my very first batch...let me have it! :)

[kaelily]

I know I know...I should NOT have started out with a GM & honey soap...but I did anyway, lol. The good part is I didn't get any cracking, hissing or volcanoing. Adding the honey freaked me out a little too! :O

I did the 50/50 split method and the recipe I used:

OO 40%
lard 30%
CO 15%
castor 10%
sweet almond oil 5%
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp colloidal oatmeal

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After pouring it into the mold, I put it in the fridge for 24 hrs. I let it sit out for awhile before cutting...could see drops of oil coming out of it in some areas. It was very soft when I cut it (as you can tell in the pic). In the middle of the soap I can see two rings...must have overheated or partial gel?? I'm not sure about the smell...it doesn't stink...just can't describe it. I'm sure I did something wrong in my technique, so would love a critique!!

 

[TessC]

I'd give it a while before you really judge the smell, a lot of my milk soaps smell a bit "off" when they're fresh out of the mold but they're fine after the cure. Just give it some time on the curing rack and then ocme back and sniff it again.

Yours looks fine, especially for a first soap. I love the bubble wrap "honeycomb", have done a couple of batches with it and it turns out so nice. Yours looks awesome!

 

[cwarren]

I think ya did fine too.. Dont be sooo hard on yourself

 

[nattynoo]

Ow that looks brilliant!!
The ring looks like a partial gel. Never mind. I'm a no fridge, full gel girl myself.
The smell will go.
Sometimes I can't stand the smell of fresh soap. It has an odd smell. I undid a soap this morning that had that weird smell. It was unfragranced with just chocolate & honey. When I use essential oils I don't get the smell.
GM first soap..wow..aventuresome!!

 

[albo]

you're braver than I am! but well done, the soap looks excellent. I'm very jealous!

 

[ewenique]

Good job! Welcome to the addiction

 

[Hazel]

I think it looks great! I'd like to try using bubble wrap and doing a fun batch like yours...someday.

 

[Sillysoap]

I think it looks great too! I wouldn't of had the courage to do GM on my first time!

The center could just still be soft thus it looks different, I don't have much experience but I have seen that in mine & it goes away as the soap cures.

 

[kaelily]

well, thank you all! I was just nervous...after cutting it and looking at it and wondering if I would be able to use it...if it turned out ok, lol! The center is darker in person than the photo shows. I also wondered if I cut it too soon because it was so soft but after I cut one bar, I couldn't stop! I debated about putting it in the fridge..wasn't going to but after reading some things and that it'd be real creamy, I decided to. Maybe next time I'll leave it out though (I said next time).

The bubblewrap...just throw it in the bottom of the mold. It does come off real easy. I wasn't real careful though...when handling and cutting the loaf, I smashed in the design a little. Good to know the smell gets better...as I said it's not terrible, it's just different. Here's a pic of the mold I made/used...saw this magazine holder at walmart and thought it would work for now. Lining it with freezer paper wasn't particularly fun though:

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Thanks for the encouragement...love this forum!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

You did a great job. It will smell better over time. :wink:

 

[BakingNana]

WOW! Great job! I gave up trying not to gel GM. There really isn't much difference in the color to me; it's just a tad darker. Haven't been brave enough to add honey to GM...good for you!! Can't wait to see what you do NEXT!!!

 

[honor435]

It looks fabulous. If you want suggestions on the recipe, I would bring up the co to 25% and lower oo to 30, your cleansing is at 10, which never done, so I dont know how it will feel, and if you want more bubbles,( youre at 19) upping the co will help that. Welcome to the addiction! Did you scent it?

 

[Woodi]

Looks really nice! I like your recipe just fine. I use 48-50% olive in my fav recipe, cuz I like its hardness and stable lathering features, and it provides moisturizing too. A great soaping oil, imho.
I like coc at 21%, prefer pk when I can get it, or do half and half coc and pk. I keep castor to 3 to 5%. But hey, this is your creativity and you did a great job at your first batch ....is it really the first? My first batch was ugly. Congratulations!

 

[kaelily]

hehe BakingNana...NEXT time won't be anything fancy or advanced! The honey was scary..it clumped up when I added it (with the lye) to the oils and I thought it was never going to blend in!

@honor...I read somewhere (it was on here) that a low cleansing # makes for a gentler bar of soap, which is what I was going for..and I'm hoping the GM and honey will add to the bubbly factor too. I had another recipe ready to try and after reading your suggestions, I tweaked the CO and OO percentages..thanks! Oh, about the fragrance...it was intended to be unscented, but because I was concerned about the weird smell, I grabbed a pipette and added 4ml of OMH fragrance, hoping it would add a subtle sweetness. I don't think it did anything at all though, actually...which is good, because even though I like that fragrance, I didn't want the soap to smell like that.

@Woodi-yes..honest..my first CP batch!! I've been paying close attention to the goatmilk/honey threads here!

Thank you!

 

[IrishLass]

You are much braver than I was with my very first soap, but it looks like you pulled it off successfully! Your soap looks great!

I'm with Woodi- I think your recipe looks just fine. I predict that it'll produce a gentlly cleansing soap with lovely lather that although higher on the creamy side, will still have enough fluffy bubbles to satisfy.

Good job!

IrishLass

 

[soapbuddy]

Congrats on your batch. From the looks of it, it looks like you got a partial gel. If you don't want the batch to gel, put the soap in the fridge or the freezer as soon as you pour into your mold. Normally a lightly cover mine with wax paper, but that would ruin your pretty top.