CP soap sticks in mold and "crumbles"

by PN
(Denver)

I make CP soap with olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, grapeseed oil, and a little beeswax and castor oil.

It has always been a little "sticky", but recently it doesn't come out of the mold in one piece. The corners stick and flake off the loaf (2 lb loaf), but what's left is actually very creamy in texture.

It's whiter than my soap used to be (it used to still have more of a "gel" appearance when de-molding).

I am taking the soap out of molds 24 hours after pouring. This is a new problem, and the only thing that changed is my brand of grapeseed oil. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

Answer:

It looks like the soap is not going through the gel phase.

I don't think that the brand of grapeseed oil will cause this kind of change.

Have you changed the soap mold or the things (like blankets) you use to insulate the soap with? Even the location you place the soap while it is insulating can make a difference.

If you prefer the soap being whiter and ungelled, just leave the soap in the mold for a day or two longer so it can set better.

If you prefer the gelled look of the soap then I suggest that you use more blankets, put a lid on the soap mold and leave it in a warm, draft free location while it is insulating. I pre-warm the soap mold as well since this seems to help stop the soap from forming crumbly corners.

Cathy