Teach Soap

Here are pictures of my very first batch that I cut 21 hours after pouring. It's Olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil with fragrance oil. Is this how it is supposed to look before curing? I have never seen CP soap fresh out of the mold, so I have no idea what to look for as signs of problems. I can read about signs of problems, but really need pictures to see for myself. Instead, I thought I'd post my pictures and get your opinions on it. I assumed the light white stuff on the top was "soda ash" so I shaved some of it off. The bars from the middle of the mold looked good after slicing some off the top, but the ones from the side of the mold still look streaked. Any idea why and/or what caused it? Is it normal and I shouldn't worry or do I need to get rid of it? Thank you, thank you, thank you for your advice!

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Catie Beth

Give it a few days, and the "pour marks" or swirls will probably fade...it doesn't really look like anything is wrong, per se...

And if there's one thing I've learned in my short time of soaping, less worry is usually better. As long as you are attentive during the process of measuring and mixing, it will kinda work its voodoo soap magic as it cures.

ETA: what *did* you do during measuring and mixing? Like temps, time, etc...

Thanks for the reassurance. I am definitely a worry wart!
I used the Soap Essentials Bar II recipe out of The Soapmakers Companion.
201 grams (7.09 oz) sodium hydroxide
19 oz distilled water
21 oz olive oil
16 oz coconut oil
14 oz palm oil
35 ml fragrance oil (I used BB's Oatmeal, Milk and Honey)

I cooled both the lye and oils to about 95 degrees. I really wasn't sure how to mix them using a stick blender, so I stirred them with the blender for a few seconds and then turned the blender on for about 20 seconds, stirred it, blended it, etc. I was afraid of it coming to trace too fast since I hadn't made it before. I poured it into the mold at what would probably be considered a light trace. I did remember to wait until trace before adding the FO. I didn't put any waxed paper on top of it which is why I think I got so much of the white stuff on the top. I then kept it covered in a couple of blankets for 21 hours before cutting it. It cut nicely...didn't seem too soft or too hard. Would the streaks on the edges be from the way it poured into the mold? Did I *need* to cut the white stuff from the top as I did, or is this purely a cosmetic issue? I'd read on here somewhere that the soda ash can sting so I didn't know. Thanks so much. I wish I knew someone in person who made CP soap so they could come and see so I am so thankful for everyone on this forum!

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Catie Beth

Mkay...it doesn't SOUND like anything weird happened..so, that's good.

The white powder? Will not hurt anything while it's curing. I've even had it show up after I had cut...like there was a wee bit, I cut, and then on the freshly cut sides, a wee bit. Could be because it wasn't done doing it's thing. No problem. I find that I can buff it off later, rather than cut it off. Saves more soap that way.

I've gotten what I'm calling "pour marks" before, too...maybe not that much, but I use a log mold instead of a flat mold...it pretty much goes in, and doesn't need to spread out. Maybe that was the difference. Maybe an expert will know the exact reason, but in my experience the lines have mellowed and all but disappeared during curing.

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Catie Beth

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

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

No, there is no "zapping" to tongue or finger. I even broke off a piece of the whitest part after a couple of days and tried washing my hands with it and it was just fine. Some of the streaks seem to be fading, but there is still a bit of white on the top of the two bars that I didn't shave. I wanted to see what would happen after they cured.
Here are some pictures of my second batch which turned out much better.
I used 30% olive oil, 30% palm oil, 30% coconut oil, 5% castor oil and 5% sweet almond oil with a 6% lye discount. I did a couple of things differently than the first batch: 1. I placed wax paper on the top right after pouring it into the mold and 2. I made sure the sides were as insulated as the top while in the mold. The sides of the mold were exposed during my first batch which makes me wonder if that attributed to the white streaking along the sides.

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Catie Beth

That batch seems to be much more even....that soap on the bottom right...was that a "corner" piece? Because that looks more like the original, which would make sense for an insulation problem, kwim?

Yes, it was a corner piece and part of it didn't get covered with the wax paper after I poured so I think that may be the key. I really enjoy the learning process!

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Catie Beth

^^^Yes, it's fun figuring things out isn't it?