# How to get a harder bar?



## Chickadee_42us (Jan 24, 2003)

Less water?


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## swamp_deb (Jan 9, 2004)

Some oils just make softer bars. Lard, tallow, palm, palm kernel and olive all make harder bars though olive takes a little longer to harden than the others listed.

What oils are you using?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Try dissolving a teaspoon of salt for every pound of oils in your water before adding the lye.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

The best thing to do is make sure you use enough of the harder oils listed by swamp deb. Unfortunately the percentage depends upon what other soft oils you are using, and how 'soft' they are. 

You can see the properties of most of the commonly used oils here, and which ones are hard: http://www.millersoap.com/soapdesign.html#Properties

You can add beeswax at about 1 oz per pound of oils to help make a harder bar, but if you do so you may not need to insulate your soap.

Dawn


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## Chickadee_42us (Jan 24, 2003)

Thanks for the comments. My bars are really great I will try the salt detail as I might be making another batch tomorrow. I only make it for household use. 
It's been a few months but I use, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Canola Oil, Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Almond Oil, Palm Oil - - - essential oils for smell. Off the top of my head that's the list. I also think, I use them after six weeks so they haven't had time to fully cure.


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## beaglady (Oct 7, 2002)

How much water are you using?


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Try leaving out the canola and balancing it with coconut. The more water you use, the longer it will take to dry and the more it will shrink. It's the oil balance that is going to effect hardness.


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## bowdonkey (Oct 6, 2007)

Generally the more oils used that are solid at room temperature the harder the bar.


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## backachersfarm (Jun 14, 2005)

Sometimes yoiu just have to let them age and dry out. There are soemsops we buy atthestore. I open them all and put them in a bowl on the counter. The bars last a lot longer then if I opened each as we use it.
Sharon


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## sherrybwc (Jun 21, 2009)

Chickadee_42us said:


> Less water?


Everything you EVER wanted to know about soapmaking...and then some...

http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/


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## meleahbee (Nov 21, 2007)

I know I'm getting in here kinda late in the game, but I just wanted to second the suggestion for adding beeswax. I just starting doing it 2 batches ago. I LOVE IT! I get a trace in my soap (goat's milk/tallow/coconut oil) in 15 seconds of stick-blendering, it imparts a lovely scent, and the bars are ready to cut the next day. I need zero insulation as I watch it go through the gel phase right before my eyes after it's poured. I love it, love it, love it!

God bless those honeybees!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

beeswax will harden the soap, but will also cut down on the lather..

Just put another honey super on my hives this weekend! Looks to be a good year for honey! YUM!


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## Step (Aug 4, 2005)

My soap is made from plant oils (no animal products) and use butters (cocoa, shea or mango) in most of my soap. But, when I don't add those butters, I will add a little stearic acid derived from a vegetable source, especially if the soft oils (liquid at room temperature)are more than 50% of the hard oils (not liquid at room temperature).


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