# Quick processing Castile soap



## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I was reading about how you can heat your soap in the oven and get it finished quicker. Can you do that with olive oil soap? And if you do it this way does it change the texture? Normally it is a very hard smooth soap.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Yes but I have found that with this soap it really still needs extra drying time as is too soft right away or at least I think so. However maybe I do something wrong as I think that castile is rather soft anyway.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

Hmm... I guess I'll have to experiment a little. Thanks.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

others on here are much more experienced with this than I am so listen to them.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I tried it yesterday. I don't know if I did something wrong or what. I got my instructions from ehow. It got to a thick mashed pot consistency and just stayed there for hours. I finally just put it in the mold.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

UM when we talk of oven processing usually are talking abt a cold process /pour into molds that are oven proof and then pop in the oven at 150 degrees for 2 hrs , turn oven off and leave in over night. ready to cut and use in the am.


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## Guest (Dec 24, 2008)

Any soap that is made from all soft oils, will be softer than a bar soap with a solid oil in it.. A true castile soap is made from 100 percent olive oil.. While it is extremely gentle on the skin, there is no hurrying this soap to cure.. You might save a little time by OP, but not much... it just takes some time to harden... Op wicks the extra water/milk from the bar,, it cannot harden the soft oils...
Barbara


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I made a high olive oil soap a few days ago. I think it was 32 oz olive, and 8oz each of coconut oil and palm oil. I just did one log of it, and had some left over I put in a silicone mold of small, (2 oz.) stars. Usually the stars just pop right out, but this time they were mushy at the bottom. I've left them in the mold but am wondering if they will ever be able to be unmolded without ruining? I've started doing these stars with leftover soap I have from my logs (I'm doing lots of test batches). I include them as free samples in orders and people just love them. 

For my log mold, I unmolded it and it was soft but I was able to unmold it and cut it without damaging it. It is still soft however. How long will it take to harden up, or will it ever harden up? I've got a lady that buys from me that wants the whole batch, and often buys soaps that have not finished curing (some soaps I am oven curing) and I supply her with the shrink bags and labels that she can put on later. She wants all the soaps out of this batch (10 of them). How long should she cure them? These are for her own use so she may not even shrink them. This is a great customer. She buys 30 to 40 bars at a time and gives them as gifts, shows them to shop owners, etc. which in turn has brought me more orders. And not for just one or two bars, these ladies want whole batches! (I usually make 20 bars at a time). 
Anyway, this olive oil soap is new to me. I've tried the soap and it's lovely and lathery. I thought the addition of palm and coconut would make it harder. For those of you who use 100% olive, do you use any hardeners in the soap? 

Thanks so much
Anita


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

The recipe I've always used is only olive oil. 52oz oil, 7oz lye, 20 oz water. Blend it with a mixer until trace. Add fragrance. Mold. Cures for at least 2 weeks. And I don't use anything to harden it. It takes a long time to cure but then it's a very nice hard smooth bar.
I'm not going to try this with the oven thing again! Although the instructions I got off the internet don't sound like what y'all are talking about. But I may have misread them.


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

Michelle, I think the instructions you got were for a hot process method that you do in the oven rather than a crockpot or top of the stove. What we do is a cold process like the Walmart recipe or any recipe for that matter bring to trace /add FO or EO and pour in oven proof molds then hasten the process by puting in a 150 degree oven for 2 hrs. shut the oven off and leave in over night.


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

OK. That explains the poor results I got. The soap is usable, just a little crumbly.


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## Narrow Chance (Oct 29, 2007)

What FO/EO's do most of you use when making castile? 
I have had several request for castile.. and was going to make some. A little hesitant on adding to much EO.. maybe a small amt of tea tree oil? Something honey? Or just leave it plain?


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## doublebowgoats (Mar 6, 2008)

I've used several different kinds of FOs and EOs, 10-20 drops in the batch size I put in the post above. My favorite is just plain. It has a nice powdery scent all by itself. One FO I used did bring it to trace very quickly, but the EOs I've used didn't seem to change anything.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I use my Eucalyptus mixture....1 part Eucalyptus EO, 1/2 part tea tree, 1/2 part lemon grass, 1/2 part peppermint and a tiny amount of patch. I pour it into my loofahs, add goatmilk and then pour it for my Eucalyptus soap, with all the herbs in it and the severe discount in fluids it lessens the cure, but its' still a full 3 week cure even with the dehumidifier. Vicki


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