Herbal Soap Getting Mold?!?!

[KatieV]

Hi all!

I've been making CP soap for about three years ago. I was making one of my tried and true castile soap recipes with calendula petals.

I went to check the soap (now 3 weeks into the curing process), and it looks like there may be mold on the tops of my bars... Only in the calendula petals that I topped my soap with though.

Do you think this is mold? What should I do? Can I cut the tops off and keep the soap?

 

[Meganmischke]

Is it white, green or some other color? Could you post a picture? Could it be ash?

 

[FGOriold]

Were they dried calendula petals or fresh?

 

[KatieV]

It is a grey/white color, mostly white. The pictures aren't great, I'll try to snap some tomorrow morning in better light if you can't tell from these.

They were dried calendula petals.

The ash/mold/? is only on the top of the soap, some on the left corner, some on the right corner.

 

[CanaDawn]

based on those photos, and reserving the right to change my opinion with different photos......it does look like mold to me, because of the slightly grey dots I seem to see in the left corner particularly. If the petals on top aren't dry, mold is definitely a possibility.

 

[Relle]

Its very hard to see, but mould or not, it doesn't look good on the soap, I would scrape off the calendula petals and then slice a small section off the top.

 

[Shalisk]

Trimming the top is not a bad idea. I GENERALLY trim the top of all my soaps and use the slivers as test bars. For myself, or people.

 

[KatieV]

Hi all!

Thanks for the replies, I'm glad you think I can just trim it. I was afraid I would lose the whole batch!

The soap also has calendula petals in it, so that's what the dark areas in the soap are.

Here's some better pictures that I took this morning:

 

[CanaDawn]

definitely mold.

 

[reinbeau]

Yes, it's mold.

 

[Susie]

I live in a high humidity environment, and this is why I avoid botanicals in or on my soap.

 

[PinkCupcake]

The only time I ever used dried calendula, it got moldy too. Mine took longer than 3 weeks, but it was in colder weather.

 

[KatieV]

Thanks so much all!

Do you think I can save it by trimming the tops? Or should I just toss it?

 

[eucalypta]

I would definitely cut off the tops, AND put the soaps in a drier environment.

Tip for next time: to avoid drag marks, don't cut the soap from top to bottom, but from side to side.