When you don’t have time to make cold process soap, hot process soap making is a good next choice. The extra heat speeds up the saponification process, which cuts down on cure time. Hot process soap only requires 1-2 days in the mold, even with palm-free recipes like this one. With St. Patrick’s Day right around the corner, this hot process soap will be ready in time to celebrate the holiday.
This Luck of the Irish Hot Process soap features layers of green ombré. Each layer is defined with a line of Gold Sparkle Mica, which adds plenty of shimmer. Don’t use too much mica – a thick mica vein may cause the layers to separate from each other. When creating this effect it’s important to work fast. Hot process soap has a tendency to thicken quickly, which can make creating even layers tricky.
What You’ll Need:
10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
10.2 oz. Coconut Oil
10.2 oz. Olive Oil
8.5 oz. Rice Bran Oil
3.4 oz. Shea Butter
1.7 oz. Avocado Oil
1 oz. Sodium Lactate
4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
11.2 oz. Distilled Water
2.5 oz. Kentish Rain Fragrance Oil
Chrome Green Oxide
Gold Sparkle Mica
Optional: Powder Duster
Click here to add everything you need for this project to your Bramble Berry shopping cart!
COLOR PREP: Disperse 1 teaspoon Chrome Green Oxide in 1 tablespoon of sunflower or sweet almond oil (or any other liquid oil). Have the Gold Sparkle Mica close by to use in between all the layers.
SAFETY FIRST: Suit up for safe handling practices! Goggles, gloves, and long sleeves are your soap making uniform. Be sure that kids and pets are out of the house or unable to access your soaping space, and always soap in a well-ventilated area. Make sure the soap volume will not fill up more than half of your crock pot. If you have never made cold process soap before, I highly recommend you get a couple of basic recipes under your belt before trying out this tutorial. Check out this (free!) 4-part series on cold process soap making, especially the episode on lye safety.
ONE: Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, add sodium lactate. Sodium lactate is used in hot process at 3% of the oil weight to help produce a smoother bar.
TWO: Melt and combine the coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, rice bran oil and avocado oil. Pour the oils into your Crock Pot pot. Slowly add the lye water to the oils. Make sure the mixture does not fill up more than half of the crock pot or cooking vessel.
THREE: Mix with a stick blender until a thick trace is achieved.
FOUR: Put the lid on the crock pot and set it to low. After 15 minutes, check the soap to see the progress made. Starting from the outside, the texture and color of the soap will start to change into a glossy, slightly Vaseline-like texture. If the middle does not appear to be changing, stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume. Do not leave your soap unattended in the first 30 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, wearing gloves, take the pot off heat and stir like crazy.
FIVE: The batch will be ready when it’s the texture of glossy, thin mashed potatoes. This may take another 15 minute session or even two or three more stir’n’waits. When you think it’s ready, use a pH strip to test the levels. It should be showing below a 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap; you don’t want too dry a texture for the next steps!
NOTE: The amount of time that the soap takes in the Crock Pot phase can depend on the size and shape of your Crock Pot. The flatter ones meant for roasts may go a bit quicker because the soap will be spread out thinner on the heated surface. Because this is a small batch of soap, you may find it will cook faster than larger batches. For our standard sized Crock Pot, the soap took approximately 30 minutes to cook.
SIX: When the soap is ready, add the Kentish Rain fragrance oil blend and mix well. Turn the crock pot off.
SEVEN: Spoon out about 300 mL of soap into a container, and add 2 tsp. of dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a spoon or spatula to mix in the color thoroughly.
EIGHT: Transfer the green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to evenly distribute. Tap a small amount of Sparkle Gold Mica into the powder duster, and sprinkle the gold mica onto the green soap evenly. Only apply a thing layer; if too much mica is used the layers may separate.
NINE: Scoop out another 300 mL of soap into a separate container and add 1/2 tsp. dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Plop the soap on top of the first layer. Placing the soap into different areas of the mold makes it easier to evenly distribute the soap. Gently use a spoon or spatula to gently spread the soap. You can also use your gloved hands to gently spread the soap, but be careful as it may be hot to the touch. Tap the mold firmly onto the counter to help spread the soap evenly.
TEN: Use the powder duster to create a thin layer of mica on top of the second layer.
ELEVEN: Scoop out approximately 300 mL of soap and add 1/4 tsp. dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Layer the soap into the mold, using the same method as in step nine. Use the powder duster to create a thing layer of mica on top of the third layer.
TWELVE: Scoop out the remaining soap and add 1/8 tsp of dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Layer the soap into the mold, using the same method as in step nine. For this layer, you may find it helpful to gently press the soap with your hands to create a more even top. Tap the mold firmly on the counter, and use the powder duster to top the soap with a thin dusting of gold mica.
THIRTEEN: Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 1-2 days. Unmold and cut. This soap is ready to use right away but will last longer in the shower after a full 4-6 week dry and evaporation time.
Looking for even more St. Patrick’s Day projects? Check out these green tutorials below!
Top left, clockwise: Shamrock Cold Process, Green Machine Melt and Pour, Soapy Plaid, Green Meadow Melt & Pour
- 10″ Silicone Loaf Mold
- 10.2 oz. Coconut Oil
- 10.2 oz. Olive Oil
- 8.5 oz. Rice Bran Oil
- 3.4 oz. Shea Butter
- 1.7 oz. Avocado Oil
- 1 oz. Sodium Lactate
- 4.7 oz. Sodium Hydroxide Lye
- 11.2 oz. Distilled Water
- 2.5 oz. Kentish Rain Fragrance Oil
- Chrome Green Oxide
- Gold Sparkle Mica
- Optional: Powder Duster
- Slowly and carefully add the lye to the water and gently stir until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, add sodium lactate. Sodium lactate is used in hot process at 3% of the oil weight to help produce a smoother bar.
- Melt and combine the coconut oil, shea butter, olive oil, rice bran oil and avocado oil. Pour the oils into your Crock Pot’s pot. Slowly add the lye water to the oils.
- Mix with a stick blender until a thick trace is achieved.
- Put the lid on the Crock Pot and set it to low. After 15 minutes, check the soap to see the progress made. Starting from the outside, the texture and color of the soap will start to change into a glossy, slightly vaseline-like texture. If the middle does not appear to be changing, stir the batch to ensure even cooking. Don’t be surprised if the soap starts to grow in volume. Do not leave your soap unattended in the first 30 minutes of cook time for this reason. If the soap gets too high in the pot, take the pot off heat and stir like crazy.
- The batch will be ready when it’s the texture of glossy mashed potatoes. This may take another 15 minute session or even two or three more stir’n’waits. When you think it’s ready, use a pH strip to test the levels. It should be showing below a 10. Be sure not to overcook the soap; you don’t want too dry a texture for the next steps!
- The amount of time that the soap takes in the Crock Pot phase can depend on the size and shape of your Crock Pot. The flatter ones meant for roasts may go a bit quicker because the soap will be spread out thinner on the heated surface. Because this is a small batch of soap, you may find it will cook faster than larger batches. For our standard sized Crock Pot, the soap took approximately 30 minutes to cook.
- When the soap is ready, add the Kentish Rain fragrance oil blend and mix well. Turn the crock pot off.
- Spoon out about 300 mL of soap into a container, and add 2 tsp. of dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Use a spoon or spatula to mix in the color thoroughly.
- Transfer the green soap into the mold, and tap the mold firmly on the counter to evenly distribute. Tap a small amount of Sparkle Gold Mica into the powder duster, and sprinkle the gold mica onto the green soap evenly. Only apply a thing layer; if too much mica is used the layers may separate.
- Scoop out another 300 mL of soap into a separate container and add ½ tsp. dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Plop the soap on top of the first layer. Placing the soap into different areas of the mold makes it easier to evenly distribute the soap. Gently use a spoon or spatula to gently spread the soap. You can also use your gloved hands to gently spread the soap, but be careful as it may be hot to the touch. Tap the mold firmly onto the counter to help spread the soap evenly.
- Use the powder duster to create a thin layer of mica on top of the second layer.
- Scoop out approximately 300 mL of soap and add ¼ tsp. dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Layer the soap into the mold, using the same method as in step nine. Use the powder duster to create a thing layer of mica on top of the third layer.
- Scoop out the remaining soap and add ⅛ tsp of dispersed Chrome Green Oxide. Stir in the color thoroughly. Layer the soap into the mold, using the same method as in step nine. For this layer, you may find it helpful to gently press the soap with your hands to create a more even top. Tap the mold firmly on the counter, and use the powder duster to top the soap with a thin dusting of gold mica.
- Allow the soap to harden in the mold for 1-2 days. Unmold and cut. This soap is ready to use right away but will last longer in the shower after a full 4-6 week drying time.
Hello, what size of crockpot should I be using? Thanks!
Hi Melissa!
I would recommend at least a 6 quart Crock-Pot for that recipe. You want the pot to only be half full, as hot process soap can expand as it cooks. You can even go bigger if you like and use an 8 quart. That will ensure the soap doesn’t go over the sides. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
I made this soap as a cold process soap with lavender essential oil and lavender oxide instead of the gree. I also took out ricebran oil and added a bit of castor oil and increased olive and coconut oil (did i get carried away).
Anyways, it came out really soft…i did run it through the soap calculator and it came ok….should i just wait longer? I unmolded it and had to “glue”some of the pieces that came off back on. Can you think of anything that I did wrong! I am perplexed….
Hi Andrea!
This recipe is palm-free, so it will be a bit softer! Palm oil adds firming properties to the soap. This recipe has coconut and shea butter to add some firming properties, but overall it will be softer. As the soap cures for about 4-6, it will harden up a bit. 🙂
If you prefer more firm recipes in the future, you can add up to 33% palm oil! Learn more about oils and how to add them to your recipe here:
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Kelsey, I am trying to make this soap Luck of the Irish with the Kentish Rain but she did not mention now much oil she mixed with the green. Can that be extra oil, or does it have to be a superfatting oil?
Oh whoops, that should be 1 teaspoon of Chrome Green Oxide in 1 tablespoon of a lightweight oil. Sorry about that Betty! I updated the post with the oil amount.
The color added to the soap is considered extra oil. It’s a small amount so it doesn’t add too much extra oil! If you like, you can drop the superfat level from 5% to 4% to account for the extra oil. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello,
For the measurements listed in ounces, is that ounces by weight or volume?
The ounces are by weight, not fluid ounces by volume. Sorry for any confusion! We prefer measuring most of our recipes by weight. We find that’s more accurate. A scale is really handy for soaping! You can find those online, at a kitchen supply store, a department store like Target, and BrambleBerry.com. 🙂
Scales: https://www.brambleberry.com/Scales-Thermometers-C207.aspx
Read more about weight vs. volume here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/a-guide-to-weight-vs-volume/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What would be a good sub. for the shea butter? I am allergic to it. :/ other than that what a great recipe! i recently found out i have Irish ancestry and this will be perfect for this new Irish girl haha.
Hi Amanda!
That’s awesome, this soap is perfect for your Irish roots! 🙂
You can use mango butter in place of shea butter in this recipe. Mango butter is a bit more firm, so overall the soap will be a bit more firm. It will still feel amazing though. Just make sure to run your recipe through the Lye Calculator again after any substitutions: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
We have a post on substituting ingredients in cold process soap that may be helpful for you as well: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-substitute-oil-in-cold-process-recipes/
We also have a post about soaping with allergies you may like! I’ll include that link below. 🙂
Soaping with Allergies: Nuts, Gluten and More: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/soaping-with-allergies-nuts-gluten-more/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Mango butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Mango-Butter-P3221.aspx
Another HP soap question sorry! I made another batch of HP soap yesterday. The batch looked great but my essential oils were pretty much non existent. I created a mix of Basil, Bergamot, Litsea and Lavender. The only scent that came through was Basil EO. I used the BB calculator to get the EO calculations right, so I know it isn’t that I added too little.
I was wondering if you have any tips for successfully adding oils like Bergamot to HP soap?
Hi Amanda!
It’s totally fine, we are here to help!
I would recommend waiting about a week, then sniffing that soap again. Right out of the pot, I have noticed the soap does smell different. However, it will finish saponifying as it cures and you should notice those essential oils more. 🙂
If those scents are still faint, you can tweak your scent ratio a bit. Basil Essential Oil is super strong and tends to take over all the other scents. Adding less can help those other scents shine through.
Also, soap hot process soapers like to use high flash point oils, or add the fragrance when the soap is cooler. The flash point is the temperature at which, under certain circumstances, the liquid in question can ignite with a flame. This means the liquid needs to be at the flash point temperature and come in contact with an open flame. Some people believe if a scent is heated to the flash point temperature in recipes, it can cause the fragrance to fade.
We haven’t noticed a lot of scent fading with lower flashpoint oils, but it’s something you may want to test! Some hot process soapers like to use essential oils with a flash point of 160F or higher. Read more about that in this post on scent fading: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-prevent-scent-fading-in-soap/
Hope that helps! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks yet again Kelsey! I know Basil is a really powerful scent (first time I have ever used it). Will definitely take it a down a notch and maybe let my soap cool a bit longer. Thanks again Amanda
You’re very welcome! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi guys,
I have just made my first batch of HP soap today and love the process!! A few less headaches than CP soap in terms of gel, acceleration etc. Would love to try this soap with a couple more batches under my belt. Just wondering if you could give me some advice on shelf life of HP soap. I read a blog post recently where a soaper said they do not like HP soap because the shelf life is a lot shorter than CP soap. Do you know if this is correct? If so any idea what the shelf life would be if you use oils with 1 year shelf life or more? Also one of the HP recipes I used suggested adding coconut milk and yoghurt after the soap is cooked to increase its fluidity (and get a more cp appearance) and then to cook for a further 5 minutes. I have done this but even after the additional cook, I am worried the yoghurt is going to go off. I use yoghurt all the time in CP soap, but add it at trace. Thanks so much Amanda
Hi Amanda!
Isn’t hot process fun? I agree, I love how you don’t have to worry about acceleration or if the soap will gel. 🙂
The shelf life of hot process will be the same as cold process soap – it depends on the oils you use! So, if your batch has fresh oils with shelf lives of a year or so, the soap will last about a year or so. To prolong that shelf life, we recommend letting the soap cure 2 weeks or so. Although most of the water is cooked out, a tiny amount is leftover afterward. Giving the soap those extra couple of weeks helps everything evaporate fully, giving you long lasting bars.
Read more about oil shelf lives here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
With the yogurt or coconut milk, I have the same worry you do. Because the soap is almost finished saponifying, the milk may not get turned into soap. It would be similar to leaving a carton of milk at room temperature, and would cut that shelf life down to just a couple of weeks (a bit longer in the fridge).
We love using sodium lactate to help make the batch more fluid! When used at 3% of the oil weight, sodium lactate helps make the soap softer and smoother. You can add that to your lye water. It’s really helpful for any layering or swirling designs. 🙂
Sodium lactate: https://www.brambleberry.com/Sodium-Lactate-P5127.aspx
I know some hot process soapers also save their superfatting oils until the end of the cook to make the batch more fluid as well. Read more about calculating superfat here: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/superfatting-soap-an-explanation-2/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks so much Kelsey. The knowledge of the Brambleberry team is amazing.
I think I will leave the milk out and go with the sodium lactate.
Sorry Kelsey one more question. I have read the super fat link you posted for me above, thanks for that. I would definitely like to super fat at the end of hot process as I can also control what oil is super fatted, which is great. I usually use the lye calculator but obviously that isn’t going to work if I am doing it at the end. I am terrible at maths, so I would like to do it without the equations. Am I correct in thinking that I run my recipe through the calculator at 0% super fat then work out what 5% of my oils are. Set aside that amount of oil (in addition to the oils called for in my recipe) and add it at the end of the cook. I thought Anne Marie was saying that you could do this to get a rough 5% superfat but I wasn’t totally certain. Thanks so much
No worries Amanda, we are happy to help! 🙂
I think your method of calculation should work out just fine. Running the recipe through the Lye Calculator at 0% then working out the 5% superfat may not be exactly spot on with the superfat calculation, but will be really close. As someone who is also terrible at math, I think it’s a great idea!
Lye Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello,
Can I use your “Lots of Lather” quick mix in hot process?
Thanks,
Absolutely! The Lots of Lather Quick Mix works for both cold and hot process soap. It produces nice bubbly bars. You can find out how much lye and liquid to add with the Lye Calculator on the product page. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Lots of Lather Quick Mix: https://www.brambleberry.com/Lots-of-Lather-Quick-Mix-P5524.aspx
Can I use a cold process soap receipe but use Hot Process technique to make it?
Hi Julie!
Absolutely! Cold process recipes can definitely be converted into hot process recipes. Just keep in mind that hot process recipes are fairly thick, so swirly designs will look different.
Also, some hot process soapers avoid low flashpoint scents, as they believe those fade in hot process. Read more in the How to Prevent Scent Fading in Soap post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/how-to-prevent-scent-fading-in-soap/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hello, I know this is an article on Hot Process soap, but I can’t seem to comment on the CPOP posts so I’ll give it a whirl here…I have started doing CPOP and I absolutely just love it, however, on a few of my soaps (same recipe as the others), the tops of my soaps are still tacky, regardless of the sides and back of the bars being nice and dry…I have 2 batches that have been curing for 3-4 weeks, and although the bar itself is nice and hard and dry, the tops are still sticky to the touch…others stayed tacky for a couple weeks and dried….again…some just wont dry up on the tops…it has me stumped! 🙁
Hi Tammy!
Hmm, that’s strange! Can you tell me a bit more about your recipe, including the ingredients you used and the temperatures you soap at? Also, what is the temperature of the oven when you’re CPOPing?
Let me know and I’ll help you troubleshoot! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi Kelsey, thank you so much for the reply, my recipe is……( I formulated this on my own)
25% Coconut Oil
20% Palm Oil
30% Oilve Oil
10% Shea Butter
10% Castor Oil
5% Cocoa Butter.
I usually soap at around 80 degrees sometimes lower, and I turn my oven on 170, put the soap in for around 30 minutes (any longer is too long and I get bubbles on top) I turn the oven off, sometimes I will leave it in there to sleep, sometimes I will take it out. My soap gels beautifully, not all soaps come out with tacky tops. Like I said, the bar it’s self on the sides and bottoms are very nice and dry, but the tops for the most part are staying sticky. Thank you for any help, and I understand if it is a complete mystery to you too.
Hi Tammy!
Thanks so much for providing that recipe! I think the castor oil may be the culprit. Castor oil is cleansing and adds great bubbles to your soap. However, if it’s used at more than 8%, it can cause your soap to feel sticky or tacky. You may try reducing that castor oil to around 3-8% and see if that helps. 🙂
This Free Beginner’s Guide to Soapmaking: Common Soapmaking Oils has more information on that: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/free-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-common-soapmaking-oils/
I am still a little stumped why some tops are tacky and some aren’t. Sometimes, when the soap goes through a really hot gel phase some of the oil can float to the top and stay there. That may be the reason for the variation. I think reducing that castor oil will help though. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thank you soooo much, I’m going to reduce the amount of castor oil and see if that works, and it makes perfect sense that maybe the tacky ones are going through a super hot gel phase…that along with too much castor oil…you’re awesome!! <3 Thanks!!!!
You’re welcome! Let us know how it goes. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I just made this soap and unmolded it. It smells amazing and looks great. I am new to soap making, so I am impressed with myself on this one. The problem is that the layers did not stick together. I don’t think I used too much mica. Is there a way to fix this at this point? Someway to get the layers to stick together? I don’t want to waste the whole brick of soap.
My bottom layer fell off too … i have made HP Soap and not have anything fall off but i am wondering why only my bottom layer fell off … the middle section stayed with the top perfectly …
Hi Erin and Cheryl!
Typically, the mica is responsible for causing those layers to separate. However, if the soap is on the dry side or cools off too quickly, that can cause separation as well.
To make those layers stick together, cook the soap until your pH strips show a 10 or below. Then, turn your Crock Pot off.
It also helps to keep the soap you’re not using in the warm Crock Pot while you work with the other layers. That way the soap stays warm and won’t dry out too quickly, causing that separation. 🙂
Also, you can rebatch this soap if you like! It will lose the layered look, but you’ll still be able to use the bars of soap.
How to Rebatch Soap on Soap Queen TV: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/soap-queen-tv-presents-how-to-make-rebatch-soap-2/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Just made this yesterday and absolutely love the look and smell of it. I’m relatively new to soap making, but found this recipe fairly easy to follow. It is also the first time I’ve added Shea butter to a soap recipe and I love the properties it adds. I’m definitely going to use this recipe again! Thank you!
Hi Amy!
That’s awesome, so glad you like the soap! Also, I agree, shea butter feels awesome on your skin. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Shea butter: https://www.brambleberry.com/Shea-Butter-P3220.aspx
Can this recipe be used with cold process? Does anything in the recipe (oil, water, lye) need to be changed to use it for cold process?
Hi Lisa!
You can absolutely use this recipe with cold process! You can keep the oil, lye and water amounts the same as well. 🙂
Because you are working with layers, it may help to have the soap at light to medium trace. That way the soap is still pourable and will help you create nice layers. You can learn more about trace in the All About the Trace post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/trace/
You can also see a great example of cold process layers in the Striped Champagne Cold Process Tutorial: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/striped-berry-champagne-cold-process/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
I made this soap 2 days ago and unmolded yesterday. I did it cold process though, not HP. And the only other changes were that I used liquid chlorophyll for the color and not oxide, and I used Bay, Basil, Rosemary and Cedar EOs for scent, and I used 2 tsp of Sodium Lactate, not 1 oz. Soaped at 125 degrees.
Well, somehow it turned out lye heavy!! My strip is showing 13!!
My other soap I made the day before that is at 8. I have no idea what happened. I’m sure I followed everything exactly, and this was my 25th batch. First time that this happened.
I don’t know if I should let it sit longer or do hot hero.
It also has a partial gel, but doesn’t look too bad. It is also developing ash on the cut sides, on the bottom, where it is ungeled!
Ideas anyone???
Oh, and by the way, it still looks absolutely gorgeous!!
If I didn’t get a zap with a tongue test first, I wouldn’t think anything is wrong with it. I wish I could include a little photo with the post. 🙂
Oh, and I hate it when something happens on the weekend, and then we have to wait until Monday for the response.
That said, enjoy your weekend everyone! 🙂
=) Happy weekend to you too! Please do a retest just to make sure – with distilled water only – and let me know how it goes =) A-M
Lye heavy? At 13 after the unmold? Did you use distilled water? That is KEY for doing tests. Also, repeat the test at another point. You might also consider doing the cabbage test just to be on the safe side too. http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/test-ph-red-cabbage/
If your soap is still lye heavy, it’s most likely due to mis-measurement – forgetting an oil, or accidentally adding too much lye somehow. If your soap really is at 13 pH and you JUST made it, you can try to Hot Process Hero it out http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/hot-process-hero-2/ and add at least 4 to 8 ounces of a new liquid oil. This will make your recipe fairly superfatted but at least you’ll be able to use it.
It’s either that or grating up for laundry soap – http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/home-crafts/three-diy-laundry-soap-recipes/ – as you (sadly) know, you cannot use soap that has a pH of 13 on your skin (or anyone elses). So these are some ideas for how to salvage this recipe. Please come back and keep me posted on how it goes? I’m very curious!
Thank you so much for a speedy response!!
I retested again with strips and distilled water and it went down to 8! It was definitely at 13 yesterday (that dark burgundy color on the chart), so it must have not finished saponification. I knew I should have waited another day, especially since it is Palm free. It doesn’t zap anymore either. Still has that ash, just on the bottom, where it didn’t gel. I wonder if I left it longer in the mold, if it wouldn’t have ashed either. And I was wondering if I could have just rebatched later and added more oils, instead of just laundry soap? It was too late for Hero, and it wasn’t a gloppy mess anyway, it’s really nice, and smells great.
I’ll send you an email with a picture.
Thank you!!
Hi Martina!
Thanks so much for the email! I just sent a reply. Your soapy layers are gorgeous. 🙂
Also, I’m so glad that soap turned out well for you! If it looks great and isn’t lye heavy, you can definitely use it.
If you like, you can rebatch the soap rather than hot processing it. This How to Rebatch Soap video on Soap Queen TV may be helpful for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YcCV0AWutw
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Thanks, Kelsey!
Did you notice that ash on the bottom?
Isn’t it weird that it’s just on the bottom, on the ungelled part??
Even though the gelling is not too noticeable, it did go just through partial gel.
Hi Martina!
It looks like it may be soda ash. Soda ash forms when unsaponified lye reacts with naturally occurring carbon dioxide in the air. It typically happens on the top of your bars, but can occur anywhere the bars are exposed to air.
The great news is you can use a steamer or old nylon to wash it away! See how in the Explaining and Preventing Soda Ash post: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/explaining-and-preventing-soda-ash/
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
This is gorgeous! I’m getting a little addicted to veining in HP, since I’ve gotten compliments on my coconut oil bars with charcoal veins. There seem to be so much literature and examples of CP, and considerably very few of HP (not just on SQ, but other places too). Is that because of the “rustic” look being less appealing to some people, or is HP regarded as more difficult? Or is CP just more fun (I’ve never done it)? Can’t wait to try some gold mica veins!
Hi Katenik!
So glad you like the soap! With hot process, the mica vein may not be as straight as cold process. Also, if too much mica is used, the soap can split apart. However, we love the sparkle and interest the mica veins add to the soap. Also, as long as you do a very light dusting of mica, the soap will hold together well. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
What size crockpot did you use (or would you recommend) for this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Rhonda!
We used a 6 quart Crock Pot for this recipe. You want the mixture to only fill up half of the pot in case it poofs up during cooking. With a 6 quart Crock Pot, we had plenty of room. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi, sorry for the newbie-to-hot-process question. When you say let the lye cool, to what temperature might that be? And what should the oils’ temperature be? Thank you!
Hi Amy!
With cold process, we typically recommend letting the lye and oils cool to around 130F. However, this soap is going to be cooked. That means your oils and lye water can be around 150F or cooler when you add them to the pot. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
HI,
Would you just add more olive oil then? Since the recipe already has olive oil in it? Or would the whole formula have to be changed?
Thanks,
Louise
Hi Louise!
You can definitely add more olive oil to this recipe to substitute for the rice bran oil. Just make sure to run the recipe through the Lye Calculator again so you can get the correct lye and liquid amounts. 🙂
Lye Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
My daughter and I just made a batch of hot process soap this evening. Her first and my second. During a break I opened my computer and saw this post. What beautiful bars! We already love cold process and are now getting into hot process. I’d love to see more recipes. Thanks for this one!!
Hi Debbie!
So glad you like the bars! We have been having a lot of fun with hot process recipes recently as well. We will definitely post more hot process recipes in the future, and you may like some of the ones we have now! I’ll include some links below. 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Marbled Clay Hot Process Soap: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/marbled-clay-hot-process-soap/
Hot Process Series: Oven Process Layers: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/hot-process-series-oven-process-layers/
Hot Process Series: Crock Pot Camo: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/hot-process-series-crock-pot-camo/
Well the 1lb rice bran oil is out of stock. What can be used instead of rice bran oil for that part of the recipe? (Didn’t want to buy the 7lb and have it sit around) Thanks.
You can use olive oil as a replacement.
Hi Louise!
Robin is correct (thanks Robin!) – olive oil would be a great replacement! You can increase the olive oil by 8.5 ounces. Just make sure to run the recipe through the Lye Calculator again so you can get the correct lye and liquid amounts. 🙂
Lye Calculator: https://www.brambleberry.com/Pages/Lye-Calculator.aspx
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry
Hi,
I love the vibrant colors of this soap, but I was wondering after I ran it through your soap calc what superfat % is this recipe? It seems to be between 3%-4%. Ever since I tried a lotion recipe with rice bran oil, it is one of my go to oils. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Karen
Hi Karen!
So glad you like the soap! We superfatted this recipe at 5%. Have fun trying it out! 🙂
-Kelsey with Bramble Berry