Today was to remind me that soap will always keep me on my toes. I thought that I really had my salt soap making process DOWN! (HA!) I literally only changed two things (and we know that is plenty for trouble!) from my last 4 batches made the exact same way. I changed the EO blend, and I think it decelerated. I used equal parts frankincense, lavandin, and bergamot. And, I used that giant pitcher to pour, usually I use a smaller 2 quart mixing cup pitcher thingy. (But that had stuff in it and I didn’t want to mess with it.) This pitcher was way unwieldy and too heavy!
So, here’s what I think happened, I’d love other opinions. The EO blend slowed trace. I panicked that it would seize, and I poured in my salt too soon. Then instead of scooping out of my mix with a small pitcher, I attempted to pour into the tall pitcher, from the red tub. The salt was not suspended evenly throughout the mix! ( I don’t know what my brain was thinking! ) When I poured the red tub into the pitcher I got the liquid soap mix from the top with the salt on the bottom. I tried half filling each mold cavity and then coming around after and adding some of the salt sludge from the bottom to each cavity, and some of them I even stirred a bit. I’m afraid the whole batch is trash. The most expensive ing is the EO, and my time and sweat… lots of sweat! I’m trying not to add tears to the mix, but it’s too soon to tell.
Also added a pick of a successful batch of salt soap, same size, almost identical process.
So, here’s what I think happened, I’d love other opinions. The EO blend slowed trace. I panicked that it would seize, and I poured in my salt too soon. Then instead of scooping out of my mix with a small pitcher, I attempted to pour into the tall pitcher, from the red tub. The salt was not suspended evenly throughout the mix! ( I don’t know what my brain was thinking! ) When I poured the red tub into the pitcher I got the liquid soap mix from the top with the salt on the bottom. I tried half filling each mold cavity and then coming around after and adding some of the salt sludge from the bottom to each cavity, and some of them I even stirred a bit. I’m afraid the whole batch is trash. The most expensive ing is the EO, and my time and sweat… lots of sweat! I’m trying not to add tears to the mix, but it’s too soon to tell.
Also added a pick of a successful batch of salt soap, same size, almost identical process.
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I guess I’m coming to terms with it a little. Maybe I can grate them at some point. But for now I’ve put them away. On a positive note, I used the dishwasher for the first time. (With soap molds and dishes) it worked great! Helped take the sting out of it a little. Tomorrow I get back on the old soap horse. This is by far my most spectacular failure. It is grand in both scale, and effect. 
