Could this be lye pockets?

[sasha_88]

Hi everyone! I'm new at soap making and experience some problems. Yesterday I made a batch with goat's milk powder, honey and different oils and butters. I used a good lye calculator, mixed everything thoroughly, including the lye. I dissolved it in water, while I used a small amount of water to reconstitute the goat's milk and added it to the oils. I added the honey at trace. Goat's milk powder was 1 1/2 tbsp and honey 1 tbsp (700 g oils). No fragrance added, 5% superfat, cold process. It reached trace very quickly, just within minutes of stick blending and I poured it in the mold at light trace. I thought everything was going well but today I noticed my soap looks like this. It's been around 20 hours since I made it. Does anyone have an idea what might be worng? The third picture is of a cut bar and there are small holes in it. Yesterday it was perfectly smooth.

 

[pamielynn]

To ME, it looks like maybe the honey didn't incorporate and settled to the bottom. Your last pic just looks like air bubbles.

 

[sasha_88]

That's good to know, I really hope it will be safe to use.

 

[JustBeachy]

I agree with pamielyn, last picture looks like air bubbles. Zap test it. If you're still concerned in a day or two, cut a bar into a few smaller pieces and zap test the different layers.

 

[seven]

pics 1 & 3 look good. pic 2, i might be a tiny bit concerned about the small white spots on the bottom left. to be sure, zap test it.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with the others. It's so hard to tell but zap test it and if it doesn't zap you should be okay.

 

[sasha_88]

Thanks for your opinions. The white spots on the bottom of the second picture are little bits of soap as I cut it when it was still soft and it crumbled, they are not inside the soap. I'll zap test it later today - I've never done it before but I guess I'll have to overcome my fear

 

[pamielynn]

You don't have to stick your tongue right on it (though that is what I do). You can wet your finger, rub it around on the soap, then touch your finger to your tongue. If it's zappy - you'll know it, but it's not the same as if you stuck your tongue right into a bowl of lye water

 

[sasha_88]

Thank you all! Today the soap looks much better and it's smooth! Maybe the saponification wasn't over yesterday? I cut it into bars and everything looked fine on the inside, although it was still quite soft. I didn't feel anything when I did a zap test, except for unpleasant taste. And I'm ready for new soap adventures! :smile:

 

[deadspace]

I i want to start my soap

 

[Susie]

I i want to start my soap

So what is holding you back?

 

[deadspace]

what is the best preservative?? because im thinking what preservative i wil add...to make the quality longer

 

[girlishcharm2004]

what is the best preservative?? because im thinking what preservative i wil add...to make the quality longer

Longer quality?