Teach Soap

I've read a couple of different opinions on how long a soap should cure after taking if out of the mold, anywhere from 2-3 weeks and 4-6 weeks. Is it possible for the soap to finish it's curing process if it is wrapped prior to the end of it's curing period or should the soap remain out in the open and unwrapped for the entire curing period. I'm planning on using shrink wrap to wrap the soap and once this is done there won't be much air getting to it.

Soap really is best if you let it cure for 4-6 weeks. The soap gets milder and the water evaporates. If you wrap it too soon in shrink wrap, the water won't be able to evaporate. The soap wouldn't last as long and melt easier in the shower. I cure all my soaps on an open baker's rack, so air can get to them easily.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thank you, got them curing on bakers racks and with your explanation it does make sense to have the air get at them.

I cure mine a minimum of 5 weeks, preferably 6-8 weeks. The difference in a bar (even between 5 and 8 weeks) is very noticeable! Sooo much more mild!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I let mine cure 5-6 weeks, then wrap. I start to give at about 8 weeks and tell my family that it is very good soap but if they can hold off for another month it will be excellent soap. Even some of the bars that I will grab from my linin closet that are over a year old... I am amazed at how great they are. So do your self a favor and let those soaps cure for a while and maybe squirrel one away for 6-9 months and then treat yourself! I just had supper with one of my friends and she was telling me about a bar she is now using... I made it 1 1/2 years ago... she loves it, called it the never ending bar of soap because it was lasting sooo long. I had scented it with a chestnut FO and it still had some smell to it.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I try to cure 6 wks for a standard, but have needed some at 4 and used it then. I never go less than 4 wks. I also cure on the industrial stainless bakers type racks, so plenty of air circulation.
As for shrink wrapping, cp/hp soap really needs air circulation. I don't feel it should be shrink wrapped for storage or for any length of time, unless it is the perforated type of shrink wrap. I do use shrink wrap over baskets and gift boxes at times, but I only wrap them just before an event or just before gift-giving and I always tell them to remove the wrap in a reasonable time frame.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

For me, 4 weeks is minimum cure but I cure for six weeks. The curing time is partially dependent on the conditions so experiment to see what you are happy with. I could tell a major difference between 4 and 5 weeks, and still a noticeable difference by six weeks. Going out to 7 and 8 weeks, the difference wasn't that noticeable to me and my husband couldn't tell at all. I live in a very dry climate though so your mileage may vary. Right now I'm trying out running fans over my curing soap bars during the day to see if that makes a difference. Jill said a dehumidifier helped her and she's in the desert too. Patiently waiting for soap to cure is a huge challenge for CP soap makers.

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

What if you use a dehydrator? I've read some people are doing that... so I'm experimenting.

I know it's still going to be best used after at least 4 weeks, due to the alkalinity changes it's going through as it cures, but if I speed up the water evaporation part, can I wrap it and store it sooner?

Always curious!

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"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~ Dorothy Parker

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Genny

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"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~ Dorothy Parker

A dehydrator will only help evaporate the water. Soap's pH changes slightly as it cures. There is no shortcut.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

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"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~ Dorothy Parker

According to Kevin Dunn (who is a chemist and the author of Scientific Soapmaking), the pH will change slightly over a 4-6 week cure. I do both CP and HP and I can't use either one after only one week cure on my skin.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

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Genny

Ok, well... I'm not worried about PH. I was asking about being able to wrap it up and store it faster. I'm not going to be using it right away. I just want it off my curing rack and safely wrapped up and stored away.

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"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." ~ Dorothy Parker