Can anyone tell me what this is?

[darneshiamixon]

I just unmolded this soap after 36 hours and found perspiration on top. Is this something I should worry about? I cut it and the i sides of the bars look fine. The overall bar is still soft but not so much so that I can't pick it up without denting it. I used dried herbs.

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[cmzaha]

It is not uncommon for soap to sweat, especially if you live in a humid area. If you gelled your soap it can still be from the trapped inside your soap causing some of the oils, fragrance, or liquid to weep out, it will re-absorb or you can aim a fan on it to help it re-absorb quicker. When there can be a potential going on inside your soap such as overheating and the creation of craters is if you have pools of leaking oils, but this is not the case.

 

[darneshiamixon]

It is not uncommon for soap to sweat, especially if you live in a humid area. If you gelled your soap it can still be from the trapped inside your soap causing some of the oils, fragrance, or liquid to weep out, it will re-absorb or you can aim a fan on it to help it re-absorb quicker. When there can be a potential going on inside your soap such as overheating and the creation of craters is if you have pools of leaking oils, but this is not the case.

Thank you! I let it harden at room temperature. It appears to have partially gelled although I didn't insulate since I used essential oils for the scent.

 

[Zing]

Nice looking top there. What's it looking like now after 12 hours? Can you clarify your last sentence? I almost always insulate with towels and gel my soaps. I use essential oils for scents. And what's it smell like?!

 

[hlee]

It looks like EO to me. If you are brave you can taste it to find out for sure. It will normally seep back in after a day or two if EO.
Your soap top is so pretty!

 

[darneshiamixon]

@Zing thank you! Here's what it looks like now: I think it gelled because the inside is much darker than the top. Is that an indication?

And to clarify, I was told to prevent gel phase when using essential oils because it would burn them all away.

It's unscented now lol but it DID smell like Clove and Oregano. Now it just smells like the butters I used.

 

[darneshiamixon]

@hlee I'll taste tomorrow night because I'm too chicken to do it this soon

 

[darneshiamixon]

It looks like EO to me. If you are brave you can taste it to find out for sure. It will normally seep back in after a day or two if EO.
Your soap top is so pretty!

Thank you so much! It only took me like 15 minutes to do It was part "perfectionist" part "addiction". Once I got swirling I couldn't stop. I'd probably still be doing it if it hadn't hardened up. Lol

 

[Zing]

Just by looking at it, I'm not sure if it gelled or not. Partial gel will have a distinct round solid circle in the middle. I always gel and I'll frequently check my soap under a pile of towels and it is very warm, sometimes hot, to the touch. Did yours heat up? The top may be a different color simply because it was exposed to the air. Again, nice top.

I always gel and I always use essential oils, 3 years plus. Where did you get your information on preventing gel phase when using essential oils?

 

[darneshiamixon]

@Zing thank you!

A soap maker on YouTube mentioned it in a video I was watching. She said that out would be a waste of EO to gel your cp soap because it would all burn off. I also read it here: Essential oils and temperature

 

[KiwiMoose]

I regu

@Zing thank you!

A soap maker on YouTube mentioned it in a video I was watching. She said that out would be a waste of EO to gel your cp soap because it would all burn off. I also read it here: Essential oils and temperature

I regularly use Eos and i always gel. No problems so far.

 

[sang90]

Hi ,

I had faced a similar situation twice:
1.When it was raining outside
2.When I added too much sugar to the lye solution

 

[darneshiamixon]

I regu

I regularly use Eos and i always gel. No problems so far.

Okay! I'll try it out for myself then on my next batch. Thank you!

 

[darneshiamixon]

Hi ,

I had faced a similar situation twice:
1.When it was raining outside
2.When I added too much sugar to the lye solution

Can you tell me what the rain was about for you? Could it have been the humidity? Luckily it's all gone from my tops now!

 

[darneshiamixon]

@Zing Sorry I was half asleep writing back last night. I have no idea if it heated up or not. I let them harden in my hall closet to keep them away from everyone! Lol. I didn't check on it until 24 hours later then I let it sit for another 12 hours before cutting. But the new Rose Clay one was around 105 in the middle of the mold and around 85 around the perimeter when I checked it after a couple of hours last night.

 

[SoapSisters]

I had a loaf "sweat" recently. I saw it the morning after I made the soap and wanted to find out what it was (oil? EO?) so I touched it. Lye water! I found out really quickly because it burnt my finger tip. Be careful if you decide to taste it!!

 

[darneshiamixon]

I had a loaf "sweat" recently. I saw it the morning after I made the soap and wanted to find out what it was (oil? EO?) so I touched it. Lye water! I found out really quickly because it burnt my finger tip. Be careful if you decide to taste it!!

Oh my goodness!!! Well, I tasted it last night after it had gone away and thankfully it only tasted like soap. Even did a day 1 lather test and all is well!

 

[cmzaha]

It looks like EO to me. If you are brave you can taste it to find out for sure. It will normally seep back in after a day or two if EO.
Your soap top is so pretty!

Do not taste seeping liquid on the soap, any liquid/dew can be mixed with active lye and give you a very nasty burn. Lye can stay active up to 72 hrs while it finishes saponification, so if this seeped from the center of the soap it could be zappy.

 

[SoapLover1]

I would NOT use a soap that has Lye water seeping from it! Destroy it and pour Vinegar on it in the trash. It’s not usable. It can cause harm to you and whomever uses it.

 

[darneshiamixon]

I would NOT use a soap that has Lye water seeping from it! Destroy it and pour Vinegar on it in the trash. It’s not usable. It can cause harm to you and whomever uses it.

Thank you! But I don't believe it's lye water. I believe it was just essential oil . It's dried since then (within 12 hours) and I used it last night without getting burned.