Feeling Discouraged!

[beans4reezy]

Yesterday, I made soap and it looked absolutely beautiful. Here is the soap before:


When I woke up this morning, the first thing I checked was my soap and my poor heart dropped. It went from a beautiful creation to this:


I just KNEW I had it! What did I do wrong? I refuse to give up. I'm making another loaf today.


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[Stinkydancer]

It's hard to tell from the pic or my eyes are bad- lol. Did you measure everything precisely? Did you insulate? What FO did you use? Is there oil on top of the soap? What does it look like on the inside?

It's possible that it overheated a bit or is a bit lye heavy.

 

[beans4reezy]

I measured everything with a scale. I don't think it's lye heavy because I super fatted 5%. I used essential oil to fragrance, a mixture of jasmine absolute, rose geranium, and lavender.

I've been having a problem with soap cracking. So I wrapped with Saran Wrap and placed the loaf in front of my fan for the entire night. No oil on top.

I am going to cut it now to see what the inside looks like.


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[Stakie]

Yeah, I can't tell from the picture at all.

 

[beans4reezy]

Are these better? There are brown spots. It also looks a bit furry up top.

I just cut the soap and it feels a bit slimey.

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[Moody Glenn]

Good Morning Beens4reezy!

For my eyes it looks like the formation of "ash" on the surface of your soap plus maybe some stearic acid streaking. Both of just "look" or artistic issues - nothing major or serious. After you cut the bars you can wipe off the ash with a towel or tip the bar in hot water and wipe off. I believe the beauty of your bars will reappear - and to be frank, they are beautiful right now. If there are white streaks that will be stearic acid and that again is normal depending upon how much hard oils (and fats) you use.

Never give up. It takes time and practice but I must say you are light years ahead of me in terms of making swirls. I am swirl challenged. Someday I hope to 'get it right'! :grin:

 

[Moody Glenn]

Update: The brown may be discoloration from the essential oils, or - did your recipe have any sugar in it or milk or honey? They can heat-up and turn parts of the soap brown.

 

[Obsidian]

Maybe try putting the next batch in the fridge. How does the inside look?

 

[beans4reezy]

These are the insides and sides


Can I rebatch this? I would hate to waste this soap. All of that lovely jasmine oil I used is making me want to cry.


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[beans4reezy]

Update: The brown may be discoloration from the essential oils, or - did your recipe have any sugar in it or milk or honey? They can heat-up and turn parts of the soap brown.

No milk or honey. But I did have essential oils. I used .6 oz combined. I was trying to be careful to not use too much....,


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[lsg]

I think the fuzzy stuff on the outside is just ash. Your soap is still pretty, so let it cure and use it. As Moody Glenn said, "never give up."

 

[Ancel]

I think it's pretty too. Don't rebatch as your essential oils will cook out and you'll have wasted them. The brown spots may fade over curing time. Don't be discouraged, soapmaking is nothing if not a learning process- which is why it's so fun and creative

Wrapping with Saran and putting before a fan, were you trying to stop it gelling?

 

[onugs]

I think you did a great job! If you rebatch all those great colors will blend into a not-so great earth tone.

 

[beans4reezy]

I think it's pretty too. Don't rebatch as your essential oils will cook out and you'll have wasted them. The brown spots may fade over curing time. Don't be discouraged, soapmaking is nothing if not a learning process- which is why it's so fun and creative

Wrapping with Saran and putting before a fan, were you trying to stop it gelling?

Thank you for the encouragement! I wrapped it in Saran Wrap and placed it in front of the fan to prevent cracks; but then ended up with this issue instead.

I did cut the soda ash parts off and was encouraged when I saw this:



They are pretty! I will just let them cure and them see.


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[Stinkydancer]

Those look nice on the inside. I have never seen ash that was furry though. It's a very pretty soap.

FYI- though- You can have lye heavy soap with a super fat of 5%- it's a good buffer but trust me it can happen.

 

[roseb]

I feel for you! Don't rebatch they must smell heavenly and some of the problems might clear up. Keep us posted.

 

[beans4reezy]

Those look nice on the inside. I have never seen ash that was furry though. It's a very pretty soap.

FYI- though- You can have lye heavy soap with a super fat of 5%- it's a good buffer but trust me it can happen.

This is good to know; thanks!

 

[newbie]

I agree with everyone else- it's very pretty! You will lose your precious scents from your EOs if you rebatch and it will turn a dreadful color and it looks good with the top pared off so letting it cure is the option I would take too.

I also agree that I've never seen ash look so furry. The pictures of the cut bars look like it may have overheated, based on all the little bubbles (at least that's what they look like to me). The sides looks like they stayed cooler from the fan but had small spots of gelling break through, so to speak. I wonder if you got a little separation and then it resorbed overnight, although I don't know if that would give the odd brown and ashy look on the top.

Strange! But you got a very pretty soap out of it! My last separation lead to a very ugly gray rebatch.

 

[bodhi]

Very nice looking soap. Its too bad you lost the top, but Im glad you didnt rebatch it too. If you make it again, try covering it with a towel instead of plastic wrap. Having no way for condensation to escape could have contributed to or caused the excess ash and fuzzy looking stuff on top.

 

[dragonblossom]

Newbie here. The brown tones aren't a result of DOS, right? Would/could DOS appear this quickly? How can you cut back on the bubbles? Would tamping the mold once the soap was poured help with the bubbles? Trying to learn as much as I can before my first go.

OP, beautiful soap! Love the swirls and the colors look nice even with the discoloration. If you hadn't said anything I wouldn't have known there was an issue. I'm sure this will still make an awesome soap!


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