LunaSkye
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2014
- Messages
- 616
- Reaction score
- 281
I made my first salt bar yesterday, partially out on a whim. I first reduced a beer into a syrup by accident. I then made a chamomile tea to reconstitute it and additional water to get the residual beer syrup out. Next, I used the chamomile tea/beer syrup combo for a test run to dissolve 8oz of salt (50% to oil weight) and realized I forgot to measure the liquid for the lye-solution (remedied by using some of the salted combo with liquid to spare).
Before I mixed the lye, I realized that I did not spread anything on the table to catch the mess (fixed that) and I also forgot to get some gloves. Had my niece not been walking about, I would have gone to get a pair (hence, a safety fail). Thankfully, God was on my side despite my folly because my goggles were with my other equipment.
Goggles on, I measure the lye and mix it in with the liquid. I received two small burns that did not leave a mark (I applied the vinegar just in case). I turned to the CO in my crock pot and find that I forgot to heat it. The straw broke the camel's back and made me spill my remaining marbles. I decided to make an experiment out of the ordeal and poured the lye into the room-temp oil, pulsing the SB and stirring at times. I eventually added the salted combo and blended just enough to break down the salts.
As an after thought, I added honey to the the soap (thick trace achieved at this point), blended, then set into the mold. After an hour had passed, I struggled to pull the hardened mass out, cut the soap and marveled at the beautiful ugliness that I had created. There are gaps in my soap, but it was also a nice shade similar to ginger snaps. I also enjoyed the fact that it smelled like cookies (no FOs used though). With the soap cut and still relatively warm, I decided to put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The end result was a soap that was hard, but not cracked or brittle to the touch.
As I am typing this, I am thinking to myself that I really need some sleep. I am going to have to edit this (maybe), but I just felt like leaving behind a tale (or rant) of some thing good coming out of a failure. That and hopefully a lesson in being absolutely prepared before you make your soap.
Before I mixed the lye, I realized that I did not spread anything on the table to catch the mess (fixed that) and I also forgot to get some gloves. Had my niece not been walking about, I would have gone to get a pair (hence, a safety fail). Thankfully, God was on my side despite my folly because my goggles were with my other equipment.
Goggles on, I measure the lye and mix it in with the liquid. I received two small burns that did not leave a mark (I applied the vinegar just in case). I turned to the CO in my crock pot and find that I forgot to heat it. The straw broke the camel's back and made me spill my remaining marbles. I decided to make an experiment out of the ordeal and poured the lye into the room-temp oil, pulsing the SB and stirring at times. I eventually added the salted combo and blended just enough to break down the salts.
As an after thought, I added honey to the the soap (thick trace achieved at this point), blended, then set into the mold. After an hour had passed, I struggled to pull the hardened mass out, cut the soap and marveled at the beautiful ugliness that I had created. There are gaps in my soap, but it was also a nice shade similar to ginger snaps. I also enjoyed the fact that it smelled like cookies (no FOs used though). With the soap cut and still relatively warm, I decided to put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The end result was a soap that was hard, but not cracked or brittle to the touch.
As I am typing this, I am thinking to myself that I really need some sleep. I am going to have to edit this (maybe), but I just felt like leaving behind a tale (or rant) of some thing good coming out of a failure. That and hopefully a lesson in being absolutely prepared before you make your soap.