Attempt 2: forgot to SF! How bad did I mess up!?

[NewbiSoaper]

Okay folks!

My 2nd attempt at making soap could be a disaster! I have no idea what to expect! I ran the re ipe through a lye calculator with a 5% SF but forgot to add the SF!!

Recipe: 25 oz of oils

Avocado 15% 3.75 oz
Coconut 25% 6.25 oz
Rice bran 45% 11.25 oz
Shea 10% 2.50 oz
Sweet almond 5% 1.25 oz
Lye 3.37oz
Water 8.25 oz

I have never used this recipe before.

I was going to SF at 5% but forgot to add it at trace! I didn't remember until it was already in the mold, isulated and in the oven!

I was going to pull it out anyways but thought I would make too big of mess and I layered two different EO's and didnt want them to mix together.

How bad of a screw up is this ans what should I expect?!

 

[Susie]

It is just going to be a 0% superfat soap that you are probably going to want to shred and use as confetti in a couple or three new batches.

There is no benefit, whatsoever, to adding oils at trace. The lye is going to saponify what it wants over the next 3 days or so, so waiting until trace has no benefit. All my oils (including EOs and FOs) go together before the lye.

Also, "layering" EOs has no benefit unless you know that your EO/FO is going to misbehave and you put it into the top layer. Whomever uses that soap is going to smell both scents at the same time.

 

[cmzaha]

Your biggest problem with leaving out the superfat oil, which I am guessing is the SAO is your high percentage of CO. I superfat very low, but I also use very low CO in my soaps. I would shred it after it sits and finishes saponifying for 72 hrs at least and add it into a new batch superfatted around 7-8% to compensate. Personally I despise rebatching, if you decide to confetti it you I would split it between 2 new batches of soap batter

 

[NewbiSoaper]

^^^Susie
I think newbiesoaper is doing hot process.

Hahaha! Nope! I just dont really know what I'm doing!

 

[penelopejane]

I make 0%SF soap and I like it.
I find that RB over 10% makes a soft bar and any coconut oil dries my skin.
Other members of my famly like it though! Most in the board suggest keeping it below or well below 20%.

Using a base of olive oil (the base is generally the highest % oil and generally olive, palm or lard/tallow) makes a very nice hard bar but does require a longer cure to get the full benefits of hardness and nice lather.
I use either Avocado or Almond in a soap or their benefits get lost.

I would cure this and test it for yourself. Everyone has personal preferences in soap and your skin might like it. High RB soaps are very gentle.

 

[penelopejane]

Hahaha! Nope! I just dont really know what I'm doing!

I know! I did check in case I got you confused with someone else (yes I had) and deleted the post but you were too quick for me!

You do know what you are doing - you made real soap! Congratulations.

 

[NewbiSoaper]

It is just going to be a 0% superfat soap that you are probably going to want to shred and use as confetti in a couple or three new batches.

There is no benefit, whatsoever, to adding oils at trace. The lye is going to saponify what it wants over the next 3 days or so, so waiting until trace has no benefit. All my oils (including EOs and FOs) go together before the lye.

Also, "layering" EOs has no benefit unless you know that your EO/FO is going to misbehave and you put it into the top layer. Whomever uses that soap is going to smell both scents at the same time.

So I'm obviously very new at this so please excuse my complete lack of knowledge but here goes ... Question .. my understanding is that superfatting is when we add more oil then the lye can saponify so those extra oils are left behind in the soap, thus your skin is abe to absorb those properties and benefit from them? Is that correct? So ... what would be the difference in adding the SF at trace or mixing it in with all of the oils be for mixing with lye (other then it decreases the likelihood that you will forget to add it - which would have been very beneficial to me today!!)

I guess I didnt really "layer", I just split the batch in half and added a different EO to each - the fragrances do compliment each other so it's not a big deal if they mix - I just didn't necessearly want them mixing together, I wanted to be able to differentiate the two.

Sounds like I will be rebatching this, just like my first batch! Ahhh! Lol!

 

[NewbiSoaper]

Your biggest problem with leaving out the superfat oil, which I am guessing is the SAO is your high percentage of CO. I superfat very low, but I also use very low CO in my soaps. I would shred it after it sits and finishes saponifying for 72 hrs at least and add it into a new batch superfatted around 7-8% to compensate. Personally I despise rebatching, if you decide to confetti it you I would split it between 2 new batches of soap batter

Thanks, sounds like I will be confetting it .. just like I will be doing to my first batch!! Lol

 

[NewbiSoaper]

I know! I did check in case I got you confused with someone else (yes I had) and deleted the post but you were too quick for me!

You do know what you are doing - you made real soap! Congratulations.

Haha! Thanks! At this rate, I will be a pro at rebatching in no time!

 

[NewbiSoaper]

I make 0%SF soap and I like it.
I find that RB over 10% makes a soft bar and any coconut oil dries my skin.
Other members of my famly like it though! Most in the board suggest keeping it below or well below 20%.

Using a base of olive oil (the base is generally the highest % oil and generally olive, palm or lard/tallow) makes a very nice hard bar but does require a longer cure to get the full benefits of hardness and nice lather.
I use either Avocado or Almond in a soap or their benefits get lost.

I would cure this and test it for yourself. Everyone has personal preferences in soap and your skin might like it. High RB soaps are very gentle.

I'll cure a few bars and probably confetti the rest.

I don't want to use tallow or palm and my supplier has been out of olive for quite sometime and because of all of my mistakes, I don't want to buy it from a grocery store as it can be pretty expensive!

I have a lot of coconut and canola, quite a bit of rice brand, avocado, Sweet almond and then shea, cocoa and mango butter .. I'd like to use up most of what I have before purchasing more ..

 

[penelopejane]

I'll cure a few bars and probably confetti the rest.

I don't want to use tallow or palm and my supplier has been out of olive for quite sometime and because of all of my mistakes, I don't want to buy it from a grocery store as it can be pretty expensive!

I have a lot of coconut and canola, quite a bit of rice brand, avocado, Sweet almond and then shea, cocoa and mango butter .. I'd like to use up most of what I have before purchasing more ..

Our olive oil (EVOO etc) is cheaper at the supermarket than from soap making suppliers. I don't know why. I don't use lard or palm so have tested RB a lot!

 

[NewbiSoaper]

Our olive oil (EVOO etc) is cheaper at the supermarket than from soap making suppliers. I don't know why. I don't use lard or palm so have tested RB a lot!

Really? Thats so strange! Suppliers are about half the price of grocery stores here for olive oil!

I am thinking that I will probably using quite a bit of RB so any insights you have that you don't mind sharing would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Susie]

I buy my OO at Sam's, which comes out cheaper than buying from a supplier, then paying shipping. We use OO to cook with anyway, so having it handy is no hardship.

The prevailing theme on YouTube is to save your "special" oils for superfat at trace. This has been proven to be ineffective by Kevin Dunn, who is a scientist and has written "Scientific Soapmaking" that is a good read once you've had more experience, and understand the basics.

Don't feel bad about rebatching or making confetti of soap. We've all been there, that's why we can tell you we hate rebatching, and how to make confetti soap. If/when you make confetti, make the soap it goes with a definite contrasting color, so it looks like you meant to do that (and we won't tell anyone you didn't).

 

[NewbiSoaper]

I buy my OO at Sam's, which comes out cheaper than buying from a supplier, then paying shipping. We use OO to cook with anyway, so having it handy is no hardship.

The prevailing theme on YouTube is to save your "special" oils for superfat at trace. This has been proven to be ineffective by Kevin Dunn, who is a scientist and has written "Scientific Soapmaking" that is a good read once you've had more experience, and understand the basics.

Don't feel bad about rebatching or making confetti of soap. We've all been there, that's why we can tell you we hate rebatching, and how to make confetti soap. If/when you make confetti, make the soap it goes with a definite contrasting color, so it looks like you meant to do that (and we won't tell anyone you didn't).

Oh you Americans have all the good stuff! Lol!

I have a "side job" selling infused EVOO's and other spices and balsamics so I don't buy just the regular olive oil anymore, besides, it is fairly expensive. Once I run out of the oils I have, I will have to get some, even if it means buying from another supplier.

I will deff keep the contrasting color suggestion in mind when I do rebatch! Thanks so much for your help!

 

[lenarenee]

I screwed up a recipe once so it ended up without a sf. Hated the soap and stuck it way in the back of the curing shelf. After many months (about 7) it actually wasn't that bad and was quite usable. I did have a lower coconut amount though.

 

[NewbiSoaper]

I screwed up a recipe once so it ended up without a sf. Hated the soap and stuck it way in the back of the curing shelf. After many months (about 7) it actually wasn't that bad and was quite usable. I did have a lower coconut amount though.

Gahh! Lol! Well I have a gigantic tub of CO so it's not looking like there will be any excaping it anytime soon ... I guess I will be looking for another ingredient to counteract it's drying effects .. on to the next! Lol

 

[lenarenee]

Gahh! Lol! Well I have a gigantic tub of CO so it's not looking like there will be any excaping it anytime soon ... I guess I will be looking for another ingredient to counteract it's drying effects .. on to the next! Lol

Oh you should keep the coconut oil in your recipes since it brings big bubbles to the lather, but for many people 15 to 20 percent coconut oil is the comfort zone in terms of not being too drying.

And then there's salt bars.....100 percent Co with 20% sf!!

 

[NewbiSoaper]

Oh you should keep the coconut oil in your recipes since it brings big bubbles to the lather, but for many people 15 to 20 percent coconut oil is the comfort zone in terms of not being too drying.

And then there's salt bars.....100 percent Co with 20% sf!!

15-20 .. I'll definitely keep that in mind!

I tried a salt bar today! I had a lye mishap and used dead sea salt! Lol! At least I am learning what NOT to do! I'll get there! Thanks so much for your help!!

 

[Arimara]

I plugged in the recipe and so far, given the recipe, you have a greater superfat than 5%. Given the amount of RBO you used, I'd be a little more worried about it developing DOS. If there's something I missed, please let me know.

 

[lenarenee]

15-20 .. I'll definitely keep that in mind!

I tried a salt bar today! I had a lye mishap and used dead sea salt! Lol! At least I am learning what NOT to do! I'll get there! Thanks so much for your help!!

You certainly are eager! Glad you're not giving up - and yes, you will get there!