Made my 1st soap!!!

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Soapprentice

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Hey guys, today I made my 1st soap. Well, while I was blending, I went slow to observe the different kinds of trace... I saw thin.. then medium and all of a sudden, it was getting really thick. Then I realised, I noticed medium trace not thin, then thick trace not medium and now the soap was about to seize. I rushed and got all of it into the moulds asap. Thank heavens I saw a seizing video on YouTube or else I would have never guessed what happened and did what I did. My excitement of making a soap by myself trumps the sadness that it didn't turn out perfect.

The soaps might not come out pretty.. but hey, I made my 1st soap!!!!
Practice is all I need. To many more years to come!
 
Congrats on your first soap! Yes, sometimes thin trace can go to thick trace very quickly, especially when using fragrances! It definitely takes lots of practice but it's a very fun, rewarding hobby. :)
 
Congratulations! :)

My first soap wasn't pretty either. I mixed in the lye when my oil was way too hot, stick blended it too much, and made such a terrible mess as I panicked trying to get it all in the mold! Hahaha

Even with overheating after, that ugly mess turned into perfectly usable soap. It was a bit of a traumatic experience making it, but after actually first using my soap I knew I had to try that again. :)
 
Congratulations on your first soap. Even if it doesn't end up looking like you intended, it is your first baby and you will love it! I was so nervous my first time making soap alone I broke out in a sweat. With a little practice it gets easier, and it is so much fun!
 
Kudos to doing research enough ahead of time to know what to expect and then how to react! I always have my supplies ready in the event of an unexpected accelerating batch. Lost a batch one time and learned that lesson quick. ;)
 
I couldn't sleep the night before my first batch, and was filled with nerves and anxiety like I was going to a Congressional hearing.

Congrats on your achievement, and welcome to this roller coaster of a ride called soaping!
 
Thank you guys :-D I poured, well scooped them into individual moulds.... how long do I leave them in ?24 or 48 hrs? Insulated them too.

I m definitely gonna put up pictures as soon as I unmould ��.:)
 
Baby steps. This will be one of many batches, I'm sure. Sometimes I make soap just to make it and give it away!
I started my first batch in April of last year (might have been June, not sure) and one thing that I have started doing is SBing to emulsification then pouring that into the mold then finishing up with a bit more SBing. If it goes thick on me then I have nothing to worry about since it's already where it needs to be. I don't mess with colors/designs so this method has worked perfectly for me for my last 5 batches. I think it was on this forum that I read that many just SB to emulsification and leave it at that. Since I prefer a loaf with a flat top (no peaks/texture on top) it's just easier to pour into mold at emulsification and either SB a bit more or just let it be. Good luck and make more soap!
 
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Congratulations on your first batch! In order to have a little more control when mixing, try short bursts with the stick blender, then turn it off and stir with it instead, alternate these two instead of steady stick blending and you should be able to judge better how far along trace is coming. By not using the SB constantly, things move a little more slowly, and you can observe the changes along the way, and avoid false trace. In my early days of soapmaking, I always mixed too long, just to be absolutely sure I had reached trace. It took me years to trust that my batch had reached emulsification. Watch all the subtle changes that happen along the way, if you pay close attention, they will help you know which stage you're at. Looking forward to pics! :)
 
Hey guys, today I made my 1st soap. Well, while I was blending, I went slow to observe the different kinds of trace... I saw thin.. then medium and all of a sudden, it was getting really thick. Then I realised, I noticed medium trace not thin, then thick trace not medium and now the soap was about to seize. I rushed and got all of it into the moulds asap. Thank heavens I saw a seizing video on YouTube or else I would have never guessed what happened and did what I did. My excitement of making a soap by myself trumps the sadness that it didn't turn out perfect.

The soaps might not come out pretty.. but hey, I made my 1st soap!!!!
Practice is all I need. To many more years to come!

The really cool thing about soap....even if it isn't pretty, it still does its job :) Congratulations!
 
Thank u.... I am definitely gonna take the advice you guys imparted on me and work out which one works for me. How about how long to leave it in the moulds? Is there any guideline for how long to be left in the mould for medium trace n thick trace or seize?
 
Thank u.... I am definitely gonna take the advice you guys imparted on me and work out which one works for me. How about how long to leave it in the moulds? Is there any guideline for how long to be left in the mould for medium trace n thick trace or seize?

I personally don't think what stage of trace you mold at matters. I do use sodium lactate in almost all of my batches, but it doesn't seem to matter whether I pour just past emulsification or at a very thick trace, I can unmold them all after about the same amount of time.

You can press gently on the soap, if it gives a lot, leave it in the mold. If it's fairly firm, it may be ready to unmold. A few extra days in the mold won't hurt it any, if you aren't sure it's ready to come out.
 
Woo hoo! I'm glad you had fun- even if things got a little crazy. Same thing happened on my first batch- used a scent that accelerated! I glopped it in and it turned out fine. In fact, I love it! Great job on getting started!
 
Also do a zap test before unmolding. If there's no zap it can come out (assuming it's hard enough and won't dent or nick easily). With a seize you can get very quick saponification compared to batches poured at trace.

Check it now! We want to see!
 
Hey guys, I tried to unmould.... the soap is sticking a little to the sides... so may be tomorrow. @ CaraBou: I didn't read your post before attempting to unmould.. I have ph strips. Will give it a try with that. I'm not keen on getting zapped yet.( actually I'm a chicken When it comes to that :-?)
 
pH isn't the best indicator of whether or not a soap is safe. If you have a benchmark - that is to say, if you have made that exact soap before, have ensured that there is no more unreacted lye, and have tested the pH properly and noted it down - then the pH can't tell you if your soap is safe or not. I have never tested the pH and will never do so as a safety check
 
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