Glad to be here !

[janesyrinx]

Hi, I've just joined, and hoping someone can help me ?!

Just failed to make my first batch of soap using Melt & Pour method. I tried it this way just to see if it was viable, with a view to moving to the Lye process later.

Anyway, my 1Kg Melt & Pour soap base failed, and I don't know why. I melted the soap in a glass bowl over a stainless steel pan, and stirred it - maybe too much. The soap melted but after I added cosmetic grade colours and a few botanicals, it went gooey and hard, and refused to re-melt.

Now I am stuck with the problem of soap which doesn't want to melt again. It has gone a much darker colour than I initially wanted, but I can still use this for another idea. Any ideas, please, how I can salvage this mess and at least get it to initially re-melt so that I can turn it into somethine else ? I do appreciate the opportunity of being able to ask this question - one day in the future perhaps I may be able to answer someone else's question !!!

Look forward to hearing ...

JJ

[prairieannie]

Wow, what type of soap base did you use?

[Rebecca]

Almost sounds like the base got burned.

I always make sure that the base doesn't get any hotter then what I can comfortably put my finger in, turn the heat off and stir if there are lumps till all is melted.

Once melted I add what I need and pour. But these bases can burn not sure why it wouldn't remelt tho.

First I've heard where the base wouldn't harden even if it did get burned.:undecided

[janesyrinx]

Hi Rebecca

Thanks for replying. I did keep the heat under the base while I stirred it and I think I kept it there for too long. Different sets of instructions on the Internet said not to heat it for more than 10 minutes, which I found out too late !

I then cut it up again, and grated some to try and remelt once it had cooled, but it just sat in the bowl looking sticky ! Is it ruined now or can I try again, do you think ?! It's all in a bag now, in pieces, but not hard.

Thanks again - JJ

[janesyrinx]

Hi PrairieAnnie

The base I used was "Crystal Organic Oils Soap Base". It's all in pieces now, in a bag and not hard, but yesterday wouldn't re-melt. Rebecca has suggested I burned the base, which I think could be right.

Any ideas how I can re-melt it again, please ?

Thanks for replying - JJ

[Rebecca]

Morning,

I don't know why it wouldn't re-melt but I would just go ahead and keep trying. The only thing I could think of would be the botanicals may have added and oil or different properties.???

Hard to say cause those bases usually hardened back up.

I'd have suggested a small amount of water becuase everytime you heat these bases they lose it through the steam when melting but if it's sticky that probably won't help to smooth it out.

hhhhmmmmm.......I'll look in some of my books I have at home when I get back from work and see if there's something in there about re-melting....or what to do if you over heat the base.

I'd just try and re-melt...can't hurt. Good luck....

[prairieannie]

I've never heard of that type of base. Did it come with any special instructions for melting? I've never burned any MP soap, so I'm not sure what happens when it gets overheated, but it does sound like that could be the case. I am at a loss to help you here. I'm sorry. I would probably start looking for answers wherever I bought that base though.. perhaps they can help or guide you to help somewhere.

Good Luck! Don't give up~ you may want to try another type of base. I highly recommend SFIC bases, and the base which is sold by Essentials By Catalina here: www.essentialsbycatalina.com

[janesyrinx]

Thanks, Prairieannie

I won't give up. It does seem that the properties of the base have changed now, and I'll have another try after the weekend. I'll also email my supplier for advice - the soap base didn't come with any particular instructions.

Will keep you posted on how I get on - it hasn't put me off trying again, and I'm grateful for your help, and for the link.

Regards - JJ

[janesyrinx]

Hi Rebecca

Thanks for your advice - when I try it again I will add some water - I read somewhere on the Internet that it should be purified water - do you know if this is correct ? As you say, the properties of the base have now probably changed, and it will certainly have lost a lot of moisture - without realising it, I think I tried to get it to work for quite a few hours, and they flew by, doing even more damage !

I think perhaps I need to get a book to help me - I've always had books when I've learned something new, but just lately I've been relying on the Internet, without which I wouldn't have found Craft Server !

Thanks again - JJ

[blazerina]

Hi Jane, and welcome to your new addiction!

I thought i'd just add to make sure that you have the glass bowl up off the base of the pan of water. You need that cushion of water in order to not burn the base. I've melted and remelted... and remelted and remelted so much. Sometimes in one long night, sometimes cummulatively over months as I totally enjoy the experimentation of it all right now and thus do a lot of rebatching. Adding an oil or botanical, or any extra ingredient can sometimes cool it down very fast. Almost like what I would call seizing and I imagine is as you hear the CP people refer to. And when this happens to me it does also seem that it takes twice as long if not three times as long to melt it back down. I always find that adding a few drops or cap fulls of any oil help somehow. But if your base is not hardening up nicely it could have too much oils or perhaps FO. How much did you use?

Also adding a lid of some sort, even if only a plate, can help to retain the proper heat needed to remelt stubborn batches with out having to burn it by turning your heat way up. Just make sure for in the future if you didn't before, make sure you have water space below your bowl. I do this by using a metal cookie cutter or if I can find it, my tiny metal cooling rack/trivet.

ETS : I don't think stirring too much is really possible. The worst that would do is incorporate air bubbles. The harder it is to melt, the MORE you need to stir. The more you want your botanicals to suspend, the MORE you need to stir. And if you used a fragrance that included Vanilla, that could account for your darker color. I once tried to make Orange, lime and lemon colored and scented MP embeds with as close as I could get to the real fragrance accordingly. But my FO supply is limited so I used blends. For instance the Grapefruit I used was actually Grafruit Jasmine, the LIme was Lime Cooler, etc. One of them turned out totally nasty orangybrown watered down coffee colored, lol. I didn't know then that almost any Vanilla accent added to other blends would do that. :rolleyes2 Now I know, lol.

As for purified water, I don't think it is a hard and fast rule. I think it just helps to prevent from introducing things that will compromise your lather, such as hard water minerals. It 'may' have something to do with bacterial growth and such but I personally don't think it's an issue with M&P and especially if you are just experimenting. Your lather may already be compromised by the possible burn anyhow. This is just a learning experience now right? So I wouldn't bend over backwards finding 'Purified water'.

Keep us posted and good luck!

[Carrie]

I accidently let some M&P boil in the microwave and it burned and hardened up. It was impossible to use after that.

Now I melt in the micro at 30% power in 60 second intervals.