FIRST time Soaper, Please Help

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Tambra77

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I finally got up enough courage to try a hot process soap. First time ever
making soap. I researched and read for months before attempting it. My recipe
was very basic.

22 oz lard
10 oz olive oil
10 oz coconut oil

16 oz COLD water
6 oz lye

1 oz tea tree oil

Got lye and oil both up to 115 degrees.

Traced fine. Put into mold. Let sit 24 hours.

Cut into bars. Let cure 3 days before using.
We've been using it for a month.. LOVE IT..

Then it turned from white to dull yellow. No problem, it's just for us to use.
But it started sweating and now smells like rancid oil. No orange spots but
smells.

I did wrap after a month in coffee filters. Thought they would still breath thru the filter.

1. What happened so I don't repeat it and.
2. Can I fix it somehow

Thank you
 
Your process doesn't sound like hot process..

Which bars are going stinky - the ones you used or the ones still waiting to be used? Either way, I would say you had an oil that was beginning to go rancid when you used it.
 
I used a recipe before I knew about soapcalc. But I did run the numbers thru it afterwards just to be sure. Everything checked out.

I used a crockpot to cook the soap.

The soap we used this past month was fine. Now even it smells rancid,
All the oils I used were brand new. Just bought them all.

How should I store the soap for best results?

Should I leave open to dry more? I live in Houston TX so it's HOT and HUMID.

Is there a way to Rebatch it so I don't waste it?

Should I have used crisco vegetable instead of the lard?
 
Last edited:
Sounds like you did cold processing. hot processing you have to cook in a crockpot and it goes through different stages of cooking before you put it in the mold.

let your soap dry out and cure for 6 weeks your fragrance may have turned it yellow.

I use Damp rid in the Summer to help with the humidity get a large tub and put it in your soap room.
 
Store your oils in a relatively cool area - I keep mine in our "Texas Tornado Closet" -or the fridge, depending on the oil (sunflower, hazelnut, neem, grapeseed, etc go in the fridge). You can add some rosemary oleo resin to a fresh bottle of oil to help slow rancidity. When I cut, I keep the bars in a dark room, on brown paper bags, at least 2 inches apart and rotate them weekly until they are ready (about six weeks) to go into their proper bins. A fan helps keep the air circulated.

If you want to rebatch, search this forum for rebatch directions. We've all had to do that at least once :)
 
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