YAY NEW HOBBY (April 11, 2011)

I made my first batch of cold-process soap!!!!!  It wasn't too bad at all.  The worst part was trying to get the SOLID palm kernel oil out of a 2 inch opening.  I ended up sitting the 7 gallon jug in a pot of hot water....and also shoving a knife in there trying to get it out.  I am going to have to look for a giant tupperware container....because that was possibly the most annoying thing I've done in the past year.  That way, I can melt it all at once, and then just scoop it out.

Working with lye was a little scary... I was scared to death that some of it would fall out and I wouldn't see it.  I pretty much sprayed the whole area in vinegar to neutralize it.  I mixed the lye into the water outside....and totally wore this:





I totally forgot to add the fragrance when the soap was still in the pot.  I tossed it in once the soap was in the mold and whisked it through.  I added only half the recommended fragrance....not because I was afraid the scent would be too strong, but because watching the fragrance oil come out drop by drop was excruciating.  It will be interesting to see if the fragrance holds.

I didn't get my color pigments yet....but I didn't want to wait any longer.  I pulled out the Hershey's baking powder, and used that to make some of the soap brown.  All of the books recommend not trying to use color in your first batch...but why would I listen to that?  My swirl was far from perfect...there is definitely an art to it.  Unfortunately, I tried to move the mold immediately, and the soap shook a little and messed up the twirls a bit.  Blah.  Whatevs.  OMG PICTURES.










There were two options for cleanup: either do it immediately wearing gloves...or pile it all somewhere out of the way for 24 hours so it can turn into....soap!  Guess which option I picked?  Yep, the one that leaves the soap pot outside until tomorrow night.

The soap sits in the mold for 24 hours...then I take it out and cut it into bars.  After that, the soap has to "cure" for 2-3 weeks before it is ready to use.  It's pretty much soap after 48 hours...the cure time is just so the water evaporates out and makes the bar harder.  JUST IN CASE, I did buy pH strips so that I can test the soap before using it.  =)

YAY NEW HOBBY!