First time was an oops!

[HelloKrissy]

Hi everyone! I want to introduce myself. I'm a first time poster and long time lurker to this forum.
I recently made my first batch of soap and it came out sooo ugly! I think I over traced. But that's ok! I learned from what I think my mistakes are, and made a 2nd batch. I will find out Tuesday how it un molds.
My question to you all is, with all your batch history, how often do you still end up with an "oops!" Batch?
Thanks for all the good reads in this forum btw.

 

[shunt2011]

We all have the occasional oops. Sometimes it's a brain fart that causes it and sometimes it's just the nature of the beast. New recipe, fragrance, additive etc. Most can be saved even if it turns out not so nice looking.

Welcome to the forum. You may want to post a brief introduction in the introduction section to let everyone know a bit about you.

 

[Obsidian]

Oops happens to everyone. I had one myself just the other day, the soap is usable but ugly as sin.

 

[HelloKrissy]

Welcome to the forum. You may want to post a brief introduction in the introduction section to let everyone know a bit about you.

Yes, definitely will once I get onto my laptop. Just figured I'd post SOMETHING to make the jump in.

 

[KristaMarie]

I choose to think of them as "learning opportunities," not an "oops!" It happens. Most can be fixed and make great, ugly soap

 

[commoncenz]

Well, hello Krissy .... (crickets). Ooops batches happen. I imagine they come with less frequency the more you soap; i.e. the more experience you get. However, if you follow the board long enough you'll see that even the long-time soapers post pictures, threads, etc. regarding their learning experiences. That's what makes this forum a great resource, learning from other's mistakes and successes so that you have a basic understanding of what might have gone wrong with your own soap.

Take for example the acceleration problem I've been having with a new recipe I've been trying. It never occurred to me that my lye solution might be causing the problem until yesterday when I read another poster's thread and the description of their problem was spot on with mine. They then hit upon the idea that their trace was being accelerated by using 33% lye rather than 30% .... guess what I had been doing. So, today I tried my recipe using 30% lye and ... problem solved. As I said, this is a great resource to learn, to share, to have your thoughts pointed in a direction you hadn't been going.

I'm sure someone else will go into great detail about this, but make sure you take notes on all your batches. It will really help in the long run.

 

[Dahila]

Hi I had already two or three epic fail in lotions, soaps, creams, face wash and go on and go on. We learning and when we think we know how to do it, we made the mistake)

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome! We all have "oops" batches. Keep all your recipes, and make good notes on them. ESPECIALLY the failures! You learn more from them than the ones that go perfectly.

 

[cmzaha]

Welcome to the word of soapmaking and the forum. When I first started soaping I was not on any forums and believe me I had a lot of oopsies. I learned through a lot of trial and error. Though I would never get the hang of coloring. Still have an oopsie occasionally. Sometimes soap just does what it want to do, whether we like it or not

 

[HelloKrissy]

Welcome to the word of soapmaking and the forum. When I first started soaping I was not on any forums and believe me I had a lot of oopsies. I learned through a lot of trial and error. Though I would never get the hang of coloring. Still have an oopsie occasionally. Sometimes soap just does what it want to do, whether we like it or not

Coloring! That's something I still haven't tried. I'll get there soon.