Fungus on top my honey and oatmeal soap

[ChicKhiE ChicK]

Need Help Please
One of my honey and oatmeal soap had fungus on top of it. It has cured about a month ago (it just cured just fine back then) but I just noticed today that all of the bars had fungi on top of the oatmeal.
It is because the oatmeal? I still have the rest of the oatmeal in the jar and they seems okay. And I also have other batch with oatmeal on top too, but they are okay.
I stored my soap in a container box with dehumidifier agent, because I lived in a very humid place. And these two batches of honey and oatmeal soap is not on the same box.

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, that mold if from the oats. I wouldn't use foods or botanicals on top of soaps in a humid environment.
You can cut the toppings off the soaps, just make sure to remove all the oats

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with what Obsidian said. I also don't put large particles of botanical or food material in the soap either. I really do understand why people are lured into decorating soap with botanical stuff in or on the soap -- rolled oats, rose petals or buds, etc. -- but IMO this is done more to make pretty pictures for instagram or facebook. Or to turn a quick sale at the farmers' market. It's not about long-term appearance and functionality.

Long before I learned to make soap, I bought a handmade bar that had whole oats mixed into the soap. As the soap wore away, the oats were exposed to the open air and became uncomfortably rough. They eventually molded and turned dark. That bar sure looked cute in the shop, but the whole followup experience of using it was a real turn off for me.

 

[cmzaha]

I am another who never decorated my soaps with botanicals or foods. When I used avocado, carrot, cucumber, fresh aloe, etc in soap I finely prueed it before adding it to my soap. Also, as far as oatmeal, I used oat flour, which was abrasive enough for all my customers in their soaps. Whole oats are too scrubby and as mentioned can go moldy.

 

[ChicKhiE ChicK]

Thank you for sharing.