Shea Butter Recipe Leaking Oil YUCK! Need Help

[stouty]

I messed this one up and not sure how. It started to trace way to quick before the FO. Then when I put in the FO YIKES. Seize and looked like cream of wheat. The Lye temp was just under 110. I didn't look at the oil temp (mistake) I just did them to all melted. As soon as I added lye and oils and blended I had instant trace. YIKES

Recipe (I ran them through the calc)
Palm,coconut Olive 12oz
Canola 4.8oz
Shea 4.8
Castor 2.4

Water 18.24
Lye 6.73

FO 3oz

 

[Lindy]

I just ran your recipe through SoapMaker and it looks fine - a little water heavy (I got 16.4 oz) - but other than that it should be a really nice soap. I've had soaps sweat oil before and I've found that if I leave it alone - it's just fine - the oil will reabsorb.....now about those pictures..... I can't seem to find them..... :cry:

 

[honor435]

which fo? some are naughty!

 

[Guest]

Always a good idea to let your oils cool as well as your lye solution when you're using an FO. If you used your oils just after they melted, they were probably at about 160° or more. I let everything cool to about 100° and don't run into any problems with fast trace or seizing.

 

[stouty]

Ugh. Pictures.

Not sure how to add pics.

I am going to embarrass myself. They aren't very pretty. I had to mash them into the molds. The little flecks are paprika. http://yfrog.com/4110050071j
http://yfrog.com/6210050051j

 

[stouty]

FO

I used Rose Geranium but the problem did seem to start before I put in the FO. My intention was to put the FO in at light trace. There wasn't a light trace. BAM! Thick as mud pie from the moment I put the stick blender in.

 

[AshleyR]

Re: FO

I used Rose Geranium but the problem did seem to start before I put in the FO. My intention was to put the FO in at light trace. There wasn't a light trace. BAM! Thick as mud pie from the moment I put the stick blender in.

Florals are known for accelerating trace and seizing. I have used a few and it happened every time!

 

[Guest]

Re: FO

I used Rose Geranium but the problem did seem to start before I put in the FO. My intention was to put the FO in at light trace. There wasn't a light trace. BAM! Thick as mud pie from the moment I put the stick blender in.

That's really strange! Wonder what would have caused it to trace that fast before adding anything?

 

[stouty]

Shea is hard?

I am thinking that maybe temps were too different as Daniel suggested. If the Lye/water was much cooler and it hit the shea maybe the shea started to harden real quick and that is why it looked grainy.

 

[IrishLass]

I think you've got it, Stouty.

Whenever I soap with any kind of butters or even PKO, I don't let my oil temp get too much below 115- 120 degreesF before adding my slightly warm-to-the-touch (not hot) lye water. If the oils are too much cooler than that, then my somewhat cooler-than-the-oils lye brings my soaping temp down too much, causing the butters and/or PKO resolidify as soon as the stickblender hits them. It happened like clockwork every single time I soaped them too cool- instant ricing or tracing even before any F/O was added. Ever since upping my oil temp from 115 to 120 degreesF when I soap with butters and PKO (and making sure my lye water is slightly warm-to-the-touch), I have no more re-solidifying issues when I go to mix with my stickblender.

IrishLass

 

[stouty]

Now the big question

Is it just ugly or is it ruined?

For all my reading I have never read anywhere about finicky oil temp for certain oils.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[IrishLass]

Re: Now the big question

Is it just ugly or is it ruined?

For all my reading I have never read anywhere about finicky oil temp for certain oils.

Thanks for all the help.

Every oil/fat has their own specific melting/resolidification point, and when conditions are too cool for their particular peculiarities, they can go all wonky on you. It's just a matter of finding that 'sweet spot' where they stay behaved enough.

IrishLass


Edited to add: I just now looked at your pics. It doesn't look ugly to me at all, but it's too hard to tell from just pictures if it is ruined or not. Chances are it's probably perfectly fine soap, but if you want to be sure, wait a few days and then do the tongue zap test to check for lye spots.

 

[stouty]

Re: Now the big question

Thanks IrishLass. For now I just have a Sweet smelling mass.

Is it just ugly or is it ruined?

For all my reading I have never read anywhere about finicky oil temp for certain oils.

Thanks for all the help.

Every oil/fat has their own specific melting/resolidification point, and when conditions are too cool for their particular peculiarities, they can go all wonky on you. It's just a matter of finding that 'sweet spot' where they stay behaved enough.

IrishLass


Edited to add: I just now looked at your pics. It doesn't look ugly to me at all, but it's too hard to tell from just pictures if it is ruined or not. Chances are it's probably perfectly fine soap, but if you want to be sure, wait a few days and then do the tongue zap test to check for lye spots.

 

[LJA]

Give it a coupla days. It might be okay. I've had a couple do that on me and the yuckiness went away and they were fine.

They look good.

 

[stouty]

Looks better already

Looks better since I cut it this morning. Guess it needs some drying time. It leaked a bit but it does seem to be drying out. I just is UGLY. Looks like something from the deli counter!

Thank you for all the words of wisdom.

 

[Guest]

I think your soap looks just fine, nothing to be embarrassed about at all, you saved it and now you have soap..YAY!!

Kitn

 

[SoapPoopette]

I have to jump on the bandwagon and commend you on these soaps. They don't look bad to me either. Hopefully after a few days it will all come together.

SoapPoopette

 

[Lindy]

I think they are lovely - so soft looking and very pretty! Nice save and nice job!