HOT PROCESS SOAP MAKING

Last week I tried hot process soap for the first time.  It is very similar to cold process but you don't have to worry about temperatures so much because you are cooking the soap.  Another difference is that your soap is ready to use as soon as it is hard (the next day is fine).  You don't have to let it cure.  As soon as it is finished cooking, it is not volatile.  I put my oils in a crock pot, did the lye thing as normal and added the lye/water to the oils in the crock pot.  Stick blend to trace and put the crock pot on low, covered.  I kept a watchful eye as I have heard hot process soap can "volcano".  I did not stir until the soap was uniformly transparent - done.  It took about an hour to cook.  You can see the photos below on how that transformation went.  I don't have a photo of the soap just after trace but it was all opaque like what you see in the middle of the first photo.  Once it is transparent, stir, add scent and place in mold to harden.  This was a shampoo bar so I added essential oils of rosemary and peppermint.  The next day I took the soap out of the mold and sliced it into bars using a chef knife.  It was ready to use right after slicing but hardened over the next few days.      

Hot Process Soap, cooking in a crock pot.

Soap is done cooking, ready to have scent added.

Soap in a silicone bread loaf mold for 24 hours (or until hardened).

Soap sliced into bars using a chef knife.

Several batches of soap curing on paper (hot process on left row).

Second batch of hot process soap, sandalwood scented and colored with paprika.