Soap making do’s and don’t

[ricogonzalo]

I added more lye beads to the oil and lye mix solution. The beads did not dissolve. Will this cause the soap to be caustic? Is this a do or a don’t?

 

[Vgurer]

Oh My God! You actually put the NAOH in the oil, without dissolving it first in the water? What was the percentage of everything? did you passed it through soapcalc? Don't even do the zap test, your tongue will be electrified. It is surely caustic and you’ll need to get rid of this batch.

 

[Obsidian]

This is a definite don't. The soap will be caustic and unsafe, it needs to be thrown out.

 

[Arimara]

I'm sorry if this sounds harsh but please read some more before you decide to make another attempt at batch of soap. Now that you know an incorrect way to soaping, I will encourage you to try again but do so properly and safely. The harshest chemical you're handling is the NaOH and handling that bad boy correctly is essential. It is not nor has it ever been an oil-soluble substance and when used in the manner you mentioned, it becomes a wasted resource. Again, before you attempt to make soap again, put some more time in some research, ask questions if need be, and make sure you know how to handle NaOH safely and correctly.

 

[lsg]

I agree with Arimara. Reading and research and when you know what not to do, go ahead and try again, using correct procedures. Your first successful soap will be a proud achievement.

 

[shunt2011]

I answered your question in the other post of the same.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Ricogonzalo!

Not to beat a dead horse, but that's a definite don't. Some of us (such as myself) start out our soapy ventures as through a trial by fire. My own beginner faux pas was following a recipe without running it through a lye calculator first, and I ended up with a lye-heavy soap which had to be tossed. That was about 14 to 15 years ago. Keep reading/researching and don't give up! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! We're here to help!


IrishLass

 

[Arimara]

Welcome Ricogonzalo!

Not to beat a dead horse, but that's a definite don't. Some of us (such as myself) start out our soapy ventures as through a trial by fire. My own beginner faux pas was following a recipe without running it through a lye calculator first, and I ended up with a lye-heavy soap which had to be tossed. That was about 14 to 15 years ago. Keep reading/researching and don't give up! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! We're here to help!


IrishLass

I started out similarly. If I knew then what I know now, I would have been able to make a better pumpkin ale soap (one of my biggest fails to date). I did not correctly account for water AND I failed to make sure my ale was completely flat (lye volcanos are mostly preventable). I'm still glad OP asked.

 

[Saffron]

My own beginner faux pas was following a recipe without running it through a lye calculator first, and I ended up with a lye-heavy soap

I did something similar a long time ago.... tried a recipe off the interwebs that gave the measurements of the oils and NaOH in cups! The soap looked great, very white and hard, but boy was it harsh! Left it for a year or so then tried it again and it was actually not too bad after a long cure.
So, another 'soapmaking don't' is don't measure your soapmaking oils and lye by volume, and do run every recipe through a lye calculator.

 

[TheGecko]

I added more lye beads to the oil and lye mix solution. The beads did not dissolve. Will this cause the soap to be caustic? Is this a do or a don’t?

DON’T!!!