Hello,
I am a very new cold-process soap maker (I am brand new to this online community!) and I have a question regarding oil and lye solution temperatures. Many recipes that I have read call for the lye and oil to be at about the same temperature when you combine them (usually around 110-130 degrees). This involves allowing the lye solution to cool down to that temperature range, and then using an external heat source to warm up the room temperature oils. My question is, why must the oils and lye solution be the same temperature when the soap maker combines them? Why not combine the two components before the lye solution cools down, and use the heat of the lye solution to warm up the oils? Does the temperature of the oil and lye solution components at combination affect the hardness of the final soap bar product? Is it "okay" to use room temperature oils if I bring the raw soap to a very heavy trace before putting it in the mold?
Many thanks,
Chrissa