Bees wax and honey

by Loni
(Oregon)

I know to add honey at light trace, but I would like to use the room temperature method and I am not sure when to add the bees wax. Should I put it with the solids or should I melt it down first and add with liquid oils?


Answer:

Honey can be added to the liquid oils or if heated to thinly traced soap.

Beeswax needs to be melted and added to the hot base oils in order for it to blend properly. I'm not sure if it would be a suitable additive to use with the room temperature method since you will not be dealing with hot oils.

You most likely will end up with hard waxy bits in the soap.

Cathy

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Adding beeswax to soap
by: Migdalia

Will the added beeswax make a more lasting, hard soap? I make goat's milk soap, 5% superfat. Want to felt some of the soaps but find that it wears pretty fast. we all love the soap, very moisturizing and gentle..hate to have to make a different kind of soap for felting. wonder if the beeswax will help us there.

Answer:

Adding beeswax to soap does make the soap harder and will likely help somewhat.

Felted soap will always wear down quicker than unfelted soap. Think of scrubbing soap with a rough surface compared to a smooth surface. More soap is being used each time than if the soap was not felted.

Cathy

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Adding honey
by: Anonymous

As a beekeeper, one of the products we sell is honey soap. I add honey to the lye/water after it's been mixed and cools down a little. The honey will turn the lye a deep amber colour (I squeeze in about 2T) and will cause the lye to increase a little in temperature. I also add about 28g (1 oz) of melted beeswax (done in the microwave added with a bit of the olive oil base oil) to the rest of the melted oils. This is usually for a 3 - 4 lb. log of soap.

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