Consistency is one of the most difficult things to achieve in handmade soap making. This is especially true if you’re making handmade soaps with natural ingredients because there is no machine telling you exactly what to do, how much of what to add, and how long to do it for. Every handmade soap recipe you make is consistent because of the choices you make during the handmade soap making process.
Every handmade soap recipe you make can be consistent if you prepare for it. Part of being prepared is measuring the correct amounts of handmade soap making oils, lye, and liquids. But, preparing for a consistent handmade soap recipe also means having all of your soap making equipment clean and in order, using the same utensils in the same order every time, keeping the room at a consistent temperature, and keeping the humidity at a consistent level. If you can maintain a consistent environment and consistent method then you can make consistent handmade soap recipes every time.
You also need to mix your handmade soap recipe in a consistent manner. This could mean mixing until you reach a certain trace, or it could mean mixing for a certain amount of time. The key to making consistent handmade soap recipes is to mix them the same way every time. If you find that your mixing method is making the handmade soap making process reach trace too fast then you need to make an adjustment. But, you also need to make sure you don’t under mix your handmade soap recipe.
Not fully mixing your handmade soap oils with the lye solution can cause your handmade soaps to have lye pockets in them. If you make these adjustments and mix your handmade soap recipes the same way every time then you will have consistent handmade soap recipes. As you get more comfortable you will be able to eye ball it and know exactly when to stop mixing by looking at the mixture. Or you will be able to tell by the way it feels. The key to consistent handmade soaps is to stop mixing at the same time every time.
Finally, one of the most important things to remember if you want to make consistent handmade soap recipes is to cure them the same way every time. This means letting them have the same amount of air circulation around them, letting them have the same amount of space between the bars, and letting them sit for the same amount of time. If you don’t let your handmade soap recipes properly cure then they will be soft, mushy, or even crumbly. So no matter how consistent your other techniques are if your handmade soap recipes are not given the time to cure then they will not be consistent. Making sure your handmade soaps are consistent means also being consistent in the way you cure your handmade soap recipes.
