First Batch, is this OK?

[Wounded Healer]

So I just mixed up my very first batch ever, and my soap traced almost immediately. Is this OK? Everything I've read is that this usually takes like an hour and I've read stories of it taking days! Will my soap become soap?

 

[calico21]

Everyone will need a recipe and temps to help you
And a pic of it in your mold would help too.

ETA: mine traces really fast so you may be okay but really more info is needed

 

[Wounded Healer]

Recipe:

Crisco w/Palm 20 oz
Coconut oil 14 oz
Cocoa Butter 4 oz
Olive oil 3 oz
Water 15.33 oz
lye 5.94 oz


Melt oils together, mix lye and water and allow to cool to 95 degrees. Heat oils to 115 degrees. Mix lye into oils, stir until trace.

I'm doing a crockpot hot process, and this is what it looks like in the crockpot right now. Looks right as to the pics I've seen of this method.

 

[Wounded Healer]

Pic didn't upload. I'm trying this imageShack thing and don't know how to upload the pic!

 

[Wounded Healer]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[krissy]

it looks good. keep an eye on it and remember to mold it quickly so that the soap will stick together evenly. you can cover it with saran wrap and use a board to kinda smooth it flat if you like.

good luck!

 

[Wounded Healer]

It worked! But it's very lumpy and ugly! I think I'll have to rebatch this one. It smells nice but it has an ugly color! I added Blueberry seeds and dehydrated blueberry powder along with peppermint oil. Any ideas on how to make it prettier?

 

[krissy]

rebatching will only make it uglier... lol... plus it is a big hassle.
sorry but your first couple of batches of HP soap are going to be kinda ugly, until you figure out what works best for you. if you want it prettier, you will have to have more experience or try CP soaping...


ETA- the blueberry powder is probably what made it brown.

 

[Wounded Healer]

Why does rebatching make it uglier? I think I'll try this same recipe as a CP.
At least it turned into soap I guess! LOL

 

[krissy]

because you are taking the soap, shredding it, adding more water and then melting it back down to what you had before you molded, then trying to mold it again before it gets hard and lumpy again. you are better off keeping this batch the way it is and either doing a CP batch too or just make more HP and keep practicing...