Well This Hasn't Gone To Plan

[Shelley D]

Don't be in a hurry to toss it ~ it may be an opportunity to learn how to re-batch the "woopsie" batch into a better final result. I learned rebatching methods after my very first batch came out too harsh ~ I shredded it all (a total of approximately 4 pounds) and add the shreds to new batches as confetti or remelt into fresh oils so it wasn't a total waste. Ironically, I did keep a few whole bars to test later and now they don't seem so harsh, they even lather better than most of my newer recipes
Don't be discouraged and don't toss it too soon!

 

[user 58545]

Many thanks Here are some pics of how it turned out, its like a cheese lol. Its solid enough to cut but the edges look awful, I have put it on the curing rack for two reasons, one as a reminder to not get ahead of myself and second to see how it turns out.

I can still see some oil on it, not a lot but definitely a little bit and I am not surprised as it was so thick the blender was just clogged up with the mix, took me ages to clean it

 

[BWt]

Agree with @Shelley D do not toss. Wait until it cures a bit. The cut seems pretty solid with few large interior pockets. You can always use it to rebatch into other soaps. If this were mine I would cut one or two bars into little cubes. Treat this soap as if it were an embed into another soap. Have been experimenting with this lately. Before it has a chance to get too dry I would then sprinkle it into a small one lb test batch of a darker color. Add older soap shapes into mold just before you pour (or layer older soap shapes between pours.). Use a slow trace recipe for new soap so that you can pour over old soap shapes while new soap batter is still very pourable. Do not add any scent or TD to new soap batter. Thank you for being brave enough to share. It’s easy to share our successes. Not so easy to share the boo boos. Ask me how I know about this :/

 

[user 58545]

Thank you I don't mind the failure's to be honest, its a learning curve.

I will be making a new batch tomorrow, slightly different recipe, coconut fragrance oil is currently confined to the corner of the room. Also I have put a label with the date, batch number and a big F on it just so it knows its place lol.

 

[Chaiat5]

Thank you I don't mind the failure's to be honest, its a learning curve.

I will be making a new batch tomorrow, slightly different recipe, coconut fragrance oil is currently confined to the corner of the room. Also I have put a label with the date, batch number and a big F on it just so it knows its place lol.

Love your spirit!

 

[user 58545]

Thank you

I see in this thread someone else used Freshskin coconut fragrance and the same thing happened

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/coconut-fragrance-oil-uk.82831/

 

[TheGecko]

The TD I did mix in oil before putting it in the batch but definitely think I used too much.

I checked it this morning and its still soft, hard but soft if you know what I mean so will leave it a bit longer but I can see from the walls already that this is likely going to end in the bin, its not a solid wall, its like a crumbling wall with gaps in it etc.

Given how white your soap is and the oils you used, I would agree that you used too much. At least you can cut yours. I used so much TD the first time that my soap literally shattered when I tried to cut it.

As for tossing it, that is your choice and I am supportive of it. I don't rebatch...if I wanted to make HP soap, then that is what I would be doing. I don't save my scraps either...trimmings go in the trash. And if I have a soap that I can't sell...it goes in the donation box or I use it myself. And if it is bad enough that I won't donated it, I will toss it. I did that with one of my 5lb Christmas Soaps...it was just so awful that I tossed it.

My advise would be to stick it on a high shelf and forget about it for the next six weeks. Then take a bar down and gives your hands a good wash with it to see what it is like. If it doesn't fall apart, stink or dry out your hands...go ahead and stick it in the bath. Cut a couple of bars in half and keep it at the sink.

 

[user 58545]

Thanks for the comments, I am going to do that, leave it on the curing rack and see what happens. As its only my second ever batch I am not going to try rebatching it or anything else, just going to learn from it and move forwards

 

[melinda48]

I know I am a bit new... but could it also be he used a fragrance oil that said up to 1% (on the website) for soap, but put in 3.3% in? (I typically use the percentage as ppo - It was what I was taught/learned)

I have also been thwarted by too much stick blending early on... I have started just using a whisk at the beginning for mine... It has been helping me not over stick blend... but I also think that my stick blender is way too powerful for soaping...

I would recommend not using more fragrance than recommended by the vendor. These numbers are there for a reason. If it says use a fragrance at 1%, use 1%.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I would recommend not using more fragrance than recommended by the vendor. These numbers are there for a reason. If it says use a fragrance at 1%, use 1%.

Yes - but in this case there was a discrepancy about the recommended amount that was discussed in another thread, so the 3% was OK.

@Juniper12 - I think your soap looks really good. After the first pics and how you described it in the mold, I was thinking waaaaaay worse! My vote is for using some anyway - because it is still soap and as you say - expensive to make. And maybe have a practice run at re-batching or re-using some of it as confetti or chunks?

 

[user 58545]

Its looking better today than it was yesterday. Wont ever look good but as its drying its solid and squashy so might be ok to use.

Making orange soap today so hopefully that one will be better.

Meant to say not squashy

 

[TheGecko]

I would recommend not using more fragrance than recommended by the vendor. These numbers are there for a reason. If it says use a fragrance at 1%, use 1%.

I consider the IFRA usage rates for FOs to be guidelines. As an example, if the usage rate is 27% are you really going to use 27% in your soap? And what to you do when a usage rate goes from 12% down to 2.6% without a specific reason why? One would think that if the components of a FO are so dangerous that you can't use more that 1% in a wash on/rinse off product like soap, that they shouldn't be allowed period.

 

[user 58545]

The particular fragrance oil I used I discussed in another thread as the IFRA was about 10% or so but the vendor recommended 1%. I wrote for clarification and this was the reply :

The IFRA document is the maximum dose level for that scent in a product of that nature. The 1% is the recommend amount by us. Sometimes using more oil does not necessarily mean you will obtain a greater scent.

 

[TheGecko]

Sometimes using more oil does not necessarily mean you will obtain a greater scent.

This is true. I use a 6% max in my soaps. If I can use less and still get a long-lasting scent I will because it's more cost effective (scent is often the highest cost).

 

[user 58545]

So I threw it out, honestly it smelled horrible, like plasticine, nothing like coconut and its all I could smell. It was overpowering the citrus so its gone now, to a better place I hope.

Onto my next one

 

[AliOop]

FWIW, I also think most coconut FOs don’t smell good early in the cure - they absolutely smell like plastic. The coconut smell doesn’t emerge until 3-4 weeks into the cure. After that, it’s pretty nice.

If it’s not too late to fish it out of the bin, try curing it for a bit longer before giving up. If you just can’t handle the smell of the whole loaf, keep just 1-2 bars so you can see if/how the scent changes over time. You might be pleasantly surprised.

 

[user 58545]

Ah fair enough, I might just go and rescue it and put it in the garage

 

[Ford]

Never give up, never surrender..... Write it down in the book of knowledge. Then move forward.....

Had my share, this is the worst, so far.

accelerating fo, TD, stick blender. 3 strikes and it's of to the races.

 

[Shelley D]

I can't remember if I posted pics of my recent epic fail but here it is. The dark green ones were first in the molds, them it just kept getting harder and harder ~ I was trying to squish it together into the molds The lighter colored bars were hard as rock but crumbly And that was after the 2nd attempt at rebatching

 

[user 58545]

I think in a strange way its nice to see some haven't gone to plan. Shows not everything has picture perfect soaps and sometimes need to try again