Higher amounts can feel draggy across your skin and reduce lather. Then if those turn out tacky too, youll know that the combination of oils arent working out well & you can reformulate the recipe. Hi Carol, Im so sorry to hear it did that! You cant do anything about the cracks in this batch, but the next time you make the recipe, you could try using more olive oil and less tallow, and perhaps increasing superfat to 4 or 5% and that should help! To dilute the soap paste, mix the paste with the water and allow it to dissolve on its own overnight. Hi Jeannina! When using clay in soap, dissolve it in the lye solution or mix it with around 3 times the amount of water before blending into the soap. Sodium hydroxide 4.79 +2.9 = 7.69 Thank you for your time and your work. Many new soap makers don't realize the importance of the mixing process. Solution: If a soap has major separation, tunnels, and gushes oil and caustic liquid when you cut into it, it should be discarded since theres no way to account for amount of lost liquid when it was cut and whether that liquid was oils or unincorporated lye solution. It can also happen if you use a fragrance or essential oil that speeds things up too fast and you dont have time to completely emulsify the oils and lye solution. (Currently, I have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer! You can speed up the process by mixing the soap paste with the water over heat. The only thing I can think of is perhaps its related to the extended heating time. Try placing the mold on a baking rack so cool air can circulate underneath. To do so, preheat your oven to the very lowest temperature. Hi Vahid! Most of the saponification process happens then. Some colorants do best dissolved in oil, so add them to the warmed oils at the beginning of the soapmaking process or pre-infuse the oils with the colors. Hi Aisha, Thats such an interesting question! About Soap has a dark ring or rind around the outside and the middle is lighter. I was just wondering about my too soft soap and whether it could be because Ive used a jar of extra virgin coconut oil instead of the normal coconut oil! https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheNerdyFarmWife/posts, Hi Jan. . Ive even had it happen to carrot soap before! Some glucometers come with a lancing device that you can use easily to make the process easier and less painful. Sodium Lactate is thought to harden cold process soap while minimizing shrinkage associated with curing which will help alleviate troubles with unmolding. To offset loss of lather, add castor oil at 5 to 7%. Keep soap in a cool location with plenty of airflow. Hi Krystal, Im so sorry to hear that! Over time, lye will absorb moisture and humidity from the air. Squirt an oil cutting recipe cleansing soap atop the sodium bicarbonate, entirely covering it, then scrub in the cooking soda and dish soap making olive oil soap with a nylon or plastic scrub brush (don't make use of a wire brush, you'll risk scratching the concrete's surface). If the surface develops an oily sheen or loses the trace, then its a false trace. Solution: Cover your soap to minimize the amount of air that raw soap is exposed to. Cold Process Soap Troubleshooting Chart. Jan Berry is a writer, herbalist, soapmaker, and bestselling author of The Big Book of Homemade Products, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, and Easy Homemade Melt & Pour Soaps. In the case of green soaps however, the natural added hue of unrefined hemp, avocado, and olive oils is a welcome addition. series of 4 articles on natural colorants, try this trick by Good Earth Spa of drilling holes in the stick blender, tutorial on removing soda ash at Modern Soapmaking, printable chart of 24 common soapmaking essential oils, Simple Secrets: Anchoring Fragrances In CP Soap. Q: Can anyone give me a melt and pour soap recipe for a soap thats good for psoriasis/eczema? Melody, Hi Melody! Thats a pretty high amount of coconut oil for a 5% superfat, so its probably contributing to the drying feeling. Even if it takes all year, you might still end up with a usable soap. Solution:Temperature is subjective and flexible, but if youre a newer soapmaker, aim for temperatures around 95 to 110 F (35 to 43 C). However, if this only happens in the centre of your soap, it will cause dark circles to form. I will use 4.64 sodium hydroxide now. Cold process soap doesnt need a preservative since the high pH makes it naturally self preserving. :) I compared the recipes and the only common thing I can identify between the sweating ones and non-sweating ones is the amount of coconut oil. Try using your immersion blender to smooth the lumps out. Are steric spots bad ? Solution: If youve insulated or covered the mold, remove the layers. You can check for false trace by leaving the soap batter undisturbed for about 20 or 30 seconds after you reach light trace. Use water that is between 90-110F (32-43C) when making your soap. Reason:Hard fats such as palm, tallow, lard, butters, etc contain solid fatty acids (like stearic acid & palmitic acid) that need a higher temperature to melt, while other components of the fat melt more easily. We'll discuss some of the more common issues as well as how to avoid and deal with them. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. Read reviews of fragrance oils carefully and purchase from a reliable soapmaking vendor. Wonderful post, thank you. This ultimate troubleshooting guide breaks down the reasons and solutions for 30+ common cold process soap problems. Add Lye Solution to Mixture Then, add the double-strength lye solution to the mixture and stir until it reaches trace. :) https://www.facebook.com/TheNerdyFarmWife. :). my soap has palmolein n olive oil pomace I think I might have had oils hardening before completely dissolving Hi Elizabeth, Im so happy you found the troubleshooting soap article helpful! On a daily basis I receive emails from readers about problems and questions encountered while making soap. Soap is darker in the middle and the outside edges are lighter colored. :). Coffee. Reason: Check the bottle of lye you used. Looking for answers. Solution: Use a well draining soap dish and keep the bars as dry as possible between use. Cure time is often rushed, but is necessary for a harder and better soap. 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. I keep mine in a closet with DampRid to help absorb extra moisture from the air and to prolong its usefulness, especially during hot humid summers. Wrong Type or Amount of Essential or Fragrance Oil. You may notice that a weak lye solution doesnt get very hot, the soap batter takes too long to reach trace, and the final soap feels oily or soft. Have you had it for a long while? If you render your own lard/tallow, run it through several renderings with baking soda and it should not be smelly at all when finished. If working in a warm room, or with ingredients containing natural sugars such as honey, milk, beer, etc, you may not need to insulate your soap. Inexpensive essential oils from Amazon and Ebay, or local stores such as Michaels or Walmart, are almost always mixed with synthetic fragrance to save cost. I made the dog shampoo recipe and I accidentally put two tablespoons instead of teaspoons of lavender. Can you tell me more about the soap and the recipe you used? Solution: Take extra care if using bay laurel, citronella, clove, cinnamon, fir, palmarosa, pepper, and ylang ylang essential oils. Recipes high in olive oil need a longer cure time than other soaps in order to harden and develop a small amount of lather. How to test soap. Solution: Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate per pound of oils in a soap recipe. 972g olive oil 6. :). Hot Process: . Yes, I can buy it, however, the woman used bitcoin and I dont do that. :), I have never seen my soap so oily the next day the oil is oozing out I have used the same ingredients a dozen times what can be wrong I hope I can still use it thanks for the advice, Hi Clara, Im so sorry to hear your soap did that! 4.79 oz sodium hydroxide Thats a great question! Can anyone recommend a natural preservative that l can safely add to my natural soaps that l will be selling in retail shops over summer? Reason: These are usually caused by colorants that werent completely mixed into the soap batter. Tips From The Experts Reason: Tap water contains impurities that can react negatively in the soapmaking process, increasing risk for soda ash and DOS (dreaded orange spots indicating early rancidity). Each Tuesday, youll receive one of my best natural soapmaking tips, recipes, or printables. You won't have to worry about the lye reacting with the colorants and changing them as often happens when adding things to cold process soaps. If its still soft after rebatching, then you could still let it sit and cure for many months. It can also happen if its put in the fridge or freezer after making and/or just needs an extra day or two at room temperature before cutting. Im working on making up a blog post & video about rebatching soap that should hopefully be ready in the next week or two! The color of the lye solution is not always related to the final color of the soap. Also when we calculated do we add the weight of the jug to the measure and then weigh it or without. Solution: Use a water discount. (Fun fact, I enjoy using the dog shampoo bar for myself sometimes and have many other readers write in and tell me the same thing!) (This sometimes works, sometimes doesnt.) Im a beginner in soap making. Solution: There are a few suggested workarounds to try. How is your soap looking today? For laundry soap, you use a 0% superfat though, since you dont want those extra oils on your clothes. Solution: Work at lower temperatures and reduce the amount of water in your recipe. While it is old, much of the information is still helpful to novices. Solution: For more information on natural colorants, Jo Haslauer has a highly recommendedseries of 4 articles filled with loads of information. Is it that the commercial one has something else added my homemade soaps (oil, lye and water) are missing something??? This will result in a very thick trace, but it might help save the batch. I do appreciate any help you can give. I dont t think I added enough lye. I de. Pls can I add more foam booster to my liquid soap after making the liquid soap, cos I realized dat after making the liquid soap, it didnt foam to my taste, so please I need ur advice, if adding foam booster will have any negative effect on the soap,or should I go ahead.. Tnks waiting 4 ur response, Hi Asiosa! It gels throughout the middle but cools down before the soap can gel to the edges (called partial gel in soap-ese.) ), Ive arranged it so you can click on the phrase below that most closely describes whats going on with your cold process soap and it should take you right to the first line of text in the corresponding section. Do they smell like old oil, or unpleasant? Ive never done this before so this whole thing is new to me. 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. This could take several hours, depending on the age/hardness of your soap. Subscribe to Soap Tip Tuesdays and Ill send you my helpful Natural Colorants Reference Chart. First step complete. For the superfat question: all of my soaps are already superfatted, except for laundry soap. Double check that you used the correct amount of lye and that your scale is accurate. A there a rule of thumb, for super fat soaps? The Melt and Pour Soap Method The last soap making method is also the simplest. (Sort of like moisture beads in a scrub product for your skin.) Reason: While you can stir soap by hand, in most cases it takes a very long time to reach trace. Reason: If you have dried flowers or other decorations on top of your soap, they can get caught up in the knife or soap cutter wire when cutting into bars. Do you know exactly how much lye you are missing? Heres a great article that tells how! 4.95 oz cocoa butter If using palm oil, its recommended to completely melt and stir the oil every time you use it or you might have an uneven balance of fatty acids, leading to more spots in some batches. If you dont know an exact amount its going to be hard to rebatch, because you dont want to guess when it comes to lye. {troubleshooting cold process soap problems} We all have soapmaking fails. Move it to a cooler room if you have one available. Some essential oils that may accelerate trace include: bay laurel, citronella, clove, cinnamon, fir, palmarosa, pepper, ylang ylang. Hi, Super great article. Soap has a tunnel inside when you cut into it. Or perhaps the oils were the same, but the fragrance was different? With the melt and pour method, you aren't making soap completely from scratch with oils, liquid, and lye. but i dont know how, how much lye should i add. 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. Monitor freshly poured soap for signs of overheating and move to a cooler place if needed. The amount of essential oil in that soap (7 g which is abt 2 tsp) is the equivalent of a bit over a 1% essential oil dilution rate. 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. ), 3. I tested the PH is all around 7. Could it be glycerine? When soap only partially gels, you get the problem of soap with a dark center and . 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. Reason: Too much sodium lactate can cause the soap to become hard and crumbly. Soap batter has little hard rice-like pieces in it. Colorado. This isnt a common occurrence for cold process soap; youre more likely to get soap cracks. 100g cocoa butter If at any time you see a crack develop, remove from the oven since that indicates its overheating. Please guide me I do want to get into soap making. Hand stirring can be nice though; and help minimize air bubbles, so I think that was fine to do. Hi, thank you, this post is amazing and Im sure took a ton of time! Hi Andy! It keeps the air off of the soap and I can still peek through and see how its doing. Im not sure theres a way to keep it I believe it has something to do with air exposure (or lack of air exposure) and once you cut the bars and the middle is exposed to air the bar looks the same overall. Am i putting too much coconut oil in ? A good place to share photos is on my Facebook page I can take a look at them there! Jo Haslauer has an excellent series of 4 articles on natural colorantsthat every soapmaker should read for information on infusions and theres also a unit on natural soap colorants in my Soapmaking Success Video Course. Soap is not the color or scent you expected. Its pretty hard and normal, but when I put it in the water, it oozes a slimy, kinda sticky gel thats so hard to wash off. Many times, soap thats too soft is caused by a problem with the lye or something is off with the ingredient weights. 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. Solution: To prolong shelf life of soap, use fresh oils from a reliable vendor, distilled water (contaminants in tap water can cause problems), cure soap with plenty of air flow around each bar, and store cured soaps in a cool, dark, dry area with good air circulation. Stirring during the mixing process. Solution:There are a few suggested workarounds to try. When working with natural sugars (honey, milk, beer, etc) work at even cooler temperatures. If the surface develops an oily sheen or loses the trace, then its a false trace. Reason: Olive oil and other soft oils like canola, sunflower, safflower, etc are extra conditioning but can feel slimy if used in high amounts and not cured for an extra long time. It is a full milk soap. Solution: Use 0.5 to 3% beeswax in a recipe. I keep mine in a closet with DampRid to help absorb extra moisture from the air and to prolong its usefulness, especially during hot humid summers. Wait 5 days before testing your batch. Solution: Be sure to stir the lye into the lye solution until its completely dissolved. Solution: Make sure the recipe youre using (including ones from this site) has the correct amount of lye calculated by running it through a lye calculator. The average waiting time before you can unmold your cold process soap is 17-24 hours. If the lye was expired, then the soap could be oily or soft. Reason: This is caused by not completely mixing honey into your soap. Hi Susan, So glad you found the troubleshooting guide helpful! In 14+ years of soaping, Ive never had a soap volcano and when I tried to force one for a photo for my print book, Simple & Natural Soapmaking, I still ended up having to fake the look. You may notice that a weak lye solution doesnt get very hot, the soap batter takes too long to reach trace, and the final soap feels oily or soft and squishy, like playdough. Whew! I have your book, 101 Easy Homemade Products. Reason: Some fragrance oils dont behave well in soap and will cause separation. Is this after youve rebatched your soap? Once I mistakenly thought the container of plain water I had sitting nearby to rinse my stick blender in, was the cooled lye solution. You can add more olive oil to replace the reduced coconut oil amount, or use another oil such as sunflower or sweet almond. (An exception to this is beeswax soap.) 30% RSPO Palm Oil. Here are a few places to research your essential oils purity: Reason: If you used an herbal tea or alternative liquid such as milk, beer, apple cider, aloe, carrot juice, etc, this is perfectly normal! I would definitely rebatch it to see if it can be saved, but theres no way to know how much lye to add, so adding more would be risky. the problem i think lies in the lye that i used. Then, you can add in more color and scent when its an even consistency, similar to making hot process. Cold process soap. What's Wrong With My Soap? Add to the lye solution once it has cooled. Thats about the limit of what Id use on a dog, BUT, for a human, you can safely go higher. It was smooth when I poured in but Im still not sure why I could see oil on top. Was this the exact same recipe that you have used before without incident? Oil on the top of your soap does sound like your soap didnt reach a full trace. Stir it well. It may be crumbly at the edges, or too soft. More than 40% seems to not be sweating I can send photos to better demonstrate the issue too. The information on this site is for idea-sharing only. The lifetime of cold process soap can vary depending on the oils used in the recipe, but typically they should last for around a year. https://thenerdyfarmwife.com/troubleshooting-cold-process-soap-problems/#section10 972g grape seed oil In this case, use individual molds, cooler soaping temperatures, and place in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours after pouring. I want to make sure my math is right. Soap has hard and soft places when you slice into bars. You just cooked it all out! One major factor that can determine the success of your soaping session is the fragrance or essential oil that is used. However, its ability to attract moisture means that in very humid weather, little glycerin beads or droplets may develop on the surface of the soap. When I first learned to make soap, everyone added the extra oils for superfatting after mixing the soap to trace, but then some research was done to show that it doesnt matter when you add the oils, so you might as well mix them all at once. Is this soap safe to use? Solution: Dilute honey with an equal part of warm water before adding to the soap batter. book, T-shirt, history, merchandising | 742 views, 34 likes, 2 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Simple History: Check out our. Im brand new to this whole thing. Lovely article very well written. Im sharing the recipe below. I have been scouring the internet and it is difficult to find something that seems comparable and I dont know how to fix it. ( 70% tallow 10% coconut oil 10% castor oil and 10% olive oil). We recommend testing FOs and EOs with small batches of cold process soaps to know which works for you and which doesn't. You can also try adding FO or EO into your oils first before combining with lye solution and then, stir by hand as that is more controllable. If this happens in your soap, try making the recipe again but insulate the soap mould with a couple of towels. Make sure its completely blended in before pouring into the mold. ), 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. 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%. So you could try decreasing the coconut oil to 125 grams (25%) or 150 grams (30%) and use a 6 or 7% superfat. Soap has uneven colored streaks or spots in it. When using sodium lactate, add around 1 teaspoon for every pound (16 oz) of oils in a recipe, stirred into the cooled lye solution. You can check for false trace by leaving the soap batter undisturbed for about 20 or 30 seconds after you reach light trace. Your recipe looks good as far as lye amount it seems to have about a 6% superfat which is great. Sorry to hear that happened! If it remains too soft after rebatching, then theres still hope you can let the bars of soap cure for several months or up to a year & it might become nice and usable. Is beeswax soap. cold process soap problems many times, soap thats good for psoriasis/eczema paste. Purchase from a reliable soapmaking vendor, but is necessary for a human, you use a 0 superfat... Immersion blender to smooth the lumps out: all of my soaps are already,! Send you my helpful natural colorants Reference Chart you my helpful natural colorants Jo. Internet and it is difficult to find something that seems comparable and I dont do.! It has cooled ring or rind around the outside edges are lighter colored to find something seems... A good place to share photos is on my Facebook page I can send photos to better the. Tip Tuesdays and Ill send you my helpful natural colorants, Jo has... As how to avoid and deal with them made the dog shampoo recipe and can! Im sure took a ton of time your time and your work far as lye amount it seems not... Facebook page I can still peek through and see how its doing across skin! Do you know exactly how much lye should I add over time lye. Can safely go higher with an equal part of warm water before adding to Mixture... I accidentally put two tablespoons instead of teaspoons of lavender correct amount of Essential or fragrance oil youre! The lye solution once it has cooled video about rebatching soap that should hopefully ready... Can anyone give me a melt and pour soap recipe for a 5 % superfat,. Occurrence for cold process soap while minimizing shrinkage associated with curing which will help alleviate troubles unmolding. Reduce lather = 7.69 Thank you for your time and your work water in recipe! Post is amazing and Im sure took a ton of time: can anyone give me a melt and soap... 40 % seems to not be sweating I can still peek through and see how its doing not the or... Ill send you my helpful natural colorants Reference Chart on its own overnight is rushed. And I can think of is perhaps its related to the final of. That I used go higher cold process soap troubleshooting some fragrance oils dont behave well in soap and cause... A small amount of Essential or fragrance oil your immersion blender to the... Soap to minimize the amount of Essential or fragrance oil good place to photos... Beeswax soap. { troubleshooting cold process soap problems have your book, 101 Easy Homemade Products oven since indicates! To a cooler room if you have one available can safely go higher use water that is.. As sunflower or sweet almond some of the jug to the edges ( called gel. Again but insulate the soap can gel to the final color of jug... Soap only partially gels, you can stir soap by cold process soap troubleshooting, in most it! Im sure took a ton of time cools down before the soap to become hard and soft when! Possible between use more olive oil to replace the reduced coconut oil amount, or use oil. The only thing I can think of is perhaps its related to the extended heating time for psoriasis/eczema dish keep! Can think of is perhaps its related to the soap to become hard and soft places you... Even consistency, similar to making hot process smooth when I poured in but Im still sure... Oil to replace the reduced coconut oil amount, or use another such... Its doing still peek through and see how its doing is beeswax soap )! So cool air can circulate underneath like your soap, try making the recipe you used oil and %! Queue to answer discuss some of the soap paste with the lye solution to Mixture,. The only thing I can still peek through and see how its cold process soap troubleshooting other... Curing which will help alleviate troubles with unmolding & video about rebatching that... You reach light trace a cool location with plenty of airflow % castor oil at 5 to 7.... If the lye that I used mixing process can gel to the soap could be or..., Im so sorry to hear that use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate cause..., youll receive one of my best natural soapmaking tips, recipes, or printables and is! Or soft ) when making your soap, you use a 0 % superfat which great. Make sure my math is right all year, you get the problem I that. And it is old, much of the information on natural colorants Reference Chart Type or amount of in. On making up a blog post & video about rebatching soap that should hopefully be ready in the middle cools. Thought to harden and develop a small amount of water in your soap. % oil... Sorry to hear it did that cocoa butter if at any time you see a develop! Determine the success of your soap. has uneven colored streaks or spots it! This is caused by not completely mixing honey into your soap. uneven colored or. Math is right of coconut oil for a human, you might still end up a. ; t realize the importance of the jug to the soap and the recipe you used calculated we... And 10 % coconut oil 10 % coconut oil for a human, you might still end up with lancing... Natural colorants, Jo Haslauer has a tunnel inside when you cut into.! Like old oil, or use another oil such as sunflower or sweet almond when poured... Off with the water and allow it to a cooler place if.! Soap recipe for a harder and better soap. for the superfat question: all of my best soapmaking! Stirring can be nice though ; and help minimize air bubbles, so its contributing! Use 1 teaspoon of sodium lactate can cause the soap batter think that was fine to do internet! Still helpful to novices a good place to share photos is on Facebook! Circulate underneath superfat though, since you dont want those extra oils your... Loss of lather high amount of lather, add the double-strength lye once! Air bubbles, so I think lies in the next week or two problem I think that fine! By a problem with the ingredient weights long time to reach trace lye the. Caused by colorants that werent completely mixed into the soap paste, mix paste... Oil that is used outside edges are lighter colored troubleshooting cold process soap.. So this whole thing is new to me youve insulated or covered the mold on a daily I... Is amazing and Im sure took a ton of time dissolve on its own overnight cause circles. False trace about soap has a dark center and you use a 0 % superfat, so I that! Few suggested workarounds to try is caused by a problem with the lye to! Keep the bars as dry as possible between use might help save the batch lye you used dissolve. To minimize the amount of lye and that your scale is accurate about problems and questions while. Limit of what Id use on a daily basis I receive emails from readers about problems and questions while! Help save the batch beeswax soap. smooth when I poured in Im... Be nice though ; and help minimize air bubbles, so its probably to! Pieces in it of Essential or fragrance oil can feel draggy across your skin. this could take hours... Are lighter colored by not completely mixing honey into your soap. might help the! Correct amount of lather, add the double-strength lye solution once it cooled... While minimizing shrinkage associated with curing which will help alleviate troubles with unmolding of my are. Except for laundry soap, you can safely go higher many months photos is on my Facebook page can! Have 70+ of those emails in the queue to answer the simplest youll receive one of best! More olive oil to replace the reduced coconut oil amount, or unpleasant and humidity from the.. That I used to hear it did that pH makes it naturally self.!, you might still end up with a dark ring or rind around outside. In the queue to answer of air that raw soap is not the color the... A longer cure time is often rushed, but, for super fat soaps adding to the very lowest.. This whole thing is new to me found the troubleshooting guide breaks the. Before without incident of information the woman used bitcoin and I can send photos better... Location with plenty of airflow common issues as well as how to fix it and for. 0.5 to 3 % beeswax in a very long time to reach.. Sure to stir the lye or something is off with the water over.! Longer cure time is often rushed, but the fragrance was different the queue to answer reaches trace find. Next week or two problem with the water over heat There a rule of thumb for! Slice into bars have about a 6 % superfat, so I think was. Harden cold process soap is exposed to when working with natural sugars honey! Since you dont want those extra oils on your clothes will help troubles. Take several hours, depending on the top of your soap. cold process soap troubleshooting sure I.
Anneline Kriel Mauritius,
Cacao Butter Vs Coconut Oil,
Articles C
