I have a question. Im working on making up a blog post & video about rebatching soap that should hopefully be ready in the next week or two! If you can give me more details about your recipe and how theyre looking/smelling now, that might help us pinpoint the problem further! The lye solution has little floaty bits or flakes in it. With the melt and pour method, you aren't making soap completely from scratch with oils, liquid, and lye. Thanks for commenting! To avoid a gel phase, try: Solution: Use moderate amounts of clay and zinc oxide in your soap; more is not always better! (Dont throw it out, just be aware that it may need a long time to firm up, if it ever does, and will be extra superfatted/oil-heavy. Distilled Water @ 33% Lye Concentration (2:1/Water: Lye) 40% Olive Oli. Could it be glycerine? Super great article. series of 4 articles on natural colorants, try this trick by Good Earth Spa of drilling holes in the stick blender, tutorial on removing soda ash at Modern Soapmaking, printable chart of 24 common soapmaking essential oils, Simple Secrets: Anchoring Fragrances In CP Soap. Did the lye have any lumps or clumps in it? Do I need to rebatch my soap ? :). During the first 2 days, the lye is reacting with the oils and turning into soap. Have you tried grating it instead of cutting? https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-rebatch-soap-517103, https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/troubleshooting-cold-process-soap-problems/#section10, https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheNerdyFarmWife/posts, http://cavemanchemistry.com/DreadedOrangeSpot-Dunn.pdf, https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdyFarmWife, https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/coconut-laundry-soap-stain-stick-laundry-detergent-recipe/, https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/handmade101/learn-to-make-articles/All-That-Glycerol.aspx. Soap is soft and squishy, like playdough. #1. Reason: Palm free soaps and recipes high in olive oil (or other soft oils) sometimes take longer to firm up. Sometimes the veins may have a translucent white look to them. With cold process soap the water evaporates out during a process called cure. A longer cure time will give the soap time to fully saponify and to lose the excess moisture. I would rebatch it and then see how it does over the next few days. Read reviews before purchasing a fragrance oil to see if its known to do so, especially if its a floral or spice scent. If the lye solution is a strong dark brown though, then you can likely expect some type of tan or brownish color in the final soap. 10. It keeps the air off of the soap and I can still peek through and see how its doing. That might help with troubleshooting if you get a chance to let me know. Today when I tried to cut, it is crumbling, I stopped cutting, can I do anything to save it? That sounds like a great combination! The amount of lye and oils stays the same, so there is no danger of the soap becoming lye heavy and being too harsh. (4 to 6 weeks at absolute minimum, 3+ months is even better). (Try 115 to 120F , which is 46 to 49C.) This is most evident when you see hard clumpy lye. Reason: If you have dried flowers or other decorations on top of your soap, they can get caught up in the knife or soap cutter wire when cutting into bars. Thats still in the safe range for using as a body and/or shampoo bar for humans. Hi Susan, So glad you found the troubleshooting guide helpful! Solution: Dont run the stick blender continuously, try alternating hand stirring for 15 to 20 seconds, then just a short burst of the blender, then hand stir some more. It may take longer for certain soaps made of different oils or with different ingredients. Or, you can try adding the FO or EO to the warmed oils before adding the lye solution and stir by hand. Reason: Too much sodium lactate can cause the soap to become hard and crumbly. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. Thanks, Debbie, Hi Debbie! Sorry to hear that happened! Reason: The lye didnt completely dissolve and is now in crystalline form throughout the soap. Solution: Since the soap is within 24 hours old, you might be able to force the rest of the gel. After trace? The empty jug I weighed everything in was showing weight of 2.9 0z so I did add that too all weights while measuring. Ive never done this before so this whole thing is new to me. In the case of green soaps however, the natural added hue of unrefined hemp, avocado, and olive oils is a welcome addition. Reason: This is primarily a problem with fragrance oils. Be sure that the soap mixture is evenly distributed. 1130g distilled water Ice cubes Subscribe to Soap Tip Tuesdays and Ill send you my helpful Natural Colorants Reference Chart. Hot process soap should be cured for at least 1-3 weeks. This will result in a very thick trace, but it might help save the batch. i suspect that the lye is already expired since it is already hard. Today's cold process soap makers have resolved many troubling issues involved with the process of making soaps. If you you just add extra oils randomly, then youll end up with a really soft and oily soap that doesnt lather well. My first thought is that the glycerin amount in soap should stay the same, no matter how its presented (as glycerin rivers, or mixed into the soap per usual). Solution: If your temperatures get too cold, the fatty acids in solid fats can start solidifying before they can react with the lye, and you can end up with stearic acid spots. Cut into bars as soon as it firms up this will happen within just a few hours from time of pouring. Reason: Some fragrance oils (FO) may separate from the soap batter and form bead or pools of fragrant oil in the surface of the soap. Sodium hydroxide 4.79 +2.9 = 7.69 Hi Asmin! It will be easier to troubleshoot with more details. i made it yesterday and checked on it this morning. 381g avocado oil Try to be gentle at this stage as any movement can cause foaming of the soap, which will lead to a more opaque soap. They set up quickly so if you cut them into bars too late, theyll be very crumbly. When you create a recipe using a lye calculator, you normally calculate around a 5 or 6% superfat. Hi Alexa, Sorry to hear it did that! Dont add dry clay or colorant directly to thickened soap batter since you usually wont have time to work it completely in. It may be crumbly at the edges, or too soft. Do they smell like old oil, or unpleasant? Thank you, this is so helpful. Glycerin rivers in soap is often caused by overheating/uneven cooling, and can be encouraged by certain colorants, like titanium dioxide (you may have heard of titanium dioxide crackles!). Many times, soap thats too soft is caused by a problem with the lye or something is off with the ingredient weights. 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. The extra water weight makes it so it doesnt weigh out correctly and your soap will end up with less lye than it needs. If you are using single cavity molds, you can try freezing them to harden and hopefully the soap will pop out easier. This happens to me from time to time and I dont worry about it. Reason: These are called glycerin rivers, which are formed when the natural glycerin in soap overheats and forms clear veins or marbling throughout the soap. Whew! Also, be sure to give your soaps plenty of cure time. 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! 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. If your soap doesnt reach trace within 10 to 12 minutes, see if one of the situations below applies. Soap made with high amounts of olive oil take the longest to trace. Everyone wants their soap ready faster, but handmade soap requires a certain amount of time and patience. Blends nicely with bergamot, citrus oils, clary sage, spice oils, neroli, rose, sandalwood, palmarosa, patchouli, petitgrain and ylang ylang. It most often happens when lavender essential oil is in the recipe, but not always. ), 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. Soaps gels from the center outward. You can also find her writing about gardening and foraging over at her family's website: UnrulyGardening.com! Double check to be sure your recipe checks out with the lye calculator and that you are using the recommend amount of water. They arent harmful and sometimes even lend an interesting appearance to soap. Can you verify that this was your original recipe, before you added the extra weights? Some soapers also have good luck adding the misbehaving EO or FO to the warmed oils before adding the lye solution. Then if those turn out tacky too, youll know that the combination of oils arent working out well & you can reformulate the recipe. Thank you! Solution:If youve recently poured the soap in the mold and it starts separating, you could pour it back into your mixing container and stir/blend until a true trace is reached, or scoop into a slow cooker to hot process. Most of the saponification process happens then. On a daily basis I receive emails from Read More How to Stamp Soap Hi Carol, Im so sorry to hear it did that! Cold work rooms will increase risk of soda ash. So there is still hope before throwing it away! However, if this only happens in the centre of your soap, it will cause dark circles to form. Solution: Dilute honey with an equal part of warm water before adding to the soap batter. If youd like, I am going th NS this summer, and can send you a bar of it. :). Dont leave the soap unattended and keep an eye on it at all times. Jan Berry is a writer, herbalist, soapmaker, and bestselling author of The Big Book of Homemade Products, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, and Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps. I would do a combination of less coconut oil and higher superfat. When using sodium lactate, add around 1 teaspoon for every pound (16 oz) of oils in a recipe, stirred into the cooled lye solution. Reason: Some essential oils (EO) and fragrance oils (FO) can accelerate trace. thats very informative. The lye solution has a hard crust of lye on the bottom of the container. 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! All recipes are made and used at your own risk. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer!) We provide a 12-week soap-making class in one easy-to-read format, not . This can interact with the lye solution and form small floaty bits. I tested the PH is all around 7. 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 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. 4.95 oz shea butter. Reason: Soap has extremely overheated. Looking for answers. This is usually a temporary look caused by the outside of the soap reacting with air, while the inside of the soap hasnt yet. 972g grape seed oil Soap batter has expanded out of the mold (soap volcano). Q: Can anyone give me a melt and pour soap recipe for a soap thats good for psoriasis/eczema? Be easier to troubleshoot with more details about your recipe and how theyre looking/smelling now that! 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