Hiya.. I'm new too..

[LyeHurts]

Hiya everyone

I'm Alan from London, UK.

I've just made my first soap and it really didn't work out.

I found a saponification calculator on the web and made up a recipe using 440g olive oil, 15g palm kernel oil, 15g cocoa butter, 20g avocado oil, 20g macadamia oil. The calculator told me to use 63g of NAOH at 10% superfatting (wanted to be really safe first time around). I poured it into 170g of rose water.

At 39 deg C (both) I mixed the two together and mixed and mixed and mixed. Because it took ages and ages with nothing happening, I heated it for a bit on the stove while mixing (thought the water to be in the way and that it is just a 'carrier' for the NAOH anyway, right?)

Anyway, it began to trace or what I thought was tracing (I have since seen some youtube clips and I may have been just one moment too early)

I added EO's and poured into mould and wrapped it up.

Next day I unwrapped it and the soap was not solid but looked nice anyway. I assumed that I had superfatted it too much and that basically it was just going to remain in the superfat creamy consistency. I used some on my hands and it seemed fine.. Felt really moisturising.. Then I used some on my hair in the shower.. ouch..

I can in a purely scientific and scholarly way point out that the soap was too caustic after that experience. lol.. It still hurts..

ANYWAY.. I'm not giving up..

I'm assuming that I didn't mix it long enough to truly trace but could somebody let me know whether that was the only thing I did wrong.. (oh, yeah.. and to test the soap ph is a good thing to do as well before using it)

Kind regards
LyeHurts

Ask first.. Make soap later..

 

[Guest]

Hi welcome to the forum , it is great to have you here .
Kitn

 

[ChrissyB]

Hi Alan
Welcome to our forum
As far as your first attempt at soapmaking, any recipe that uses the majority of Olive oil as its main oil is going to take quite a while to get to trace. Did you use a stick blender or were you doing it by hand? If you were doing it by hand, I would invest in a stick blender, they will cut down on your stirring time by millions! You could probably pick one up in a department store for about ten dollars. I also believe that using a stick blender helps to give the finished soap a finer texture, like the molecules have been blended together smaller or something. Did you like that very scientific explaination? I ran your numbers through soap calc (www.soapcalc.net/calc) and there is nothing wrong with the amounts of the oils that you are using. It's just that with olive oil it takes longer to reach trace and the resulting soap takes longer to harden up. If it's still liquid in the mould, I would take it all out and put it in the pot, reblend until it's at trace definitely then remould, and insulate. It should set up then. If it's just soft, but not liquidy, just leave it somewhere out of the way and it will harden up. As long as you don't have liquid/oil separation it should be ok. It will result in a nice bar of soap. Can I suggest for your next batch to just try a Bastille, 75% Olive, 25% Coconut, this will give you a lovely bubbly creamy bar of soap and the coconut will help the soap to trace and harden up pretty fast.
Let us know how it's going ok?

 

[LyeHurts]

Thank you very much.. and very scientific yes.. lol..
First I was mixing it by hand because I was scared about splashing lye but then I used an electric mixer. I was worried about using my blender because it's mainly plastic and thought the lye would melt it or something. I saw later in one of those soap making clips on youtube that they used a plastic blender and everything went fine.

I was also worried about remaking the soap I made. The texture was very thick like one of those ice cream soaps (I think they're called) but logically I guess if I added some water it should be ok? Just add water, heat up gently and keep mixing?

Anyway, that batch of soap was my enemy so I cleaned my kitchen and bathroom with it. Everything is now very shiny.. lol.. and my enemy is no more..

I've bought some ph testing strips so they're on the way. As soon as they arrive I'm making a new batch. Thanks for the recipe too.. I'll give it a go..

 

[Guest]

welcome lyehurts,

I too was a victim of using my soap to soon, soap making is a great great learning experience

 

[heartsong]

x

hi alan, from alabama!

welcome to the forum-you'll find we're a lively and friendly bunch!

don't get discounaged-we all have our flops. olive oil can definitely try your patience!

may is suggest a site with lots of info, recipes, how-to's and some great pic's?

www.soap-making-essentials.com

check out her blog, too.

nice to have you-by all means join in!

 

[ibariaSoap]

Hi Alan, greetings from California!

 

[IanT]

what lye calc did you use online???

welcome to the forum!

 

[soapbuddy]

Welcome!

 

[LyeHurts]

Hiya

I was using the calculator at lyedepot but I wouldn't blame the calculator for the mishap, that was down to me not mixing well enough for the soap to trace and then to set properly. I've used the same calculator for all my other soaps since then and they're all fine.. This forum rocks though and I've got loads of good advice and ideas.. I wish I had come across it first, asked all my questions, and then made my soap..

 

[IanT]

Hey but thats how things go lol... I always find myself knee deep in stuff before I am like....hmmm I need to ask some questions lol

 

[heyjude]

Welcome to the forum!

I'm sure you'll have smooth sailing for your next batch.

Jude