Disaster of a first and second batch...

jewel531 · Jul 14, 2009

Can someone tell me what I did wrong here. I found a recipe online that should have worked, I even ran it through a lye calculator and followed the directions exactly. I don't get what happened here. Below are some pictures - hopefully they will work

First Batch - wasn't as bad as the second - but it has all these little bumps/bubble looking things on the top. And the color didn't come out as vividly as I would have liked - I used Ruby Mica, and I thought it was going to be really red, but I guess not.

Second Batch - wierd looking and strange texture to it. I also used Mica in this batch - but a little more than I did in the first batch.

So yeah I don't know what I did, but its not right I can tell you that much.

Can someone help with a sample recipe I can use that they have used and KNOW it turns out well. Cause I'm not doing so well with this CP soap, as you can see.

Soooo dissapointing.... and I don't want to keep wasting supplies.

Also can I melt any of this down and rebatch it somehow - does anyone know how to do that.

Or if you want to rebatch them yourself, I wouldn't mind sending them to you if you wanted them (on my dollar, of course).

Help PLEASE!!!!

dagmar88 · Jul 14, 2009

Hi Jewel,
The first batch doesn't look bad at all... If you don't want that structure on top you need to pour at a lighter trace, or tap your mold on the counter a couple of times, that will straighten the soap out a little. Anyway, most people quite like a structure on top.
What was your recipe? You have to realise when your soap is white, your red will be 'deluted' to a pink when you've only used a small amount.
You also seem to have some ash (white powdery substance) going on? You could read a topic about how to prevent ash; as long as I'm not selling I don't mind it :wink:
The second one looks exactly like a soap I made once, even the same color :lol:

I think I had overcooked that one.

What I find the easiest way to soap is melt your solid oils gently, turn of the heat source, pour in your liquid oils. Prepare your lye solution in the main time... and then I just wait and let them almost cool down till room temp or a little above when I'm impatient

To start, I'd advise to use just one or two oils, very simple, so you can get the hang of it.
You could make a 100% olive oil or 100% coconut oil. When you use the search function on coconut, bastille or castille I'm sure you'll find something.
Just keep it simple. No need for fancy swirls or scents :lol:

Know it's very tempting

bombus · Jul 14, 2009

Jewel-

Your first batch looks really nice! Most micas are made for Melt & Pour soap.
When mixed with opaque C.P. they color the soap, but you don't get sparkle.
I think you got a very nice pink.

Next time, cut a piece of freezer paper the size of the inside of your mold
before you pour the soap. Just the size to sit on top of the soap, not the
edges of the mold. After you finish your swirl, mist it with rubbing alcohol
(pour it into a spray bottle), and cover it with the paper- or you could use
plastic wrap. Leave it covered until you slice it.

Your little white spots COULD be undissolved lye. Touch it with your tongue
to see if you fee a "zap". When you mix your lye, stir until it is clear. As long
as the solution is cloudy, the lye is not completely dissolved. Then leave it
to cool.

Your second batch looks like some soap I made when I misplaced my
soaping scale. I used a kitchen scale, which was not as precise. That soap
never really smoothed out, even with the stick blender. It looked "curdled".
I think that I had too much oil, but not sure what the problem was.
When I cut it, the bars were oily. During the cure, the oil was re-sorbed.
The soap was fine, but never lost it's grainy looks.

If you want to rebatch, do a search in the forum on that term- you will find some good suggestions.

You're doing fine- keep it up!

jewel531 · Jul 14, 2009

Thanks

Actually I don't mind the first one as much, the swirl kinda looked alright, and I don't mind the texure, just really wasn't sure what the ash was. I will read up about it, and how to prevent it, thanks Dagmar!

Bombus - I will try the rubbing alcohol and see if that helps me too. I will also check if its undissolved lye - but I believe I mixed it pretty well, it wasn't cloudy when I mixed it, but who knows - it is only my second batch. (Well third batch really, but the first batch isn't even worth showing at all! lol)

Thanks for the advice, I think tonight I will try it again and post some pictures and let you know how they turn out!

Also does anyone know if I should let the soap cure for the 3 weeks before I try to do a rebatch with it?

I was so nervous trying to do CP soap, but its not as complicated as I thought it would be.

Thanks all for your help!