This article comes to you courtesy of Molly.
Like many of you, I learned how to make soap using the cold process method. My soap story actually started with a large jar of coconut oil that I wanted to find a use for, and after a google search of "uses for coconut oil" learned that it is a wonderfuloil to use in soap.
Needless to say, I found Soap Queen TV and never looked back.
After a few batches of basic cold process soaps, I wanted to step it up and learn to swirl and play around with various fragrances. And this is where I met my first set of soapy frustrations: a column pour with 5 colors that morphed into different colors, plusa disaster with an accelerating lilac fragrance oil that destroyed myplans for a wonderful butterfly swirl.
Inmy research, I came across a method of soapmaking called hot process. Hot process soapmakingsounded fun but looked oh-so rustic,which was not what I wanted to do. I gave it a try anyway.
Here we are,several hundred batches of hot process soaplater!I am here to tell you that if you think hot process soaps must be "rustic" like I did, you are mistaken. Many soapmakers are creatingcolorful, swirly and gorgeous hot process soaps.
(The soaps I have shown in this articleare my own, simply because I have the rights to my own work! There are, however, a slew of other hot process soapmakers out there creating far more stunning soaps.)
Hot processsoapmakingis on a roll in the soapmaking world, and many soapmakers are rocking outthis method. There is a hugelist of benefits to hot process soapmaking, but what makes it's even better is thatit isa fantastic method of soapmaking forlarge batch production!
Ridgeway Soapworks Beer Hot Process Soap
Before I dive into what makes hot process soapmaking awesome for production, I would like to clarify what I mean by hot process soapmaking. The hot process soapmaking method uses heat to cook the soap, or in other words, to accelerate the saponification process. If you make cold process soapand insulate your soap to force the soaps to gel, you are mimicking hot process soapmaking but it ismuch slower than hot process and has a cooler temperature overall. The chemical reaction between oils and lye that creates soap is exothermic, meaning it creates heat. However, when you addan external heat source to the mix, the saponification timeline is sped up.
You may be wondering at this point who is writing this and why. I'm Molly, and I am not an expert in hot process soapmaking. I actually am not a fan of the word "expert" at all because we are all students (of soapmaking in this case.) Some of us are just a little bit further along in our education than others! I will never be done learning about soapmaking for as long as it remains a passion and my business! I do, however, love to make soap, love to research & learn,and love to write about soapmaking. That is why I am here: to share what I have learned about hot process soapmaking with all of you!
Benefits of Hot Process Soapmaking for Production
So, let's get back to business: what are the benefits of HP and why should production soapers pay attention?
Hot process soaps require a shorter cure time.
Faster curingis abenefit that many people are aware of when it comes to hot process soapmaking. Hot processsoaps are fully saponified before they go into the mold, but they need time to harden up before packaging. The amount of time varies based on how much water you use in your formulas. I find that two full weeks of curing for my hot process soaps is plenty. (I use a35% lye solution.)
That is a lot less time than the normal cold process cure time of four to six weeks! My wholesale clients love the shorter wait time when I need to whip up a new batch. Plus, if you createsingle color hot process soap (i.e. no swirls), you can water discount furtherand have yoursoap ready to package in less than a week!
Hot process soapmakers get to ditch their ricing andacceleration worries due to fragrance.
This one is HUGE for me!I love to try new fragrances and hot process soapmakers really luck out in this regard. For hot process soapmaking, it does not matter if a fragrance causes issues in cold process soapmaking! Why? In hot process soapmaking, the fragrance is added to the soap once it's already saponified! Every fragrance acts exactly the same in hot process: hoorah!
Hot process soapmaking allow you tochoose your superfat oil/butter.
In cold process soapmaking, the lye is an equal opportunity saponifier: the lye doesn't care what you want the superfat to be, it's going to choose for you. In hot process soapmaking, you can add specific superfat oils after the soap is fully saponified!
I like to add my favorite skin loving oil to my hot process soaps, and doing soallows aparticular oil to remain in its natural form and not be changed by saponification. Being able to do this is also great for label appeal. My favorite oils (which are usually butters) to add after the cook as my superfat are shea butter, cocoa butter and mango butter. However, you can add any oil that you like as your superfat! I actually add a whole bunch of goodies after the cook - goat milk, clay, colloidal oatmeal and yogurt.
A Ridgeway Soapworks Hot Process Bar Featuring a Beautiful Swirl - it can be done!
Hot process soaps are less prone to colorant morphing.
Some cosmetic micas and natural colorants can change in cold process soapmaking due to the high pH level. Some colorants drastically change, while others fade or disappear. In hot process soapmaking, you add your colorants after the cook so they skip out on saponification and don't tend to change!
Cleaning up after a hot process soapmaking session is a cakewalk.
Cleaning up after hot process soapmakingis a dream compared to cold process soapmaking. I take everything I used, put it in the largest container I used, and let it soak for 15 minutes. Drain, rinse and repeat! No oily residue to clean off like with cold process soap, because the hot process soap is fully saponified!Time is money in production soaping and a fast clean-up is efficient!
Limitationsof Hot Process Soapmaking
Now, no method is perfect, and hot process soapmakingdoes have its drawbacks! I still do a little cold process soapmakingevery now and then for the somesoaps. However, that does not mean everyone has to, but I have found that cold process soapmakingis more consistently reliablein some situations.
A soleseife soap made with the cold process method of soapmaking
Struggles with Hot Process SoapmakingSalt Bars & Soleseife
I know a few soapmakers who make great salt bars with the hot process method,but I have only had struggles here. If you are not familiar with soleseife, it is a technique of using salt water as your lye water (either ocean water or by mixing salt into water yourself). Soleseifesoaps are rock hard and have a wonderful lather.
Salt bars refers to handmade soaps where you add a fair quantity of saltto your raw soap batter. When I have tried to make hot process soap with a high salt content, the soap got very hard quickly and I had difficulty molding the soap in a loaf mold.
A cold process soap made in a detailed individual mold
Struggles with Hot Process Soapmaking in Intricate DetailedMolds
Using detailed molds like the one in the photo aboverequire a very fluid soap batter so that each little nook & cranny fills with soap. This can be quitedifficult to do with hot process soap.I have tried to use detailed silicone molds for hot process many times, and whilethe soaps came out okay, I still prefer to use the cold process method for these types of soaps.
Limitationswith Hot Process Soapmaking andBatch Size
With hot process soapmaking, just like cold process soapmaking, you will be limited in your batch size based on the container you use. However, in hot process soapmaking, the container needs to be able to be heated!
If you make hot process soapin a crockpot, you will be limited by the size of your crockpot and/or how many crockpots you have. However, there are large turkey roaster crock pots that can be used. The downfall is that they are expensive, and you will again be limited to how big they are and how many you have.
Hot process soap can be made in other types of pots though. I personally use a large steel lobster pot! AsI continue to make larger batches of hot process soap, I can purchase bigger pots. The limit for me will be how heavy of a batch I can make and lift, which is also a challenge in production soaping using the cold process method.
So, let's recap on why hot process soapmaking is great for production soaping:you can turn hot process soaps around quickly, you get extremely predictable results when using fragrance and colors, and your expensive luxury oils (or other additives) retain their skin-loving properties by avoiding saponification.
Next up, I'll dive into the various methods of hot process soapmaking, the benefits of each method, which methods are best for big batch production soapmaking, and what I recommend starting with if you have not done hot processyet!
Have some hot process soapmaking goodness you want to see? Leave me a comment below and let me know what you'd love to learn about hot process soapmaking!
I'm Molly, and I'm here to share my extensive knowledge and passion for soapmaking, particularly in the realm of hot process soapmaking. My journey into soapmaking began with the cold process method, sparked by a surplus of coconut oil. A deep dive into the world of soapmaking led me to Soap Queen TV, where I honed my skills and eventually transitioned to hot process soapmaking.
Now, having crafted several hundred batches of hot process soap, I can confidently assert that hot process soapmaking has evolved beyond its rustic reputation. Many soapmakers are creating vibrant, swirly, and visually stunning hot process soaps. In this article, I'll delve into the benefits of hot process soapmaking for large-scale production, debunking the misconception that it produces only rustic results.
Hot process soapmaking involves using heat to accelerate the saponification process, resulting in fully saponified soap that requires a shorter cure time compared to cold process soap. This method allows for faster production, making it ideal for large batch production.
One major advantage of hot process soapmaking is the shorter cure time. Hot process soaps are fully saponified before molding, and my experience with a 35% lye solution indicates a curing time of just two weeks, significantly shorter than the four to six weeks required for cold process soaps. This expedited curing process is especially beneficial for wholesale clients who appreciate a quicker turnaround.
Hot process soapmakers also enjoy the advantage of freedom in choosing superfat oils. Unlike cold process soapmaking, where lye determines the superfat, hot process soapmakers can add specific oils after saponification. This flexibility allows for the inclusion of skin-loving oils like shea butter, cocoa butter, and mango butter, enhancing the soap's properties and label appeal.
Additionally, hot process soaps are less prone to colorant morphing. Since colorants are added after the cook, they bypass the saponification process and maintain their original hues. This is in contrast to cold process soapmaking, where some colorants may change or fade due to the high pH level.
Cleaning up after a hot process soapmaking session is remarkably easy compared to cold process soapmaking. The fully saponified nature of hot process soap eliminates the need to deal with oily residues, streamlining the cleanup process and saving valuable time in production.
While hot process soapmaking offers numerous advantages, it does have limitations. I've found challenges when attempting to make salt bars and soleseife soaps using the hot process method. The soap tends to harden quickly, making molding difficult. Similarly, intricate and detailed molds are better suited for cold process soapmaking, as hot process soap batter may not flow as fluidly into intricate crevices.
Batch size limitations also exist in hot process soapmaking, similar to cold process soapmaking. The size of the container, whether it's a crockpot or another type of pot, dictates the batch size. Larger batches may require specialized equipment like large turkey roaster crock pots, adding to the cost and potential limitations.
In my upcoming articles, I'll explore various methods of hot process soapmaking, the benefits of each method, and recommendations for those new to hot process soapmaking. If you have specific aspects of hot process soapmaking you'd like to learn more about, feel free to leave a comment below!
