Fluid Hot Process Soap Notes

  • Coconut Oil – 10 oz. (31.25%)
  • Shea Butter – 6 oz. (18.75%)
  • Avocado Oil – 2 oz. (6.25%)
  • Olive Oil – 10 oz. (31.25%)
  • Rice Bran Oil – 2 oz. (6.25%)
  • Castor Oil – 2 oz. (6.25%)
  • Sodium Hydroxide (5%SF) – 4.5 oz.
  • Water – 9 oz.
  • Sodium Lactate – 2 teaspoons (added to lye water)
  • Agave (or sugar) – 2 teaspoons (added to lye water)
  • Yogurt – 2 tablespoons (added to base oils)
  • Essential Oil – 1 oz. (added to traced soap)
  • Mica

Tips and Tricks

Here are some tips that I’ve come across when making fluid hot process soap.

Water – I’ve noticed many recipes call for you to use the standard 38% (water as percent of oils) that SoapCalc gives you. I personally used 2.5 times my lye and it worked great. The more you discount, the less fluid your soap will be. The more water you use, the more fluid your soap will be but you run the risk of shrinkage after the cure.

Lactic Acid

Sodium Lactate – Sodium lactate keeps soap fluid and also helps it to harden up. I use sodium lactate at 1 teaspoon per pound of oils. Using too much sodium lactate will give you a soap that is crumbly. The texture just gets weird. You can add sodium lactate to the lye when it has cooled off a bit or you can add it at the end when you add fragrance.

Yogurt – Yogurt helps keep the soap fluid. It has properties similar to sodium lactate. You can use yogurt at 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon per pound of oils. I used the high amount in the recipe below and used 1 tablespoon per pound of oils. Use plain yogurt.

Solvents

Sugar – Sugar helps with fluidity and it also boosts lather! I have no white sugar in my house so I used agave. You can also use maple syrup, brown sugar or honey. Use sugar at 1 teaspoon per pound of oils. Add it to the lye when it has cooled off a bit.

Castor Oil – Castor oil has solvent properties.

Water Evaporation – During the cook you want the least amount of water to escape as possible. You can use press-and-seal or plastic wrap under the lid to help reduce evaporation. If lots of water evaporate then your soap won’t stay as fluid.

Don’t Stir Often – Stirring gives water time to evaporate, so minimize your stirring of your soap. During the cook, I only stirred once. Some soap makers don’t stir at all during the cook.