The Soap Zap Test - An old fashioned but reliable way to pH test your handmade soap bars before use.
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- Опубликовано: 27 апр 2022
- Have you heard about the soap zap test? Wondering if this is a safe and/or reliable way to test the pH of your handmade cold process or hot process soap? Well, it turns out that soap makers have been using this method for a long time and it is a reliable, simple method to establish if your soap is safe enough to use.
Some useful links in addition to those mentioned in the video:
If you are new to soap making, please read the important information below and watch this essential video on soap making safety so that you fully understand what you are dealing with: • Soap Making Safety Ess...
Kevin Dunn’s book ‘Scientific Soap Making’: amzn.to/38ynuta
See the ‘tongue test’ section starting on page 76.
(Ad link - as an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases).
Common soap making terms: www.ellyseveryday.com/soap-ma...
Video: How I use pH test strips in my soap making • Handmade Soap Testing ...
Video: Soap making safety essentials • Soap Making Safety Ess...
Video: How to rebatch cold or hot processed soap • How to rebatch your ol...
Where to buy pH test strips amzn.to/3EUBp8Q (ad link)
My complete soap making video list: / ellyseverydaysoapmaking
My Amazon storefront for more soap making books and other bits and pieces (soap and bread making): www.amazon.com/shop/ellysevery...
Website: www.ellyseveryday.com/
My sourdough bread making channel: / ellyseverydaywholegrai...
To buy me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/ellyseve...
♡ Thank you for your support ♡
** Important Safety Information **
Sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide (lyes) used in soap making, in granular or flake form or in solution with water/other liquids, as well as raw soap batter, are highly corrosive and require careful and attentive handling and the proper use of personal protective equipment. Please watch this video to learn more about essential soap making safety precautions: • Soap Making Safety Ess...
The information provided in my videos and website is based on my own personal research and experience and is provided for informational purposes only. While I take the utmost care to ensure that the recipes and information I provide are accurate and calculated without error, I am not a professional soap manufacturer, nor do I have formal qualifications in chemistry or skincare formulation (or any other related field) and I make no guarantees about the correctness of the information presented. I am not responsible for the consequences of the application or misapplication of any of the information I provide. Use the information in my videos and on my website at your own risk.
Full site disclaimer: www.ellyseveryday.com/disclaimer
Copyright © Elly’s Everyday 
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*DISCLAIMER:* The information provided within Elly's Everyday videos, website, social media pages and for Elly’s Everyday group members is based on my own personal research and experience and is provided for informational, entertainment and general educational purposes only. I am not a professional soap manufacturer and do not hold any qualifications in chemistry or skincare formulation (or any other related field) and I make no guarantees about the correctness of the information provided. Please use any information provided at your own risk and view this video if you are new to soap making: ruclips.net/video/EZTsW9UvNmU/видео.html. Thank you!
"Take a lick and if it tastes like a 9 Volt battery, it's not done yet" 🙂
Not all heroes wear capes😂
That is wonderful. To be honest with you, I think you are the best teacher on the internet by far.. I haven't tried making soap ever before but by just watching your videos, I feel like I am the best soap maker on planet earth🤣. You are just incredible to say the least.... ❤️from Ghana 🇬🇭
Oh, thank you so much Kasim!! I love hearing from soap makers in Ghana!
"Pardon my hair, it looks crazy."
Proceeds to model a cute bed head style that looks intentional. Keep slaying, Elly. 💖
Haha, totally unintentional bed-head style! I am so unfashionable it's not funny.
I have no intention of ever making soap but I love your content all the same. Always great to see people who are so passionate about their interests.
Thanks so much 😊
Hello, Elly! I just want to tell you "Thanks" for all your videos. You are such a great teacher and speaker, and your channel is absolutely amazing! Love it!💖
Thank you! 😃
Wow, thank you, Elly, for clearing that up for me. I bought a liquid soapmaking book that said to use the "zap test" method to make sure your liquid soap is safe. But the book never explained how to perform a zap test. (I guess they thought everybody already knew what a zap test is, and they didn't need to go into further detail.) Maybe I've led a sheltered life. (HA!) But I had no idea what a zap test was, and I was totally frustrated. Then, I saw your video and now I understand. Thanks!
You're welcome Janie!
Hi Elly one more classic class on soap age methods to pH state. Enjoyed 😉 thanks
Thanks Prem :)
I was very excited to see the notification! I love your videos. So clear and easy to follow! Cup of coffee coming up! Blessings from Oklahoma!
Thank you Annie! Ahh, I'm so grateful :)
Thanks Elly. Yet another great and informative video. Have a great day.
Thanks so much, you too :)
Another great and informative video. Love the content!
Thank you :)
Love watching you. Hello from Perth!!
Hello! Thanks :)
Good afternoon Elly and fellow you-tubers!! Kevin is absolutely right and I am happy to say that I have seen the procedure "live!!!" my aunt and her friends did it to test the soap and I tried it once when I first started making my soap and I am not willing to do it again I am telling you!!!! I prefer clarity test for my liquid soap and as for my soap bars I cook my soap so it is actually ready to use from day one!! Have a nice weekend everybody!!
Excellent work Despina! :)
Thank you Elly, I enjoyed your video as always
Thank you
Hi Ma'am Elly!!greatful for your content love it !
Thanks Ghie!
Thank you Elly
This is very helpful!
I loved your video as always.
Thanks Ayda
Thank you for the information! I love your videos 💕🦋
Thanks Carolyn!
Great video. Thank you
Thanks so much for this video. I think I might be brave enough to take a taste of my soap.
I could probably get pH paper, but I prefer the zap test. It reminds me that respecting chemicals isn't the same as being terrified of them. I don't want to end up like the people terrified of distilled water, so I mix calcium hydroxide into water with my bare hands, and I test my soap with my tongue, and that puts limits on how much unreasonable terror I can develop.
Do you mean sodium hydroxide?
@@gaylehillman4826 no, I'm not stupid and I like having hands.
@@diablominero I'm not calling you stupid, I was trying to understand using calcium hydroxide as normally bar soap is made with sodium hydroxide and liquid soap with potassium hydroxide, I've not heard of calcium hydroxide being used
@@gaylehillman4826 it's not used for soap. it's used for processing corn to make tortillas. But it's something people get unreasonably scared of because they try to replace their brains with an MSDS sheet, just like the zap test.
@@diablominero OK, so you're commenting on a soap making video about food, fair enough, no wonder I was confused lol. I deal with SDSs and write COSHH assessments daily at work so personally wouldn't do a zap test.
So great. My grandmother's used to use this method. I have actually licked off cuts from bars.🤫
Thanks Delizia, haha you're keen!
Thank you
Thank you!
Thanks so much ma
Hi from Florida! Very interesting to know! I had heard of the “zap” test, but I didn’t think it was real! Ya learn something new every day! Thank you!
You're welcome! Hi from Brisbane - I always feel a bit connected to Florida people - we share a similar climate :)
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking oh wow! I don’t know that! Yay for soaping in lots of humidity! Lol!
Oh yes, I know that feeling well! It sucks a bit but there are ways around it thankfully :)
this is very important information thank you mam🌹🌹❤️
Most welcome 😊
Aww was I surprised or what to see ur video notification,as George announced abt his online classes today was remembering you how u were planning to do the same long time back.
NVM will do with this video now ❤️
Also wanted to know why does my eyes sting a lot more when i wash my face with these homemade soaps .Do we need to avoid face for washing with them.
Thanks Joya, yes I would have liked to do classes, but not enough time to do it all unfortunately!
There's no need to avoid your face with handmade soap, but always avoid the eyes! Just like any other soap, it will sting if it gets into the eyes.
I started making cold process soap last November and used your video on using soapcalc as guide. You're a wonderful teacher! Anyway, I'm afraid to use my tongue to check if my soap is zappy 😅 so i do use litmus paper.
Yesterday, it was my first time to use sodium lactate and I think I made a mistake about where to add it. One website said to add it to oils before the lye. That's what I did and for the first time, after unmolding, I could see a few tiny liquidy beads shimmering from the bars after cutting. I took off my gloves and touched it. I got zapped! I dabbed my litmus paper on those spots that appeared wet and they were the darkest on the alkali scale!
Now I don't know what to do with the bars. I was so excited to make them. Lesson for me there is to never make a large batch when trying out a new ingredient for the very first time 🙂
Hi Hana, you can fix it with a rebatch! ruclips.net/video/STQ-C4L363o/видео.html
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking Will be doing this for the very first time and so I'm watching rebatch videos including yours. Thanks so much for the advice ♥
Thanks Alley! I have asked Chat GPT for similar tests some time ago, it said you can use egg shell or fresh rose petals like ph strips. I once tested a light pink rose petal and it turned green!
Perhaps those ph strips have something similar to flower pigments.
@@skt009maybe. Red cabbage has the same type of pH reactive compounds. They use it in kids chemistry kits
Thank you ♥️
You’re welcome 😊
Thank YOU, Elly! Sometimes we forget, or are unaware, of all that you do and how much time it takes to keep TWO RUclips channels, AND website up and running. YOU are appreciated also, and I know every single donation helps, no matter the amount. Keep on doing you, Elly.
Thank you Kathy, it's wonderful to be appreciated!
I did it! My soap passed the Zap test!!
Yay! (happy for you and your tongue)
Hi Elly I’m a big fan !you’re doing amazing !! I’m a starter I’m also very Interested in making my first bar of soap! I want to ask you is there any type of lye I should particularly buy ?!
For bar soap you want 98-99% pure sodium hydroxide!
Haha, I thought I would try this out. I just made laundry soap so tried the zap test to see what it's all about. Yikes!! Now I know and worth the experience. I did finish it off by keeping my tongue under the cold water tap for a minute. You are never hoping to know unless you try it out. Thank you
😮
I always write my recipes for soap with 5% to 10% more fats than the lye could saponify. Also i always take a photo of the weights i added. Within the first 24 hours i write them down and compare to the recipe.
Thanķ you madam for your vedio
Elly thank you so much for sharing all the knowledge with us.I wanted to know the ecofriendly preservative that we can use in our liquid soap.Thank you so much in advance.
Thank you. You will have to do your own research on that though, I've never used preservative in my LS :)
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking Ok thank you Elly
Truly love and appreciate your cheerful content. I have a question unrelated to this video, so sorry about changing the subject. Regarding the essential oils you add in your videos, are they diluted in a carrier oil to achieve the correct volume for the recipe or do you use them full strength? Any advice is much appreciated. Much love from the mountains of Virginia.❤️
Thanks for your kind words. The EO's are always used full strength.
That’s reassuring. With my “talent” in any cooking, to which I count soap making, I was afraid my tongue tip would fall off when doing this test ;-)
شكرا عملك رائع ارجو اضافة ميزة النرجمة الى التعليقات
Elly, at what point after the pour should we do the zap test? Thank-you for all you do for us.
After the soap is completely set and hardened and you think it might be completely saponified. At least a few days after making it!
Pls natural alovera hair shampoo making video
Can you please make a video on how to make turmeric bath soap?
ruclips.net/video/I_QU9N2bKmc/видео.html
Thank you! I was worried about one of my salt batches... it tastes like a salt lick followed by soap... But no zaps.
Sounds good!
My dish soap leaves a tinch of oil layer on vessels after रन. How to rebatch this
Hi Elly,
I am greatful for all your basic, yet formative information which you put out there for all soap makers. 🧼
Thank you Tamsyn :)
Hi Elly, thanks for the video. I made a batch of soap and it was really soft even after a couple of weeks. Can I remake this batch to see if it will harden up this time.? I used another oil for the next batch and it turned out great.
Yes, I would try and rebatch it. Perhaps something was mis-measured? Could be the recipe/oils too. Not all perform the same.
Hello Elly, can you make a video on how to make Himalayan salt soap bars or sea salt soap bars with coconut oil? Because when I make mine they’re very cleansing and would like a less drying bar.
Great suggestion Diane. I haven't made them for years, I find them drying too! Anything with a lot of coconut oil will be quite drying. There are ways around it though. I'll add that to my list!
Hi Elly. I really love all of your videos I remember I saw one your videos bout making 100% coconut oil 20% super fat and 2:1 water to lye.. if you don't mind may I ask if I can also use 2:1 water to lye if I'm going to make it as dish soap coz I wanted it to become solid as rock and long lasting as dishwashing solid soap bar. If it's ok can u check my recipe
100% coconut oil
2:1 water to lye
0% super fat
Additives .
Activated charcoal
Washing soda
Sodium lactate or maybe salt
Sugar
Citric acid or maybe lime juice or vinegar
Plsss elly enlighten me I really need your thoughts about this recipe if there's something wrong or if it's good to go
Hi Elly, I am Cambodian. I wish to learn how to make soap sampoo and or perfume. May be you can help me? Thank you
There are many videos for soap making on my channel :)
💛
Hi Elly. Thank for all your videos, they are amazing! I have just started making CP soaps and have a doubt. When the saponification is completed the ph is 8-9... is that right? No matter how many days passed since I made it?
I ask you this because I made a soap coloured with yellow mica and after 24hs the one moulded in a big wood mould turned yellow and the one moulded in individual silicon mould was still orange (it turned orange when I poured the batter). Has that to do with ph or with saponification? Or with both if they are linked. Thanks in advance!
Hi Constanza, the colour difference is more to do with the mould you used, the temperature would have been retained much better in the timber mould and the extra heat would have forced it to gel, changing the colour. It can speed up the saponification too. You'll probably enjoy this video, which explains ruclips.net/video/pl7ONfaWPWE/видео.html This video on soap making temperatures is also useful ruclips.net/video/Tm2tq1hp6AY/видео.html
Thank you! I understand the temperature thing. They are all yellow now. But I am still confused. The saponification and the ph decrease are linked? The saponification finishes when the ph is 8-9 or they are independent processes? Tks!
Thanks for another great video! 🙏 I have a question... I recently got a new stick blender and after that my soap traces much faster BUT I also get a white dust or a partial coating on my soaps. Why is that? I have made this soap several times without any problems. It's a pure coconut oil dish soap (no superfat). Can I still use it? I'm giving one as a gift, but is it safe? How can I get that off? I'm thinking of just let som water rinse it, but I don't want to ruin a beautiful looking soap when it's a gift...
Ooh, that's interesting! While it's hard to know for certain, the white dust does sound like soda ash. The best way to prevent that is to keep the soap covered and exclude as much air as possible while it saponified. I would test it to make sure it's ok first, but if it's soda ash it's a purely cosmetic issue.
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking Thank you! I don't have testing paper but I braved my self up to a zap test. No zap! 😅 I read somewhere that the soap was to cold and that's why I got soda ash.
I also make a hand- & body soap with pure coconut oil (very super fatted! 20-25 %). It's a hard and white soap. I really love it! But this time it's not totally white... It's semi transparent... Why? I never had that happen before.... 🤷🏻♀️
Thanks for the reply! 💕
You are so sweet and your voice is so soothing love shehla Nawaz from Pakistan
Thank you :)
Hii Elly !!Actually I want to know that why should we make such time taking cold processed soap and why we shouldn't use melt and pour soap?
Any specific reson?Are both of them are biodegradable?
Great question - the reason is - with CP soap you make it from scratch and know exactly what's in it! M&P soap base is made by someone else, so you have no control over what's in it and how it feels when you use it.
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking Thank you so much Elly
Thankyou dear
I learnt that after making the soap must keep it for three weeks and then use
Is it correcr?
Yes, a 4-6 week cure is ideal for handmade cold and hot process soap, but it is still important to test it before you use it! If the recipe was incorrect or a mistake was made, it may not be safe to use, even after weeks of curing.
Thankyou for your response
Thank you so much Elly my question is I made a batch of soap before 14 days when I done this zap test...it is testing like soap,no tingly,zappy sensation remained on my tongue. So even before the curing time can we use soap safely?
Well, yes, technically you can, but the soap will be much better and will last a lot longer if it is cured and dried fully.
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking Thank you for your valuable reply 🙏🏻
I made mine 4 days now, did the tongue test And it shock my tongue 😢
I made soap for the first time today. The lye got to a lower temp of 75 Fahrenheit when I added it to my oils that were about 85 Fahrenheit. I completely forgot about false trace 😭. Does lye have to be at a specific temperature for saponification to occur? Did I mess up my soap? Is there a way to fix/rebatch? 💔😭
If the batter mixed well and it didn't separate in the mould all will be fine! The temperature is not critical, depends on the recipe. You would probably know if you got false trace :) If it looks smooth and homogenous in the mould, your soap should be good. This video about temps will help too :) ruclips.net/video/Tm2tq1hp6AY/видео.html
I used 20% of beeswax in the soap recipe by mistake. Can I melt the batch of soap and mix 2% amount into the new recipe?
And if the lye didn't dissolve well, can I remelt the batch of soap after several days?
Ooh that's a tricky rebatch. 20% beeswax is a lot! I'm not sure what I'd do. I might bin that soap and chalk it up to experience.
Hello! When do we zap ⚡️ test?
Thank You
You can start to check your soap after 2 days. Some saponify faster than others :)
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking THANK YOU 🌹😊
Hello, do you sell the soap? If yes, where can we buy it?
Thanks so much for your interest, but I don’t sell my soap publicly.
Hi, i have a question: Hi, i have a question: my soap didn't come out well, the error is the temperature of the lye
What can I do to correct?
Thanks
If it was just the temperature then your soap should be ok, but you could try to rebatch it if you're not keen on the look of it ruclips.net/video/STQ-C4L363o/видео.html
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking thank you very much, I'll try
I've done the tongue zap test, I don't mind the zap 🤣🤣
Haha so funny. Just don't enjoy it too much! ;)
Do I need to wait the 4-6 weeks to zap test?
No, you can do it after a few days, then let your soap cure for 4-6 weeks to fully dry out.
Is it like when you touch a 9 volt battery to your tongue? Either way, very cool trick.
Yes, a bit like that if it's very alkaline.
You SO deserve SEVERAL cups of coffee just for this video, alone!! You, my friend, are a glutton for punishment!! Like smelling a horrible smell, and having to take 2-3 deep sniffs, all the while, asking if anyone else smells it!lol!!! That's me...Thank you for posting this tidbit. Very helpful in a pinch, but I think I'll stick with the pH test strips:). Now off to share a cup of coffee, or two, or three...with you!!!
Thank you Kathy!! You're such a wonderful supporter, I appreciate you very much. Yes, I prefer the strips as well, but good to know for people in places who can't get them!
What if goats milk soap has little white dots all over it and sort of looks like it's been sprinkled with flour or talc or something like that? Even after many months, is it safe to use?
I'm not sure what that is, but it could be soda ash, in which case it will be fine to use if the soap was properly mixed and the pH tests fine.
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking its nearly 12 months old and ive been afraid to use it, at the time i think i burnt the milk because it went very orange.
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking i think its soda ash too, what exactly is that and what did i do wrong to make it happen?
@@EllysEverydaySoapMaking i wish i could send a photo
You could always email me via the website :)
I’ve never received a zap from my soap doing the tongue test 😂 am I doing something wrong?!
Nope, just means your soap was saponified and non-zappy (which is good!)
So it tastes like a 9 volt battery. I suppose that makes sense.
The zap test takes a while to get through then
It's pretty instant.
Um tastes like cheese burger
😂😜
75th. 🍹🍸🥃🍷🍾🥂🍻🍺💋❣️💖💕💞💓💗💝🌹🌺🌷🏵️💐☺️🙃👍🤗
You are so sweet; wish you lived next door🤍
Thank you