HP Soap Making
What is HP Soap? HP is "hot process" soap. It is called hot process because the saponification process is acellerated with heat. The is soap made similar to cold process soap ~ using oil/fat/nut butters, lye and water. The ingredients are brought to trace. The soap is then exposed to heat and "cooked" through the saponification process, usually in a crock pot or double boiler. At this point fragrance and color added and the soap is place into a mold. The hot process somewhat changes the appearance of the finished soap, but allows the soap to be fully saponified and immediately ready for use within a few days. How is HP different from CPOP?CPOP (Cold Process Oven Process) Soap is brought to trace, colored, fragranced and put in the mold - and only then is heat applied to speed saponification. It has the same basic appearance and function as CP. Theoretically, any recipe can be created using the HP Soapmaking Method. However, some recipes in which ingredients trace and saponify very quickly (for instance, those with a high concentration of saturated oils like palm and coconut) will be somewhat tricky as they will go through the stages of HP very quickly. Recipes which trace and saponify very slowly (like olive oil "castille" soap) can take longer to go through the stages of HP, but you will save weeks of curing time versus CP'ing them. How do I HP my recipe?First, you make your recipe as usual and bring it to trace (light trace is just fine). Next, you put the soap into a crock pot on "High", which brings the mixture to somewhat above 200 degrees.
The crockpot seems to be the most popular cookware for HP Soapmaking. You can use it on "Low" or "High", since they both reach the same temperature, just at different speeds. You might want to use "Low" with recipes which saponify quickly or those with ingredients which burn easily (like goats' milk or honey) and "High" with all other recipes. Note: After you have thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed the crockpot from HP Soapmaking, you can safely use it for food because you are using it to make soap, and all of the lye is cooked out of the soap. You will want to put your finished HP Soap into the mold when the soap is still rather warm, pliable, and easy to work with. Therefore, you will want to use molds for your HP which can comfortably handle temperatures near 200 degrees. Wood and silicone molds work well for this, as do some plastics. Thinner plastics will warp when exposed to the heat of HP so, be careful when using your favorite plastic molds. What type of colorants can I use with my HP?HP Soapamaking allows you to use a more broad range of colorss because the color is added when the pH of the soap is between 8 and 10. FD&C colorants (which normally turn brown in the presence of lye) can be used in HP, as can micas, oxides, ultramarines, glitter, herbs and spices. What type of fragrances and essential oils can I use in my HP?One wonderful aspect of HP Soapmaking is that it is a bit fluffier than standard CP and CPOP, and it absorbs fragrances very nicely. When can I use my finished HP Soap?It's best to leave the finished HP in your molds for the first 24 hours, to allow it to become hard enough to cut it without marring or warping it. Once it has been cut, it will probably benefit from another two to five days of "drying out" before usage. If you use your soap too quickly, it will dissolve rapidly - so, use your best judgment to determine when it looks fully hardened and ready to use! Enjoy! | ||