Finished Soap with Jojoba Oil
You know how when you stumble on something that just makes you super excited? That is how I feel about soapmaking. I can’t wait to try a new fixed oil, fragrance oil or new color. There is this thrill I get when I cut out the first bar of soap in a batch. It is just so exciting. Andee finds it hilarious when I will slice a sliver of soap off, rush to the sink and proceed to wash until the sliver has disappeared. Often I find her joining me at the sink to try my latest experiment. What can I say? Excitement is infectious!
Weighing Oils
Today I wanted to make a soap with Jojoba Oil. Now the name is a little confusing because Jojoba Oil is actually a wax that is liquid at room temperature. It is also higher in unsaponifiable materials. (Jojoba Oil has almost 50% unsaponifiable material.) This doesn’t help when you are looking for a lather booster but it certainly makes your finished soap feel creamy and luxurious. Because of this, I like to limit how much Jojoba Oil I use. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.
| Ingredients Coconut Oil Olive Oil Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Jojoba Oil Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) Water |
Equipment Scale Microwave Safe Container Spoons Pipettes Thermometer Immersion Blender |
Recipe:
| Recipe in Grams 156 grams Coconut Oil 113 grams Olive Oil 170 grams Hydrogenated Soybean Oil 14 grams Jojoba Oil 64 grams Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) 177 mL Water |
Recipe in Ounces 5.5 oz Coconut Oil 4 oz Olive Oil 6 oz Hydrogenated Soybean Oil 0.5 oz Jojoba Oil 2.26 oz Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) 6 fl oz Water |
Recipe in Percentages 31.25% Coconut Oil 28.12% Olive Oil 37.50% Hydrogenated Soybean Oil 3.12% Jojoba Oil Q.S. Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) Q.S. Water |
Weighing Oils
Now onto our soapmaking! Weigh your oils into a microwave safe container. While the oils are heating in the microwave, weigh out your lye and mix with your water. Remember to add your lye to your water, not the other way around. Safety first!
Ready to make soap
Allow your two mixtures to cool. I like to put away my oils and set up my mold during this period. This helps keep my counters clean and my distractions to a minimum. When your oils are around 100°F-110°F, add your lye solution to your oils. Using your immersion blender, mix your soap until you reach a light trace.
Mixing Soap
Remember, trace doesn’t denote a viscosity, it just means that we aren’t seeing the oils float to the top and separate out. Often we pour our soap into the mold when it is the viscosity of whole milk not cooked custard. That is pretty fluid!
Pouring Soap into Mold
Allow your soap to sit in the mold undisturbed for 12-24 hours. Then cut into bars and place out on a shelf where they can dry. I like to use cardboard boxes under my soap so I don’t damage my shelves. You can use your soap immediately but it will last longer if you allow it to dry completely. A great aid in determining if your soap has fully dried are our Cure Cards. The best part is you can have them included in qualifying order for free! They are an awesome resource!
I am a new “soaper.” Third batch now curing. Just found you through a soap making acquaintance and I’ve used her recipes. She also led me to your blog. Hooray! I noticed you do not use stearic acid in your soap recipes. Is there a plus or minus to using it. I believe it’s used to help harden soap but as I’m a novice and still learning so I thought I’d ask. Thanks so much for all of the recipes and in depth information. This is the best info I’ve found so far.
Welcome to the addiction!
Stearic Acid is not necessary for soap. Most soap makers use it to make a harder bar of soap when they use recipes that make softer soap due to the formula. If you follow any of these soap recipes, we formulate for a balanced bar that is pocketbook friendly. If you would like more help with recipes, you can always use our Contact form and send a message to our Technical Support team.
Taylor,
When measuring out my ingredients, it is difficult with my scale to get the exact amounts you require in the recipe. It is digital, but I end up either over or under a tenth or so. Is it acceptable to get as close as possible, then take the exact amounts and run the figures through the lye calculator to see if it changes the amount of lye I should use? Thanks for this series!
Tracy
Don’t worry about being precise! Invite your OCD monster to go outside for a walk while you make soap.
While sometimes our scales can read 4.02 ounces, we don’t worry about adjusting the lye calculations until there is a larger weight difference and then we will readjust the recipe on the lye calculator. Most of the time, the lye only changes by a miniscule amount.
Hi! I love your advice and I felt comfortable making soap for the 2nd time! The 1st time I just watched a friend who had made soap before so it has taken me months to get up the nerve to make my own batch! Your information made me really comfortable and it was actually relatively easy. My only issue is (and I was never good in math! LOL) I bought a silicone mold with these measurements….. Mold Size: Inside 10″ x 3 5/8″ x 2.25″
Cavity Size: 50 oz
I was not sure how to measure out the oils, etc to fit this size mold and as it turned out, the batch I made filled the mold halfway. I measured everything in oz. like your recipes call for and I ended up with 16 oz. of the oil and 4 oz. of water — obviously not enough for the mold. I guess I can double everything? Thank you SO much for all your help!!
Charlotte,
Is it safe to assume that the 3 5/8 is the height of the mold? Or what some people would call deep?
Tina
I can totally relate to the excitement of soap making! I love jojoba in soap and find the lather improved with it in my opinion.
Taylor has the most infectious excitement here! I loved her samples of the Jojoba soap and think it is one of my favorite ingredients.