Hazel, I told you I'd let you know

[flavapor]

We spoke about my never hardening soap a few weeks ago, you said to let it sit longer. Its now been a month and I still have a consistancy of jello. I think its lots of oil and essential oil.

I know its not gonna be soap, but is there a way to add it into another batch since its got so much of the EO in it and smells great?

 

[Hazel]

Thanks for letting me know. I'm really sorry but I've forgotten what the recipe was and you're going to have to jog my memory. Was it too much oil? I really don't think the EOs would have caused problems with hardening.

How big of a batch was it? Was it too small of amount of lye for the quantity of oils? You could make a new batch and add a portion of this soap to it to see what happens. You'd have to know for sure if it wasn't enough lye and add extra lye to help saponify what ever amount of soft soap you add.

It might be interesting to slice a little off and see how well it lathers. Jello soap sounds very unique and you might have accidentally discovered a new type of soap.

 

[flavapor]

Thanks for letting me know. I'm really sorry but I've forgotten what the recipe was and you're going to have to jog my memory. Was it too much oil? I really don't think the EOs would have caused problems with hardening.

How big of a batch was it? Was it too small of amount of lye for the quantity of oils? You could make a new batch and add a portion of this soap to it to see what happens. You'd have to know for sure if it wasn't enough lye and add extra lye to help saponify what ever amount of soft soap you add.

It might be interesting to slice a little off and see how well it lathers. Jello soap sounds very unique and you might have accidentally discovered a new type of soap.

I dont remember the recipe either, but I got a false trace so I ended up with some really lye heavy soap and some jello soap, and nope no lather, I think some oils and all the essential oils are in it, cause they are still potent and the other part of the lye heavy soap didnt smell at all. Should I pitch it, or could I add it to something?

 

[Hazel]

It was 2 different batches? I hate to see you toss a batch but if it is very lye heavy then it might be the safest option. Are you saying the jello soap didn't have any lather?

 

[flavapor]

It was 2 different batches? I hate to see you toss a batch but if it is very lye heavy then it might be the safest option. Are you saying the jello soap didn't have any lather?

It was the same batch but I poured them in those crappy plastic molds that are individual bars, there were a total of 6 poured, 4 came out lye heavy and I have since tossed the crumbled zappy messes, and two came out like jello. They look so georgous, but they dont look like a regular cp soap they look almost translucent, look like magazine cover soap, super vibrant, but when you go to pick it up it was like gelatin, your hand would go right thru it.

 

[Hazel]

It's odd that it would be almost translucent. It sounds like glycerin soap but you said there wasn't any lather. I wonder if it's possible for the glycerin content to separate out. This is just my opinion but I'd try to experiment with the jello soap and see if I could add it into another batch. I'd make a small batch (maybe about 24 oz) and then add 6 oz of the jello soap to see what would happen. I'd also use a lower SF perhaps 4%-5%.

Although you might want to wait until more experienced soapers see your post and get their opinion about this batch. I've never heard of this and I'm completely baffled by it. I think I'll contact some people and bring this post to their attention. Maybe someone will have an answer.

I'm sorry I couldn't help you.

 

[carebear]

if you'd saved the other part I'd say you can cook it all together and either consider it HP or then mix it into another batch. without that zappy part I'd say you can consider the stuff you have as mostly oils - BUT then how would you know how much lye to use in your soap?

sadly I cannot think of a way to save it or even use it, really.

 

[IrishLass]

Wow. This is really interesting. I've never heard of this happening either. Dollars to donuts that you have a mix of oils and even possibly some glycerin maybe (don't know for sure). If it were me, I would consider this 'opportunity corner' (as my grandma used to say), and make a sample test batch of my regular formula, superfat it at say, 4%, and then add maybe 3% to 4% ppo of the 'jello' in with my warm oils, stickblending well to incorporate before adding my lye solution, and then continue soaping as normal. At the worse, you'd end up with a soap possibly superfatted at 8% - which isn't bad in my opinion. If you decide to do this, please let us know how it turned out!

IrishLass

 

[flavapor]

Wow. This is really interesting. I've never heard of this happening either. Dollars to donuts that you have a mix of oils and even possibly some glycerin maybe (don't know for sure). If it were me, I would consider this 'opportunity corner' (as my grandma used to say), and make a sample test batch of my regular formula, superfat it at say, 4%, and then add maybe 3% to 4% ppo of the 'jello' in with my warm oils, stickblending well to incorporate before adding my lye solution, and then continue soaping as normal. At the worse, you'd end up with a soap possibly superfatted at 8% - which isn't bad in my opinion. If you decide to do this, please let us know how it turned out!

IrishLass

That is what I was going to try. No guts no glory right? I was going to do zero superfat and add the entire bar, but your way sounds better. Its not actually transparent, but its yellow on top with a line of spirulina and lavender on the bottom. It was a rosmary lemon lavender bar of soap for my mom for mothers day, its her favorite scent that I make her with lotions. Anyway, the yellow looks like the inside of a lemon merange pie and the lavender has the same appearance and texture, just have nothing to compare it to.

I will let you know what happens with this stuff when I do it.

 

[Hazel]

Thanks for the replies, ladies! I'm interested in hearing how it would turn out in another batch, too. I thought it was worth a try but I didn't want to say do it and have flavapor waste some oils.

 

[Fragola]

It would be also possible to drain out the excess oil. This may help even if you decide to incorporate it in another batch. Not sure if it's really worth the effort though.

Basically you stuff the soap in a pot and heat it on the water bath. When it melts, the oil raises on top, then you put your soap in a cheese cloth and press some more oil out of it. If you don't wish to throw away the oil, you can use it to superfat a future batch.

The downside is that, since you have to heat it, some of the essential oil will evaporate.

On the topic of incorporating your soap in a new batch, it may help working with a high coconut recipe. That one lathers better with a high superfat.

 

[flavapor]

It would be also possible to drain out the excess oil. This may help even if you decide to incorporate it in another batch. Not sure if it's really worth the effort though.

Basically you stuff the soap in a pot and heat it on the water bath. When it melts, the oil raises on top, then you put your soap in a cheese cloth and press some more oil out of it. If you don't wish to throw away the oil, you can use it to superfat a future batch.

The downside is that, since you have to heat it, some of the essential oil will evaporate.

On the topic of incorporating your soap in a new batch, it may help working with a high coconut recipe. That one lathers better with a high superfat.

That sounds like to much trouble. Maybe I should use this stuff up in salt bars, thats high in coconut.

 

[flavapor]

update:

I made a one pound loaf today, I used .64 oz of my "merange". I did a 4% superfat and I havent taken it out of the mold but it looks like soap!

 

[IrishLass]

WooHoo!

IrishLass