Jewls819

It's pretty common to CPOP salt bars to jump start and control gel. Salt bars that use high % of coconut oil harden VERY quickly after saponification. The oven gelling process makes it possible to time cutting to right after gelling/hardening of the log. I don't have time to get all of my salt bars into the oven when making, so I have to be vigilant about checking them on the rack to time cutting so I don't break my wire cutter.

@Sharon - you can use them, but they won't be as creamy or mild as if you wait a little longer. Like I suggested, try them yourself at 1 day, a week, a month, etc. later and you see how a salt bar progresses. Early on you'll likely feel tight, dry, uncomfortable skin. As time progresses that feeling will be replaced by soft, smooth, happy skin.

I already told him it would be 4 weeks before they are usable. I told him they would burn his face off right now so he is ok with waiting..lol. You have to be very direct with that boy...lol.

Since the OP has hopes for them as a facial soap, initially the very newly made soap may not be as gentle as it needs to be. Why ruin the son's experience by being impatient. You only have once chance to make a first impression.

I already told him it would be 4 weeks before they are usable. I told him they would burn his face off right now so he is ok with waiting..lol. You have to be very direct with that boy...lol.

His skin is not really that bad but he is a little GQ..lol...its funny. I am up way too late but ill put up a picture of them in the morning. I didnt make them look special..I added a little blue to them to make a light blue but they ended up a very light grayish blue. I took a small piece to the sink and it really does feel nice and didnt rash my hands. I will probibly let him use them next week and see how it goes.

After CPOP they're most likely plenty saponified, and technically safe to use. They will perform, how do I put this... suckish?... for many weeks. IME Salt Bars begin to feel best and mildest after several months regardless of which formula and SF used.

If these are your first, try them at weekly or bi weekly intervals to see the change first-hand. Just wait til you've tried one after a year's time...

Thanks for the reply! I will let them cure for at least 4 weeks then. My son has waited this long...so he can wait a little longer. Since he will also wash his face with them I think that is probibly best.

I lack experience like a lot of these folks. But, just curious why did you cpop the salt bars? I just made my 1st batch cold process about 2 weeks ago. If it's true what TT said, I would consider a waste of energy (yours and the oven).

Now, I cannot wait to try them...Never have. Glad I read this.

I mostly do HP in a crock pot...I love love this method even though I cant get the beautiful swirls all these wonderful soaping artist do. I also have very little experience with CP. I had my eye on this project for a while but wanted to do a few CP batches first. The batches came out ok so I jumped and made the bars I was after. I read about it for months now and most of the what I read it is put into the oven until they gelled. I was going to just put in single molds but decided on a log instead. I was so worried that I would have a solid uncuttable log..lol..if I didnt watch it like a hawk. It was only in the oven for 1.5 hrs It gelled really fast. I had them cut in 2hrs. The results were fantastic and my son is so excited to try them. My son had used one a while back that I had bought at a craft fair and he loved it. He is at that pimple stage and the bar kept his face clear. I told him I would work on making him one and finally I succeded..yay. He was so happy when he walked in the door from karate and saw them.

I made some salt bars for my hubby and son today. I used the CPOP process and took them out of the oven after gel to cut. How long till they are usable? I told my son 4 weeks at least. Was I right or can he use earlier? I know this has been asked but I cant find the thread ..there are so many.

Beautiful!!!!

Such great info...thanks!

So let me see if I got this right. Lets say your recipe needs 4ozlye to 10 oz of water. You make the lye solution 4 oz of lye with 5oz oz water. Then at trace you add the 5oz of milk that then =10? If that right I must try this. Do you put your mold in the frig too? I read something about that.

Thanks all of you! I am on vacation this week so I have been just a playing ;-)

Thanks! I just mixed the colors in the pot then just poured in the mold. I didnt try and swirl I wanted to see how they turned out. I think next time ill maybe give it one turn of the spoon to see what happens. Most of the purple ended up on one end of the mold...but the others seemed to fall together.

I just got colors so I am not used to working with them. I chickened out of doing another CP batch...but I did cook up some HP to see how my colors would come out. I call this Happy Hippy(NG Hippy Christmas).

Wow...I can hardly pipe on a real cake..those are all beautiful..so beautiful!

is full water at 38% in the lye calc?

THanks for the compliments everyone...it is fueling the fire!:smiley2:

What is weird Candybee is the little lines are solid. They are not liquid at all. I did tap...well more than tap..the soap was that thick..lol. My hubby though was going to break the mold. I will just let them cure and see what we got. It was fun though.

I am going to try that basic recipe of 25% lard,25% coconut, 45%olive and a bit of castor5%. The only thing I might change is the amount of coconut. I want that cleaning number to be a little lower. I will watch those temps very close this time too. Now what fragrance...hmmm. Being a candlemaker I have sooo much....but that is a good thing.

they were around 125...oil and lye. I will try that. I am already itching to pour more.

What about Monkey Business?

Opps I saw its already been suggested..lol:tiptoe:

So pretty. My batches have been mostly HP so they turn out more rustic looking. My husband relly likes them though. Friday I tried my first CP to make a pretty bar for me and it didnt go as expected but I not one to give up.

I love the colors....I hope one day to make a bar that pretty.

So pretty!

I never though of the sifter. That is a great idea.

Thanks so much for your reply! I was worried something was really wrong..I know it has air bubbles in it but that is my fault. It was my first batch. I should have just done it in solid color but I never pick the easier route. I washed with a sliver just to try it and it worked up a lather really nice.

Is it the palm that did this? I have read everywhere but still not for sure.

I posted this in the gallery and Scented said it could be the amount of palm I used. Other that the air bubbles and the veins I like it. This gives me an excuse to practice more. My family and friends will never have to buy soap again ;-).

I have made quite a few Hp batches and wanted a nice swirl so I tried CP. It got too thick on me so I had to spoon quickly into the mold. What I am trying to figure out is, how I got these weird veins running through. The veins are solid. I read it comes from the palm separating? Is that what you think it is? Maybe next time I will use the lard I have instead.

I used:

5% castor

40% olive

20% coconut

35% palm

Oh my ....I have been reading for several months about making CP and I finally did it. I just got everything cleaned up and now the wait begins. I have already done several batches of HP soap so I thought hmmm..I will try CP...seems easy I just pour instead of cook.:rolleyes2 Well it didnt go as expected as I tried to do a swirl with two colors. That stuff traced like mad and I am just not that fast. I had to just spoon it all in the mold. As I was yelling my hubby was running around saying what can I do ...what can I do. It was quite comical. Well tomorrow I guess I will see how it turns out. I think I know what I did wrong. When I HP I dont really concern myself about temps. I think I started everything too hot. Live and learn right? I will not peak. I will not peak..lol.