Do as I say, not as I do

[JennH]

So...banana soap made its way to the top of my list. I'm sure when others are making it, they are adding 1 T of banana, or some similar measley amount.

Not me. I blended a whole banana together with a splash of water to make my lye water. I would probably not recommend this. As I was mixing my lye into the "water", the water...seized, I guess. Basically turned into a gooey lump. Of course, I continued, undaunted. As I added the remainder of the lye, the mix loosened up. And turned chocolate brown:



I proceeded to make my soap. It didn't seem to want to trace. I eventually stopped mixing as my SB was getting hot. I had wanted to get to a thicker trace so I could add some poppy seeds, but that just wasn't going to happen. The finished soap batter was nice and smooth so I feel pretty confident that all the lye did dissolve.

Its now sitting in the fridge. Who knows how this experiment is going to turn out.

 

[Dennis]

Be still my heart! Another adventurous soul that just dumps it in to see what happens. I love it. You are not alone. :clap:

 

[Seawolfe]

Ooh! What's it smell like? That's quite the recipe, can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[JennH]

The fragrance I used was caramel custard. I figured I may as well throw in a fagrance that discolors since it couldn't get much darker.

Right now it mostly just smells...hot...

 

[neeners]

How exciting!!! Can't wait to see what happens!

 

[paillo]

Next time maybe try adding the pureed banana at trace? I have to admit I'm scared to put anything that might get 'the vapors' in the lye water, usually add it at trace. If it was me I'd mix a whole pureed banana with a little of some kind of milk. Eager too to see the results!

 

[Obsidian]

When I made my potato soap, it thickened up like that too. Once mixed into the oils, it smoothed right out and the soap turned out wonderful.

 

[cmzaha]

I do not add anything other than my water in my lye. I pre-make my lye solution 3 gallons at a time so I do not have to waste time waiting for lye to cool. I then puree my banana with my milk, yogurt, aloe, beer, etc, for the balance of my liquid. I use 1 whole banana in my 58 oz oil batches. This way I do not have thick, discolored, stinky lye and no lye volcanos

 

[AngelMomma]

It probably just got dark because of so much sugar in the banana. I make my banana soap with 4 oz(almost 2 whole bananas) of banana puree that is strained. But I have always kept the lye water in an ice water bath while adding the lye. In the next batch I am going to see how I like adding it at trace instead.

I don't know about it not wanting to trace though......I've never had that happen with mine. Was the weight of the banana discounted from the weight of your water?

 

[JennH]

Oh, I know its my fault it got dark. Once it congealed, adding the lye slowly went out the window! It was every man for himself at that point! And my banana pretty much WAS my water.

The soap has set up in the mold, so we shall see...

 

[MzMolly65]

Once it congealed, adding the lye slowly went out the window! It was every man for himself at that point!

:lolno: too funny .. you're a brave, brave soaper!

 

[JennH]

soooo....it looks like I made soap! No funny weepy bits, or chunks or anything too suspicious. The congealed lye ball seems to have worked!

HOWEVER the soap did do something unexpected. When I checked it the morning after I had made it, it looked like it had gotten LIGHTER. Now that its been cut...well...





It has lighter colored edges. Huh...This fragrance should discolor, so I guess I'll see what happens. At least its symmetrical, I guess.

As far as scent, it had lost pretty much all of the scent, including the scent from the FO. It does seem to be getting some back though. I almost think I can smell some banana, but that is likely all in my head. It also seems extra dense, but again, probably all in my head.

I kind of can't wait for this one to cure!

 

[FlybyStardancer]

They might be odd, but those colored edges do look cool to me!

 

[Dennis]

Scent could come back. Possibly not as strong, but can come back.

 

[neeners]

how interesting!!! the soap looks soooo smooth!!! now...we await usage feedback....

 

[grayceworks]

One of my carrot soaps did that. I had used full water, maybe more, now that I thjnk on it. It was HP but poured almost like CP at heavy trace. It took a long time to dry, and when i cut it, i found that the drier outer layer was lighter. Each cut bar turned light on the outside, but after a month, cutting one open revealed a darker softer center, with 1/4 inch lighter edges. So it was gradually drying from the outside-in. 3 months in, most of the bars are dry all the way through, but as i've gone thru and trimmed them up, there's a few that could dry even longer.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My Pine Tar (http://theefficaciousgentleman.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/second-soap-pine-tar-1/) has that, too! Those look like good soaps indeed, can't wait to see how they work

 

[honeysuds]

I did banana coconut milk soap last week myself! I don't add anything to my lye water anymore, with the exception of liquid goat milk soap, but other than that I've had too much trouble from it. I do water discounts and add my ingredients at light trace instead. I gel my soaps, so mine turned super dark brown just like yours, and the dry edges are lighter like yours as well. Guess we both did something right