Well...I'm about to take the plunge

[CiCi]

My virgin voyage. I got my recipe all figured out, first weighed out my water and stuck it in the freezer in the container I was going to pour the lye in. While that was freezing, I measured out my lye and oils. Put the lye aside, melted my hard oils with a double boiler. Took the top pot off as soon as there was only one chunk left and left it finish melting. Added in the liquid oils, mixed in my clay and put the pot aside. Measured out my FO and set it aside. Went to the freezer got the container of ice, mixed in my lye and set it aside on the garage floor. It's just about ready and then I will start to mix everything together. Still very nervous as to how my first soap is going to turn out. Wish me luck.

 

[Becky]

Good luck

 

[Soapmaker Man]

You can do it!

 

[CiCi]

OMG...I am so excited! Can you hear my excitement??!! Everything went so perfect and my soap is beautiful. I only made a two pound batch, but I had learned so much from the site, that I had the steps so down pat in my mind, I just went along and did everything, in step, so smoothly. It is dark morachan clay red and has the fancy textured top. I recognized trace and got everything incorporated just fine. I poured at pudding stage and then textured the tops. If I can figure out how to do photos, I will take pics, tomorrow. Thank you Becky and Paul for your support. I probably won't sleep, tonight.

 

[IanT]

hahah I remember the 1st night!!! I think I checked my soap every 10 minutes!!.... CONGRATS!!! glad that you were able to pull it off unscathed! and you better post some pics when you figure out how!! if you need help just let me know!!

CONGRATS AGAIN!!!


Ian

 

[CiCi]

Told ya I wouldn't sleep. I'm still wide awake :shock: ...and yes I'm checking my soap every 10 minutes . It smells heavenly. So far, there is no change in the appearance. It's only slightly warm and I have it insulated in towels.. I have no idea what "gel" looks like, so I don't know if it's getting there.

 

[IanT]

gel usually happens in the first 45 mins to an hour after pouring, it kind of looks like vaseline when it gels...
this might help ya too!!
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapg ... lstage.htm


yeahhhh im a night owl...i cant sleep, got to fly home tomorrow....i hate planes, I think theyre like counterevolutionary lol...


I know theyre safer than whatever...but still make me nervous lol

 

[CiCi]

It got a full gel. I figured that must be what it was when I looked at it and finally saw a change. It looked wetter and shiny, kinda. This morning, it has a little oil on top...about 1/2 teaspoon that is drying up. But what is kinda bothering me is it has a very small bit of graininess in a few areas, along with some settling of grit looking stuff. I think I know what it is. Just prior to pour, I added two caplets of silica and I didn't give it time to absorb well before I poured. Now the grains swelled and floated to the top. I don't think it is lye because I followed the recipe to a tee and this looks more like tiny wet grits that have setteled in the indented areas of the textured top. It's only in a few areas. I rubbed it and it is soft. Also the graininess can be rubbed off of the top sections. Any thoughts?

 

[MetalSubstance]

It got a full gel. I figured that must be what it was when I looked at it and finally saw a change. It looked wetter and shiny, kinda. This morning, it has a little oil on top...about 1/2 teaspoon that is drying up. But what is kinda bothering me is it has a very small bit of graininess in a few areas, along with some settling of grit looking stuff. I think I know what it is. Just prior to pour, I added two caplets of silica and I didn't give it time to absorb well before I poured. Now the grains swelled and floated to the top. I don't think it is lye because I followed the recipe to a tee and this looks more like tiny wet grits that have setteled in the indented areas of the textured top. It's only in a few areas. I rubbed it and it is soft. Also the graininess can be rubbed off of the top sections. Any thoughts?

It might also be soda ash (sodium carbonate) that formed as a result of the lye reacting with the air. Soda ash isn't caustic to the skin; it's just an appearance issue.

--Metal Substance

 

[Woodi]

Congrats on your virgin soap batch! You're on your way now...to continue having so much fun .....please post pics when done.

I'm curious about why you added silica to the recipe.

 

[CiCi]

Thanks. Whatever it was, it's actually disappearing back into the soap. I can hardly see it, anymore.

I added the silica as an experiment. Silica is really healthy for skin, hair, nails, bones...just every part of the body. I wanted to see what effect it would have on the skin, in soap. All I'm doing at this point is testing. I researched for three months and I'm now starting my batches to see what I can produce. Having one degree in Health Science, it will be interesting to see what I can come up with that is different. I'm one of those people who is always looking outside of the box. So, at this point, the silica is just a test.

I tried to unmold it and I think I did it too soon. It all came out, but an edge of the bottom stuck and came off. I put it back in the mold and will unmold, later. It's still too soft. I'll try to take photos, tomorrow, but not sure if I'll be able to post...but will try to figure it out.

 

[IanT]

I usually wait about 18-24 hrs depending on the recipe to unmold... how long after did you unmold?

 

[CiCi]

mmmm, I don't remember. Maybe 12-15 hours. I just did another batch...green apple. Smells even better than the first batch. Calculated this batch to be a little harder, 44 instead of 39. Only problem with this second batch is I think I soaped too cool. I do rtcp, but when I added my lye water and started stick blending, I started getting fat globs. I took pot over to the double boiler and heated it back up and continued to stick blend. I got rid of a lot of the fat globs. Thought they were all gone...until I poured and there they were. I smooshed them with a spatula, but not really good, so I have no idea how the inside of this soap is going to turn out. What does the fat globs do to the soap? Won't they melt when the soap gels? All and all, though, the soap came out really nice. It is just going into gel as I type. I took a photo of the first batch, but I can't get the little cover off the side of the camera to attach the USB cable. It won't budge. Funny...when I cut the first batch, I cut it all wonky. I thought I could do it straight and that just didn't happen. They look pitiful now. Like my mom said, "Well, it's just trial and error, dear. You'll get it right." That was sweet. She's 83 and just came to live with me.

 

[IanT]

mama knows best ... I havent had a prob with fat blobs yet, but dont get down about it yet...they may coalesce into the soap mix because the sap process occrus over a span of hours!... let me know how it turns out!!

 

[CiCi]

Well, the soaps, themselves are very nice. It just amazes me how you can start out with one color and end up with another. When I mixed it, it was a light apple green...just what I was looking for. When it gelled, the top turned a dark olive green. This morning, I had a green bottom with a textured top of tanish brown. The white globs are still white globs in the soap. Imagine a big adipose cell in the middle of your soap. That's what they look like. They have a ring around them that matches the color of the top of the soap. Funkadelic??? I took pics of them so that I can post them when I get this camera right.

 

[IanT]

lol... funkadelic indeed...(Insert trance music here)