My first M&P attempt -- gone so soon?

[candlemama]

I tried Prairieannie's wonderful basic recipe for M&P last night and used my standard size muffin pan since I don't have my molds from Peak yet. My three-year-old son was very excited to try one in the bathtub this morning. He played in the tub for about 30 minutes, and his little muffin soap is now gone. Granted, he had it submerged quite a bit and the soap was small to begin with (maybe a couple ounces?).

I've read on the forums here about how quickly M&P soap disappears in a wet environment, although most of the threads are a few years old, and I was hoping maybe the manufacturers had improved the bases since.

For you pros out there, do you find your M&P soaps pulling a disappearing act very quickly? If so, how do you explain/instruct your customers on this fact so they feel like they are getting their money's worth? Is there anything that can be added to increase the lifespan of a M&P soap bar in a shower or bath environment?

Thanks!

[Candybee]

My soap bars last as long as commercial brands and CP soap. The trick is making a nice hard bar. Soap hardening additives are key to that such as coconut oil, palm stearic, beeswax, olive oil. Any of these will help harden the soap.

Plus waiting a day or two for a newly finished bar to harden will help tremendously. I also tell my customers not to leave the bar in a water but to put the soap on a soap dish to keep it dry in between washings.

[JacquiO]

I don't about something to add to the base but soap saver soap holders can help. They come in plastic and wood and basically it's a ribbed holder so so you have air flow to dry the soap on the bottom as well as the top. Not having the soap sit in a wet puddle will help the soap last longer. If you're selling M&P soaps you can buy soap savers wholesale and offer them to your customers as an upsell.

http://www.soapwizards.com/tek9.asp?pg=products&grp=6

http://www.bathsilk.com/soapsavers

[Noodle]

My MP lasts a very long time. I add just a touch of coconut oil. My additives are very minimal and I use mostly powders, honey, and clays. I add in very little oil and no added liquid. I believe that adding more than a tad of oils completely shortens the life of the bar. My customers always comment on how long my soap lasts.

[CandleMama6]

My MP lasts a very long time. I add just a touch of coconut oil. My additives are very minimal and I use mostly powders, honey, and clays. I add in very little oil and no added liquid. I believe that adding more than a tad of oils completely shortens the life of the bar. My customers always comment on how long my soap lasts.

What type of powders can you add? Do you have a recipe you would be willing to share?

[Faerywren]

I let my M&P soap "cure" for about a week before I use it.

[Noodle]

I have never really jotted down a recipe. Honestly, I just eyeball my soap and it comes out the same every time for years of doin it. What I can tell you is that for 2 lbs of base, I add 1 heaping tablespoon of milk power (it can be goat's, whole, buttermilk- makes no difference) to 1 tablespoon of hot distilled water. I mix the water and milk powder to thin it nicely. Then I add it into my base and blend the two. I also put in some honey. If you purchase a quality base, there is not much tweeking that needs to be done. It is fun to customize, but there comes a point when it is TOO much. Ask me how I know... :rolleyes2

[Candybee]

I do the same. I use about 1 rounded tbs of milk powder to 1 tbs of distilled water and blend it so no lumps. Then add it to 2 lbs of melted base.

If you need some recipes for milk soaps go to the M&P recipe threads. Just make sure you reconstitute the milk powder before adding into your soap or you may have lumps that are hard to get rid of.

You can sub any milk powder for the recipe; goats milk, buttermilk, etc.