Hi from California

[Jerry S]

Hi I’m new to this forum and thought I could get some advice. I've posted this in another forum so if you see it there, don't beat me up for being redundant...
I’ve been making soap off and on for a few years. My mother (rest her soul) used to make soap for years and would send me some to use here around the ranch. There was nothing like it for getting your hand really clean especially if one had to work around machinery and such. Before she died she sent me all her recipes and every now and then I mix up a batch or 2 and use it for hand soap. Don’t sell it or anything, just use it around the spread…Anyway my question is this. I have a lot of small pieces of soap that I save and don’t throw away. Including left over bar soap that my niece gives me from an Inn she runs. She has a lot of this stuff because she can’t reuse it for new guests.
How can I use these left over pieces when I make my soap. Should I cut it up and put it in while mixing my soap before saponification and it starts to trace? I really want it to become a part of my soap bars and not have a bunch of funny looking chips in the soap…Thanks…and hope someone can enlighten me.

 

[IanT]

welcome to the forum!!

glad to have you here and looking forward to chatting with you and seeing your creations!

As far as what to do with soap scraps, I believe you can melt them down and add them to your soaps at trace if you would like, but keep in mind if your soap scraps are scented, the scent may throw off the new batch you are making due to different scents (but if your throwing them in with something that smells the same... I dont see a problem with it).

Either that or make "soap balls" ... I like to call them Frankenstein balls... theyre a modge-podge of soap scraps, you dont really know the final scent until you mush them all together, but they are an excellent way to reuse scraps...

You could also rebatch .... collect enough of the scraps and then melt them all down, and then just pour them into a mold, no additives are needed, and the soaps will look wonderful

 

[ranran]

Welcome to the forum. Not only am I new to the forum, but I am new to making handmade soap. I have been taking the time reading many topics here to gain knowledge and so glad I read your introduction with the question. Useful information for the future.

 

[Overthemoon]

Hi and welcome from Hollywood North. Rebatch is much fun with different sorts of scraps. Would never give the connoctions to anyone but they are interesting.