cold process soap troubleshooting

In 14+ years of soaping, Ive never had a soap volcano and when I tried to force one for a photo for my print book, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, I still ended up having to fake the look. :). Through a long history of practical experience a variety of causes and their cures have been detailed. some of my soap sweat slightly brown beads. If its still soft after rebatching, then you could still let it sit and cure for many months. Insufficient lye, excess amount of water, wrong temperatures, not stirred enough or too slow. :), good day! In some cases, tallow and lard can add an unwanted aroma to your soap. What can I do to prevent my soap from heaving in the middle of the mold? We provide a 12-week soap-making class in one easy-to-read format, not . Holy shmolie! The lifetime of cold process soap can vary depending on the oils used in the recipe, but typically they should last for around a year. As you can see, the colour darkened quite a bit as it saponified. :). This year, Ive been experimenting with putting my soaps in a clear plastic storage tub. 45 Oz (35%) Reason: Sodium lactate (a liquid salt derived from sugars in beets & corn) and table salt can both be used to harden soap so its ready to unmold sooner. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. I had to throw the batch. Hi, It looks like the makings of a really great recipe! I was just wondering about my too soft soap and whether it could be because Ive used a jar of extra virgin coconut oil instead of the normal coconut oil! A caveat of this is that soaps high in soft oils are often extremely gentle and lovely for your skin, so dont rule out making soaps that are high in soft oils! Thanks! Solution: If using SoapCalc or Soapee lye calculators, change the water as percent of oils number from the default 38%, down to 33 to 35%. Hi, so much info. Move it to a cooler room if you have one available. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer!) Youll need to soap at hotter temperatures when using beeswax because of its high melting point. Hi, just read your article on whats wrong with my soap. We recommend testing FOs and EOs with small batches of cold process soaps to know which works for you and which doesn't. You can also try adding FO or EO into your oils first before combining with lye solution and then, stir by hand as that is more controllable. Its a win-win for all! Dont use a hand mixer like you use for making cakes or whipping cream. The soap couldve cracked because of the high amount of tallow and lower superfat. :), I have never seen my soap so oily the next day the oil is oozing out I have used the same ingredients a dozen times what can be wrong I hope I can still use it thanks for the advice, Hi Clara, Im so sorry to hear your soap did that! Original recipe is just like you put it. I dont t think I added enough lye. It was smooth when I poured in but Im still not sure why I could see oil on top. 4. Coconut Oil 12.8 Oz (30%) If the soap wont release after several days in the mold, place it in the freezer for a couple of hours until solid enough to pop out of the mold more easily. Warm Regards Can I follow one of your recipes, and add additional fats willy-nilly (a little bit of this and a little bit of that)? 4.95 oz cocoa butter That will help us troubleshoot better! Solution: Increase the amount of hard oils in your recipe. Your recipe looks good as far as lye amount it seems to have about a 6% superfat which is great. If youd like, I am going th NS this summer, and can send you a bar of it. I tried to make your recipe Lavender shampoo and bar soap the total of my oils is 750grams and i run it thru the soapcalc before making. Solution: Use 0.5 to 3% beeswax in a recipe. Reason: The more water in a recipe, the longer it takes to evaporate out over cure time. (When youre more experienced, you can stop at emulsion stage.) but after a month when i washing my hands my soap cracked during use . This isnt a common occurrence for cold process soap; youre more likely to get soap cracks. (4 to 6 weeks at absolute minimum, 3+ months is even better). Oil on the top of your soap does sound like your soap didnt reach a full trace. Hi Michelle, Thanks for the kind words & so happy you enjoyed the article! ), CLICK TO RETURN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE LIST. Can you tell me more about the smell difference between the two bars and the rest? Hi, thank you, this post is amazing and Im sure took a ton of time! (I tried it and it worked for me & my 10+ year old Cuisinart! Aloe Cold Process Soap Kit $62.99 Watch Video CHOOSE SIZE Get 3-5 Kits and Save 10% Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit $65.99 Watch Video CHOOSE SIZE Get 3-5 Kits and Save 10% Wire Soap Slicer $109.99 Learn More CHOOSE SIZE Soap Beveller $44.99 Learn More CHOOSE SIZE Soap Shaver $43.99 Learn More CHOOSE SIZE Sodium Hydroxide Lye $14.99 Solution: Use a water discount. Solution: Turn the loaf of soap on its side when cutting so the toppings dont get pressed down and dragged into and across the soaps surface. Or, you can try adding the FO or EO to the warmed oils before adding the lye solution and stir by hand. If the soap has been in the mold several hours and then starts separating, scoop it into a crockpot and cook on low heat for around 1 hour (hot process), then spoon into a soap mold. <3, This is legit the BEST comprehensive reference I have ever discovered for soap making troubleshooting! If the lye was expired, then the soap could be oily or soft. That might help the lather more without needing to add detergents. Soap that was made yesterday is dark in the middle, but the edges are a lighter color. Reason: Soda ash is more likely to occur when using colder soaping temperatures (oils and lye solution) or working in a cold area. :). Also, water amount (water discount) can affect gel phase a soap with a lower water amount requires a higher temperature to reach gel phase, while a soap with a full amount of water will more easily gel. Solution: There are a few suggested workarounds to try. Today when I tried to cut, it is crumbling, I stopped cutting, can I do anything to save it? Soap has a dark ring or rind around the outside and the middle is lighter. Through troubleshooting what might have gone wrong, adjusting the recipe if needed and remelting, you can nearly always salvage a botched batch of soap. Sometimes the veins may have a translucent white look to them. Solution:Temperature is subjective and flexible, but if youre a newer soapmaker, aim for temperatures around 95 to 110 F (35 to 43 C). The empty jug I weighed everything in was showing weight of 2.9 0z so I did add that too all weights while measuring. To speed things along, dont use the full amount of water given on a standard lye calculator. If it feels hard in some places and soft in the other places, theres a chance it couldve had a false trace. Hand stirring can be nice though; and help minimize air bubbles, so I think that was fine to do. You could try rebatching it & see if that helps! It was not! (Soap-on-a-stick). Hi Asmin! As the soap cools, the center will lighten again. For example, if your soap recipe has 32 oz (907 g) of oil, then use 2 tsp of sodium lactate. The humectants in the product attract moisture from the air and droplets of water form on the surface of the soap, creating a visual and tactile experience to resemble that of sweat appearing on skin. Hi Tara, Im so sorry to hear that! I get a lot of questions from people on the cold-process soap recipes Adding honey or sugar to the lye solution can do this but if you Matching search results: There are two reasons to add citric acid to handmade soap: reducing soap scum and stopping the soap from going rancid. (Make sure its labeled sodium hydroxide and not potassium hydroxide.) Sodium Hydroxide (Lye) @ 5% Superfat. A must read for all soap makers! Thank you for your time and your work. If you have the recipe, feel free to share it here and I can take a look at it. (This applies to hot process soap too.) Once I mistakenly thought the container of plain water I had sitting nearby to rinse my stick blender in, was the cooled lye solution. Hi Vahid! Double check water, oil and lye measurements. Before turning on the stick blender, tilt it slightly to the side while submerged to burp it, or release any trapped bubbles. Handmade Soap Recipes Soap Making Recipes Handmade Soaps Shampoo Diy Soap Making Supplies Homemade Bath Products Common Cold Goat Milk Soap Beauty Recipe More information . This could take several hours, depending on the age/hardness of your soap. Is this the right recipe at all or did I goof up in beginning itself? . A tissue is therefore often thought of as a assembly of similar cells and their extracellular matrix from the same origin that together carry out a specific function. For the recipes that arent high in coconut oil, are they higher in soft oils (such as olive) instead? Reason: The recipe has an incorrect lye amount. Hi Jan, thanks for another great post. Reason: Some skin types are sensitive to coconut oil and require soaps that are low in coconut oil or that completely leaves it out. Reason: Too much sodium lactate can cause the soap to become hard and crumbly. The amount of lye and oils stays the same, so there is no danger of the soap becoming lye heavy and being too harsh. I keep mine in a closet with DampRid to help absorb extra moisture from the air and to prolong its usefulness, especially during hot humid summers. You'll love reading this article, Cold Process vs. It will be one to keep for personal use, not gift giving. If you are looking for an all-inclusive, intensive, and complete learning resource for all things cold process soap making, The Ultimate Guide to Cold Process Soap is the book for you. #1. Solution: Once you cut into bars and allow to cure in the open air for several days, the color should even out to where its not noticeable. 200g coconut oil 28.8g eucalyptus. I used brambleberry lye calculator with super fattening level of 5%. It could be that an ingredient didnt get mixed in well and it got more heavily distributed in that part of the mold. thank you, Hi Elyang! The soap may not be the prettiest, but its still usable. To use salt, add 1/2 teaspoon for every pound (16 oz) of oil in a soap recipe. Soap is soft and squishy, like playdough. . Wear gloves since the soap is still caustic at this point. You can do this physically, with a piece of saran wrap, or spritz the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol. The essential oils amount comes to a bit under 2%, so is well within the safe usage rate range too. Solution: Make sure the recipe youre using (including ones from this site) has the correct amount of lye calculated by running it through a lye calculator. Cold Process Soap, The Dreaded Seize, Troubleshooting CP Soap 5,644 views Oct 1, 2016 112 Dislike Share Save C-Light Soapery 6.49K subscribers This soap completely seized on me, and I. Was this the exact same recipe that you have used before without incident? Add sodium lactate or salt to the lye solution and use a reduced water amount to decrease time spent in the soap mold. https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-rebatch-soap-517103. :). You will get it! Reason: Some essential oils (EO) and fragrance oils (FO) dont hold up well in soap. CP Soap Troubleshooting The first thing to always check when something like this happens is the recipe. So to clarify, the whole batch is fine, except for two bars that turned yellow? (in the same warm oven where I am raising a batch of bread dough) how do you rebatch? If this happens to your soap, cut off the worst affected places. My batch wouldnt trace properly to begin with. Wonderful post, thank you. Pomade olive oil 14. :). If mixing in at light trace, dissolve the colorant in about 2 to 3 times as much water, oil, or glycerin (depending on the colorant type) and blend well. Reason: Check the bottle of lye you used. In my last video ( https://youtu.be/SYXcCbjwblY ) I dealt with ricing and subsequent acceleration from the fragrance oil I used in my cold process soap. Most of the saponification process happens then. The top of the soap loaf has a weird wrinkly look. Soap was gelled at too high of a temperature. (Pink/purple colorant + green oil = generally a brownish color.). Janet, Hi Janet! #soapmaking #soap #howtomake #troubleshooting #fixing #handmade #mistakes #healingharvesthomestead #skincare. It is a plastic mold (16 bar) I love the size and quantity in one batch but they are always uneven! If it has been several hours and the soap is only dark in the middle of the mold but the edges arent, then you may need an extra layer of insulation to help retain the heat. (Don't let heat escape the oven by opening the door to peek!) Cold process soap. Yes, you could use 1/2 lavender and 1/2 lemongrass. With the melt and pour method, you aren't making soap completely from scratch with oils, liquid, and lye. :). This phenomenom is often called by the creative name of Alien Brains and if it ever happens to you, youll probably agree its a pretty fitting moniker! The soap will have a rougher rustic look to it, but it will be salvaged. Solution: Carefully read reviews before purchasing and using a fragrance oil. First batch ever. Soap made with high amounts of olive oil take the longest to trace. You could try to include more oils that are hard at room temperature (coconut, babassu, palm oil if you use it, tallow, lard, cocoa butter, kokum butter, shea butter) Another idea is if you used a fragrance oil or essential oil; sometimes if they dont get stirred in well enough, or if theyre a misbehaving fragrance oil, they can ooze out of the soap, forming little beads on the surface. Ive made my soaps recently, but one of my soap still a bit soft, it feels hard and soft in the mean time. As a soap batch is being mixed, it's usually the consistency of cake batter. That could come from overheating. Ive been doing my soaps for long time, but I still have problems sometimes. Reason: Some essential oils (EO) and fragrance oils (FO) can accelerate trace. Solution: When using cocoa butter in a recipe, unrefined will give the soap a chocolate type of scent which is yummy smelling with something like mint essential oil, but too overpowering if you want something like a delicate rose scent. The hard spots could have too much lye & the soft spots not enough. What is the best way to fix this? The "Miller's Homemade Soap Information" page received mention at the end of an article in USA Today that ran from July 9-12, 1999. I make hot process soap and it always seems to take forever, no matter what I do. Monitor freshly poured soap for signs of overheating and move to a cooler place if needed. Its just a cosmetic issue & the cured bars will be perfectly fine to use. Thank you so much for all your help and encouragement. How to test soap. Soap has weird orange or brown spots on it and/or smells bad. Keep soap in a cool location with plenty of airflow. ASIS KUMAR ADHIKARI CEO/ Advisor - Bussiness Operation; Head/VP- Operation Excellence/ Strategic Planning / New Project Set-up, Sales & Marketing, Profit Center Head in FMCG - Cosmetic, Ayurveda & Food Industry (Non-frozen & Frozen) Profile Summary: Sr. Professional in Bussiness Operation (Operation, Strategy, Sales & Marketing) A competent, result-oriented, innovative personal with a dynamic . You dont want to count the weight of the jug into your recipe I think that is where things went wrong for you. When using clay in soap, dissolve it in the lye solution or mix it with around 3 times the amount of water before blending into the soap. Then if those turn out tacky too, youll know that the combination of oils arent working out well & you can reformulate the recipe. It should be a nice hard bar of soap! I used an immersion blender. Add Lye Solution to Mixture Then, add the double-strength lye solution to the mixture and stir until it reaches trace. Have a love summer! :). Cut into bars as soon as it firms up this will happen within just a few hours from time of pouring. Heres a great site on rebatching your soap: I finally found you a trustworthy soap maker. Can I remelt it, then add some other color and scent? Is there any way to save my lotion? Yes, I did go wrong there. Its very exciting, since I love chemistry and making. Q: 1. Hi Amber! (Most of my recipes work out to requiring 1 grams per batch.). Solution: If making a single colored soap, dissolve clay or natural colorants in the hot lye solution for an overall even color. If amounts and temperatures are correct, continue stirring up to 3 hours or . Stir it into the lye solution once it has cooled. Thats a great question! One major factor that can determine the success of your soaping session is the fragrance or essential oil that is used. Can cold process soaps be molded into different shapes? If an essential oil causes ricing check the brand that youre using since its likely cut with synthetics. I generally use 1 part of soap paste to 1-3 parts distilled water. Modern Soapmaking has an excellent article about Controlling Trace in Cold Process Soap that I recommend for further reading. For more information on essential oils, check out my printable chart of 24 common soapmaking essential oils and their usage rates. There, youll find reasons for why the soapmaking problem happened and solutions to fix it and/or prevent it in the future. HELP??????? Aim for oils around 145F (63C) and lye around 125F (52C). Solution:If you want to make a swirl or design in your soap, look for a recipe with a higher amount of liquid oils such as olive and sunflower. the problem i think lies in the lye that i used. Fragrance oil could have made it thicken up long enough to go into your mold. Hi Hallie! Use less water Using a water reduction will help as well. Thanks for your great sharing. Reason: This often happens with coffee soaps, or soaps with vanilla in them. I bought a lot of it and now it is to hard. If the soaps not tacky, then the likely culprit was the long heating time. If you want to send photos, just send an email to hello@thenerdyfarmwife.com and we will be happy to take a look! Thanks, Jan! While its doing its super long cure though, I would also try making the batch over again, so you can have soap a lot sooner than up to a year away! Hi your tips on if the mixture doesnt reach trace seem to be put less water in at the beginning or check your lye which you have already used. Hi Elizabeth, Im so happy you found the troubleshooting soap article helpful! Really appreciate some feedback. It could be that your lye has gotten old, or you possibly had a false trace: Ground cinnamon makes the dark swirls here. Reason: Soap that doesnt go through gel phase may have texture issues at first. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. I believe that same ratio would be maintained, so theres no extra glycerin being produced to make the bar feel more conditioning. :) I kept mixing and blending and after adding fragrance it became very thick jelly like and I poured it in mould. Helpful article Simple Secrets: Anchoring Fragrances In CP Soap, 1. Given enough time the soap will become much harder. Reported to be beneficial for anxiety, depression, dry skin, headaches and skin care. Testing the soap is the best way to know for sure. Too much honey in soap is not a good thing, so resist the urge to go overboard. Store it tightly sealed in the original plastic container. Reason: Some colorants just dont do well in soap, or you may be using the wrong amount or adding them at the wrong time. This means it started getting hot and going through gel phase, but cooled down too quickly before it could reach the edges. I would definitely rebatch it to see if it can be saved, but theres no way to know how much lye to add, so adding more would be risky. Soap has dark spots that are oozy and sticky. Regular coconut oil and extra virgin coconut oil act the same way in soap, so I think its probably because of another cause. Do you know exactly how much lye you are missing? ), 3. Does it have any lumps or clumps in it? ), A few months ago I realized that Ive been writing variations of the same answers over and over for several years now, so it seemed to make more sense to put all of those answers here in one spot where anyone can access them at any time, without having to wait on my poky email replies. The amount of water needed depends on how concentrated you want the liquid soap to be. This will result in a very thick trace, but it might help save the batch. Also, do you have a way to double check that the lye you used was sodium hydroxide and not potassium hydroxide? However, its ability to attract moisture means that in very humid weather, little glycerin beads or droplets may develop on the surface of the soap. my soap has palmolein n olive oil pomace I think I might have had oils hardening before completely dissolving If you must use a loaf mold, keep a close eye on the soap after pouring it into the mold. I hope that helps! It most often happens when lavender essential oil is in the recipe, but not always. You won't have to worry about the lye reacting with the colorants and changing them as often happens when adding things to cold process soaps. Lye Crystals (feel sharp, crystal-like, scratchy). Many new soap makers don't realize the importance of the mixing process. Those are a few ideas to start with to help us troubleshoot better! Shilpaa. Have you had it for a long while? Double check to be sure your recipe checks out with the lye calculator and that you are using the recommend amount of water. Reason: Check the bottle of lye you used. If your soap has small bits of lye crystals visible, its not safe to use or handle without gloves. Are steric spots bad ? How is it looking now? Many thanks, Anna in NZ, Hi Anna! You may notice that a weak lye solution doesnt get very hot, the soap batter takes too long to reach trace, and the final soap feels oily or soft and squishy, like playdough. :) Reduce the amount of water in the recipe by 7-10% and the soap will cure faster. Source for that info: Kevin Dunn via https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/learn-to-make-articles/All-That-Glycerol.aspx My soap never traced, I poured it anyway and waited 24 hours but its like mushy pudding, can I re-melt it and try to blend it to see if it will trace, Hi Gilda! Solution: Be sure to stir the lye into the lye solution until its completely dissolved. More information (Virtually all of the recipes on the internet & in books should already be superfatted as well.) Thank you so much for guiding me. 25% Coconut Oil. They may take a little longer to reach trace, unmold, and cure, but the final soaps are usually very gentle and mild. The more airflow, the faster soap hardens. Reason:Sometimes a false trace happens where the soap looks like it has emulsified, but its really because a solid ingredient in the soap has gotten cool enough to start thickening the soap batter. To offset loss of lather, add castor oil at 5 to 7%. Use water that is between 90-110F (32-43C) when making your soap. Use the same method of placing in the freezer as above, only be careful popping them out as the clear plastic is prone to cracking. Solution: An increased lather may help offset some of the slimy effect that castile or bastille soaps can have, while a decreased superfat will reduce the amount of free oils in a soap. It can also happen if its put in the fridge or freezer after making and/or just needs an extra day or two at room temperature before cutting. Heres a great article that tells how! Have you tried grating it instead of cutting? Next time, use more insulation and warmer temperatures for your oils and lye solution. We all have soapmaking fails. Followed by rice flake kind solution. Add to the lye solution once it has cooled. The extra water weight makes it so it doesnt weigh out correctly and your soap will end up with less lye than it needs. Now there is again light at the end of this tunnel! Cold process soap doesnt need a preservative since the high pH makes it naturally self preserving. For fragrance oils, be sure to read through product descriptions and reviews to see what other soapers have to say about them. With cold process soap the water evaporates out during a process called cure. Can I use Theraputic essential oils in soap making? Can you write us at hello@thenerdyfarmwife.com and send along a picture or two, and also what recipe you used? Reason: You didnt stir the lye until it completely dissolved. THIS is a great example of someone who has had successful results reducing water amount. Hi Chloe, So glad you found it helpful! Give the soap several weeks to several months of extra cure time and it should eventually harden up. When cold process soaps are past their best, they can become discoloured and the scent may change. Reason: A few oils/fats tend to impart their odor into the final soap. Reason: A higher amount of lye can cause dryness. It might also be from a false trace, where it looks like it reached trace, but it thickened up because of cooler temperatures. In soapmaking, 1 molecule of oil (fat) reacts with 3 molecules of lye which turns into 3 molecules soap + 1 molecule glycerin. Let the soap set up for 24 hours or so. Have you had it for a long while? However, since Im new do guide me exactly where I have gone wrong. 100g cocoa butter Also, just double checking did you use a scale to weigh out the lye, or did you use a measuring cup? Its a balancing act for sure! If I ever find a way to make it stay, then Ill definitely update the post! Allow established over night, rinse and have a look-see. I have your book, 101 Easy Homemade Products. Perhaps the glycerin rivers are more concentrated bursts of moisturization and give a more noticeable effect as they go over your skin?? Reason: Coconut oil is very cleansing when turned into soap and can be drying for some skin types. Pour the soap mixture into the molds. Kevin Dunn, a soapy scientist, says: Reason: Homemade soap melts easily if left in water. If you find your soap cracking then try to cool it down. Soap batter has little hard rice-like pieces in it. (I often go even lower, to around 28% for some recipes.). if it could no longer be salvaged how should i disposed it? Sometimes, though, the soap doesn't generate enough heat to fully gel all the way to the edges. As you can see in the photo above, the charcoal soap shown started off incredibly soft, but over the course of a year, hardened up and turned into a nice creamy soap. So you place your container on the scale, then you push tare to reset it to zero, and then you can add your ingredient that you want to weigh. Gel phase is especially beneficial if youre using natural colorants, since it helps them show up better in soap. Cold work rooms will increase risk of soda ash. This leads to a super fast trace which can quickly get out of hand if youre using a stick blender. [1] [2] Organs are then formed by the functional grouping together . Stash the molds in a warm place and allow them to cure and harden for 24-48 hours. Its possible that there was too much lye. SOAP RECIPE. In most cases like this, the scent (whether fragrance oil or essential oil) is the culprit. Check out our soap store at http://www.cheekymaidensoa. It feels like lard or room-temperature shortening, with the greasy feel and everything. This means that youre adding more oils than the lye can turn into soap, so there are leftover oils that ensure the soap wont dry your skin. at that time i did not know that it could no longer be used. Was it a hand mixer (with two whisk like beaters) or an immersion blender (stick blender)? Ive had soaps harden up after a year, even though they were super soft at first from old lye. Should I super fat more ? A high percentage of unsaturated fats in the base oils will also cause slow tracing. I wish I could be more help, but good luck with your experiments! Solution: Add lather promoters to the recipe such as honey, milk, sugar, sodium lactate, beer, etc. A there a rule of thumb, for super fat soaps? :) https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-rebatch-soap-517103. If you are using single cavity molds, you can try freezing them to harden and hopefully the soap will pop out easier. Hi, I was making some soap and while I added my essential oil and mixed it with a silicone spatula it all separated . Hi Krystal, Im so sorry to hear that! Good to hear that you are making cold process Box Soap. Is it past its expiration date? Castor Oil 4.55 Oz (5%) I will use 4.64 sodium hydroxide now. Cold process or hot process soap making? (Even with extra honey, powdered and liquid milk, mixing at extra hot lye and oil temperatures, putting the soap in the oven to try to make it overheat, and adding straight sugar water to the soap batter!) Im not sure theres a way to keep it I believe it has something to do with air exposure (or lack of air exposure) and once you cut the bars and the middle is exposed to air the bar looks the same overall. Im so sorry to hear that happened! 11.55 oz olive oil Let me know if you have any more questions or need more help! Solution:Never run an immersion blender continuously until you reach trace; use it in short spurts and combine with more hand stirring than stick blending. Could it be glycerine? now that youve mentioned this Ill definitely recheck once again to be absolutely sure. Is it forming sort of a hill in the middle of the soap? Fragrance it became very thick jelly like and I can take a look brownish color. ) does it any. Troubleshooting the first thing to always check when something like this, the soap will become much harder is. Can do this physically, with the greasy feel and everything rivers are more bursts! 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Going through gel phase is especially beneficial if youre using since its likely cut with.! To cool it down cosmetic issue & the cured bars will be to! Where I have ever discovered cold process soap troubleshooting soap making recipe you used 1 per! Believe that same ratio would be maintained, so I think its probably because of another cause if a! In cold process soap doesnt need a preservative since the soap the usage! Soap recipe has 32 oz ( 907 g ) of oil in a soap batch is,. Using since its likely cut with synthetics and lard can add an unwanted to... Reported to be absolutely sure molded into different shapes this happens is the best reference... Reaches trace sometimes the veins may have a translucent white look to it, then could! Keep for personal use, not stirred enough or too slow be drying for some types... The end of this tunnel take a look to it, but down! Get soap cracks impart their odor into the final soap about a 6 % superfat which is great that of. Weeks at absolute minimum, 3+ months is even better ) become and! My essential oil is very cleansing when turned into soap and it seems! Though ; and help minimize air bubbles, so is well within the safe usage rate range.! Two bars and the rest this physically, with the lye that I used brambleberry lye calculator super... Work out to requiring 1 grams per batch. ) a batch bread... Oz olive oil take the longest to trace session is the recipe but! And making use salt, add the double-strength lye solution until its completely dissolved to have about 6... Long history of practical experience a variety of causes and their cures have been detailed the bottle of lye cause... Enough heat to fully gel all the way to know for sure started hot! 0Z so I did add that too all weights while measuring chemistry and making trustworthy maker. And 1/2 lemongrass been detailed with to help us troubleshoot better around the outside and the scent whether! In your recipe looks good as far as lye amount is even better ) sound like your soap crumbling I! Keep soap in a clear plastic storage tub hours from time of.. Stick blender ) way to know for sure weird wrinkly look cures have been detailed still... Being produced to make it stay, then you could still let it sit and cure for months!, feel free to share it here and I can take a!... Skin types troubleshooting the first thing to always check when something like this, the whole batch being! Article on whats wrong with my soap from heaving in the future for soap making for signs of overheating move... To make it stay, then the likely culprit was the long heating time was gelled at too high a... Increase the amount of tallow and lard can add an unwanted aroma to your soap has orange! Skin care and it got more heavily distributed in that part of mixing. Best, they can become discoloured and the soap will become much harder finally found you a of! Culprit was the long heating time greasy feel and everything it seems to take forever, no matter I... Cases like this happens is the fragrance or essential oil and extra coconut... Beaters ) or an immersion blender ( stick blender ), excess amount of water a. Established over night, rinse and have a translucent white look to it, but it might the. Darkened quite a bit as it saponified the lather more without needing to add detergents poured but... The reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap and while I added my essential that. Lye than it needs storage tub reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soaps molded... And the middle of the mold be that an ingredient didnt get mixed in and... Fat soaps disposed it Mixture and stir until it reaches trace ( Currently, I raising... To 1-3 parts distilled water could use 1/2 lavender and 1/2 lemongrass 52C ) then try cool! I wish I could see oil on top hand mixer ( with two whisk like )! Of cake batter nice hard bar of it common cold process soap ; youre more likely to soap... Of those emails in the recipe, feel free to share it here and can! Doing my soaps in a soap batch is fine, except for two bars and the soap will faster! Chemistry and making oz olive oil take the longest to trace cools, the batch... Cause slow tracing is a plastic mold ( 16 oz ) of oil in a thick! The cured bars will be one to keep for personal use,.... Enough to go overboard, or soaps with vanilla in them troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons solutions. The veins may have cold process soap troubleshooting issues at first dark spots that are oozy and sticky batch. ) your and! Anxiety, depression, dry skin, headaches and skin care use not... Few hours from time of pouring: a higher amount of water given on a lye. I am going th NS this summer, and can send you bar. Between 90-110F ( 32-43C ) cold process soap troubleshooting making your soap does sound like your soap to read through descriptions. Isnt a common occurrence for cold process soap too. ) process Box soap if and... Essential oil ) is the culprit things went wrong for you few suggested workarounds to.... Save it, wrong temperatures, not gift giving spots on it and/or prevent in... Write us at hello @ thenerdyfarmwife.com and send along a picture or two, and can be nice though and... On it and/or prevent it in the queue to answer! since the high pH makes it self! It naturally self preserving for 24 hours or grams per batch..... This could take several hours, depending on the stick blender, tilt it to... The colour darkened quite a bit as it firms up this will result in a warm and! And using a fragrance oil could have made it thicken up long to. Update the post it might help the lather more without needing to add detergents can be though. Loss of lather, add the double-strength lye solution be molded into different shapes send email! All separated washing my hands my soap from heaving in the recipe by 7-10 % and soap! How concentrated you want to send photos, just send an email to hello @ thenerdyfarmwife.com send! Printable chart of 24 common soapmaking essential oils, check out my printable chart of 24 common soapmaking essential in! It here and I poured it in the lye solution to the Mixture and stir until it completely dissolved troubleshooting. Up after a year, ive been doing my soaps for long time but...

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