Troubleshooting- Problems with Soap: We all have them!

I wanted to create a beautiful soap for Compassion Day this year. 

I thought about designs for labels and fragrances that would suit my theme. 


I settled on a heart-shaped tag that reads, "Known, loved and Protected", and decided on a Rose Geranium and Violet fragrance. 


I purchased my oils, essential oils and pink Australian Clay for colour and set to work. 

With heaps of enthusiasm I decided to make a large 3 kilo batch. Everything was going perfectly....until...I added the essential oils! My soap went crazy! The whole batch seized and became unworkable...read my troubleshooting page for more information on soap making going wrong.

The oils made this soap mixture move so fast! There was no way I was going to get it into the mould...so I did my best to colour it and sort of "gloop" it into my mould and hoped for the best. 

It smelt lovely and looked like a layered hot process soap...it just wasn't what I had envisaged for my special occasion soap. 

After 24 hours I went to un-mould and found oily droplets over the entire upper surface of my soap....by this stage I was feeling bitterly disappointed. So...I cut the soap into bars and gently patted the oil and left it to resorb as per usual with excess oil in a soap. 


NO such luck! 


Oil oozed everywhere and the soap looked dreadful. I tried all the troubleshooting tips but then decided to throw this batch away and start again. 


I rethought my essential oil fragrance and decided to move away from the floral scents as they are notorious for soap seize! So for Compassion Day this year we have a lovely peppermint scented bar of soap! 


I will post some pics when it is cut and wrapped. I hope that you like it and support the work of Compassion...

click like and share the love! 

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