use cocoa butter I soap around 130. Otherwise I keep my temps at about 110.

Patience grasshopper! Give those bars a nice long cure and they will be hard as a rock.

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

Hi from a small town in East TN! I live within city limits and have deer and an occasional cow wander through our yard!
I'm a quilter, too! My avatar kitty is peeking out from under one I made.

You can use canning salt or table salt. I add it to my lye water as soon as the lye is dissolved. The heat helps the salt fully dissolve.

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

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Shari