Kimberly G Lewis
Active Member
Last year around Thanksgiving I made some soap and I didn’t sell all of it. Can I re-batch my soap and add new scent in it and sell it?
Rebatching one year old soap
- Thread starter Kimberly G Lewis
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You can certainly rebatch older soap and yes, you can add more fragrance. I've seldom seen rebatched soap that looks better than the original bars, however, so you're going to trade a nice looking, mild scented bar for a good smelling, homely bar. Is the tradeoff worth the work and added cost?
For me, the answer is no. Look at the cost of the added fragrance -- often one of the most costly ingredients in bar soap -- as well as the cost of energy and your time. I'm not sure I could see this being a break-even situation.
Instead I'd sell the bars as-is at a discounted price. If your market is anything like mine, these "odd and ends" bars will sell well because people love a bargain.
For me, the answer is no. Look at the cost of the added fragrance -- often one of the most costly ingredients in bar soap -- as well as the cost of energy and your time. I'm not sure I could see this being a break-even situation.
Instead I'd sell the bars as-is at a discounted price. If your market is anything like mine, these "odd and ends" bars will sell well because people love a bargain.
Kimberly G Lewis
Active Member
The soap might be too hard to cut, but have you considered splitting the bars into two thinner ones? That might change the proportions enough to be more interesting to customers.
And you might find the aroma might be stronger since you'd be exposing the center of the soap to the open air. I can sometimes split some of my older bars without too much trouble (I split them to make sample sized bars), but sometimes they won't let me.
And you might find the aroma might be stronger since you'd be exposing the center of the soap to the open air. I can sometimes split some of my older bars without too much trouble (I split them to make sample sized bars), but sometimes they won't let me.
Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
I don't mind rebatching old soap. If done often, as I did in my early days, you develop a knack for it. 
OVEN REBATCH CP
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OVEN REBATCH CP
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Yep. No worries.
I'd grate the soap to rebatch it, @lglenn, because grated soap will melt a lot faster than if it's just minced into bits with a knife.
In this thread, the comments about cutting were related to the idea of cutting regular sized bars into sample sized bars to sell -- just giving the OP some alternatives to rebatching.
In this thread, the comments about cutting were related to the idea of cutting regular sized bars into sample sized bars to sell -- just giving the OP some alternatives to rebatching.
Ugeauxgirl
Well-Known Member
I just did this- or rather, I'm in the process of doing it. I wondered whether one method of rebatching was better for adding scent than another, so I did oven rebatch for part, and working on milling for another. I'll let you know how it turns out...
I do not know what you are calling milling, but milling is done with equipment that we do not have for home use. Milled soap is chopped/grated very fine, mixed with additives, run through rollers to press it, and the process repeated approx 3 times then formed into very hard bars. We can only rebatch no matter what method we use for rebatching. I do find soap melts down better in the oven.
Ugeauxgirl
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry for the incorrect terminology. Someone called it hand milling and I don't know what else you would call it. I chopped it fine, wet it with distilled water and let it soak for a few days. Then I'll stir in some fo and press into a mold. I've done it before and it turned out quite nice.
Whether heat the dampened soap by using the oven, stovetop, crockpot, microwave, or a wood fire ... or whether you simply leave dampened soap at room temp for a long enough time ... it's all rebatching.
At its simplest, rebatching is the process of converting a solid soap to a softer moldable paste by adding a small amount of water-based liquid and (usually) heating the mixture and stirring until the mixture turns into a relatively smooth paste. Then the soap is usually put into a mold to harden up and dry.
Sometimes people add additional fats or other ingredients to modify the properties of the finished soap. Sometimes milk or other dairy is added to increase the fluidity. But even with these modifications, it's still just rebatching.
I realize rebatching is called "milling" by many small scale soap makers, but it's not. I don't know why the two methods have gotten confused in the craft side of soap making. Maybe because "French milled" soap is perceived as being real fancy and high class, but "rebatched" soap sounds boring and dull? Not sure.
Milling is the process of passing dry, cool soap through rollers to mix and compact the soap. Milling is also used to add fragrance and color. Milling does not use additional water nor does it use heat. Dry, cool soap is required for successful milling.
French milling is an alternate phrase for milling, because the French invented the method from what I recall. Triple milling is also milling. All it means is the soap is passed through the mill rollers a total of three times, rather than once or twice.
Most commercial soap is NOT milled, by the way. Commercial soap makers usually use other lower cost, higher volume methods of mixing soap and adding color and fragrance.
At its simplest, rebatching is the process of converting a solid soap to a softer moldable paste by adding a small amount of water-based liquid and (usually) heating the mixture and stirring until the mixture turns into a relatively smooth paste. Then the soap is usually put into a mold to harden up and dry.
Sometimes people add additional fats or other ingredients to modify the properties of the finished soap. Sometimes milk or other dairy is added to increase the fluidity. But even with these modifications, it's still just rebatching.
I realize rebatching is called "milling" by many small scale soap makers, but it's not. I don't know why the two methods have gotten confused in the craft side of soap making. Maybe because "French milled" soap is perceived as being real fancy and high class, but "rebatched" soap sounds boring and dull? Not sure.
Milling is the process of passing dry, cool soap through rollers to mix and compact the soap. Milling is also used to add fragrance and color. Milling does not use additional water nor does it use heat. Dry, cool soap is required for successful milling.
French milling is an alternate phrase for milling, because the French invented the method from what I recall. Triple milling is also milling. All it means is the soap is passed through the mill rollers a total of three times, rather than once or twice.
Most commercial soap is NOT milled, by the way. Commercial soap makers usually use other lower cost, higher volume methods of mixing soap and adding color and fragrance.
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Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
FWIW, I call it "hand milling" too! Pressure is applied by hand. This is a good option for a small rebatch in a 1-cup Pyrex. I use the microwave. I add just enough water to wet all the shreds; microwave on high for 1 minute; let rest for 5 minutes; then, with gloved hands, I knead it a bit and shape it into balls of soap or press it into single-cavity lightly greased molds -- usually 2.5 oz.
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