Newby

[sudsynewby]

Hey there! I've been lurking for quite awhile and finally decided to join. I've been making candles for three years, and about a year and a half ago I started making bath bombs and lip balms and a number of other things. About three weeks ago I decided to make my first batch of soap to see if it was something that interested me. It definitely is, my first batch is a disaster, but also a great learning experience. I'm so excited to learn from all of you!

 

[snappyllama]

Howdy and welcome! Feel free to start a thread detailing your recipe and process so we can help figure out how to make your next batch be successful.

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

 

[sudsynewby]

Would it be okay to do that in this thread? Nothing about the recipe I used is correct, I downloaded a soap calculator and decided I was going to use just coconut oil, it wasn't until a day or two after I poured it that I found a thread on here that you shouldn't ever use just coconut oil in a recipe

 

[sudsynewby]

So I used
36 oz CO
6.26 oz lye
13.68 oz coffee

Like I said, after doing more research I realize this was not a good idea, but it was a good bonding experience for my person and I, and now I know I have a TON more to learn about soap. I even zap tested it, fully expecting to get a zap, and I didnt. It seems to lather just fine, I've been testing it all the time even though it's ugly. And I also found this app called saponify, if anyone would like to take a peek at it and tell me if it is a good calculator.

 

[Steve85569]

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=49627

Try that one. It's rather popular and easy to use.
Also check out the other stickies in this section. A veritable gold mine of information here.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[sudsynewby]

Thanks so much everyone!

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome!

 

[KristaY]

Hi there and welcome! :wave:

 

[Arimara]

You're recipe's not bad if you had a 20% superfat. You should definitely try it again later. Coffee soaps are great in the kitchen, especially after a nice prep session with onions and garlic. With more experience, you could make a killer cafe au lait soap for yourself.

In any case, welcome aboard. Try to cap your soaps to 1lb batches until you get a good feel for what you're doing.

 

[CaraBou]

Welcome to the Forum - and to the addiction. You're bound to get a few more soaps like that over years, as will the rest of us. At least you have the excuse that it's your first batch! But seriously, this is a great place to help with troubleshooting -- and planning!

 

[KristaY]

So I used
36 oz CO
6.26 oz lye
13.68 oz coffee

Like I said, after doing more research I realize this was not a good idea, but it was a good bonding experience for my person and I, and now I know I have a TON more to learn about soap. I even zap tested it, fully expecting to get a zap, and I didnt. It seems to lather just fine, I've been testing it all the time even though it's ugly. And I also found this app called saponify, if anyone would like to take a peek at it and tell me if it is a good calculator.

When I put your numbers into SoapCalc it shows you used a 5% SF and full water. Even though it will be drying by itself, it's still good soap. When I make 100% CO soap for laundry I have to cut within 3 hours or it's a rock which is why it looks chunky. I think this would be a good addition (if you grate it up) and add it to a very mild CO-free bastile so they balance each other out. That's what I would consider anyway.

 

[sudsynewby]

You guys are so awesome!!!! Seriously. I knew soaping would be a challenge, especially once I started lurking around here, but I appreciate all of the feedback I stumbled across a thread about making scrub bars, and I was thinking I could rebatch it, add in more oil and the sugar and maybe end up with something I can use. Would the extra oil help with the drying?

 

[KristaY]

You guys are so awesome!!!! Seriously. I knew soaping would be a challenge, especially once I started lurking around here, but I appreciate all of the feedback I stumbled across a thread about making scrub bars, and I was thinking I could rebatch it, add in more oil and the sugar and maybe end up with something I can use. Would the extra oil help with the drying?

I wouldn't try a rebatch yet. It'll end up being complicated because you'll have to add oil, but what oil and how much? I would start with a whole new recipe and add this soap to it. Do you use lard or palm? If so, I would try a recipe with palm/lard, OO and castor. Grate up this soap using a cheese grater or salad shooter and add it to the new batter. By weight, I'd go with 1/4 to 1/3 amount. So if your new recipe is 20oz oils, add 5-6oz of the shreds. This is really the easiest route to take for now.

But if you want to try to rebatch, hopefully someone will come along to help advise you on it. I avoid HP and rebatching like I avoid ebola (I just dislike it that much, lol) so I'm of little help to you.

 

[shunt2011]

I can tell you that rebatching this and adding salt or sugar and more oil may be a mess. I ruined a salt bar batch this weekend because I forgot to add some of my oils. I dumped the mess into a pot and added the oils and thought it might be saved but I was so wrong. It ended up being an oily mess. I would take the others advice and add it to another batch. I threw mine out.

 

[sudsynewby]

That's what I was worried about, making more of a mess than its worth, but I have enough to let it set and see what it does, and maybe rebatch it if I decide to. Honestly it's just been sitting there curing because I'm frusterated, lol. But I did make a batch of lotion last night to see what happens. I've had the supplies just staring me in the face, this forum is definitely helping get out of my comfort zone and try my hand at things that intimidate me! I even have a notebook for important information, which leads me to my next question, I have noticed that a lot of people use EO'S that are on the IFRA list of banned oils. Is this list for the UK or the states?