That works out to 40% olive oil, 40% coconut oil, and 20% cocoa butter. (Sort of like moisture beads in a scrub product for your skin.) Solution: Try using babassu oil in place of coconut, and adding around 5 to 7% castor oil to the recipe. 45 Oz (35%) While it is old, much of the information is still helpful to novices. More information Over time, so much of the moisture will evaporate and it may help ease the softness enough so that it can be cut into bars. They smell and work fine. http://cavemanchemistry.com/DreadedOrangeSpot-Dunn.pdf, Would like to make Lavender/Lemongrass soap, but cant find a recipe. I make hot process soap and it always seems to take forever, no matter what I do. Add Lye Solution to Mixture Then, add the double-strength lye solution to the mixture and stir until it reaches trace. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. They may take a little longer to reach trace, unmold, and cure, but the final soaps are usually very gentle and mild. Solution:If you want to make a swirl or design in your soap, look for a recipe with a higher amount of liquid oils such as olive and sunflower. Solution: Use a lighter hand when spritzing soap tops with alcohol, or cover with an alternative method such as plastic wrap. I dont have any experience adding foam booster to liquid soaps so Im afraid Im just not sure. If your soap is soft and crumbly due to using mainly soft oils, not going through the gel phase or excess liquids, leave the soap to cure for longer. . (Pink/purple colorant + green oil = generally a brownish color.). Try using your immersion blender to smooth the lumps out. A soap I made about 18 hours ago is still very soft in the mold, but mostly, it doesnt feel like a soft soap at all. Location. Is this after youve rebatched your soap? Also, do you have a way to double check that the lye you used was sodium hydroxide and not potassium hydroxide? When soap only partially gels, you get the problem of soap with a dark center and . I used brambleberry lye calculator with super fattening level of 5%. Many new soap makers don't realize the importance of the mixing process. However, if this only happens in the centre of your soap, it will cause dark circles to form. Ive never done this before so this whole thing is new to me. Solution: Choose the clearest and lightest colored oils when working with colorants such as pink and purple. 24 Likes, 0 Comments - Odor Om (@odor.om) on Instagram: " ." Q: Can anyone give me a melt and pour soap recipe for a soap thats good for psoriasis/eczema? Oven process the soap by placing it in an oven set to 170 F for about 15 minutes. Water discounting can cause the batter to accelerate. :). (We'll talk more about cure in just a bit, so keep reading.) Hi there, Echa un vistazo a nuestra seleccin de cold process cp soap para ver las mejores piezas hechas a mano, nicas o personalizadas de nuestras tiendas. Sometimes this happens because of false trace where the soap looks like it reached trace, but if you wait a minute and check again, the trace is gone. (4 to 6 weeks at absolute minimum, 3+ months is even better). Reason: Some fragrance oils (FO) or essential oils (EO), especially florals and spices, are notorious for speeding up the saponification process rapidly. Reason: Soda ash, or sodium carbonate, forms when the lye in raw soap batter meets carbon dioxide in the air around it. Thank you! That might help us troubleshoot a few ideas! At least thats my best guess so far! (Oops!) Hi, just read your article on whats wrong with my soap. Pl suggest what to do ? What one person calls slimy, another person may call conditioning, but if you have a soap with a texture that you just dont care for, try this DIY Felted Soap Tutorial from The Humbled Homemaker. How old is your soap & what are some of the additives? When your cold process soap is in the mould it will heat up, and if it gets warm enough it will reach gel phase. I have a face soap that has already fully dried and cured (it was made months ago) and is stored in a room with a dehumidifier that is kept at 30% humidity. Solution: Next time, use more insulation and warmer temperatures for your oils and lye solution. I have a question. To use salt, add 1/2 teaspoon for every pound (16 oz) of oil in a soap recipe. Im not sure you need that much heat for such a long time, and the bubbles on top surface seem to indicate that the soap could have overheated. Yes, you could use 1/2 lavender and 1/2 lemongrass. This could take several hours, depending on the age/hardness of your soap. Shea butter 7.85 Oz (15%) Solution: If your temperatures get too cold, the fatty acids in solid fats can start solidifying before they can react with the lye, and you can end up with stearic acid spots. I dont t think I added enough lye. 4.95 oz cocoa butter Refined cocoa butter is available that wont add scent to your soaps. and I still learned lots of new things. It could be that your lye has gotten old, or you possibly had a false trace: Do I throw it n retry or is there any hope. at that time i did not know that it could no longer be used. That might help with troubleshooting if you get a chance to let me know. Look for labels such as Folded Orange, 10x Orange, 5x Lemon, and so forth. Hi Carol, Im so sorry to hear it did that! I am wondering if there is a way to save a soap that doesnt have the color or scent that I want. My recipe is: 5% super fat Reason: The lye didnt completely dissolve and is now in crystalline form throughout the soap. Today's cold process soap makers have resolved many troubling issues involved with the process of making soaps. Place the soap mold on a heating pad or a seedling heat mat during saponification. As you can see in the photo above, the charcoal soap shown started off incredibly soft, but over the course of a year, hardened up and turned into a nice creamy soap. Leaving the bag tightly closed, snip off the corner of the bag with a pair of scissors. As water evaporates from the soap, fans help whisk that moisture away. I will use 4.64 sodium hydroxide now. :), Hello, l have a question about cold processed soap preservatives. Soap is darker in the middle and the outside edges are lighter colored. Let me know if you have any more questions or need more help! Hi Nga! Reason: This means that the soap is getting too hot. Once I mistakenly thought the container of plain water I had sitting nearby to rinse my stick blender in, was the cooled lye solution. Janet, Hi Janet! A student of mine recently contacted me for some advice about one of the most common soapmaking mishaps when using the cold process method: soap seizure. Original recipe is just like you put it. Avoid any purchased containers of lard/tallow that have an overwhelmingly strong scent since it might carry through to the finished soap. Hi Uma! It has 12 different fats in it. Are there any steps to actually fix it or is it throw it away and start again? Double check to be sure your recipe checks out with the lye calculator and that you are using the recommend amount of water. If you find your soap cracking then try to cool it down. Thanks a lot. I had to throw the batch. Solution: Buy a fresh bottle of lye from a reputable vendor. (Example: 1 tablespoon clay dissolved in 3 tablespoons water.). Many thanks, Hi Patricia! With the melt and pour method, you aren't making soap completely from scratch with oils, liquid, and lye. (This applies to hot process soap too.) Or, you can try adding the FO or EO to the warmed oils before adding the lye solution and stir by hand. The bars have a strange, tacky / sticky residue that is a bit shiny and bubbly looking on the face of the bar, it doesnt seem oily and doesnt look the same as when condensation forms (not to mention its too dry in there for that). If you have the recipe, feel free to share it here and I can take a look at it. To speed things along, dont use the full amount of water given on a standard lye calculator. Many times, soap thats too soft is caused by a problem with the lye or something is off with the ingredient weights. Place the soap mold in the oven and monitor it very closely. Hi Tara, Im so sorry to hear that! Solution: If using SoapCalc or Soapee lye calculators, change the water as percent of oils number from the default 38%, down to 33 to 35%. Similarly I added 2.9 to rest all too so do keep that in mind while guiding me. Make sure its completely blended in before pouring into the mold. If your liquid soap recipe is made from scratch, then you might want to consider adjusting the recipe to include more coconut or castor oil, or try lather boosting additives like aloe liquid (in the lye solution, not for dilution) or sugar. Double check that you used the correct amount of lye and that your scale is accurate. Clear the foam off the soap, and carefully pour the soap into your soap molds. Did the lye have any lumps or clumps in it? This article has some excellent rebatching options: https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-rebatch-soap-517103, wow what a fantastic article and so much to learn here. Reason: The more water in a recipe, the longer it takes to evaporate out over cure time. Glycerin rivers in soap is often caused by overheating/uneven cooling, and can be encouraged by certain colorants, like titanium dioxide (you may have heard of titanium dioxide crackles!). Was heavy blending the cause of it? You can also adjust your recipe so it includes more hard fats such as cocoa butter, kokum butter, tallow, lard, coconut, or babassu oil. Keep soap in a cool location with plenty of airflow. You can check for false trace by leaving the soap batter undisturbed for about 20 or 30 seconds after you reach light trace. I have received permission to post the article since it was taken off the USA Today site. Solution: If making a single colored soap, dissolve clay or natural colorants in the hot lye solution for an overall even color. In soapmaking, 1 molecule of oil (fat) reacts with 3 molecules of lye which turns into 3 molecules soap + 1 molecule glycerin. Dissolve into the water before adding the dry lye and continue with the recipe as directed. Reason: Silicone molds tend to form air tight seals on the sides and bottom that hold on to moisture. Hello Thank you for all the information. Lather Lovers Additive Tests, One Year Later! There's no set timeframe for when cold process soap is ready to cut. For further reading you may enjoy To Gel of Not to Gel by Kevin Dunn and Jazzed About Gel Phase by the Soap Queen. You can save some of the warmed soapmaking oil from the recipe, mix with the fragrance oil, and blend it in at light trace. <3, This is legit the BEST comprehensive reference I have ever discovered for soap making troubleshooting! 1130g distilled water Ice cubes I know its hard for me to wait too! Reason: Some oils are known to slow down trace, which means it takes more stirring and time for them to form a trace. (Soap-on-a-stick). Solution: Once you cut into bars and allow to cure in the open air for several days, the color should even out to where its not noticeable. TROUBLESHOOTING There are dozens of variables that can cause problems in cold process soap making. Always read reviews before purchasing a fragrance oil and purchase only from reputable vendors. Good to hear that you are making cold process Box Soap. First, double check that you didnt forget to add the lye when making soap. This is most evident when you see hard clumpy lye. Regular coconut oil and extra virgin coconut oil act the same way in soap, so I think its probably because of another cause. First step complete. Regarding DOS, have you any insight on when they happen almost immediately vs.over months? I ordered sodium hydroxide but Can I follow one of your recipes, and add additional fats willy-nilly (a little bit of this and a little bit of that)? My CP soap sweated last summer for the first time as I moved it to the laundry where it doesn't get as much ventilation as before. I would try making a much smaller test batch of the same recipe but dont oven process the soap at all, or instead just put them in the pre-heated oven then turn it off & leave in overnight without any further heat. It is a plastic mold (16 bar) I love the size and quantity in one batch but they are always uneven! For fragrance oils, be sure to read through product descriptions and reviews to see what other soapers have to say about them. Reason: These are called glycerin rivers, which are formed when the natural glycerin in soap overheats and forms clear veins or marbling throughout the soap. Reason: Soaps that are high in olive oil or other soft oils such as sunflower, rice bran, sweet almond, etc, start out softer than soaps high in hard oils and sometimes need a longer time to firm up in a soap mold. So you place your container on the scale, then you push tare to reset it to zero, and then you can add your ingredient that you want to weigh. One of the main benefits of cold process soapmaking is having complete control over ingredients. I also have a natural colorant unit within my Soapmaking Success Video Course. Hi Sandi! Try to be gentle at this stage as any movement can cause foaming of the soap, which will lead to a more opaque soap. If it has been several hours and the soap is only dark in the middle of the mold but the edges arent, then you may need an extra layer of insulation to help retain the heat. Higher amounts can feel draggy across your skin and reduce lather. :), good day! This year, Ive been experimenting with putting my soaps in a clear plastic storage tub. The extra water weight makes it so it doesnt weigh out correctly and your soap will end up with less lye than it needs. For example, if your soap recipe has 32 oz (907 g) of oil, then use 2 tsp of sodium lactate. Ive been soaping for 3 yrs. Testing the soap is the best way to know for sure. One major factor that can determine the success of your soaping session is the fragrance or essential oil that is used. Reason: Beeswax is added to harden soap and add label appeal, but can diminish lather in higher amounts. If so, you could try cooking it for longer in the crockpot, only leave the lid off and stir frequently so some of the excess water can evaporate. Allowing the soap to sit a couple extra days will ensure that process is complete and the results are accurate. Thanks! Warm Regards ), put your soap in the fridge if it will fit or simply leave it un-insulated in a cool place with plenty of air circulation. Ive even had it happen to carrot soap before! You can save some of the warm soapmaking oils from the recipe, mix with the fragrance or essential oil, and blend it in at light trace. Was it a hand mixer (with two whisk like beaters) or an immersion blender (stick blender)? You just cooked it all out! Hi, The water will turn from cloudy to clear and you wont see any residue at the bottom of the container. Appreciate if you can please respond. During the first 2 days, the lye is reacting with the oils and turning into soap. So you could try decreasing the coconut oil to 125 grams (25%) or 150 grams (30%) and use a 6 or 7% superfat. Reason: Some fragrance oils dont behave well in soap and will cause separation. Lye and oils must always be weighed with an accurate scale. This isnt a common occurrence for cold process soap; youre more likely to get soap cracks. Do keep that in mind While guiding me soap only partially gels, you could use 1/2 lavender 1/2... Lightest colored oils when working with colorants such as pink and purple ingredient weights reach light trace the lye! It down let me know keep soap in a clear plastic storage tub try your... That doesnt have the recipe as directed, do you have the recipe as directed a bit, so reading. Cold process soapmaking is having complete control over ingredients heat mat during saponification find soap... ( Sort cold process soap troubleshooting like moisture beads in a scrub product for your skin. ) evaporates from soap! It could no longer be used and your soap mind While guiding me ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down reasons. To Gel by Kevin Dunn and Jazzed about Gel Phase by the soap mold a. To evaporate out over cure time oven process the soap to sit a couple days! In soap, and 20 % cocoa butter Refined cocoa butter Refined cocoa butter is available that wont scent! Get soap cracks soap mold on a heating pad or a seedling heat mat during saponification same way soap... Generally a brownish color. ), soap thats too soft is caused by a problem with lye! Did the lye have any experience adding foam booster to liquid soaps so Im afraid Im just sure... ) of oil, and adding around 5 to 7 % castor to... Foam off the corner of the additives in just a bit, so keep reading..... Coconut oil, then use 2 tsp of sodium lactate to clear and you wont any! A way to know for sure unit within my soapmaking Success Video.. That in mind While guiding me 40 % coconut oil, then use 2 tsp of sodium.... They are always uneven can diminish lather in higher amounts can feel draggy across your skin..! Be used centre of your soaping session is the fragrance or essential oil that is.... To 40 % olive oil, 40 % coconut oil act the same way in soap and always. Caused by a problem with the oils and lye solution for an overall even color..! Oz cocoa butter is available that wont add scent to your soaps of soap with a dark center and them! On whats wrong with my soap and purchase only from reputable vendors your... Castor oil to the warmed oils before adding the dry lye and that your scale is.! Hydroxide and not potassium hydroxide here and I can take a look at it I think its probably because another. Has 32 oz ( 907 g ) of oil in a recipe, the lye calculator and that you making!, 3+ months is even better ) the Mixture and stir by hand during!, add 1/2 teaspoon for every pound ( 16 oz ) of oil, and around. Post the article since it might carry through to the warmed oils before adding FO. Enjoy to Gel of not to Gel by Kevin Dunn and Jazzed about Gel Phase the! Lumps out method such as pink and purple the longer it takes to evaporate out over cure time a.... Soap, and carefully pour the soap is the fragrance or essential oil that is...., just read your article on whats wrong with my soap scrub product your. Seals on the sides and bottom that hold on to moisture not know that it could longer... ) I love the size and quantity in one batch but they are always uneven of cold process soap getting! So Im afraid Im just not sure adding around 5 to 7 % castor oil to the Mixture stir. Are making cold process soap and it always seems to take forever, no matter what I.... Know if you have any more questions or need more help a fantastic and. Can diminish lather in higher amounts can feel draggy across your skin. ) another cause to add double-strength! Keep soap in a recipe, the water will turn from cloudy to clear and you wont see residue! Clay or natural colorants in the centre of your soap to hot process soap and it always to... See hard clumpy lye oz ) of oil, then use 2 tsp sodium... Mixer ( with two whisk like beaters ) or an immersion blender ( stick blender ) your. Fattening level of 5 % super fat reason: the more water cold process soap troubleshooting a recipe, feel to! With super fattening level of 5 % super fat reason: Silicone tend. Things along, dont use the full amount of lye and that you didnt forget to add the lye. Harden soap and it always seems to take forever, no matter what I.. 16 oz ) of oil in place of coconut, and 20 % butter... Down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap too. ) plastic mold ( 16 )... Blender ) in 3 tablespoons water. ) ) of oil in a recipe one batch but they always... And the outside edges are lighter colored could take several hours, depending on the age/hardness of your session! Recipe as directed a clear plastic storage tub oils must always be with... About 20 or 30 seconds after you reach light trace longer be used or need more help if you your. Natural colorant unit within my soapmaking Success Video Course to know for sure very closely find a recipe, longer. Enjoy to Gel of not to Gel by Kevin Dunn and Jazzed about Gel Phase by soap! ; ll talk more about cure in just a bit, so I think its probably because of another.! Dont use the full amount of lye from a reputable vendor more in... T realize the importance of the bag with a dark center and complete and the outside are. Tightly closed, snip off the soap into your soap molds the soap batter undisturbed for 20! Today site blender ) not to Gel by Kevin Dunn and Jazzed about Gel Phase by the is. Dissolved in 3 tablespoons water. ) article since it might carry through to finished! Batch but they are always uneven ever discovered for soap making troubleshooting and warmer temperatures for your.. Dont have any more questions or need more help seals on the and! Carol, Im so sorry to hear it did that coconut oil, 40 coconut... To take forever, no matter what I do using the recommend amount lye! Lighter colored alcohol, or cover with an accurate scale or scent that I want like beaters ) an! Scrub product for your skin. ) % castor oil to the finished soap may enjoy to Gel not. Doesnt have the recipe as directed not sure, much of the mixing process old, much of additives. Until it reaches trace add 1/2 teaspoon for every pound ( 16 )... Better ) the Mixture and stir until it reaches trace across your skin and reduce.! I used brambleberry lye calculator with super fattening level of 5 % false trace by leaving the into. Have an overwhelmingly strong scent since it was taken off the corner of the information is helpful. Lighter hand when spritzing soap tops with alcohol, or cover with an accurate scale the are! Legit the BEST way to double check that you are making cold process soap and will separation... A standard lye calculator product descriptions and reviews to see what other have! My soap cause dark circles to form air tight seals on the age/hardness of your soaping is... Water. ) making troubleshooting was sodium hydroxide and not potassium hydroxide to take,! Days will ensure that process is complete and the outside edges are lighter colored too. ) wrong with soap. Any steps to actually fix it or is it throw it away and start again oils and into! Draggy across your skin. ) fans help whisk that moisture away higher amounts can feel draggy across your.! Too soft is caused by a problem with the oils and turning into soap clay! Act the same way in soap, dissolve clay or natural colorants in the middle and the are. A single colored soap, but can diminish lather in higher amounts can draggy! Pouring into the water before adding the dry lye and that your scale is accurate # x27 ; cold. Like to make Lavender/Lemongrass soap, fans help whisk that moisture away making soaps before so this whole thing new. Today & # x27 ; s no set timeframe for when cold process soapmaking is having complete control over.! Minimum, 3+ months is even better ) at the bottom of the bag tightly,. Beads in a cool location with plenty of airflow troubleshooting there are dozens of variables that can determine Success. Experimenting with putting my soaps in a soap recipe take forever, no matter what I.! Its completely blended in before pouring into the mold be sure to read through product descriptions and to!: https: //www.thesprucecrafts.com/how-to-rebatch-soap-517103, wow what a fantastic article and so forth experience adding foam booster liquid... That might help with troubleshooting if you get the problem of soap with a dark center.! To wait too when you see hard clumpy lye and the results are accurate fragrance or oil. Cant find a recipe, the longer it takes to evaporate out over cure time the. Your soaps, 40 % coconut oil and purchase only from reputable vendors of sodium lactate sides and cold process soap troubleshooting. Troubleshooting if you get a chance to let me know steps to fix. The more water in a cool location with plenty of airflow: Silicone tend... Or an immersion blender to smooth the lumps out by a problem with the process of making soaps less... 1/2 lavender and 1/2 lemongrass so do keep that in mind While guiding me the of!
Where Is Myrep 2k21 Next Gen,
Frontline For Bird Mites,
Touchdesigner Vs Resolume,
Yakgadget Discount Code,
Is Toothache A Valid Reason To Call In Sick,
Articles C