My soap is so soft it won't come out of my silicone molds??

[decemberlei]

I have been using these moulds for at least a year, I started soap making again recently after a long battle with depression/menopause. I'm from the school of using wooden boxes lined with plastic wrapping so I'm loving me some moulds. Well, 3 days ago I made some cold process and used some mica color (which I'm still in the learning process on that) and now the soap doesn't just pop out of my moulds, it's too soft. I waited 48 hours. Did I use too much mica, should I try using sodium lactate or more coconut oil than olive? Help!

 

[Yooper]

It’s hard to say without knowing how much of everything you used, so if you could provide a link to the recipe that would really help.

 

[decemberlei]

It's my usual recipe, 350g coconut, 350 palm (I know, I hate it too but I didn't like cocoa butter), 350 Olive oil and 75 g Caster, superfatted with 10 grams jojoba. 20 grams essential oils ylang ylang and mint, Sweet organg combined. Thanks for your reply!

 

[Yooper]

Hmmm, I didn’t do the percentages so don’t know the % of superfat, etc. But it should eventually harden. You can stick it in the fridge or freezer to harden it. That’s assuming of course that the super fat isn’t too high and than it did reach at least a thin or medium trace.

By the way, a great way to give the recipe so it can be troubleshoot is like this: 20% coconut oil, 75% olive oil, 5% castor oil, 5% superfat. The grams/ounces/etc don’t matter and I’m not going to calculate it out to figure it out.

 

[decemberlei]

I'm going to try using 1% sodium lactate in my cooled down lye water. Thanks!

 

[AnsaSmit]

Mica should not have an influence on the consistency of your soap. I took a look at your recipe, https://www.soapmakingfriend.com/recipes/109018.desemberlei the INS is 164 meaning it should trace and set up on the faster side, the superfat is actually only about 1%. Are you making cold process or hot process soap? Superfatting with a specific oil is usually for hot process soap after all the other oils were saponified, hot process use more water than cold process. If you used the amount of liquid needed for hot process but you made cold process soap, it can take a bit longer to unmold due to the extra moisture not being cooked out. That aside, your cleansing is 21% that could be drying if you don't ajust the superfat, my recomendation would be a superfat of at least 7% to counter it a bit. Here is a suggestion for adjustments for your recipe. https://www.soapmakingfriend.com/recipes/109019.desemberlei-fix

 

[decemberlei]

I've only ever done cold process. I use 454 g water and 170g sodium hydroxide. I will take a look at your link thank you. It's weird because I've been doing this so long and I even waited 48 hours to unveil. I have used all kinds of weirdo moulds. This mould was puzzle pieces that have little appendages so maybe that's why?

 

[AnsaSmit]

You are most welcome. I would not go over 33% (1:2) water content for cold process. You need at the very least the same weight in water as the lye weight (1:1) to disolve all your lye, if you use double the lye weight (1:2) in water, you have more than enough water for cold process, anything extra makes things unnececary difficult, harder to reach stable emuslion, longer to unmold, longer to cure and chances for soda ash and glycerin rivers increases.
For hot process we use a little more because the extra evaporates during the cook.

 

[decemberlei]

I have never done hot process. I use the same recipe I have used for 15+ years lol and it's never let me down. I also use grams. I'm going to try using 1% Sodium Lactate and less palm oil next time. I hate failures I have been on a fail roll lately.

 

[AnsaSmit]

Aside from the water content the recipe looks good, and Palm Oil results in a very hard soap. If you say that it's a tried and tested recipe then look at the use by date on your lye. If your lye is too old, changing the recipe wont help.

 

[kukrio]

I have been using these moulds for at least a year, I started soap making again recently after a long battle with depression/menopause. I'm from the school of using wooden boxes lined with plastic wrapping so I'm loving me some moulds. Well, 3 days ago I made some cold process and used some mica color (which I'm still in the learning process on that) and now the soap doesn't just pop out of my moulds, it's too soft. I waited 48 hours. Did I use too much mica, should I try using sodium lactate or more coconut oil than olive? Help!









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First off—really great that you're back to soaping, that’s a big step.


About the soap: it’s probably not the mica. More likely the high olive oil content is making it slow to harden. Sodium lactate can definitely help, and increasing coconut oil a bit (maybe 25–30%) should give you a firmer bar. I’d wait another day or two and try unmolding again. You're on the right track.

 

[decemberlei]

First off—really great that you're back to soaping, that’s a big step.


About the soap: it’s probably not the mica. More likely the high olive oil content is making it slow to harden. Sodium lactate can definitely help, and increasing coconut oil a bit (maybe 25–30%) should give you a firmer bar. I’d wait another day or two and try unmolding again. You're on the right track.

Thank you, I have been too sad to try again lol. But I'm going to use the sodium lactate for my small moulds going forward.

 

[decemberlei]

First off—really great that you're back to soaping, that’s a big step.


About the soap: it’s probably not the mica. More likely the high olive oil content is making it slow to harden. Sodium lactate can definitely help, and increasing coconut oil a bit (maybe 25–30%) should give you a firmer bar. I’d wait another day or two and try unmolding again. You're on the right track.

Thank you for your reply, that's exactly my thought. Maybe I'll give it a try this week. Right now it's Lilac season and I'm drying and infusing them as we speak!

 

[MagiusCA]

Hey, first of all: huge congrats on getting back into soap making after everything you’ve been through. That’s a massive win, and I’m really happy you’re finding joy in it again!


About the soft soap that won’t release: mica itself usually doesn’t make cold-process soap stay soft (it’s basically just pigment), but a few common culprits can team up and cause exactly what you’re seeing:

1. Too high a superfat / too much soft oil (olive, canola, etc.)
2. Not enough hard oils (coconut, palm, cocoa butter)
3. High humidity or the batter was poured at too low a temperature
4. Some fragrance oils that accelerate or act like extra liquid oil

Sodium lactate (1–2 % of oil weight) added at trace will definitely make the bars harder and pop out of silicone moulds way easier, even after 24–48 h. It’s honestly a game-changer if you’re having release issues.

Quick fix for this batch: leave the soaps in the moulds for another 4–7 days (or even put them in the fridge overnight to firm up), then try popping them out. They’ll still cure perfectly on the rack.

Keep creating beautiful things (both soap and happy days)!

 

[moiraesfate]

I changed to wood molds. I have to line them with freezer paper but it works sooooo much better. I can unmold usually the next day instead of waiting weeks and still having the bottom soft.