So, I made my first soap....HELP!

Yesterday I made my first batch of soap and I had two questions/problems. I added color to the soap and nothing happened. It is still the same color that it was before I added it and I don't know why.
My main problem is that I realized I forgot to add some of the oil to the recipe. It called for 2/3 C of coconut oil, 2/3 C of olive oil, 2/3 c of "other" liquid oil(this is what I forgot), 1/4 cup of lye and 3/4 C of water. Is it still usable?
I checked it this morning and it looks o.k., I didn't get lye on my skin or blow up anything yesterday so overall I was satisfied and ready to try another batch.
Thanks for any advice.

There are a lot of problems with that recipe even if you'd put in the other oil. Slapping recipes should never be volumetric, and should never give me amounts without listing the precise oils. With the third oil missing and the general imprecision it's probably lye heavy.

I'd trash it, so some reading here and start over.

As it is missing a whole third of the oils, don't use it. There will be too much leftover lye.

That recipe looks suspiciously like the one I found for my first ever batch. It was fine for a first time to see if you like the hobby, but buy a scale right away and learn how to use one of the many lye calculators. The one at Bramble Berry is the least intimidating, but by now (two years later) I am using soapee pretty much exclusively.

As for the color, we can't really help you there unless tell us what you used. If it was red food coloring, you're out of luck-- the lye will "eat" it all. If it was from the soap section of the craft store, then it was only made for Melt and Pour soap.

Toss that batch. Please go read at least 5 pages of the beginner forum. Any recipe that starts with using volume measurements is not a good one.

Yeah you need to be going by weight not volume. I guess if the soap is still soft you can throw it all into a bowl and add the missing oil and stir it all together really well. Or put it into a slow cooker and hot process it by adding the missing oil.

But I think you are best bet is to junk it, read the first 5 or 6 pages of this forum and then use a proper recipe.

something like 60% lard, 20% olive and 20% coconut.

O.K., I will trash it then. At least it looks good! I didn't use food coloring, but I will look for something different to color the next batch. I did get it at Michael's in the soap section.

SoapSister said:

O.K., I will trash it then. At least it looks good! I didn't use food coloring, but I will look for something different to color the next batch. I did get it at Michael's in the soap section.

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Yeah, it's too bad that those suppliers don't label their colorants to say that they are only for Melt & Pour soap. It would certainly save novice soapers a lot of wasted time and money.

But save the colorants as someday you might be interested in trying MP. I've done MP with my granddaughter as it's fun, fast and safer. The bonus is it's ready to use right away which kids really like.

Welcome, SoapSister! :wave:

The recipe you found sounds just like the recipe that another one of our forum members new to soap-making found online and tried to make last month (start at post #12 here: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=63268&page=2 ) . It didn't turn out well for them.

I agree with the others- any recipe that starts with volumetric measurements is a sure sign that you need to run the other way, or risk getting burned.

It's possible that you could save the soap, but based on the outcome of the soap in the link I gave above, I don't know that it would be all that worth it. If you do try to save it, the best way to do it is to chunk it up and hot-process it with the missing oil either in a crock pot, or in a covered stainless steel pot placed in a 180F oven.

For good recipes- here is our a link to our Recipe/Tutorial section: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24 There's plenty more to be found in our Beginner section and our Lye-Based sections as well.


IrishLass

Hi Soapsister! I know how exciting it is to make your first batch of soap! I would recommend taking a step back though. While making a basic soap isn't too complicated there are a few things to know first. Have you watched Soap Queen's first four videos? Basics of Cold Process Soapmaking? https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAADF6209996265D2

They were very helpful for me and taught me things like using weight to measure ingredients, info about lye, basic terms, how to use colorants and fragrances etc. And, as the folks above mentioned, read through some of the beginner posts to learn a ton more. Then, try again. I bet your second batch will be awesome!

You've received some good advice here Soapsister. Soapmaking is a funny thing. It's pretty straightforward, and it's also complex. The process itself is pretty simple, you mix oils and lye and you get soap. But there are so many things that can affect the outcome. Like whether you measure by volume or by weight. And whether you use the right kind of coloring for the kind of soap you're making. It's wise to start off on a strong footing to save yourself failed batches like the one you just had. It may seem like a lot of work to do all the research, but it well worth it in the long run. It will save you a lot of frustration. Once you get the basics down, it's really pretty simple, or there wouldn't be so many of us doing it! Don't be discouraged. You'll get there.

Here is a little trick I've used since I started soaping. I write the recipe on a post it and stick it on the kitchen cabinet above where I make the soap, and as I add each ingredient, I check it off. With the recipe on the cabinet door, it's right there at eye level and I can't spill anything on it, or lay something on top of it and lose it. And as I check each item off, I know that I haven't missed anything. It works for me, and maybe you'll find it helpful too. Best of luck with the next batch!

SoapSister said:

O.K., I will trash it then. At least it looks good! I didn't use food coloring, but I will look for something different to color the next batch. I did get it at Michael's in the soap section.

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A plain bar can be a beautiful thing. FYI: looking for something different is likely going to require looking online. The first thing I ever used for coloring soap was a few drops of blue/green food coloring. I ended up with a vibrant purple! I have heard, though, that it can stain washcloths, so I don't recommend it.

What I do recommend: patience, small batches, a recipe found here and passed through a lye calculator.

One more note: If I remember the recipe you used correctly and the article in which I found it, she tells you to mix your lye in a glass jar. This is not a good idea in the long run-- the glass will become etched over time and can eventually shatter.

I hope you are feeling excited about all the experiments that are ahead for you. I did make a useable soap with that recipe 2 years ago (I still have a tiny piece of a bar), but I have made much better soaps through playing around and experimenting. Have fun!

To be clear, if we were talking about a larger amount I'd give ideas for saving it. But since it's less than two cups and about a dollars worth of ingredients, might as well start over and do it right from the beginning.