TAH Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 I forgot to add my shea and Kokum Butters until just AFTER I added the lye I just started to mix the lye and oils when I realized. Then I quick added the butters. Do i have to throw it all away? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 As long as the butters melted and were well blended in the soap batter you should be just fine. You can actually make soap using the lye to melt the butters. Its called the thermal transfer method in CP soapmaking. I do this for my lard soap. Mix my lye solution, then add my butters to melt, then my liquid oils, then SB to emulsify and pour into mold. Easy peasy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Candybee thank you! I finished making the soap on the hope that you guys would tell me its OK. The butters did melt in the lye and oil solution so I guess I'm OK. Whew. Such a newbie. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Sounds good. Only way to tell for sure is to wait a few days, cut off a piece and try it out. But I'm sure it will be just fine. The one thing I have found in soapmaking that you don't want to mess up is making sure the oils and lye are thoroughly blended or emulsified. I don't even wait to for it to trace for many of my soaps. Well mostly because I do a lot of swirls and want the soap batter very thin and liquid-like. But I always, always, make sure the batter is emulsified so the oils don't seperate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Forgot to add you almost never have to throw a batch of soap away. If you mess up and forget part of your oils, you can always rebatch and add them in that way. Sometimes you can just take the whole thing and throw it into your crockpot, reheat it, add your butters/oils, or whatever you forgot (including lye), and cook it all together to save it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 Well that's all really good to know. My batter was at thick trace before I poured it. I used the stick blender until I was pretty sure it was really mixed up since I was worried about it. I think by test it you mean use it? See if it acts like soap and does not irritate my skin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 20, 2015 Share Posted May 20, 2015 Yes. Cut off a piece after a few days and try it out. If it lathers like soap and acts like soap it should be good. Just remember its not cured until its several weeks old so it won't be as mild as it can be. I am always curious about any batch of soap I make and tend to try out a piece after a few days or a week. Just to try it out and see how I like it. Then I will try it again in various stages of curing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted May 20, 2015 Author Share Posted May 20, 2015 OK thanks Candybee I'll do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 If you're really brave, do the zap test. Lick a soap bar with your tongue and if it doesn't zap or burn, its ok. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 21, 2015 Share Posted May 21, 2015 If you're really brave, do the zap test. Lick a soap bar with your tongue and if it doesn't zap or burn, its ok. You know I never did this. I would just rather wait until my soap is a few days old after its saponified. But its a good trick to use to be sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted May 28, 2015 Author Share Posted May 28, 2015 (edited) So update: the soap turned out really nice. I made two batches that day same recipe. One colored and scented the other no color no scent. I now have DOS on the scented batch only. Both batches are sitting next to each other curing now. Is this DOS thing going to get worse? Its minor right now. Does it mean I shouldn't use the soap? And most importantly did I do something wrong? I mean can I prevent this in the future? Wait maybe this is something else. I just googled pictures of the dreaded orange spots thing and it doesn't look like mine. My spots are little specks. Not very many only on some of the bars. Is this just how it starts? Edited May 28, 2015 by TAH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck_35550 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Sounds like ash. DOS takes awhile to develop and you get a smell off of it. It could be specks of titanium diozide if you used that but you did say that the butters were fully melted and incorporated? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 If the specks are whitish it could be stearic spots. If its coloreds specks it could be your colorant didn't completely blend in and left specks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Can you post a picture of the soap with the spots? It will help us determine if it's ash, stearic spots, or DOS (doubtful it's DOS). If it's ash or stearic, it's fine and just aesthetic, but a pic will help us help you determine what it actually is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topofmurrayhill Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 So update: the soap turned out really nice. I made two batches that day same recipe. One colored and scented the other no color no scent. I now have DOS on the scented batch only. Like everyone says, I bet it's not DOS. But also wanted to add that I recently read a conversation with someone who got discolored spots from fragrance oil. I've never seen that happen personally, but apparently it can. Since you only got spots on the fragranced batch, maybe you're experiencing the same. When did you add the fragrance? The other person's spots disappeared over time. Let us know if you experience the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted May 30, 2015 Share Posted May 30, 2015 Honey will make spots in your soap unless you liquify it before adding to your soap batter. Ask me how I know! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted May 30, 2015 Author Share Posted May 30, 2015 Thanks everybody for the replies and assurance its probably not the DOS. The spots were tiny orange specks. DH says nobody but me would ever notice the specks. It must be either the FO or the TD as suggested because it was only in the scented colored version. The butters were melted completely. I added the FO after trace. This is actually a very successful batch for me it looks pretty and smells amazing. I tried it and its soapy. I think I did it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 What did you use to color the soap? It may be your source for the 'specks'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAH Posted June 8, 2015 Author Share Posted June 8, 2015 Candybee I used blue and green hydroxide powders to color the soap and white TD. For what its worth I think I panicked too soon. The little orange specks have not grown (plus I plucked each one out). The soap seems fine now. I actually like it a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 9, 2015 Share Posted June 9, 2015 There are some colorants that can leave specks if not blended well enough into your soap, even TD will leave specks. I learned that the hard way. Some specks actually look interesting and add an appealing texture and look to your soap. Others, not so much! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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