Teach Soap

So I made this batch last week and it absolutely crumbled when I tried to cut it. I tested it (with ph paper) and it doesn't seem to be lye heavy. I would actually love to rebatch it, as I haven't tried that method yet and I was thinking rebatched soap would make cute soap balls, but here's the problem...

It's a red and black swirled bar. Yeah, if I rebatch that, that will turn gross dark brown, won't it? Ugh. I'd like to end up with something at least kind of presentable that I could give away or enjoy in my own bathroom. I don't know what to do with it otherwise. I might shred it and suspend it in future batches...

And the worst part is I LOVE the scent I used in it, it smells so good!

pH paper is not accurate. It will only give you a pH range. How much did you superfat? You are correct. Red + black = brown. If it's not lye heavy, you could shred it and add it to another batch.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I figure ph paper is going to be closer than my tongue, which I totally don't trust. This soap zapped me the first day (when I couldn't find my ph paper), but I didn't let it gel and as someone pointed out un-gelled soap can still zap you the first few days. I have full range 1-14 ph paper. It tested well below the danger zone (and didn't zap, but who knows now that I have a chemical burn on my tongue from the first time). I trust it. I superfatted either 7 or 8% (I have the recipe written down, but not the superfat %, I'd have to run it through a calc to figure that out, but I always superfat 7 or 8%).

Thankfully my swirling wasn't so successful, either, so I should be able to mostly separate the black layer from the red layer and possibly shred them into different batches. We'll see. At the moment I can't think of anything they would look good in.

I'm so trying that soap again, it was so promising, but this time I'm gonna CPOP it.

Oh yes! Ungeled soap will give you big zap. It can take up to three days for ungelled soap to completely saponify. I normally suggest to have some juice handy to rinse your mouth out with. It is easier to dampen your finger, touch the finger to your soap, then touch the finger to your tongue. I never lick the soap directly. Good luck on your next batch.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I do it just like SoapBuddy! I will NOT lick soap bars and then sell them. Very gross. But every one of my soap bars gets tested (and I've made in excess of 6000 bars). I rinse my finger in between bars.

If your bars do not zap. Cut them up into small chunks like a pat of butter but in quarters. Add that to a new batch of plain but fragranced soap in a color you like (white works well too). Once you cut the new bar, you'll have a red/black/white pretty bar of soap.

MAKE SURE the red/black soap does not zap (give your pH paper to a budding scientist to use elsewhere).

I am with the others, I prefer and recommend a zap test over ph paper.
You can shred it and use it in soap for that confetti look or chunk it and use it in soap for a more jeweled look. I like to pour half natural batter and mix the shreddings or blocks into that part, then add a colored layer to the top (or bottom) for more contrast. No matter how you do it, it should be pretty and most certainly more pretty than a rebatch mush.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I really like the confetti idea... I'm thinking some white colorant in the plain soap to really make the confetti pop. Great idea guys!

But the ph paper thing... I'm gonna need more than "I don't like it" and "it's not accurate." Why? How is it not accurate? More specifically, how is it less accurate than my tongue? I don't want to argue, I just need a reason before I change my mind. But honestly, if I change my mind it will probably be from ph paper to phenothaline.