What is this?

jennyannlowe · Apr 19, 2016

Have beads of something forming on my soap after one day.

It doesn't have honey so that can't be it. I put it on my finger, It don't smell like fragrance oil. I did unmold too soon. Had some difficulty. Learned lesson. But the oil seeping is a mystery. Any thoughts? I guess it could be part of the fragrance.... But I thought I mixed it well enough. Maybe the vanilla stabilizer?

Here is recipe:

Spin swirl slab mold
Water as % of oil weight 33%
SF 5%
Canola 40%
Castor oil 2%
Coconut 20%
Palm 20%
Rice bran 10%
Sweet almond 8%
Sodium lactate 3%
Tussah silk
Sugar 2.5 tbsp
Jolly rancher fragrance oil
Vanilla color stabilizer
Few drops lavender E.O (not much)
Colorant

Navaria · Apr 19, 2016

Did you zap test the liquid? If it didn't zap, I would give it a couple days and see if it absorbs back in. I've had that a time or two. I thought mine smelled like the fo though.

DeeAnna · Apr 19, 2016

Even if it does zap, I'd give it more time to see if the liquid is absorbed. I bet it will be fine if you wait a bit.

Just a tip -- if you post a recipe for troubleshooting, it's best to give weights of all ingredients -- don't just give percentages or just list the names. That way we can make sure your calculations are correct and the amounts of FO and other additives seem reasonable. Can't do that with percentages!

cmzaha · Apr 20, 2016

If this went into gel I am betting on oil and /or fo seepage. It should re-absorb. As much as I zap test and believe in it, I would Not zap test the liquid. That could be a big ouchie. Also if this is un-gelled it can easily stay zappy for 72 hrs

Susie · Apr 20, 2016

No zap test. Just wait a couple/few days to see what it does. Mine re-absorbed every time it happened.

CaraBou · Apr 20, 2016

Hang tight! This is another great example of how soap tests our patience.

DeeAnna said:
Just a tip -- if you post a recipe for troubleshooting, it's best to give weights of all ingredients -- don't just give percentages or just list the names. That way we can make sure your calculations are correct and the amounts of FO and other additives seem reasonable. Can't do that with percentages!

A slight variation on this would be to give the percentages of the individual oils like you did, along with the TOTAL weight of oils. You'd also still need to provide the individual weights of lye, water and other additives. I prefer that route since I can eyeball the oil proportions better without using a soap calc, but would still have enough data available to enter if it is warranted. It's also a bit less intensive to provide to us since the oil percentages are usually whole, rounded numbers. Just a thought (and hopefully not confusing).

P.S. Your design looks great!

Susie · Apr 20, 2016

Also, seeing the recipe in weights is often the difference between me thinking, "Someone else can help them, I don't have time." and "It's all right there, I can take a minute to look."