Common Soap Making Mistakes & How to Avoid Them | Bramble Berry
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- Опубликовано: 2 июн 2024
- 🧼 Starting your soap making journey is exciting, but it can be a little intimidating, too. There are always mistakes that can happen. Having a successful first batch can help you maintain that feeling of excitement. Here are some common mistakes and ways to avoid them. We hope this will help you make your first (and second, and third) batch of soap a success.
This overview should give you the information you need to make your soaping adventure a success. Always remember that everyone, even soap making veterans, makes mistakes. Most of these mistakes will still result in a usable bar of soap. The Bramble Berry website has lots of articles about soap making so that you can answer any questions that come up.
🧼 Read all about common soap making mistakes and how to avoid them here: bberry.studio/CommonSoapMakin...
• Beginner's Guide to Cold Process Soap:
bberry.studio/BeginnersGuideToCP
• Lye Safety Guide:
bberry.studio/LyeSafetyBasics
• All About Trace:
bberry.studio/AllAboutTraceInCP
• Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit:
bberry.studio/ColdProcessKitF...
• Basics of Soap Making Playlist:
• Basics of Soap Making
🧼 Video Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Not Enough Research
02:01 - Not Making a Basic Batch of Soap First
04:15 - Measuring by Volume
06:30 - Wrong Amounts of Lye, Oils, and Water
09:13 - Soaping at the Wrong Temperature
12:04 - Not Using a Fragrance Safe for Soap Making
14:33 - Stick Blending Incorrectly
17:57 - Outro
18:37 - Answering Your Questions
🧼 Common Soap Making Mistakes and How to Avoid Them article:
bberry.studio/CommonSoapMakin...
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🧼 Thanks for watching! Read all about common soap making mistakes and how to avoid them here: bberry.studio/CommonSoapMakingMistakes 🧼
🧼 Video Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Not Enough Research
02:01 - Not Making a Basic Batch of Soap First
04:15 - Measuring by Volume
06:30 - Wrong Amounts of Lye, Oils, and Water
09:13 - Soaping at the Wrong Temperature
12:04 - Not Using a Fragrance Safe for Soap Making
14:33 - Stick Blending Incorrectly
17:57 - Outro
18:37 - Answering Your Questions
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer service team at info@brambleberry.com or 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. You can also live chat with customer service on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday.
Shop Bramble Berry: bberry.studio/_ShopBrambleBerry
Recipes, Tips & Inspiration: bberry.studio/IntheStudio_Projects
Facebook: facebook.com/BrambleBerry
Instagram: instagram.com/brambleberry/
Twitter: twitter.com/brambleberry
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@brambleberry
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/brambleberry/
Awesome
when i tell people about the zap test, i tell them "its like touching an electric fence...with your tongue"
cant tell i grew up on a farm! lol
I learned on Soap Queen, years ago, lol! I did make a plain batch for my first with one color. I've never regretted that. Now I do all the complicated swirls and layers, but I now prefer a plain bar of soap, lol! I think everyone eventually comes full circle, if you started out with a basic bar. There's something really pure about a plain bar of soap. Ok with just a bit of goats milk, lol! It's great on the skin and simple to make and clean up afterwards! Yeah, less dishes. I'm all for that!
Jill Gross
We love the complex recipes, but you're right! A "plain" bar of soap can feel so luxurious.
Thanks!!!! Really well explained!!
Thank you so much for all of this valuable information!
Fragrance recipes can change over time due to availability of ingredients too! Just because a fragrance worked for you perfectly last year, getting a new bottle of it and using it this year doesn't always mean it will soap the same way. I've had one bottle work perfectly, then next time I bought it, it seized up and was unusable. Definitely check reviews! Sometimes those can let you learn from another person's discovery about a fragrance changing. Just keep in mind that some oils work with some fragrances. If you don't use the same oils as someone who reported seizing did, you might have a different result and it'll work fine! If one person reports ricing or seizing, it could be due to temperature or oil recipe or something else entirely. Soapmaking is a constant battle of trying to wakeboard. Too fast or slow and things go wrong... but when you get that sweet spot that works for you, you really do have fun with it! It's a science and an art all in one!
Very helpful. Thanks for impressive tips.
Very informative!
Great video on a lot of subjects!!!
Thanx you very much for the video and all explanation!
My soap making journey started with your book... and I am so grateful! Soap queen, your books... but also I know I can count on anything I buy from Bramble Berry.Thanks!
How
Can I ask which book specifically? I’m very new to this.
@@cagegirl12000 Soap crafting by Anne-Marie Faiola the soap queen
I have learnt a lot from Bramble Berry. Thanks for your videos and advice.
I love your step by step instructions I been soaping now for 16 years. I’m still always learning new techniques
Thank you love this kind of content!
So glad you enjoyed the video!
Thank you so much!!!!
Thank you for this video! I’m about to dive in to the soaping world and I want to learn all that I can prior to.❤
Thank you very much for your effort and time to explain ..you are awsum 💞
Thank you very much for your effort. I learned a lot from you about soap making. Thank you❤
This is very appreciated information! Little more research under my belt and then we’ll give it a try
Made my first batch of CP soap with a wonderful kit from Brambleberry! Very easy to use and set me up for success! Thank you!
Thank you much! This was so helpful and i cant wait to try out you measurement scale online.
Thx for always sharing your knowledge, Anne Marie!! You did help a lot in this fascinating world of CP soap making!! Hugs from Argentina!
Thank you I’ve learnt so much from your video
I love your books, great information....
Thank you for explaining the process of many questions I had. I am new and have been trying to find classes, no luck yet. So thank you for all your videos.
Thank you! You might have helped me avoid a disaster. About to try my third batch.
Thank you for this info. I’m still in the research stage of cp. Hope I can get my feet wet soon. Going to get one of your books and kits.
You hit the nail on the head, I made those mistakes basic recipe to starr
start don't rush
Thank you for this video and all the information you’re giving, because I want to learn how to make my own soap and do it correctly.
Excellent video! I made soap for 10 months before starting my business. I learned so much in those nine months that prepared me well.
Very helpful information. I was guilty of over blending, therefore unable to make designs.
Thank you so much for ALL your wonderful videos. I started making soap earlier this year, and one of the mistakes I made was trying too many different recipes and not understanding what a basic bar of soap was supposed to do/look like. I was smart enough to stay away from trying intricate designs tho!
I know you don't specialize in hot process soap but I noticed your fragrances don't mention how it interacts with this method. Is that something you might consider, or it doesn't matter since you add the fragrance after the cook?
Thanks again for all you do for the soap-making community ❤
Thank you Anne-Marie, this was an excellent presentation and really informative.
Glad you enjoyed it!
That was useful. Thank you ❤
Glad it was helpful!
I made my first batch about a year and a half ago with the brambleberry orange essential oil kit. It was really nice and having a scent that also colored the soap was really helpful. I've done 4 batches since then, two with the lots of lather oil mix, though i did stripes with them, and then two that i mixed the oils myself. I did have a minor failure when i tried to use a 12 cavity mold for the first time rather than a loaf mold because i tried to stripe it and it got too stiff. The soap works fine, but it doesn't look as nice as any of my other batches.
I did have a bit of an issue with my most recent batch of trying to incorporate a small amount of shea butter to my oil and fat mixture. I managed eventually and it was only about 5% of the mixture, but there's probably an easier way to do it
I made all white 100% coconut loaf for my mom last mothers day and they turned out beautifully, I was so scared they'd be too hard but they were gorgeous and porcelain white. I've sold a few of these bars since then and called them white geisha
What's the percentage of superfat you used?
pure coconut oil and nothing else? pure coconut oil on it's own can be so drying, pulling the oils from the skins and below the skins surface.
@@sheilahdang11 Depends on the percentage of superfat.
@@SunshinePearl if you super fat you're adding another oil that is free floating. 100% coconut means the entire amount.
@@sheilahdang11 Super fatting means to reduce the amount of lye to have extra oil unsaponified to moisturize :) No need to add another oil. That's soap making basics.
My first batch came out great! I gave some to people I know! Two of them were men and asked why there was no scent and would it lather! It was a good lesson. I told them it was the soap that you learn from; and you can make anything from it! But it gave me a really good insight into what people might ask!
Soda ash 😤😤 good to know about the cooler temperatures!!
very informative video. your beginner’s guide to cold process soap making led me here. thank you so much for sharing, i’m learning a lot 🙂❤️
thank you so much
Thank you
Hello m malia from INDIA . From lockdown i started flowing how to do soap making in ur channel. N m so thankful to u dat now i can make super duper soap. Thanks a ton. God bless u.
Soapmaker for 12 years. Learned today: violett clay turns brown and doesnt change back 😂 It never stops
I poured the water into the lye my first batch. Received a chemical burn on my forearm. I will never forget to pour lye into water ever again! The rest of my batches have been uneventful and very fun.
Hi Annie I have purchased 2 of your books that’s fantastic I LOVE ❤️ IT SO MUCH. I learn so much techniques and I love to watch your RUclips so much its so interesting. True lots to research
How can I get the books please?
Thank you.
This awesome. Can u do a melt & pour mistakes vid? Thanks!
You are awesome, my inspiration make my own soap
Thank you so much you are an inspiration. I bought a soap kit and the instructions said to let the lye solution reach room temperature before making soap (which is about 72 degrees), and my soap top came out very ashy and I couldn’t understand why.
Greetings from Romania Anne Marie!!! GREAT AS ALWAYS!!you are the queen indeed!!
Some of my favorite people live in Romania! 😁
@@MsAubrey Thank you Ms A.
This was a really informative presentation, thank you so much. I’m just getting started. I’m in Canada.
Best of luck! Our customer service team is always happy to help out with questions about the process and troubleshooting if necessary! We recommend reading this article when you are just getting started with your soaping journey: www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0004-beginners-guide-to-cold-process.html
I watched videos and read books and researched for 2 years before I made my first loaf of CP soap
Thanks you sooo much for all these videos its very helpful, i have a question, does Oil have to be hot at 120f aswell???
Our worst experience was DOS cos of using different brands of oil that was available in the grocery, and not really checking expiry of those oils.
We learned to use the same brands for our oils and check every time.
i went through a few od these when I first started not adding enough color to get the bold colors that I wanted
Hi Anne Marie!
I owe you majority of what I know about soap making that I came to really love and enjoy and I am just here to say thank you! Nisreen
Made my first batch of CP with Brambleberry kit today! Easy steps and it helped watching Brambleberry RUclips video CP for beginners! I'm so looking forward to making more! Thank you
Yay! We're so happy you enjoyed it!
Yes please make a M&P version of this video 🫶🏻
Such great info I love the video as a beginner soaps maker I believe I did my research and read all your info at your website I also watched all videos thanks for a great info also I have a question I been see some soap maker adding kaolin clay to Essential oil for long lasting fragrance what is the ratio to add and also can I add kaolin clay to fragrance oil too ? Please kindly answer my question
As a seasoned soap maker.. taught by the Soap Queen and the wonderful monthly classes with kits you used to do, I still found this video very interesting. There’s nothing like learning from the master!! I built a small business of mostly craft fairs and word of mouth, but have found that the (necessary) price of insurance is too much. So now I create for fun, family and friends only. And still marvel at the bars as I get to cut them! Thanks for a great video!! 🧑🏼🎨😀
Okay, I want to learn too
What do you mean the necessary price of insurance? I am just in the beginning phase of starting a small business with homemade soaps and body care items. I found this comment thought provoking.
@@nursekatina in this day of litigiousness, one must do their due diligence starting a body care business! Products applied to the body can cause reactions to sensitive persons…. and they can/will sue! Even with ingredients plainly labeled.🙄
For years I mixed and blended by hand. Of course it took longer, but every batch turned into beautiful fragrant soap. So it can be done and should be done if you are just starting and not sure if soaping is for you or if you are just making an occasional batch for the family. No sense spending the money if you don't need to.
Hi! Thank you for the great advices. I want to ask, How do you protect from dust the soap bars while they cure for the 6 week period? Thanks!
Hi
I was having problem with soda ash on top
Thank you dear for clearing my query which I didn't ask
I am going to go to your website and look for a beginners kit.
I made a basic soap last night and i think its good
You are so right people wants to male soap but don't even do the research. When I first started you were and still my go to person.
Thanks
Much knowledge for beginners like me...Thank u so much mam.. Do u supply in it India mam??
Yo hice mi primer lote de jabón, fui aventurera y lo hice de café con una receta de Bramble Berry. Hoy es su segundo día y la barra está muy sólida. Pero tiene lejía en la superficie. Vi que sugieres hacer el jabón a 120ºF y yo trabajé apenas a 90ºF. Solo me fijé que las temperaturas fueran iguales entre la lejía y las grasas. Hoy haré otro jabón a 120ºF. Ya les contaré cómo me queda.
Watched your video thought it was very good and informative, 1 Question about fragrance oils ,I buy my oils through Bramble Berry but have tried others too. My problem seems to be that the soaps do not finish with a strong enough scent. I use a very basic soap recipe but after 3-4 weeks of curing the scent seems to fade a bit too much any suggestions?Thanks
My first batch ever i used a whisk i stirred for 2.5 hours....bought a stick blender the next day 😄
What is a good ph number to test your soap. It it 7. Love your video. A lot good information. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve had so many disasters with fragrances so I’ll definitely be investing in your oils from now on. Hopefully you ship to the UK🤞
We do ship to the UK! www.brambleberry.com/international-shipping-policies.html
Great advice as always! I must confess my first cp soap was goat milk 😂. It turned out ok since I followed the method exactly. But once I just got curious because of importance,,,yeah. I burned the milk. 😂
My very first batch of soap I made back in March and it was a three colored layered soap with rosemary and lemon. It turned out beautifully. I have been addicted since and have gotten up to doing very intricate designs and doing soap frosting as well.
Sounds like a beautiful batch of soap!
@@bramble-berry it was actually done with one of your guys CP beginners kits. Oh and my husband is absolutely addicted to the apple sage and the apple bourbon fragrance oil. He’s a marine so he’s picky about his scents 😂 but he really seems to love your apple ones.
Very nice and informative video. I used to soap at 120 degrees too but noticed that some fragrances work better at lower temperatures. So I now soap at 85 degrees and have less issues with acceleration.
Does you soap get lye on the surface when it gets hard after 2 days? Mine did and I worked at 90ºF
@@KMD.11 It's soda ash. It's normal, but doesn't happen every time.
Actually, if the soap is completely cured (stops losing weight), you can definitely vacuum pack a cold or hot processed soap with oxygen absorber packet. There’s a big retail company who sells only cold processed soap of 20 different kinds and they do vacuum pack their soap. No DOS as it’s already cured and they test their packaging and the best before date in a commercial lab. It may not be the best way to package for relatively newer soaps, but if the soap has enough time to cure, like 6-8 months, you can keep the freshness of the soap including the scent retention of vacuum sealed with exact size of oxygen absorbing packet. I’ve used their soaps before and it keeps it fresh. It extends the life of soaps because some soaps with higher SF may go rancid in two years. It extends the life of soaps. Same concept that oil you get is vacuum sealed or sometimes nitrogen flushed and sealed, which allows you to keep the freshness of an oil for a few years IF unopened. It’s quite common in cosmetic luxury type soaps to package like that. Definitely no DOS by packaging vacuum sealed, as they’re tested multiple times in the lab to guarantee expiry date (we have much more strict laws here than in the US for cosmetics and soaps are cosmetics here).
If the soap is fully cured, there is absolutely no need for a moisture absorber or vacuum sealing of the soap. It will last decades if made properly. Absorbers, with indercured soap, promote warping. No method, madmade or otherwise, speeds up the cure process (1) saponification, 2) water evaporation, and 3) crystallization.
You are so amazing, I love your work your soap are so beautiful please what is the quantity of water in soap making
All of these are so great!! I started in '08 and totally had no idea about so much of this until MUCH later. My first batch went well, besides two mistakes. I chose a floral (there were no testing notes from the company I chose) not knowing that they can seize like mad. So of course, I stick blended the life outa my soap then added the fragrance... YIKES! My second mistake was that I wanted round bars, so I used a piece of PVC, and didn't secure the bottom well enough. SEIZING SOAP EVERYWHERE.
I'm glad I can laugh about it now. 🤣
Florals are jerks. 😂
Thanks so much for all of the information!! I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a recipe that doesn’t include Coconut oil. I’m allergic 😅 but see that coconut is huge use
Tallow is a good replacement
My first time trying CPOP my bottom layer crumbled on all the edges. Any idea why.
I am interested in making a high quality shaving soap that would be suitable for somewhat sensitive skin, it must have great lather and slickness. I would like a hard soap and scents would be a nice touch. The cost of ingredients are not an issue as long as I get high quality, could you offer some direction? I liked and subscribed to your channel, thank you for sharing your knowledgeable and skills. Very easy to watch video!
This will be so fun!! Thankyou!
1.What happens if you do get lye on you and how do you neutralize it?
2.can I put dried lemon peel into the soap?
You might find this Lye Safety Guide helpful! Yes, you can use dried lemon peel in cold process soap.
Lye Safety Guide: www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0231-lye-safety-guide.html
Wish I'd seen this video before first attempt. Goatsmilk, lavender oil and dye. Actually turned out OK except bottom of 1k silicone molds took 5 days to harden and shea butter re-solidified during mixing after adding cold milk. Was too worried about overheating. Thank you😊
Milk is definitely a difficult ingredient to work with! Hopefully next time around it goes a bit more smoothly for you!
I love the green soap, remind me of gummy bears, the ones with this white dust 😍
I thought I would try my hand at soap making but after watching this I changed my mind. I thought it would be easy this video proves how wrong I was. Thank you for stopping me making a big mistake.
Soap making is absolutely an art form and can be difficult to start out with. If you wanted to still create something for yourself and family lotion making is a great first step that uses many of the same tools and techniques as cold process but is more forgiving. This video is one of our favorite recipes: ruclips.net/video/xrmXnvIMU3s/видео.html
Hello Anne Marie your soap-making videos are awesome recently I started a soap business however am making melt-and-pour soap and still am learning how to make cold-process soap from your videos in my melt-and-pour soaps I am not getting foam as much as I expected is there any suggestion on how to get more foam and creamy texture in my soaps please let me know.
Melt and Pour lather is going to be based on the recipe they initially use. We love our SFIC honey base for a nice bubbly lather. Other bases, like our SFIC goat and SFIC shea will have a denser, more creamy lather.
It took me three tries to make pine tar soap!
Good morning mamMy cold pressed soap when I use pimples acne raise on face. Any wrong in my formulation plese kindly reply
Do you add a warning for the fragrance oil stating pregnant women can't use
OK so when you said about the weight versus volume, I put my 16 ounce oil on the scale, and it also weighed 16 ounces, But I think now I might have it wrong?
Thank you so much for always helping everyone!!! If I am using just the basics, Coconut, Palm, olive oil and vegetable oil should my oils be about 120 degrees and should the lye also be about 120 degree's? I am having such a terrible time trying to make cold process soap.
Your oils and lye can be between 100 and 120 degrees, but within 10 degrees of each other. If you are having trouble with your recipe feel free to reach out to our customer support team via our contact us form. They would be happy to help you troubleshoot.
Thank you!!! I was trying it at 130 .. I hope that was my mistake. Thank you ,Thank you,Thank you !!!
Hi,
Last night I made a French Clay Rose Soap. While making it I faced two problems:-
I melted stearic acid in oils then poured lye solution then added sodium lactate and then finally blended it. It reached a very thick trace. On pouring it in the mould it didn't properly settle in it. Upon un-moulding it today the shape of the soap is not good. Please let me know where did I go wrong 😭
Secondly, for the color I added Pink french clay. Despite adding it in a good amount it didn't impart a substantial level of color in the soap. Please guide me 🙏
What does accelerate trace mean? I wish you would use terms that were simple and explained the jargons.
Hi :) Thank you for your wonderful videos. My question is " What happens if the soap gets too hard to pour to the mold?" Thank you in advance for your answer.
To unmold hard soap, pull on the sides of the mold. This breaks the airlock. Then, flip the soap mold over and press gently on the back of the cavities with your thumb or the heel of your hand. If the soap doesn't want to come out, pop it in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes.
i dont think they Read your Question
I’m having the same problem
I just got my order in from bramble berry for my first cold soap process, I have watched lots of videos but still seem a little confused about how to get to the right temperature before mixing. for instance if I do my lye solution then melt my oils how do I get them both at 120 at the same time, I assume if lye gets to cold you can't reheat it but if oils are too cold you can?
Yes, you can reheat your oils if they become too cool. We don't recommend reheating your lye. But don't worry too much about them being the same temperature! A difference of about 10 degrees is ideal, but if it's a little bit more (about 20 degrees), that will be okay too.
@@bramble-berry thank you for responding I finally got the nerve to make my first batch, being very nervous about the lye I over mixed it so was thicker than pudding hope it’s usable it looks okay but to early to tell.
How do you get nice colors...mine are often dull and miscolored because the original color is a creamy instead of white so my colors are often off a little
When you pour CP soap into individual silicone molds, how do you allow these to harden? Do you Cpop them, freeze them or wrap them in a towel and leave them to gel? Thank you in advance!
It depends on your recipe and what you want the soap to do. If you want the soap to go through gel phase, place the mold on a heating pad and insulate. But if you want the soap to stay cool (if it was made with milk for example) then placing it in the fridge or freezer would be a good option.
@@bramble-berry Thank you!!
How long do you cure your cold process soap and how do you package it to sell? I now understand that for the melt and pour soap that it's best to shrink wrap. I really love watching your videos and they are very informative. Thank you!
We recommend curing your cold process soap at least 4 weeks and keeping the edges open when you wrap them.
Thank you!@@bramble-berry
So I get you can't go in reverse if you over-trace but then what?! Is the soap salvageable? Can you just quickly dump/pour/scoop it into a mold?