29/07/2024
Why does handmade soap take so long to be ready, I hear you ask?
Long story short, when you're making soap the traditional way (the cold process method) your formula will call for more distilled water than you *technically* need to create the soap. This keeps the batter is somewhat fluid so that you can pour it/layer it or decorate the tops etc. If you didn't add a little extra water, you'd end up with a soap batter more like mashed potatoes than a custard and it'd be a bit of a mess and TBH, a nightmare to work with. Soapmakers call this "seizing" or "soap on a stick".
To put simply, "curing" soap just means you're giving it plenty of space and time for the soap to evaporate off the excess water. Sure, there is some chemistry still going on, molecules doing their thang and what not. But essentially, the soap will get milder and harder over time as the excess water evaporates.
Cool huh! So that's why it can take 3-4 weeks for soap to be ready for sale.