Teach Soap

This is bugging me and I need to get to the bottom of this. I tested a bar a few days ago and thought it zapped (but I felt more burning than tingling). But then I got to thinking, I superfatted this batch at 15%. I'm pretty sure I did everything correctly, but who knows . Here is my recipe (for 31 oz.):

75% CO
25% lard
SF 15%, lye concentration 30%

- FO amount was 1.356 oz....I used 1.35 oz.
- water called for 10.62 oz....I used 8.65 to dissolve lye in, then 2 oz. of coconut milk added at light trace.

today is 4 weeks the batch has cured....I still felt some slight burning. I'm going to have to go out and buy a 9 volt battery and put it on my tongue so I can see what it feels like, lol. What should I do? Should I let it cure a couple more weeks and try it again, or should I just throw the rest of the batch out (I'm not going to rebatch)???

Watcha think? :0)

The slight burning could be from the fragrance. If your soap zapped, it would be immediate and you would definitely know. Properly made soap will not zap after four weeks.

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

It might be the fragrance oil. I accidentally got a bit on my lip once and it did not feel pleasant! What was the scent?

I have never been zapped by my soap yet, so I can't describe what it's really like. I suppose you could buy some Ph strips and test it that way to be sure.

One thing I did when I first started to make soap was to do the zap test on a sample of just made (raw) soap. This way I knew what it felt like. It really is a Zap!

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

nope...not immediate. In fact, I put the bar in my mouth (think Ralphie, from A Christmas Story) and waited to feel some tingling but I felt more burning. The scent, I mixed Coconut Lemongrass and Pineapple Cilantro (didn't have enough of one for a batch and these two seemed to go good together).

@Bubbles2: just made as in right before pouring into the mold? hmm...maybe I should do that lol, because now I'm not feeling confident and second-guessing things

yup, right after making - wet my finger with some water, dabbed it in some soap from the bowl I mixed in, touched it to my tongue and got the zap. I knew the lye was still active, so I wanted to know what that zap felt like. I did have some apple juice handy to rinse out my mouth, and did quickly rinse my fingers with vinegar and water, although I have aged, hardened hands that can take alot. Or you could keep your glove on! I test every batch at least once which is why I know it will take 48 -72 hours for my soap to saponify.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

methree: Don't underestimate the strength of lemongrass FO. I put some in a plastic cup on a table in my workshop. It melted through the cup and took the finish off the table. If it's that strong, it won't only zap you....you could get electrocuted....you know and then get some superhero superpowers or some stuff like that.

Was the lemongrass premixed with the coconut or did you mix it your little 'ole self?

thanks Bubbles2, I'm going to try that next time...what I think is zap might not be, and this way I should definitely know!

SuperSoaper: that's interesting about the lemongrass FO...and here I am putting it in my mouth!

the lemongrass was already mixed....it's Coconut Lemongrass from Brambleberry and the other one is Pineapple Cilantro also from Brambleberry.

You are very brave to stick a bar of soap in your mouth! The first test I did it took me two times to get my finger to my tongue . Its kind of like putting that first needle in your skin if you have to do injections.... but it gets easier with time.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

ok Bubbles2, I did it...I dabbed my finger in the soap bowl today after making a batch. I NOW know what zap is like!! lol

Funny, but informative isn't it. I did it today too, was questioning if I had some dead lye so I wanted to make sure my soap zapped like it was supposed to.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

WOW, very brave! I have not tried to get a zap, I may have to get my brave on just to keep up with y'all
As for the lemon grass, yes, you have to be careful with the amount used as it can be irritating, and some people are more sensitive to it than others, so before you toss or rebatch, get someone else to try it and see how it works for them.

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

Tammy

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

For anyone who has not come in contact with pepper spray... it is not a nice experience! Poor boy... maybe he will look for a job in law inforcement when he is grown up...

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!