Why does my hot process soap look slimy and yucky like this?

[Saltynuts]

Thanks Zany. It absolutely saponified, the zap test, while zapping me hard at first, went down to no zap. I cooked it a LONG time.

What is INS -6, and why should I care?

Thanks!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

What is INS -6, and why should I care?

Because that's the answer to your original question, Sweetpea:

"Why does my hot process soap look slimy and yucky like this?"​

 

[Saltynuts]

But what does INS mean exactly? Thanks!

 

[Saltynuts]

I googled, but INS means soap will be hard it seems? That was anything but hard haha.

 

[Saltynuts]

Oh shoot. I see, that negative means it will be a soft bar. BUT, I've made 100% flax soap before, and did NOT end up with that slime bar - a soft bar for sure, but it was still a normal (although soft) bar of soap. There is something I am doing wrong to make it that gel/slime no matter how long I cook it...

 

[Lidiacgarcia]

Oh shoot. I see, that negative means it will be a soft bar. BUT, I've made 100% flax soap before, and did NOT end up with that slime bar - a soft bar for sure, but it was still a normal (although soft) bar of soap. There is something I am doing wrong to make it that gel/slime no matter how long I cook it...

Your picture almost makes it seem like it's a paste make of KoH.
Check the lye to see.
Does it lather at all? Use gloves please.
What other oils do you have on hand? Why don't you try a different batch? Let us know what you have. We can help you formulate a recipe.

 

[not_ally]

The maximum INS number supposedly results in the perfect bar of soap as a result of the combination of a number of different metrics, but I suspect most people don't pay much attention to this number, soapy "perfection" depends on too many individual factors. But I think it is pretty safe to say that a negative INS number accurately describes a terrible one. It seems that everyone here - including you - feels that a 100% flax seed bar is not a good idea, and will not result in nice soap, no matter what. So why not just give up on this and move on to actually making a good soap? How important is it to get an exact, scientifically rendered explanation of why a terrible bar is terrible? As everyone is suggesting, just put that time, energy, and wasted lye into making a good one.

 

[Lidiacgarcia]

Yes. Totally agree with @not_ally.
The thing is. You can't make poor choices and then expect a good soap to come out of it.
- poor oil choices
-overheated
-added extra water during cooking

Personally, I think it is totally fine to experiment. I make soap with used oils for dishes.
But you need to know what to expect this soap to be, based on your choices and the quality of the products that you're adding.
But in the beginning. Get a recipe and follow it. don't bother with making your own oil choices right away. Want to keep your costs to a minimum? use lard.
Make a small batch. Get the feel for it. This will give you confidence.

It is tricky to make small batches in a big crock pot so keep the heat low or keep warm. It will take longer but you will see better the stages.
Just try not to stir too much. Open look at it and close it. You will loose heat and water if you open it too much. If you need to add water use a sprayer with distilled water.

Don't feel discouraged. That's how you're going to learn!

 

[PaintyLiz]

Ancillary note - is the flax seed rancid? If oil goes off, I have read you can 'wash' it and it is fine afterward. Anyone have any experience with this? I mean as long as we are talking science LOL

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have read you can 'wash' it and it is fine afterward.

True. You can use the SEARCH feature in the upper right corner of this page or, better yet, @DeeAnna's Soapy Stuff is a wonderful source for researching this question. Try looking under "Getting Started" or "Soap Chemistry' for answers.