Hello everyone! I am very new to soap making, but already obsessed with it. I have been doing research for about 2 months and just yesterday did my first batch of hot process soap. My first batch was 2 lbs, I used a tissue box as my mold (reinforced it by completely covering it in duck tape and then lined the inside with wax paper. I made up my own recipe of Shea butter and coconut oil, mostly because I already adore both of these ingredients, lol. I was aiming for a simple recipe. So everything went to plan until I decided to go to the movies and had my mom keep an eye on the soap in the crock pot and told her to stir it every 20 minutes until I come home. I got home to "it got hard all of the sudden!". So I look in the crock pot and the soap is quite hard, not stir-able at all. So I panic to save the batch so I add hot distilled water to the crock pot and mash the crap out of the soap, lol. Eventually I got it to a point of chunky mashed potatoes (smooth but still with chunks of soap in it), and decide to put it in my mold. I cut the bars 3 hours later just fine. So today I decided to trim them because they looked pretty chunky. As I trimmed them, I noticed how soft they still were because large chunks in the corners would just pop right off! It was pretty easy to mold the piece back on though, which really must mean that they are too soft. I'm worried that they aren't hardening up fast enough and it may be a result of my desperate measures to save the batch. They should harden eventually right? I've actually molded the shavings into a little circular bar and it lathers really nicely, but my hands feel quite dry after (even though I did a zap test and felt nothing). Any tips?
New to soap making, already need help!
- Thread starter Ketchy
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Genny
Well-Known Member
Just give them some time to cure. It will help the water evaporate and a few weeks of curing will help the soap become more mild.
Welcome to the forum! 
I'm moving this topic to the CP section since it may help other people and more people will see it there.
I'm moving this topic to the CP section since it may help other people and more people will see it there.
Genny said:
Today they are much harder and already don't feel as drying. It may be because I directed a fan on them and left it on all night. I'll definitely wait at least a week to start actually giving them to people (I was going to give my family some to have, not the one I used on myself of course). I'll certainly make sure that they are ready for use before I give them out though. Thank you for the help!
Brian Suds
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Ketchy said:
I am new to soap making myself and the only thing I can give advice on is next time devote an evening to making soap, leaving during the most important process of soap crafting is really a recipe for a lot of error.
hello, welcome to soaping. dont leave when youre soaping, kidding. Ok, this is what I do: add melted oils to crock, then add your lye/water mixture, stir w sblender til thick, then cover and let cook, dont stir at all til its done. depending on crockpot, its about 45-1hr, you will see a ring forming on the outer edge and it will go to the middle as it cooks, usually abour 10 min after that I stir and add my color and fragrance, that is the only time I stir. You can take a small piece of soap and let it cool and do zap test. if it zaps cook longer, then plop in mold, make sure to bang it so the air bubbles come out, then wait til tomorrow and you can cut it, then let it sit for 2wks or so and you can use it, some people wait 4 wks. Any questions pm me.
K
K
I can vouch for honor435's knowledge with learning soapmaking in a crockpot. I pestered her with numerous questions when I first started and she was always generous and helpful with answers.
Cheryl Belew
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Fragrance oil to share
I do not make soap, candles or anything else that uses fragrance oil. I lost my ability to smell in an accident and have been trying to "relearn" by sniffing fragrance oils. It seems to be working, however, I already have several bottles I no longer need and will probably have more in the future. The oils are from Natures Garden. If you live near Charleston, SC and are interested, please let me know. Otherwise, they will go to Goodwill eventually, and I doubt any interested party will find them.
I do not make soap, candles or anything else that uses fragrance oil. I lost my ability to smell in an accident and have been trying to "relearn" by sniffing fragrance oils. It seems to be working, however, I already have several bottles I no longer need and will probably have more in the future. The oils are from Natures Garden. If you live near Charleston, SC and are interested, please let me know. Otherwise, they will go to Goodwill eventually, and I doubt any interested party will find them.
Re: Fragrance oil to share
Cheryl,
I suggest if you want to get rid of your FOs, either put an ad in the paper for the attention of chandlers/soapmakers or donate them to a school or youth organization. Of course, you could check with your church first to see if they could use them. I used to help make scented waxed dipped stars for our church to sell at their Christmas bazaar.
Cheryl Belew said:
Cheryl,
I suggest if you want to get rid of your FOs, either put an ad in the paper for the attention of chandlers/soapmakers or donate them to a school or youth organization. Of course, you could check with your church first to see if they could use them. I used to help make scented waxed dipped stars for our church to sell at their Christmas bazaar.
