Sign in
Register now
My Reward PointsWater discounting means using less water than the stipulated recipe to dissolve lye and mix your soap batter. The soap-maker curtailing even more water could exert its influence on curing time, hardness, lather, or any overall behavior of its bars. When executed judiciously, it provides the artistry of fine-tuning the behavior of your soap.
What Is Water Discounting in Soap Making?
In cold-process soap making, water is used to dissolve sodium hydroxide (lye) and to emulsify (mix) the oils with the lye into soap. The discounting of water is to reduce the amount of water intentionally below what a lye calculator or "default" recipe would suggest, while keeping the lye and oils the same. If we say another way, a more concentrated lye solution is being made.
Why Water Discounting Is Important in Soap Making?
Water discounting is not a gimmick; it plays a vital role in soap property development. The soaper can favorably affect the curing speed, firmness, and stability of the soap, lathering qualities, and any shrinkage or deformation during drying just by adjusting water levels.
Faster Curing Time
Provided with less water for evaporation, the soap moves from "wet" to firm quickly. This means you may unmold faster and shorten the overall cure from 4-6 weeks to about 3-4 weeks.
Harder Soap
Excessive moisture allows for bars that are soft and gummy, especially in the early days of use. Less water in the formulation encourages denser internal structures, creating bars that hold off becoming mushy upon use.
Better Lather
Concentration allows surfactants and oils to interact more efficiently, producing a richer, creamier lather as opposed to a light or weak foam.
Less Shrinkage
Bars shrink or crack during curing as water evaporates from the soap. Beginning with less water means less dimensional change, so the sooner you can maintain its shape, weight, and appearance.
How to Calculate Water Discount in Soap Making?
To apply a water discount, here are the steps to follow:
- Use a reliable soap or lye calculator to determine how much water your recipe commonly uses (based on your lye amount).
- Choose a discount percentage (usually between 5% and 15%).
- Multiply the "normal" water quantity by (1-discount). This gives you your new water amount.
- Do not change the lye amount; only reduce the water.
Example : Suppose the amount of water calculated by the lye calculator for your recipe was 250 g. With a 12 percent discount, we would calculate: 250 g × (1 – 0.12) = 250 × 0.88 = 220 g water. So instead of 250 g of water, you would use 220 g, leaving the lye unchanged. Soap makers generally advise you not to go too far with this (over ~15%) unless you have very good experience, because that could lead to severe problems (like lye being undissolved).
Potential Risks of Water Discounting in Soap Making
While the water discount is very beneficial, there are also risks involved, so know what you might be risking.
Slower Trace Time
Call it counterintuitive, but in some recipes, especially those that contain high-melting and slow oils, a concentrated lye solution slows down the emulsification process, making the trace time sluggish.
Difficult to Mix
A thicker and stiffer batter becomes harder to stir, swirl, or pour; using such a slippery trace could limit your creativity for complicated designs or colorwork.
More Chance of Heat Buildup
Less water means less heat-absorbing mass, so the exothermic reactions can significantly shoot up; thus, the soap may end up overheating, cracking, or even form glycerin rivers if temperature control fails.
Tips for Successful Water Discounting in Soap Making
To profit from water discounting while reducing its disadvantages, adhere to these tips:
Start Slow
Start small with discounts of 5 to 10 % and see how your own recipe behaves before going more aggressive. This gives you room to learn without crashing a batch.
Watch Your Temperature
The heat tends to build rather quickly in your mixture; therefore, in order to keep heat in control, have both your oils and the lye solution cooled down than usual (e.g., ~ 20-25 °C or a little lower).
Adjust Your Recipe
Compensate speedy-accelerating fragrance oils, botanicals, and additives (such as clays, purees) with a better-mannered oil or reduce discount. The other thing to remember is that, probably, give a slight boost in superfatting to counterbalance any reactivity.
Don’t Rush
Before you begin working, have all tools i.e. soap molds, soap colors, and fragrance ready. Work fast but steadily once you get started, and be prepared to pour before the soap thickens too much.
It is also a good idea to keep the discount to the lowest for those batches with elaborate swirl designs until you are confident enough to handle faster traces.
Conclusion : Is Water Discounting Right for You?
Water discounting can be a powerful tool in a soap maker's arsenal, giving one great control over cure time (hardness, shrinkage, and lather quality). But it should more rightly be used by more intermediate or advanced soapers who understand temperature control, trace, and the particular behavior of their recipes.
If you are new, then please stick to water "full" amounts, make consistent successful batches, and then try a bit of water discounting. Through this, you will observe the response of oils, fragrance, and design style. In the end, when you feel comfortable with the behavior of your soap with different water content, you may want to add a slight discount between 5 and 12%.
