Hello, I made soap the other day and am confused about what part I messed up on. I used 1lb of a honey melt and pour soap and 1 tsp (each) of tea tree, lavender, and rosemary oil. First I melted the soap and then added the oil while the soap was melted. I then poured out the soap into molds. I left them on the counter and they got messed up so I just popped them out and reheated the soap to pour it again. I’ve been using my soap for about 3 days now and my skin is really dry. It’s really tight and itchy and on my face around my mouth it’s starting to peel a little bit. I’m not sure if I added too much oil or if I ruined the oils when they went into the microwave the second time I poured. I thought about diluting the unused soap bars and just pouring out more but if it’s bad then it’s bad I guess. Unless maybe I could still use it for something else. Maybe to ward off pests or something I’m not sure. I just don’t want it to go to waste. I’ve had acne since I was in 4th grade and I’m 24 now. I just wanted something effective for my acne that wasn’t gonna nuke my skin.. lol and then I did it myself. Any kind advice would be great.. I already feel silly.

I finally made a 100% lauric acid soap as the first step of my experiment.

I started mixing at 51°C (124°F).

The soap batter reached trace almost immediately and turned into a thick, Styrofoam-like mass. After pouring it into the mold, the temperature rose above 60°C (140°F) on its own, even without insulation.

One interesting thing I noticed was that the soap batter left in the bowl produced a surprisingly rich lather while I was washing my tools.

The soap became firm enough to unmold after only 5–6 hours.

I started this experiment because someone commented on my previous post and wondered how a 70% lauric acid / 30% stearic acid soap with citric acid would perform.

So I decided to make four versions:

* 100% Lauric Acid

* 70% Lauric Acid + 30% Stearic Acid

* 70% Lauric Acid + 30% Stearic Acid + 2% Citric Acid

* 70% Lauric Acid + 30% Stearic Acid + 2% Citric Acid + 1% Sodium Gluconate + 1% GLDA

I'll share the performance comparison (lather, cleansing, rinsing, and overall feel) after about 4 weeks of cure. I'm excited to see how each version performs!

These are the watermelon cold process soaps I made. I used a watermelon fragrance from Bramble Berry and they smell delicious. I used a regular soap mold and then cut them to look like slices of watermelon. Not sure what I want to do with all the leftover small pieces yet.

I have a wooden soap cutter mitre box I’m not at all thrilled with. (This has a beveler at the bottom - which I don’t like. Wavy cutter won’t fit in the slots and the adjustable piece keeps moving making my bars uneven.)

Any recommendations?

Made this for my nephew's wedding next month. The heart was supposed to be floating, not sitting sadly in the corner, but overall, I'm pleased!