Learning the hard

[Kathymzr]

I have a learning habit of pushing the envelope too soon! I’ll bet this is worse than anyone on the forum!
I let it sit for 2 days, but it’s soft still. I know I measured correctly! I tried not to mix too long so I could try a fancy swirl, but it was still too long. Stuffed it in the mold in layers. Soaped at 90 degrees. In the oils were sea buckthorn and Neem oils (10% each). Batter was dark brown.
Used 4 bright colors. Used 2/3 Cucumber Melon and Mango FO.
Had to put in freezer a few minutes to unmold. Layers of color ok but top is U-G-L-Y! It smells terrible! I’ll have to Febreze the house!!! Hopefully it will dry out and I’ll use it, but gee whiz! I post this to spare some other new soaper the smell, if nothing else! I learn from it. I think I need to reduce water. Humidity too high here. Lower SF. Mix less still. Soap even cooler. Forget Neem! Would rather have acne!! Don’t try to get fancy too soon. Use simple recipes to learn. I’ll post picture. LOL Back at it today!!

 

[Nyknits]

Wow! What a shame. How long have you been soaping?

 

[dixiedragon]

I made a soap with neem and lavender EO, tea tree EO and some cedar EO. Not bad. Not delightful, by any means, but not bad!

 

[Kathymzr]

I’m 2-2 and more determined than ever! The colors are muddied from dark oils (lesson #1-use colors that work with the color of the oils), the smell may improve (lesson #2-smell is improving since soap has been sitting out. Used too much Neem (lesson #3-review literature for unusual oils). The Neem might scare away bugs outside though! There is a good side though! I used aloe juice in place of half water and a tsp sugar as well as sodium lactate. The lather is fabulous, the soap works great, and will probably harden up fine with time. I was trying for a face soap for myself, so it will be fine. I just need to slow down trying to get fancy! LOL!!

I’m 2-2 and more determined than ever! The colors are muddied from dark oils (lesson #1), the smell may improve (lesson #2) used too much Neem. But might scare away bugs outside. (

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Neem just plain ole stinks!! I have just used it once and the bars are very very dk brown but a very pretty color--I cant imagine any micas coming thru in that color. I used patchouli oil and orange 10x and lemon in the batch--my house smells like patchouli but when I put the bar to my nose I smell neem. you sure have a lot going on with your soap. maybe try some simple soap until you get it down- at least a couple batches before you start adding all kinds of things. IMO once you get a soap recipe down then start adding one thing at a time so when something goes wrong you at least have an idea of what caused it

 

[Kathymzr]

I totally agree! I have a simple recipe that I will do just that—the bells& whistles can wait!!

 

[Dawni]

I kinda like my neem soaps... I've made two so far, mixed with other oils, of course, and none have more than 15%.

Smelled awful while I was cooking but they've since mellowed down a lot. Now they're herbally smelling. The trick is to complement the neem smell with other earthy ones.... I think I used cedarwood and rosemary in mine, but can't remember the rest.

 

[Kathymzr]

Glad to hear a Neem success. I used 10% Neem, but knowing a complimentary FO helps. My soap is sort of a circus-camo color too-not much going for it!

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I kinda like my neem soaps... I've made two so far, mixed with other oils, of course, and none have more than 15%.

Smelled awful while I was cooking but they've since mellowed down a lot. Now they're herbally smelling. The trick is to complement the neem smell with other earthy ones.... I think I used cedarwood and rosemary in mine, but can't remember the rest.

smelled mine yesterday again and I think the neem smell is mellowing a bit too--cant wait to try it

 

[Kathymzr]

My Neem soap is improving. It’s hardening up. So humid and hot here, I’ve been blasting a fan in it, was able to cut it and it’s starting to harden. It sat for 5 days before I cut it. While the recipe showed it would be a hard bar, do you think it would be better to lower the SF to maybe 3? The smell is getting better too. I posted a photo, so you can see how the dark Neem and Sea Buckthorn dark oils mute the bright colors. Good lessons learned!! Thanks for all your feedback!

 

[David Gregory]

I took a sabbatical of several years and just now going back to it. And reigning in my own urge to lean over my skis.

Starting over from scratch. So many tools that are out there now as well: the internet and silicone molds. Lye easier to find than when I went looking because of the drug connection.

Took the time to use a lye calculator and get accurate measurements and the first of my own new batch I'd rate a C-.

And I want to add fewer and fewer things the more I watch YT videos. Much better focused this time around.

You're brave and I admire that. Think of the stuff you learned !!!!! True value and something you really own.

 

[Kathymzr]

Thank you for your encouragement. I wish I had thought of soap making earlier in my life, but, as you say, I would likely have been sweating over a pot of hot pig lard then! Ha! Fat chance! It looks easy on YouTube, and it’s not rocket science, but it is enough science to study first!! I am undeterred by my stumbles, spent almost three months assembling supplies and reading/watching videos before the courage to try! Good fun!

 

[David Gregory]

Thank you for your encouragement. I wish I had thought of soap making earlier in my life, but, as you say, I would likely have been sweating over a pot of hot pig lard then! Ha! Fat chance! It looks easy on YouTube, and it’s not rocket science, but it is enough science to study first!! I am undeterred by my stumbles, spent almost three months assembling supplies and reading/watching videos before the courage to try! Good fun!

Yes. Love the supply foraging the best I think !!

 

[msunnerstood]

The only scent ive found that covers neem well is oatmeal milk and honey

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

View attachment 40581 My Neem soap is improving. It’s hardening up. So humid and hot here, I’ve been blasting a fan in it, was able to cut it and it’s starting to harden. It sat for 5 days before I cut it. While the recipe showed it would be a hard bar, do you think it would be better to lower the SF to maybe 3? The smell is getting better too. I posted a photo, so you can see how the dark Neem and Sea Buckthorn dark oils mute the bright colors. Good lessons learned!! Thanks for all your feedback!

I am impressed with the colors you got!!!!

 

[BattleGnome]

Just want to pop in to note that I’ve had soaps too soft to unmold for 5 days that needed another few days once it was unmolded before I was able to cut it. Learning how gelling works in my house has decreased that wait to a day but it is a learning process

 

[Primrose]

I did a neem and turmeric soap the other day, 20% neem oil with 3% lavender. I think it smells quite good, but then even the straight neem oil doesn't smell terrible to me, just earthy. So maybe I'm just a bit weird haha

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I did a neem and turmeric soap the other day, 20% neem oil with 3% lavender. I think it smells quite good, but then even the straight neem oil doesn't smell terrible to me, just earthy. So maybe I'm just a bit weird haha View attachment 40583

how did you get it colored that light, my bars are almost black

 

[cmzaha]

View attachment 40581 My Neem soap is improving. It’s hardening up. So humid and hot here, I’ve been blasting a fan in it, was able to cut it and it’s starting to harden. It sat for 5 days before I cut it. While the recipe showed it would be a hard bar, do you think it would be better to lower the SF to maybe 3? The smell is getting better too. I posted a photo, so you can see how the dark Neem and Sea Buckthorn dark oils mute the bright colors. Good lessons learned!! Thanks for all your feedback!

I think your soaps look great.

I use neem in one facial bar I make at 27% with a blend of EO's consisting of Lavender, Lemongrass, Tea Tree and a couple of others. The strong neem smell really does dissipate, in fact, I kinda like it. Neem does cause acceleration with trace so I find I have to work fast to pour all my batter in individual molds. The only time I had neem not improve was when I made LS with 25 or so percent neem. It never did smell decent enough to use so ended up in the yard for bug control.

 

[Primrose]

how did you get it colored that light, my bars are almost black

It's actually whiter than the photo shows. It's a light tan colour.

Not really sure, since I also use goat milk. The rest of my base oils are quite light, without the neem I have pretty much a white soap without adding any colourants.

Not sure if this one gelled, I don't think it did