SherriLynn Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I made some M & P from the Shea SFIC base. I added 1 oz of beeswax per pound and 1 tsp of castor oil per pound. It's the first time I've tried this blend. For some reason the bars of soap feel slightly grainy... Did I heat the base too warm, or are some of these elements not compatible with others?? Hmmm.. first time I've ever had this type of grainy soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted July 30, 2008 Share Posted July 30, 2008 I don't add beeswax to my M&P to make it hard but my first guess would be that 1 oz per lb sounds like an awful lot. One oz is equivalent to 2 TBS. Thats a lot of any one additive for a pound of M&P. Maybe someone who adds BW to theirs will help out.BTW-- I use coconut oil in mine to make my bars hard. I add no more than 1 tsp per lb and the bars come out rock hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burned Out Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Hi Candybee,I'm a M&P newbie and I'm also trying to find ways to make the bars harder and longer lasting without changing the quality.Does it matter which type of Coconut Oil you use? FCO or Virgin?Does the Coconut Oil affect the lather in any way?Will it cloud a clear base?BO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairieannie Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 In the past I have used Olive oil and it works very well to make a nice hard bar. I found that I had to be very careful about how much I added however, it tends to make a kind of slimey bar. I like to use bees wax for a hardening agent. I'm guessing it's the bees wax that made the bar feel a little grainy though. Try using about half that amount and see if it helps the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Hi Candybee,I'm a M&P newbie and I'm also trying to find ways to make the bars harder and longer lasting without changing the quality.Does it matter which type of Coconut Oil you use? FCO or Virgin?Does the Coconut Oil affect the lather in any way?Will it cloud a clear base?BOI use 76 degree coconut oil. Most soap suppliers carry it. I also add olive oil to my soap because my customers wanted it. It also hardens the bar but like PrairieAnnie says too much will make the bar slimy. I use 1 TBS of olive oil per lb. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoyo Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 That is so funny you should ask about it being grainy. I'm begining to wonder if it isn't the shea base itself. This is my 3rd. time ordering 50lb tubs from SFIC and the first 2 loads of shea was great but this time no matter what I do or what I add or how I melt it- it's grainy. I just beside myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherriLynn Posted August 4, 2008 Author Share Posted August 4, 2008 Thanks everyone!! I'm going to cut back on the beeswax but 1/2. I've never had this grainy feel before, so perhaps it is too much of a load.Intersting point yoyo.... I'll watch for that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerina Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 Not sure of your exact procedure, far as how/when you melt the beeswax and then add it to the m&p, but it might be that the beeswax is not completely melted? It has a way higher melt point than m&P and it might be cooling down too much when added to the soap base. Not sure, but just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodle Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 I have only experienced grainy soap when too much of any oil is added to the base. This also includes too much fragrance oil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherriLynn Posted August 18, 2008 Author Share Posted August 18, 2008 Thx everyone... I've made several logs of M & P since;, cut back on the beeswax to 1 oz in 3 pounds... and everything is back to normal... I was trying to get real hard soap... probably not possible with M & P...Thx everyone for your help!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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