Share your “Perfectly Imperfect” soap!

[hungryhawaiian]

As some of you know, I’m fairly new to SMF and soaping in general. I learn fast and improvise even faster, but that doesn’t mean I’m a master at it, especially since I’m sure I haven’t even begun to pay my dues to the soap gods/goddesses.

Up until now I’ve been embarrassed to post a lot of my soaps. I see all your posts and I just dream to be even half as successful as you all. I can’t get swirls right. My micas didn’t mix all the way. My batch seized. It only partial gelled. Too much coconut. Not enough castor oil. I forgot to put fragrances. The oil to butter ratio is way off. The list goes on! Why would I want to share my failures?

Well, a wee little voice told me that I should post my soaps, even if I feel they’re failures. Who knows, maybe I’ll learn from others mistakes? Maybe avoid mistakes altogether from someone’s comment? And I got to thinking. . .

. . . Are they really failures? I mean, technically they’re all soap. Oils/fats mixed with lye = soap. And remember, I’m new, so maybe it’s perfectly fine to make mistakes. Maybe it’s Perfectly Imperfect!

So here’s my latest Perfectly Imperfect soap:

Show me your latest Perfectly Imperfect soap!!

 

[Dawni]

Well, a wee little voice told me that I should post my soaps, even if I feel they’re failures. Who knows, maybe I’ll learn from others mistakes? Maybe avoid mistakes altogether from someone’s comment? And I got to thinking. . .

. . . Are they really failures? I mean, technically they’re all soap. Oils/fats mixed with lye = soap. And remember, I’m new, so maybe it’s perfectly fine to make mistakes. Maybe it’s Perfectly Imperfect!

So here’s my latest Perfectly Imperfect soap:View attachment 37409

Did you hand mold that one? What's in it?

I have quite a few batches that are ugly as sin BUT they're still soap. In fact, a number of those are awesome soaps with great lather and are very non drying. One example is my first "acne soap" and it was DeeAnna who told me this:

Never judge the appearance of the soap by how ugly the outside of the loaf looks or by how homely the crusty leftover bits are. I have been (pleasantly) surprised many times when I cut an rough looking loaf and get really nice bars. It almost always happens that way -- ugly loaves usually produce decent-looking cut bars. Maybe not Michelangelo quality, but good enough for soap.

I've not had a truce with micas yet. I'm too scared to try complicated swirls. I have one stinky soap where I probably burned my cocoa butter, if that's even possible lol. A lot of my soaps look like stone instead of soap and even the baby calls them "tones" haha

You want only recent? Fine lol otherwise I'd have to take n post loads of pics haha

One of two sunflower oil test bars. Don't even know why they're so crumbly, and no this isn't a rebatch. Nor is it overcooked haha. I also used a recipe that I've used before, just switched 60% of the called for olive for sunflower. It lathers well, it's not drying, it smells of soap and not burned anything. Maybe it is perfectly imperfect

 

[jcandleattic]

IMO and experience, there is no such thing as a "failed" soap, unless 2 things happen. 1 - a lye heavy soap with no way to "fix" it by rebatching, and 2-a DOS ridden soap (which technically is still usable soap, but BLEH!!)

I don't have one to show at the moment as all my pics are on my home computer and I'm at my day job. (But I have plenty that aren't necessarily fails, but just not at all what I wanted!!)

 

[Zing]

My attempt at dancing funnel did not match my fantasies....

 

[hungryhawaiian]

Thank you all the responses! I don’t know why but I wasn’t able to access this thread until today, since I created it.

 

[hungryhawaiian]

Did you hand mold that one? What's in it?

It’s OO, CO, castor oil and shea butter. Oh and it has a fruity FO that I swear makes it smell like Hawaiian Punch (a popular drink in the US). After reading that a batch can be poured after emulsion, and not necessarily trace, I decided to try it out. Everything was great until I realized I didn’t tighten my hdpe mold properly and some of the batch leaked out the bottom of the mold. It was a slow leak so I just let it sit and do it’s thing. It saponification quick enough to stop most of it form leaking out. What did leak out I balled up and made a literal hand made soap bar. lol

 

[hungryhawaiian]

My attempt at dancing funnel did not match my fantasies....

What’s a dancing funnel? I rather like how your batch looks. It reminds me of a childhood candy my grandmother always had a stash of. If you had cut them up into small squares and wrapped them up in plastic, I’d probably eat a few! lol

 

[Nanette]

Dancing funnel is a design technique that make a really beautiful soap...and I cant do it either...

 

[hungryhawaiian]

Dancing funnel is a design technique that make a really beautiful soap...and I cant do it either...

I will have to consult with the great Google on this. lol

 

[Nanette]

I hope this is the link, youtube video

 

[Zing]

Yeah, so look at post #4, then #10 (or any in https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/aug-2018-smf-challenge-dancing-funnel-entry-thread.71221/ ) and you see how close I was! Not! LOL.

 

[Obsidian]

My attempt at dancing funnel did not match my fantasies....

Looks like Neapolitan ice cream, what did you scent it with?

I believe soap is only a failure if it can't be used. Ugly is just fine, I made something that looked like a cross between spam and zombie flesh. I have no pictures lol.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

my worst was one that I thought would be the best--my first swirl on top was very nice---during the gel the swirl kinda disappeared and when I cut it there was nothing but a few little blobs of color. I still growl when I see the soap and its been months since I made it--it smells nice though. my saying is "its always something"--I have had a total of one soap out of ALL the soaps I have made that I liked everything about it

 

[Zing]

Looks like Neapolitan ice cream, what did you scent it with?

I believe soap is only a failure if it can't be used. Ugly is just fine, I made something that looked like a cross between spam and zombie flesh. I have no pictures lol.

The scent was peppermint. And we used it, it just wasn't up to my standard to give to friends and family. The one good learning was I like the shade of brown -- cocoa powder -- and now rely on that ratio.

 

[hungryhawaiian]

I think I assisted in hijacking my own post, but I’m **** happy it happened! Dancing funnel technique is going to be my next thing to try! I freaking love the way it looks!

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I think I assisted in hijacking my own post, but I’m **** happy it happened! Dancing funnel technique is going to be my next thing to try! I freaking love the way it looks!

hahaha I was thinking I have done a couple funnel soaps and a fake funnel and before I watched the video I thought I maybe needed to try it but it looks way to putzy for. it is pretty awesome isn't it. good luck and let us know how it turns out

 

[Meena]

I hope this is the link, youtube video

When I hit my "right recipe" I'm working towards, I'm going to celebrate it with my first-ever large batch so I can try this Dancing Funnel. Honestly, it looks pretty easy-peasy -- is it not? Does Holly just make it look easy???

@Zing I KNOW you can do this!! Maybe you went past emulsion and ran out of time?
Something happened, you know what it is (don't have to tell us) -- try this again, please.

 

[hungryhawaiian]

When I hit my "right recipe" I'm working towards, I'm going to celebrate it with my first-ever large batch so I can try this Dancing Funnel. Honestly, it looks pretty easy-peasy -- is it not? Does Holly just make it look easy???

@Zing I KNOW you can do this!! Maybe you went past emulsion and ran out of time?
Something happened, you know what it is (don't have to tell us) -- try this again, please.

I’m definitely trying it this weekend.

 

[Misschief]

It isn't difficult but you do need a recipe that doesn't accelerate. Make sure your fragrance is non-accelerating and use a slow to trace recipe. And start with a small batch.

Just a few things I learned from the Dancing Funnel challenge.

 

[hungryhawaiian]

It isn't difficult but you do need a recipe that doesn't accelerate. Make sure your fragrance is non-accelerating and use a slow to trace recipe. And start with a small batch.

Just a few things I learned from the Dancing Funnel challenge.

I definitely didn’t read this comment soon enough... lol