Hardening additive for MP ?

[*Dee*]

ok so the one thing i dislike about MP is how quick the bar goes from it being so soft, i have read about using olive oil for hardening ??? is it 1 teaspoon or 1 tablespoon per pound ? and the castor oil what does that do ? help with the lather ?

anyway i really wanted to know about anything i can do to harden up the bars a bit so they dont dissolve to quickly in water lol

[prairieannie]

Of course the main thing you can do is to not let your bars of MP soap stay in the tub or shower when they aren't being used. Baby your soap! Keep it in a dry place between uses etc. etc.!

As for making a harder bar, yes, olive oil does help with that. You can use 2TBS pp of base if you'd like. You need to experiment with it though. Some of us have noticed that when adding too much OO to our recipes a sliminess occurs in the soap that is kind of gross!

I like to add bees wax to my recipes. I typically make 4 pound batches and add about 1/2 cup of shredded bees wax sometimes a little more. You can buy the pastilles as well and I'd say you could use the same amount.

Have fun with it!

[*Dee*]

thanks yeah i dont leave the soap in the water, it just seems like one bar only lasts maybe 5 days using it everyday . when you use the olive oil, does it really seem to help with hardening the bars up ? i will have to look into the beeswax.

[flightoffancy]

I've only tried bases from 2 suppliers so far, WSP and SFIC, in my opinion the bars made with the SFIC bases last a whole lot longer.

[blazerina]

I haven't 'officially' tested this theory- I simply don't through enough of it myself and we all know how family can be, lol...but what I seem to notice is that rebatched (melted down once and then remelted a few days later) could possibly be what makes my soaps last so long. I've instructed family to let me know if their bar melts too fast, etc, and they think i'm crazy- they've always lasted a looong time. I'm still learning the basics of it, and have not stuck to one supplier/type. I almost always add extra oils, usually an infusion (sometimes OO, but usually Soy) and sometimes, if I remember, Castor for extra lathering. Also, I only make small batches and almost always add pinches of Steric. I think I do this for hardening ...right? lol. And when a swirl doesn't turn out, or a layer doesn't adhere, etc, I cut it up and melt it back down and try again. Even in the same process of playing with one batch, it might cool off and need to be remelted again (common when working with small amounts)Sometimes weeks may go by before I play with that base again to melt it back down and try again. I know it looses water each time, but i'm hoping the added oils make up for it.

My mom wants me to replace one I made for her last Mother's Day. She brought it to me today to show me which one it was to be sure I did it the same. Granted she's been going easy on it, but still using it and leaving it in the shower. I'm guessing up on a high shelf since it's one of those barely-room-to-stand mobile home type showers. The colors have faded and it looks rather... pitiful and truthfully... disgusting! Lol. But hey, it's a BIG sliver STILL. And I don't really know why:confused: Could be the steric. But, like I said, just pinches at a time to make sure it's got some and then the constant reheating.

So I wonder... if you melt it down, do nothing to it, with intentions to reheat it again later... if that helps it last that much longer? Or... maybe the steric works REALLY well, lol.

[Pepperi]

I do add olive oil to my bases but not the clear. For the clear I add jojoba oil. I only add 1tablespoon pp because too much does make it slimy. I allow the soaps to sit in the mold for a few days also helps to harden. If you want to try another base naturesgardencandles sells a milled soap base that is drier than regular mp bases. I've tried it and like it.

[Rebecca]

I used the SFIC bases, and they last forever. I don't add extra oils but have used things like pumice, tea leaves, herbs etc. and not had any problems with them lasting.

Like others have said letting them dry in between uses helps with longer lasting bars.

blazerina: I have read that if you heat then reheat later it takes out some of the water and makes for a harder bar. How I understand it, every time you heat the base it reduces the water contain in the base.... so that could be a possibility but I haven't tried it that way myself.

[MochaMama]

I agree that the SFIC bases also last quite a while. I also add olive oil at 1 TBS pp (got that tip from Pepperi) and that seems to help with hardness.

[Lorraine]

So glad to hear that the SFIC Bases seem to last longer cause I just ordered some to try out!

But can anyone tell me up to how much extra oils you can add per pound of base? Would it be okay to add: say 1 TBSP of castor oil AND 1 TBSP of olive oil together to 1 LB of base? OR how about adding oil and lets say beeswax or shea butter to the same pound of base? How much would you add?

Also read somewher that you could use veggie stearic to harden up the base--- is that true?

Hope it's okay to ask these questions on this thread! Should I have started a new one?

Lorraine

[*Dee*]

i dont mind that you asked them here, unfortunatley i dont use them bases so i cant help you but i am sure someone else will chime in

[Pepperi]

I agree with praire ann that adding a balance of oil/butters. At least until you get the hang of making soap granted mp is the easiest thing to make but adding too many things to it can mess it up. Have fun and I hope to see some pictures!