Just for the sake of science, do you have room to store those for a month or so? If so, get them open to air and see what you have in a month. I get ash all the time, and badly, but it never burns my tongue after a proper cure. And the side of the bar never burns my tongue, just the ashy part.
I see potential DOS, but definitely badly mixed additives in some of them. I might keep those separate from the rest. If they start smelling rancid, toss.
I just wish I knew how old they were and what they were. Seller wouldn't really say. Just that they are still going to send me some bars of their best variety to make up for everything and basically restore her rep. So I will give them a chance but I'll be checking those too. She did mention she was freaking out about it though...and I would be too if I were her! So seems like a pretty genuine mistake.
I literally just reluctantly chucked the bag of them in the outside trash but decided to check in here again...glad I did. I rescued them and they are now laying out in the garage on a paper towel. While the smell isn't unpleasant, I was wondering why my room smelled weird this morning (I thought it was my tea from yesterday still sitting in the mug) then remembered I had the soaps in the closet still lol!
But anyway, before I chucked them, I took the worst bar, washed it off (my fingers burned a little while doing that I think....or could it all be in my head now? I dunno) broke it in half and zap tested the center. I still got a little tingle/burn. Albeit very mild compared to the outside white stuff but it was still there. So they're either not cured yet, or they are indeed lye heavy or now my brain is in lye heavy mode and it's all in my head. :\
I'll let them rest out there in the garage for a month or so and check them again. I have to dig through my soap stuff and see if I have any more PH paper to do a real test too.
If they are lye heavy, is there anything you can do with lye heavy soap? I think I read somewhere you can make laundry soap with it? I mean, there's no way to grind these up maybe add some additional oil and let it re-cure and it would be better right? Once lye heavy, always lye heavy?
Such a shame to chuck 11 full sized bars!
Oh! Also, can you guys tell me which ones you think have DOS and which are just the mix? Just so I can keep an eye on the DOS ones to see if they get any worse. Do you think I should cut out the DOS and it might help?
I am with Susie, I would wait and see what happens with them. At times I get extreme thick ash and it never burns.
Do you have any fragrance preferences or need all highly fragranced. I ask because I have a box of lovely soaps that were going to go in my seconds bucket. I would send you some, but many have faded fo's but are lovely soap. They are full bars and I could send you a mixed box for cost of shipping. Saves me from shredding them.
Wow! Really?! That would be awesome! I'll PM you to work out details. I'm not picky on scents (although I do have to say some of my favs are lavender and gardenia). I do not like melt and pour though. I only use made from scratch soaps. They're just for hubby and I to use in the shower. I don't buy store-bought soap anymore. Only handmade so I'm always picking up the odd bar here and there at craft fairs and such. I used to purchase from someone on Etsy who had such awesome and fragrant soap and the scent stayed on your skin for a little while after you showered..but she hasn't had anything in her shop for a long time now so I'm still on the hunt for a supplier so I don't have to rely on scavenging at craft fairs. lol
