What have I done?

[grumpy_owl]

I formulated or found this recipe, or patched it together from various ideas. Frankly, I have no idea where this cockamamie formula came from. And last night, tired after work, I bunged all the oils together. Now I can't remember why I thought it would be a good idea. I wanted to used up the last of the PKO I bought for a special request soap, and I'm going to use tussah silk.
The oils are melted and I'm going for it, but...gah. It looks weird.
Any advice would be welcome. Is this thing going to work?

 

[new12soap]

Your cleansing is a little higher than I usually like, but other than that it looks fine.

Since you are using up the last of the PKO, if I were making any changes I would eliminate the coconut oil, bring the shea up to 10%, and put in 7% castor.

Another option is to increase your superfat to 7-8%. Normally I sf at 5% unless I am using more coconut, and your total of cleansing oils is 31%.

Now, having said all of that, I still think your soap will work the way it is

 

[Susie]

It may not be the most pleasant soap you have ever used with the cleansing that high, and the conditioning that low, but it won't be unusable. I probably would have cut out the coconut oil also.

If it were mine, I would be thinking of using it for confetti in a nice lard heavy soap with lots of castor oil and some sugar for bubbles and lather. If it is uncolored, use a strong color for contrast.

 

[grumpy_owl]

Thank you. That makes me feel much better! I actually did increase superfat, but only to 6%. I wanted a gentle bar but it's very cleansy, isn't it? Too late now--in for a penny, in for 3 pounds of oils.

 

[lsg]

It looks like you will have a good hard bar with lots of lather.

 

[Obsidian]

Besides it bit a bit high in cleansing, it should be a nice bar. If I was making it, I would increase the SF to 10%

 

[MorpheusPA]

You could probably use that as a guest bath hand-washing bar if you find you don't care for it in the shower. So you didn't really lose anything there.

Alternately, give it to a teenager or person with very oily skin who will appreciate the cleansing power more than somebody like me (dry skin) would.

Nothing's ever a loss, it's just a matter of what you do with it!

 

[grumpy_owl]

And here's what I did with it after 1) I used a mica that turned gray instead of pink, 2) it cracked in its gel station and 3) I needed the mold to make it again.
The funny (funniest?) part is I literally had a dream last night in which I made soap and forgot to put it in a mold, and came back to find a big bowl of hardening soap. My nightmare pretty much came true.
Bucket o' failure, ladies and gentlemen:

 

[MorpheusPA]

Oh, poo. Put that in the pot, rebatch, and remold and it'll be fine.

Well, except maybe for the color. Perhaps a bit of black iron oxide to deepen the hue?

 

[shunt2011]

Oh geez, what a bummer. Yep, I would rebatch and add a strong color and plop in the mold. Might be just fine!

 

[grumpy_owl]

I don't have a crockpot so I thought I'd grate it down. It wasn't even close to hard when I scooped it out--you can see the bits still gelling. And that color! I have no idea what it will look like when it's cured but I guarantee it will be ugly. Maybe lustre black will hide my sins?
Just a spectacular mess all around. I'm almost impressed with myself. My deck smells really nice, though. This is a soap I that got me superdeeduper excited when I first thought of it and I'm determined to get it right.
The new batch is gellin' like a felon and so far, behaving nicely.
Thanks, everyone, for your help and kind words!

 

[MorpheusPA]

I do have a crockpot but hate rebatching in it. It's a mess.

I just use a pot on the stove, on very low heat, with enough added water to protect the soap from burning.

A nice, dark color would cover the hue there pretty well. Black oxide, luster black, any very dark mica. Even a deep blue to turn it a dark green might work.

 

[SplendorSoaps]

We've all been there, grumpy_owl. I'll bet your next batch will be a winner!