Disappointed 😞

[SudsyJurn]

Hello,

Decided to unmold my latest batches of soap this morning and I was very disappointed with the outcome.

The first one is a mocha coffee scrub bar with coffee grinds, coffee oil, and cocoa powder as the colorant.
The second bar is an unscented gentle skin bar with bentonite clay for the colorant.

Any advice or input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I followed the directions exactly and poured at a light to medium trace. I soaped at between 100 and 105 degrees.
I covered them with parchment and wrapped them each in a blanket. I let them sit for about 36 hours.
They were both soft, the gentle skin one was very soft and kept sticking to the knife. I know I probably should have just stopped and let them cure more but I was a bit upset at this point.
Any thoughts on the mocha one? It seems to have an off colored rind and possibly glycerin rivers but I'm not sure if thats it or now. Any advice on how to avoid this?
Thank you!

 

[cmzaha]

As for the mocha one I am seeing drag marks either from the coffee grinds dragging down with the knife or marks from the knife. It is hard to stop drag marks when stuff if piled on the top of the soap if you cut from the top down. To be blunt I hate anything other than m&p on top of soap and all those coffee grounds are going to be a mess in a tub or shower. It does look like it was just hard enough to cut or maybe could have waited a few more hours but I really think the culprit is the coffee grounds, which can still create drags marks in a firmer soap when cutting.

The other soap was simply cut too soon. Your soap needs to be firm enough to still have a bit of give but, firmer than cream cheese. Your bottom soap looks to have been more of a cream cheese texture to me, but it is hard to tell in pictures.

You can add Sodium Lactate to help harden up soap so it is easier to un-mold allowing to cut sooner.

 

[SudsyJurn]

As for the mocha one I am seeing drag marks either from the coffee grinds dragging down with the knife or marks from the knife. It is hard to stop drag marks when stuff if piled on the top of the soap if you cut from the top down. To be blunt I hate anything other than m&p on top of soap and all those coffee grounds are going to be a mess in a tub or shower. It does look like it was just hard enough to cut or maybe could have waited a few more hours but I really think the culprit is the coffee grounds, which can still create drags marks in a firmer soap when cutting.

The other soap was simply cut too soon. Your soap needs to be firm enough to still have a bit of give but, firmer than cream cheese. Your bottom soap looks to have been more of a cream cheese texture to me, but it is hard to tell in pictures.

You can add Sodium Lactate to help harden up soap so it is easier to un-mold allowing to cut sooner.

Ok. Thanks.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Hello,

Decided to unmold my latest batches of soap this morning and I was very disappointed with the outcome.

The first one is a mocha coffee scrub bar with coffee grinds, coffee oil, and cocoa powder as the colorant.
The second bar is an unscented gentle skin bar with bentonite clay for the colorant.

Any advice or input would be appreciated.

Thanks.

I followed the directions exactly and poured at a light to medium trace. I soaped at between 100 and 105 degrees.
I covered them with parchment and wrapped them each in a blanket. I let them sit for about 36 hours.
They were both soft, the gentle skin one was very soft and kept sticking to the knife. I know I probably should have just stopped and let them cure more but I was a bit upset at this point.
Any thoughts on the mocha one? It seems to have an off colored rind and possibly glycerin rivers but I'm not sure if thats it or now. Any advice on how to avoid this?
Thank you!

If you lay the loaf on it’s side when you cut so you are not cutting through the top and dragging the grounds through the soap it would have cut cleaner. I agree with @cmzaha, that’s a lot of grinds on top. Maybe just a sprinkle next time. I think your soap looks nice and I’m sure they smell yummy! Don’t be disappointed. It’s still soap and it’s all a learning experience.

 

[SudsyJurn]

If you lay the loaf on it’s side when you cut so you are not cutting through the top and dragging the grounds through the soap it would have cut cleaner. I agree with @cmzaha, that’s a lot of grinds on top. Maybe just a sprinkle next time. I think your soap looks nice and I’m sure they smell yummy!

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind if there's a next time. I'm honestly not a fan of coffee so smelling it the whole time I was making it gave me a headache. Everyone else in the house loves the smell though.
I was more curious about the opaqueish lines in the actual bar itself. Are they glycerin rivers or just discoloration that may fade? This was my first time trying a soap that had this much going on and I'm honestly not too thrilled with it.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Thank you. I'll keep that in mind if there's a next time. I'm honestly not a fan of coffee so smelling it the whole time I was making it gave me a headache. Everyone else in the house loves the smell though.
I was more curious about the opaqueish lines in the actual bar itself. Are they glycerin rivers or just discoloration that may fade? This was my first time trying a soap that had this much going on and I'm honestly not too thrilled with it.

It looks like that’s what it is. This is a pic of one of my soaps with glycerin rivers.

 

[SudsyJurn]

It looks like that’s what it is. This is a pic of one of my soaps with glycerin rivers.View attachment 45647

Ok, thank you! Your soaps look gorgeous!

 

[Hinata]

Don’t be disappointed! They look beautiful.

Sometimes I have a swirly design in mind but then I get soap on a stick and then I just have to work with what I got. Apparently cloves in the FO causes very bad seizing. It’s all part of the fun! It may not be exactly as your had in mind but it’s still nice. In this pic I wanted to swirl the coffee bottom layer with the pumpkin tumeric layer but the universe had its own plan!

 

[SudsyJurn]

Don’t be disappointed! They look beautiful.

Sometimes I have a swirly design in mind but then I get soap on a stick and then I just have to work with what I got. Apparently cloves in the FO causes very bad seizing. It’s all part of the fun! It may not be exactly as your had in mind but it’s still nice. In this pic I wanted to swirl the coffee bottom layer with the pumpkin tumeric layer but the universe had its own plan!

Thank you! Oooh I can only imagine how amazing that bar must be! I love the contrast of the colors as well I instantly think of fall!

 

[Hinata]

It was a pumpkin spiced latte with tumeric and coffee exfoliant. I was hoping there would be a greater contrast between the middle and bottom layers but it didn’t come out as I envisioned!

 

[DeeAnna]

...I was more curious about the opaqueish lines in the actual bar itself. Are they glycerin rivers or just discoloration that may fade?...

I've seen this type of effect -- differently colored border between layers -- when there is a distinct difference in the water content between the layers of soap. Yes, it's a type of "glycerin" river if you want to call it that.

https://auntieclaras.com/2014/08/intentional-crop-circles-water-discount-as-a-design-tool/https://auntieclaras.com/2015/09/the-ghost-swirl/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/smf-december-challenge-high-and-low-water-batch.57559/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/official-entry-thread-for-the-december-challenge.57739/

 

[SudsyJurn]

It was a pumpkin spiced latte with tumeric and coffee exfoliant. I was hoping there would be a greater contrast between the middle and bottom layers but it didn’t come out as I envisioned!

Sorry it didn't come out as you expected. Did you use the turmeric to color the middle layer?

I've seen this type of effect -- differently colored border between layers -- when there is a distinct difference in the water content between the layers of soap. Yes, it's a type of "glycerin" river if you want to call it that.

https://auntieclaras.com/2014/08/intentional-crop-circles-water-discount-as-a-design-tool/https://auntieclaras.com/2015/09/the-ghost-swirl/
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/smf-december-challenge-high-and-low-water-batch.57559/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/official-entry-thread-for-the-december-challenge.57739/

Thank you! I'm beginning to think I need to go back and read all of Auntie Clara's blog posts! This is amazing.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Ok, thank you! Your soaps look gorgeous!

Thank you and...Oops...those other pics were posted by accident! I must have hit something with my hand mistakenly when I was selecting pics. It was the orange soap I wanted you to see.

 

[SudsyJurn]

Thank you and...Oops...those other pics were posted by accident! I must have hit something with my hand mistakenly when I was selecting pics. It was the orange soap I wanted you to see.

Its ok, I figured. Even the orange is gorgeous. The glycerin rivers are such an interesting thing.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Its ok, I figured. Even the orange is gorgeous. The glycerin rivers are such an interesting thing.

They are and I really like them in some soaps. Some people actually try and get them in their soaps because they love the look.

 

[Hinata]

Sorry it didn't come out as you expected. Did you use the turmeric to color the middle layer?

The orange was the tumeric! With some mica as well!

 

[SudsyJurn]

The orange was the tumeric! With some mica as well!

So let me ask since you've used both do you prefer "natural" colorants over mica or vice-versa? I had originally thought I'd stay with "natural" colorabts but the artist in me is in love with the beautifully bright colors the micas and oxides provide.

They are and I really like them in some soaps. Some people actually try and get them in their soaps because they love the look.

Yes! The links that DeeAnna had posted talked all about forced glycerin and they're gorgeous!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Warning Will Robinson! Most natural colorants are often duller than you might hope. I've used turmeric and it's bright yellow in the raw soap batter, but ends up creamy coloured after cure. Greens are particularly hard to get in naturals - search green for an experiment that @KiwiSoap undertook. Most botanicals turn brown after a month or two.

 

[Hinata]

Agreed! As Kiwi said, lots of natural colors fade or even worse turn brown. My customer will barely wait the recommended 4 weeks for this soap and will probably use it as soon as she gets it so it may hold its color until the end. But had I aged it 6 months before selling I am sure the color will fade, hence why I used the mica. The customer requested tumeric to be in the soap for medicinal value that's why it was in the soap and to help with the aesthetics the mica was added.

I believe algea color sticks? I've used chlorella/spirulina in my soaps from 3 months ago (a sea salt bar that I hidden away as my treasure) and the green still holds--- in a salt bar nonetheless!

 

[SudsyJurn]

Warning Will Robinson! Most natural colorants are often duller than you might hope. I've used turmeric and it's bright yellow in the raw soap batter, but ends up creamy coloured after cure. Greens are particularly hard to get in naturals - search green for an experiment that @KiwiSoap undertook. Most botanicals turn brown after a month or two.

Thank you, I can't seem to find that post by doing a search, but I will keep this information in mind.

Agreed! As Kiwi said, lots of natural colors fade or even worse turn brown. My customer will barely wait the recommended 4 weeks for this soap and will probably use it as soon as she gets it so it may hold its color until the end. But had I aged it 6 months before selling I am sure the color will fade, hence why I used the mica. The customer requested tumeric to be in the soap for medicinal value that's why it was in the soap and to help with the aesthetics the mica was added.

I believe algea color sticks? I've used chlorella/spirulina in my soaps from 3 months ago (a sea salt bar that I hidden away as my treasure) and the green still holds--- in a salt bar nonetheless!

So do the medicinal values survive the sponification, or not really?