# Superfat vs nonsuperfat



## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

ok, so whats the true difference between superfatted soaps and non on the user end of it? I know superfatted soaps are easier to make sure the lye has been used up but as long as the non superfatted soap is mixed correctly what is the difference?

Here's my dillema. I am tired of commercial soap lasting less than a week and having all these chemical scents, I like natural scents or no stinkin scent at all. I have been using homemade superfatted goats milk soap for some time now and like it although even it is not lasting as long as I remember real soap lasting. Is it the superfatting doing that?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Non superfatted soap will be much harsher to the skin. Non superfatted soaps are used mostly for the laundry.
Homemade well cured cp soap should last more than one week


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

If your homemade CP/HP soap is lasting only a week, it isn't the superfatting.

Homemade soap needs to drain and be kept in a dry area between uses. If you keep it in the shower, the natural occurring glycerin in homemade soap attracts moisture to it.

The biggest problems that causes homemade soap to disappear so quickly is because of the soapmaker. (A) Their soap recipe doesn't contain the proper combination of oils (B) They are cutting corners and not allowing their soaps to cure long enough. 

When I started making soap in 1999, folks said 6-8 week cure time for a long lasting bar. Yes soap is safe to use immediately, but it just doesn't last long.


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## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

A good CP soap should last waaaaay longer than a week. According to customers mine last 5-6 weeks when kept dry between uses.
I'm betting on the formula or soap that isn't cured long enough. Superfatting shouldn't have much to do with the length of time a bar lasts.


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## blooba (Feb 9, 2010)

Never thought about not curing long enough. Might have to buy some and let it sit around for a while.


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

It depends on what brand you are using. Dove doesn't last nearly as long as some of the other brands.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

blooba said:


> Never thought about not curing long enough. Might have to buy some and let it sit around for a while.


You shouldn't have to let it cure. Ask you soap maker how long s/he lets the soap cure before selling. Let them know that you are not satisfied with how short it lasts.


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## MDKatie (Dec 13, 2010)

MullersLaneFarm said:


> You shouldn't have to let it cure. Ask you soap maker how long s/he lets the soap cure before selling. Let them know that you are not satisfied with how short it lasts.


I agree. I'd consider buying from another source and seeing if you have better results.


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## Bountiful Ranch (Jan 11, 2010)

I don't sell before 5 weeks. I have some stores that want the soap earlier but I tell them not to sell to their customers for a few weeks. Those are people that label themselves. If I label I like a good 7 plus weeks.


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## Warwalk (May 25, 2011)

I don't make soap, but just from personal experience I've found that some folks are harder on a bar of soap than others. I don't know if it's where they stand during a shower, or where they put the bar when they're done, or what, but I know this can affect things.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Absolutely, Warwalk, what you say is true.

It is also true that the choice of oils in some soap recipes won't last as long as others.


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## Soap Natsee (Dec 6, 2012)

You have to know what an oil does to your soap; for instance a soap high in coconut oil will be highly cleansing. Now, just because a soap low on the cleansing level doesn't mean it doesn't clean; I think of it as more along the lines of 'how much oil does it strip from your skin' level.

A soap that highly 'cleansing' may indeed need high superfatting to not produce a harsh soap but using an oil or fat that is low cleansing and high conditioning IMO, doesn't require as much superfatting, if any at all to be mild or not harsh.

Then again not everybody has the same skin, so what may be mild to you may be harsh to somebody else. I find 100% lard with 0 superfat to be quite mild.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Agreed Soap_Natsee. 100% lard soap is very mild, but it doesn't lather much.

Coconut, palm kernel and other oils high in the lauric fatty acid creates more lather. This lather lifts oil (and dirt) away from your skin. 

My skin can handle a soap with high lauric fatty acid but my skin crawls when using a soap high in palmitic fatty acid.


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