Teach Soap

Ok my expert friends. 5 lb recipe--- olive oil, coconut oil castor oil,and lard, lye ratio was correct with water, added low fat buttermilk(all I had) rosemary fo,vetyver fo, tiny amount of geranium eo, 1tsp walnut shells,and 1 tsp rose petals. Brought my lye solution,and oil solution to 120. As soon as I mixed the two it was no more than 10 seconds to glop poured into mold as fast as I could and smoothed out as best I could. Any helpful answeres send my way please!!! Thank you! Hope I don't lose the batch. Dee

Have you used the vetyver before?

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Lesli Sagan
Avital's Apiaries
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I am still too new to really help (just finished my "lucky no. 13 batch") but I can assure you that your soap will be usable - just full of air holes due to being thick going into the mold. Just tell your friends its a "rustic style soap" and that, why yes, that effect was INTENDED!

I am an expert at passing off mistakes as great design ideas instead.

Never used vetyver before, was a free sample with my order and smelled nice. April great idea thanks!

Florals tend to be tricky to work with - soap super cool. I work in celcius - but it should be around 100 to 110 soaping normally, so 120 would be too hot (in my opinion). For something like those essential oils, I would work closer to 90.

How mixed in did you manage to get the mixture? I wouldn't be so quick to call it useable unless you are positive beyond a doubt that you managed to incorporate the lye fully. Otherwise you will get lye pockets.

When learning, you can lose a few batches - it's part of the learning process. Even now, a year in I can still lose a batch if working with unfamiliar scents.

Be aware that your rose petals will likely turn brown in your soap. The mouse poo effect. Generally for things like that, you use them as decoration on the top only.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Geranium EO seizes on me. Were your scents from reputable companies? Next time I would soap cooler, like 110 degrees (US).

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

Yes I bought from brambleberry, thanks ? Is it better to hand stir than mixer when using some FO's + EO' especially if you know they trace fast. Àlso, is there like a top ten for fragrances that tend to trace up quick?

Geranium can be a real pain in the butt! Over and over I hear about it seizing batches! I've been avoiding it like the plague!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

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

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Lisa
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul” ~ Yiddish proverb

The Vetyver moved quick on me soaping at 103 degrees but with the additional geranium I would presume the issue was temps being too high.

Note for you later....new fragrances to you soap near 100 degrees on lye and oils...just in case. The Vetyver moved fast but not unmanageable.

Thanks, just cut the soap and it looks ok, had some bubbly looking netting on top but rest of bar is solid, doesn't smell the greatest. Time will tell....live and learn

Vetyver is and will always be one of those scents you like or dislike...usually nothing in-between.