Rebatching questions

[Inodoro Pereyra]

I have finished, about a week ago, my first successful batch of HP soap.
I scented the soap with a mixture of peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary and cedarwood EOs. Now, upon using it, I have noticed that, as smooth as the soap is, and as fresh as it feels because of the peppermint and eucalyptus, it's also irritant to some of my most "sensitive" areas, to the point that there's been some blood loss involved.
So, I want to try and save my batch, so I'm wondering if rebatching it would be the solution.
Which means I have a ton of questions:

1. Will rebatching my soap get rid of the EOs already in it, so I can replace them for some milder scent?

2. Is eucalyptus also an irritant, or only peppermint?

3. Should I add water when rebatching soap? If I should, how much?

4. Can I add titanium dioxide when rebatching?

5. Does rebatching cause any undesirable side effect on the soap, or are there any tips that would make my life easier?

Thanks very much in advance...

 

[andreabadgley]

1. Will rebatching my soap get rid of the EOs already in it, so I can replace them for some milder scent?

In my experience, rebatching will not get rid of EO's that are already in your soap. They might evaporate off a little, and so become milder, but I don't think they'll go away entirely (or at least not enough to be replaced by a milder scent - maybe they could be covered up by a stronger scent)

2. Is eucalyptus also an irritant, or only peppermint?
I think Eucalyptus can be irritating to very sensitive skin. However, it is used in topical ointments for joint pains, muscle aches, swelling, etc. So I think it depends on the skin.

3. Should I add water when rebatching soap? If I should, how much?
Yes, you should add water. I think I usually start with 1 Tbs water per pound of soap. I don't think the amount is critical. I usually go by how it feels. Adding water helps soften up the soap so that it will "melt" more easily and will be stir-able.

4. Can I add titanium dioxide when rebatching?
no idea

5. Does rebatching cause any undesirable side effect on the soap, or are there any tips that would make my life easier?

My rebatched soaps are generally lumpier and less smooth and refined compared to CP or HP soaps. Other than that, they are quite lovely and don't have any undesirable side effects.

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Thanks Andrea, for taking the time to post such complete reply.

When I said "milder scent" I was referring to a scent that'd be milder to the skin.

So, is there a way for me to get rid of the peppermint, so it won't be so irritating?

 

[andreabadgley]

So, is there a way for me to get rid of the peppermint, so it won't be so irritating?

If there is, I don't know what it might be. Sorry! Like I said, cooking it in the rebatch may cause some of it to evaporate and therefore make it milder. The only other option I can think of would be to "dilute" it not by rebatching, per se, but by cutting it into cubes and using it as chunks in a brand new bar. I'm sure there are photos of finished bars with chunks somewhere on this forum. Let's see, I just did a quick search and found these nice examples from jbarad:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/vi ... ight=chunk

Another option would be to shred and add to a fresh batch for a confetti effect.

 

[Imblebee]

Blood loss?! ay!

Do you mean tingling? Because sometimes that's a desirable effect. Perhaps yours is stronger than desired... There is a "biodegradable" soap out there my Dr. Bronners, it's pretty minty fresh, if you know what I mean.

If all else fails with rebatch, not to worry, every pot has a lid. Someone will love it!

 

[kaseencook]

Being in the land of eucalyptus, we usually use the straight oil on our skin when sick or just because it smells nice, and I have found that it definitely burns in sensitive areas like the arm pits and "other regions":shock:, and we are generally not sensitive skin people. But I make a soap with eucalyptus in it and find in low concentrations(1cc/liter oil) it still has smell but I don't notice any burning. Perhaps a rebatch will reduce the power of the eucalyptus.

There is a great rebatch method that doesn't require extra water (which can result in soft soap that takes ages to harden) where you make a new batch of soap to trace, add in your rebatch shavings, and blend it in, then do a hot process to melt in the new bits. Should be much smoother result, but of course you get even more soap, and if it's a questional batch it could be a waste. Also, it you rebatch by just heating and melting, try using a spray bottle for your water so that the water contacts more soap and you can use a bit less water because it's not pooled in the bottom.

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Thanks everybody for the replies.
I guess I will make a small rebatch in my next day off, and see what happens. Maybe I can boil the peppermint off enough so it won't hurt...

Blood loss?! ay!

Do you mean tingling?

Hmmm, no.
I mean, I'm a man, and it actually peeled part of the skin off in the business end of the....
Not a good time, believe me.
The worst part is that in the rest of the body, including the armpits and other sensitive areas, it feels like a million bucks.
So, now, I don't know if the irritation "there" is due to the soap, and nothing happened anywhere else because of my skin being as rough as it is, or if the soap is good and the irritation is due to "something else"..., so now I'm afraid to give the soap away to others.

Anyways, I'll wait until my next day off and make a decision.
Thanks again.


P.S.: Kaseencook: being from the land of eucalyptus, do you know why eucalyptus is believed to be a joke?

 

[kaseencook]

hehe, what's the joke?

 

[carebear]

1. Will rebatching my soap get rid of the EOs already in it, so I can replace them for some milder scent? NO IT WON'T COOK THE SCENT OUT OF THE SOAP

2. Is eucalyptus also an irritant, or only peppermint? IT CAN BE, BUT DEPENDS ON THE LEVEL

3. Should I add water when rebatching soap? If I should, how much? DEPENDS ON HOW DRY YOUR SOAP IS - ANYWHERE FROM NONE (FRESH SOAP) TO A TABLESPOON PER POUND OF SOAP. MILK WORKS BETTER THAN WATER FOR SOME REASON

4. Can I add titanium dioxide when rebatching? IT WOULD BE HARD TO MIX IT IN COMPLETELY, SO I RECOMMEND AGAINST IT

5. Does rebatching cause any undesirable side effect on the soap, or are there any tips that would make my life easier? UNDESIRABLE? WELL IT WILL LIKELY HAVE A DIFFERENT TEXTURE AND A "RUSTIC" LOOK. BE SURE TO GRATE YOUR SOAP SMALL AND TRY TO "COOK" TILL IT'S ALL MELTY - BUT DON'T LET IT DRY OUT SO USE A BOIL-IN-BAG OR SOMETHING IF YOU CAN. MY BEST ADVICE, THOUGH, IS NOT TO REBATCH. I HATE DOING IT!!! (OH I TRIED USING THE MEAT GRINDER ATTACHMENT ON MY KITCHEN-AID. INTERESTING LOOK, LOTS OF LABOR. LOTS. WON'T DO THAT AGAIN.

 

[Norai]

Thanks everybody for the replies.
I guess I will make a small rebatch in my next day off, and see what happens. Maybe I can boil the peppermint off enough so it won't hurt...

Blood loss?! ay!

Do you mean tingling?

Hmmm, no.
I mean, I'm a man, and it actually peeled part of the skin off in the business end of the....

:shock: :shock: :shock:

maybe try washing your hands, or the inner side of your forearm (this is supposedly a sensitive skin area) with your soap before you use it on sensitive parts??? ow ow

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

hehe, what's the joke?

Well, it's not really that funny, but as far as I know, it's true.
As you may probably be aware, the eucalyptus tree does now show its leaves frontally to the Sun, but it actually shows their edge.
Well, its name is believed to be some sort of funny remark, because eucalyptus comes from the Greek "eu" (ευ) that means "well", and "kaliptos" (κάλυπτος), meaning "covered". Kinda sarcastic name for a tree that's not "well covered" at all...

Thanks Carebear and Norai. I guess I just made 10 Kg of laundry soap...

Norai: I shower (or used to) with the soap, including my hair. I have not had any other problem, except that one.

 

[kaseencook]

I'm with ya carebear! Re-batching is a pain in the bum, and it's never as good as the fresh stuff :shock:

Hehe, that must be greek humour for ya

 

[I love soap!]

at least you won't run out of laundry soap for a while

 

[mamaT]

If the EOs are too strong, why not try another batch, unscented and add the grated soap at trace. I've done this with CP and it gives the final soap some pretty neat effects, especially if the grated soap is colored and the new batch is white.

 

[knicelyr]

Inodoro Pereyra,

I rebatch often and it is a real pain. Adding anything to the soap is a chore. If you add too much water the soap stays soft for a long time.

What seems to work well for me is putting the mold in the oven at 212*F or higher if you are sure the water content is low. I always (now) put another pan under the mold in case there is too much water left and I get a volcano.

The texture is much improved after it goes back through the gel stage.

 

[kellistarr]

[quote ] Blood loss?! ay!

Do you mean tingling? [/quote]

Hmmm, no.
I mean, I'm a man, and it actually peeled part of the skin off in the business end of the....
Not a good time, believe me.
The worst part is that in the rest of the body, including the armpits and other sensitive areas, it feels like a million bucks.


My vivid imagination went wild with the above and then I cracked up! TMI !!! I'd rebatch the soap and pass it along to someone else
whose body parts could handle it. Make another batch for yourself and go way easy on the EO's.

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Hehe, that must be greek humour for ya :wink:

Yeah, you could say that...
Anyways, I thought it'd be a nice bit of trivia...

If the EOs are too strong, why not try another batch, unscented and add the grated soap at trace.

Yeah, I'm thinking of doing something like that. I just have to wait for my next day off, so I can go buy the lye...

What seems to work well for me is putting the mold in the oven at 212*F or higher if you are sure the water content is low. I always (now) put another pan under the mold in case there is too much water left and I get a volcano.

The texture is much improved after it goes back through the gel stage.

You mean take the soap I already have and put it in the oven, or rebatch it and put the rebatch in the oven? :?

Make another batch for yourself and go way easy on the EO's.

That's what puzzles me. I used 8 oz. total EO, for a total fat weight of 18 lbs. Is that too much?

 

[I love soap!]

Yep, you should use teaspoons and tablespoons, and that sort for eo's and fo's

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Ok, now I'm officially confused.
I love soap: what do you mean?
In the Millersoap page, here:

http://www.millersoap.com/soapdesign.html#Scents

they cite the amount of EOs as .4 oz. per pound for strong scents, and .7 oz. per pound for average scents. I initially had decided to use .5 oz./lb (for a total of 9 oz.) but I just didn't have enough.

Did I really make a mistake? :?

 

[I love soap!]

Sorry per pound. Wasn't thinking and depends on oil. See harder for me since i use m&p soap base, which makes everything different the way i do things. sorry