first time castile rebatching

[rougemarie]

Hello,

I'm a newbie on this board and I've been lurking for a while before I finally decided to join the list. I've thus far made 3 batches of soaps, all of them castile (100%) olive oil, just to get the technique right.

11.5 oz olive oil

1.5 oz lye

4 oz water

The first two batches failed miserably (not enough mixing) but the third one came out very nicely!

However, I used the scraps and the soap itself is very drying to my hand (I use it to wash my hand), and I don't expect this to happen since the soap is made from olive oil & according to the MMS lye calculator, it is 4-5% superfatted.

I wonder if the soap will improve over time (i.e. won't be so drying), or will rebatching help (perhaps by adding milk, extra oil, etc.)? I've read several websites and some says that if I were to do rebatching on castile, I'll have to do it within 4-6 days before the soap cures & while it's still soft. Any advice on this? Thanks a lot!

[Rebecca_IA]

Yes soap will become more mild over time. Let it sit aside for a month (after it was made) and try it again.

You made a true castille. IMO, that soap is not at it's peak until it's cured for 6 months. Less slimey. If you don't like it now, don't give up on it. Set it up on a shelf and forget about it then try it again. I do not like castille soap until it's been aged for at least 4 months.

Another thing to check is the accuracy of your scale. You are making a fairly small batch of soap, if you are mismeasuring that lye, because of an inaccurate scale, your batch could potentially be lye heavy, and that would never been good for your skin, unless you rebatch and add more oil. Small batches could have a very small mismeasurement of lye and that is enough to make it lye heavy. Bigger batches, a small mismeasurment can be absorbed without effecting the soap too much.

Also, with this small size batch, you'd have more accurate measurments if you measured in grams, not ounces. Safer because more accurate.

[Linnyeg]

That batch is wayyy too small, especially for someone just starting out. With amounts that small, it's very easy to have a lye heavy batch. I would suggest not doing anything smaller than 2lbs (32 oz).

[rougemarie]

Many thanks for your suggestions, they are very helpful! Would you recommend me doing a rebatch now (while the soap is still soft) or wait out later? I was thinking perhaps of doing half the batch re-batched & let the other half cure.

[Rebecca_IA]

Many thanks for your suggestions, they are very helpful! Would you recommend me doing a rebatch now (while the soap is still soft) or wait out later? I was thinking perhaps of doing half the batch re-batched & let the other half cure.

How long has it been since you made this batch?

Does it still have zap?

If I made the batch longer than 4 days ago and it still zaps (when doing the tongue test), I would rebatch ALL of it and add 1/2 ounce of olive oil. I'd grate all of the soap (wear gloves if you are real sensitive and it's still zapping), dribble the OO over the grated soap and cover in a stainless steel pot for the night.

Next morning, I'd pop it in the oven at 150 degrees and check every 20-30 minutes and stir when necessary.

If I made the batch less than 4 days ago and it DOES NOT zap, and the soap was made less than a week, I'd grate it and rebatch it without anything more.

More than a week old (and no zap, if zap, see first suggestion), I'd add coconut milk to it. My only good experiences with rebatching were with coconut milk, but that's my experience and opinion. You'll have to read up on rebatching methods and decide which one is best for you. For your size, a very small amount of CM or water should be sufficient, no more than an 1/2 ounce. Grate, spritz or dribble, let sit over night covered, rebatch.

Next time you make soap, I'd up the minimum amount of oils that you work with to 16 oz. If you are trying to save on money, buy lard and use that as some filler oil (but it does add wonderful qualities to your bar). It's very cheap and you can buy it locally anywhere.

[rougemarie]

How long has it been since you made this batch?

Thanks so much for the reply. The batch was made yesterday so I think it's too early for the tounge test? In any case, I will do it after 4 days but before a week old. Thanks again!