Micas in big batch soap- Ugh??!!

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nautigalsoaps

laVaVoom
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I made my first "big batch" of soap, 15lbs. Being that I'm a newbie and could see the soap thickening quickly, I decided on an "in the pot swirl" with 2 micas.
I found by the 4th mold the color was fading. Does anyone know why? Or maybe give me a suggestion to keep the colors vibrant. By the 4th mold the soap looks "washed" out.
Much thanks!
 
Sorry to say this, but I don't think you ready to sell your soaps. You just said you are a newbie, you need to try your hand on so many batches before you can be ready to sell. Anyways back to your question, some micas are not suitable for cold process. Your sources/supplier should indicate if they work for cold process. Trying buying from suppliers that will state how the micas perform in cold process, if it will morph or fade.... let it stay for awhile, the color might get better. There is always a new lesson to learn from every batch of soap you make, even if you work with the same recipe over and over again.
 
Rather than assuming that you are selling, I am going to ask you if you are. I can think of no other reason a newbie soapmaker is making 15 lb batches, but I am giving you the benefit of the doubt. The Etsy shop, with nothing in it thus far, is just different enough from your name that I am just asking if you are selling. Are you intending to sell this soap?

Newbies selling soap is one of our "hot button" issues. The reason is that you have no idea what your soap is going to be like in the long haul. You don't know if you are going to get DOS, or how that scent or colorant holds up. And you give every other soapmaker a bad name when you sell bad soap because one someone has a bad experience with hand made soap, they assume all hand made soaps are bad.
 
I didn't assume - the FB page for the company told me that they are.

How do you know its her page? If you just googled "Nautigal Soaps" - someone else could also share that company name.

I don't think it's fair to make assumptions like that unless the OP comes out and tells us she is selling. It's quite odd for a newbie to make a 15lbs batch, but we shouldn't just assume.
 
Were the micas suitable for cold process or lye soap? Some simply don't work with lye. Other mica colors can temporarily morph, but then return to normal in a couple of days.

Yes thanks. I totally forgot I incorporated goats milk in the recipe!
Possibly that could be the issue.

Wow, thanks for all the support. I didn't realize using the term "newbie" was a
Happy soaping- I guess
Sure isn't easy to make friends here.
Just FYI- I have my 1st craft fair the end of next month. That is why I tried a large batch for the 1st time.
Thanks again for the soaping support.

Is the soap in the first mold still vibrant or did it fade too? If it's still bright, I'm thinking maybe you didn't get the color mixed in all the way to the bottom of your large batch.

The first mold remained vibrant. I'm thinking maybe the goats milk
Had something to do with it?
 
Wow, thanks for all the support. I didn't realize using the term "newbie" was a
Happy soaping- I guess
Sure isn't easy to make friends here.
Just FYI- I have my 1st craft fair the end of next month. That is why I tried a large batch for the 1st time.
Thanks again for the soaping support.

Welcome to the forum, hopefully this first experience wont dissuade you from continuing to post. There is a wonderful wealth of information here and willingness to share.

As you can see, making the leap to selling soap is not taken lightly around here! Most recommend perfecting your recipes over the course of a year before selling. Lots of things can go wrong with soap - it can develop DOS (dreaded orange spots - a sign of rancidity), the scent can disappear or morph into something unpleasant, the soap can become crumbly, etc. Some of these things don't happen right away - they can happen months later.

The main worry is that when one person sells a bad bar of soap, it effects everyone else. That one customer could say "Yikes, I don't like handmade soap!" and never buy it from anyone again. And this hurts the rest of us who sell wonderful, carefully tested soap.

Then of course, there's the aspect of following rules, regulations and protecting yourself as a seller. Registering as a business, making sure you're following your country's laws on selling soap, properly following labeling rules, making sure you're insured in case something goes wrong.

It's a much longer process than most new soapmakers realize, which is why we often let out a collective groan when a newbie joins the forum and immediately wants to sell.

I hope you understand and don't take it personally. We're watching out for YOU, and trying to protect the handcrafted soapmaking industry as a whole. :)
 
Wow, thanks for all the support. I didn't realize using the term "newbie" was a
Happy soaping- I guess
Sure isn't easy to make friends here.
Just FYI- I have my 1st craft fair the end of next month. That is why I tried a large batch for the 1st time.
Thanks again for the soaping support.
First off Welcome to the forum :bunny:
But keep in mind we do always sugar coat comments here. You ask for help, you might get an answer you do not like. Believe me I was toasted a few times in another forum, that I am still a member of, in the beginning of my soaping days. Had to put the "big girl panties" on and stick it out. I learned from many many experienced members over there.
You used the term "Newbie".
It is easy to make friends here, but we get a little upset when a "Newbie" mentions selling.
If you are experienced to be selling you should already know the answer to your question....not trying to be mean or condescending but...
FYI...because you are attending and selling in a craft fair does not mean experience or quality. I have seen way to many "Newbies" selling poorly made soap. Just saying
 
Thank you Carolyn Z
I would never ever sell anything I wouldn't put on my body :)
Thanks for the help. Big girl panties back on lol

Welcome to the forum, hopefully this first experience wont dissuade you from continuing to post. There is a wonderful wealth of information here and willingness to share.

As you can see, making the leap to selling soap is not taken lightly around here! Most recommend perfecting your recipes over the course of a year before selling. Lots of things can go wrong with soap - it can develop DOS (dreaded orange spots - a sign of rancidity), the scent can disappear or morph into something unpleasant, the soap can become crumbly, etc. Some of these things don't happen right away - they can happen months later.

The main worry is that when one person sells a bad bar of soap, it effects everyone else. That one customer could say "Yikes, I don't like handmade soap!" and never buy it from anyone again. And this hurts the rest of us who sell wonderful, carefully tested soap.

Then of course, there's the aspect of following rules, regulations and protecting yourself as a seller. Registering as a business, making sure you're following your country's laws on selling soap, properly following labeling rules, making sure you're insured in case something goes wrong.

It's a much longer process than most new soapmakers realize, which is why we often let out a collective groan when a newbie joins the forum and immediately wants to sell.

I hope you understand and don't take it personally. We're watching out for YOU, and trying to protect the handcrafted soapmaking industry as a whole. :)

❤️❤️Totally and thank you
 
Welcome to the forum!

Here's a good place to start to see why you got the responses you got.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=56833

You aren't ready to be selling if you can't identify why your colors etc aren't working. Sorry, not to be rude or sound mean. And just because you would use it doesn't mean it's good enough to sell.

I thought my first soaps were awesome, now I know they really weren't that good.
 
I split the batch before adding the colorant so it wasn't a deep bowl
It was the "blue Slushy" from brambleberry. I have problems before with it turning green, but not fading. The other mica always performed well in my cold pressed soaps
 
I split the batch before adding the colorant so it wasn't a deep bowlí*¾í´”
It was the "blue Slushy" from brambleberry. I have problems before with it turning green, but not fading. The other mica always performed well in my cold pressed soapsí*¾í´”í*¾í´”í*¾í´”


If you check the Brambleberry website, it says blue slushy mica tones down in cold process. The colour might not be well mixed too.
 
Wow, thanks for all the support. I didn't realize using the term "newbie" was a
Happy soaping- I guess
Sure isn't easy to make friends here.
Just FYI- I have my 1st craft fair the end of next month. That is why I tried a large batch for the 1st time.
Thanks again for the soaping support.

Sorry you felt that way. I am sort of newbie to the forum not to soap making. I have found people here to be super helpful and nice, please continue to comeback when you need help.

Honestly making 15 pounds of soap and saying you are new at it sounded crazy! :silent: My advice would be to make a 1 pound test batch before you commit so many resources, and maybe lose the money you spent to make it. Some oils can be pricey!

When I started making soap, everything would come out perfect and though it was easy breezy, but when you start challenging yourself all type of crazy things can happen to the soap batches. I think they all have personalities, and a mind of their own, even using the same recipe. I wonder if they are also weather contingent, and I swear some batches have diva issues. :)
 
Welcome nautigalsoaps! :wave:

Bear with me- I'm just trying to work out how you went about things....

You said that you split the batch before adding colorant. Did each split/portion contain equal amounts of batter all around? I'm just wondering if each split/portion received the same amount or differing amounts of mica in proportion to the amount of batter contained therein.


IrishLass :)
 
I have never made such a large batch, so I have little to add about that part. But the times I have done an ITP swirl, the end of the pour never has as much color as the first part. It looks like a faded version/tint of the original color. When I used red, I got pink at the end. Blue gave me light blue, etc.
 

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