Prairieannie recipe feedback please!

[babyrn]

I used the following recipe from prairieannie and below is my finished soap.  Soap seems to be perfect but I just wasn’t sure if it was supposed to look layered like this?  It’s almost like some ingredients rose to the top.  

[Candybee]

No its not supposed to look like that. Your batter separated in the mold and that's why you have two layers. Personally I never used her recipe because she uses a much higher content of additives than I ever would. For example I would never use more than 1 oz (about 2 tbs) of any additives or combo of additives in one lb of base. Bases are simply not designed to hold extra additives but the barest amount. You can add some but sparingly. Again, the base itself will dictate how much it may hold. Not all bases are the same and some hold more than others while yet others won't lather at all with any additives.

 

I have read other complaints about her recipe before. It could be any number of issues that caused the batter to seperate. Anything from the base itself, an one or combo of additives, how well you incorporated the ingredients, the temperature, etc.

 

Any insight you may have to share may help. Anything unusual happen when you were putting it together? Like did you have any issues while you were making the soap or when you poured it into the mold?

Edited March 20, 2018 by Candybee

[babyrn]

1 minute ago, Candybee said:

No its not supposed to look like that. Your batter separated in the mold and that's why you have two layers. Personally I never used her recipe because she uses a much higher content of additives than I ever would. I have read other complaints about her recipe before. It could be any number of issues that caused the batter to seperate. Anything from the base itself, an one or combo of additives, how well you incorporated the ingredients, the temperature, etc.

 

Any insight you may have to share may help. Anything unusual happen when you were putting it together? Like did you have any issues while you were making the soap or when you poured it into the mold?

No I didn’t experience any issues that I know of. I didn’t notice the separation at all in the pot or in the mold until about half way through the dry time and it seemed like the top was the last to harden.  If you don’t see any reason not to use it as is then I won’t bother remelting.  It’s for my personal use only.  Next time I will try a different recipe.

[Candybee]

I actually edited my original post so there might be some info in there you could use. I would try remelting the soaps as this may actually help it the second time around. Or at least try one soap to remelt in the micro, then pour it into a small container or mold you have. You can use an old plastic yogurt cup or even a muffin or cupcake mold. If the remelted soap stays blended then you know its okay to remelt the whole batch.

 

Also, don't throw any away. You can always try adding more base to see if that helps. I have actually made some pretty good soaps from remelting goofs I made. In any event, its hard to ruin M&P, and since its remeltable you can usually find a way to save it.

[Candybee]

Prairieannie sent me one of her goat milk soaps once and it was pretty nice. It did give off a lot of milky white water thou whenever I washed with it so that told me there was too much milk in the base.

 

But she used bases from EBC so that could make a difference since you used the SFIC.

[babyrn]

6 hours ago, Candybee said:

Prairieannie sent me one of her goat milk soaps once and it was pretty nice. It did give off a lot of milky white water thou whenever I washed with it so that told me there was too much milk in the base.

 

But she used bases from EBC so that could make a difference since you used the SFIC.

Thanks for all the help.  I’m going to remelt a bar and add more base and see if that helps.  

[Candybee]

Have you tried washing with one yet? It might just make a nice soap as is.

[Pam W]

Ya know................anything that Prairieannie has posted, I will pay special attention to and trust in her recipe/instructions...............period.

[blacktieaffair]

This is going to be a long post and I will apologize in advance. The only soap I've ever made was from the exact recipe stated above from prairie and many many many years ago. I used the base from Aztec candle supply in Tennessee and I have absolutely no idea the brand name of that soap because they labeled it as their own so I have no idea where it came from originally. Now having said that and I know people probably not believe me but I have 3 bars of soap in a box on my dresser that I made over 11 years ago. I made a ton of soap and then got out of the business for a long time. I have a neurological condition that causes me to drop things a lot and I have more metal in my back and spine than most people have in their automobiles so I stopped using bar soap because bending over in the shower it's never a good idea for me. I went and opened one of the bars of soap after reading this and after the water warmed up a little bit I used the soap in my hands and I got as many if not more bubbles then I did when I first made the soap many years ago and I'm not exaggerating in the least. I honestly wish that I could post a video of y'all seeing me open one of those bars from 11 years ago and using it and how it is still to this day an amazing bar soap. I have gotten so much advice from candybee over the years in reading as many of her post as I can find. She is absolutely the queen. But I will say in this instance while it might be the base that was used I can attest that the above recipe prairie Annie, for me at least, has went so far above and beyond any expectation that I have ever had and I'm going to use that same recipe now using the base that I am now using and see if it still works. I've just gotten back into making soap and so I'm using new products that I didn't have before.

[NightLight]

From what I see this looks like a ton of additives, but it could also be a temp issue with the additives. Also looks like milk curdled.

For good soap certainly melt and pour you don’t need that many additives to make it feel great. If you insist in adding that many things you should make lye soap. As other people have said, every base is different and they are not designed for you add excessive oils, butters and liquids. They are designed to be used with some fragrance natural or synthetic and some dry additives.

 

[Candybee]

2 hours ago, NightLight said:

From what I see this looks like a ton of additives, but it could also be a temp issue with the additives. Also looks like milk curdled.

For good soap certainly melt and pour you don’t need that many additives to make it feel great. If you insist in adding that many things you should make lye soap. As other people have said, every base is different and they are not designed for you add excessive oils, butters and liquids. They are designed to be used with some fragrance natural or synthetic and some dry additives.

 

 

It does have a lot of additives for that particular recipe. Some I know who tried it the soap didn't come out right or took forever to harden because of all the milk added and other stuff. So although it is a good recipe unfortunately it won't work with all M&P bases as some are more finicky about additives than others. The bases I used came from C&S from Canada, and other bases I used were the Stephenson. I used these because they were more forgiving when using a lot of additives.

 

However, personally, I used a base rule of thumb when working with M&P bases of using no more than 1oz of additives in any combination. This was not a hard rule but tended to work the best for me.

[NightLight]

Agree with Candybee, also Goats milk in melt and pour. Nice idea but it has a preservation issue. Better idea to get Goat milk soap base that has preservative added. Adding a ton of oils and butters will kill lather in the soap and you will get a rubbery soap not a hard one.

 

[Candybee]

1 hour ago, NightLight said:

Agree with Candybee, also Goats milk in melt and pour. Nice idea but it has a preservation issue. Better idea to get Goat milk soap base that has preservative added. Adding a ton of oils and butters will kill lather in the soap and you will get a rubbery soap not a hard one.

 

 

Actually, adding liquids like milks to M&P were never a problem in my experience. I've used a variety of milks, wines, liquors, juices, fresh fruits, purees, etc with no ill effects. The resulting soaps can last for years without any rancidity or mold. Preservatives in M&P are unnecessary IMO.

 

However, as I mentioned before I used 1oz of additives PP of base as a general rule, or, as much as the base would hold without losing its effectiveness as a soap. E.I., lather, firmness, cleansing, etc. I would say experiment with your base to see its limitations re additives. Each base is different.

 

Goat milk and honey and oatmeal added to a M&P base makes an outstanding soap. 

 

My personal favorite additive is  1oz of honey in a lb of base with a honey fragrance. Just honey and fragrance. Wowzer! its an incredible feeling soap that is super moisturizing and feels awesome on my skin.