Teach Soap

Hello all! I will be making castile soap for the first time this weekend and am wondering what water discount you all typically use. I saw a recipe on Lovin' Soap where she uses equal amounts of lye and water, but this seems like it'll make a really strong solution! I have never done a water discount so I'm not sure what is standard.

Also, correct me please, but water discount means that when you plug your recipe into the lye calculator, and it spits out a number for lye (let's say 4 oz), you keep that number constant but reduce the suggested liquid amount... right?

Thanks!

I use a 10% water discount but I'm not a big discounter. Yup, a water discount just means you use less water but does not change the lye amount. It helps slow tracing soaps trace faster. I don't reduce my cure time though. Patience waiting for castille to cure is the biggest problem!

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Linda

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

I discount my water for castile so it traces quicker and hardens faster. I would not go as low as 50% water to whatever amount of lye, as the lye could precipitate out of the solution and one could could end up with soap that has undissolved lye.

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

I do a 2:1 ratio (water to lye) for my castille. That works out to about a 33% solution.

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

I used a 40% lye solution because a recipe that is pretty much nothing but olive oil will likely take FOR.EV.ER. to trace, even using a stick blender with the regular water amounts. Still took me nearly 15 minutes of off and on stickblending to get to light trace with the 40% solution and regular refined olive oil.

I use a 20% discount for my castile/bastile (olive + castor). Otherwise it takes what feels like a week to trace!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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

i use also 10 % soap for olive oil soap ... it trace good and quick

_________________
~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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