Troubleshooting Common Cold Saponification Complications

Hello everyone! We are Mariana and Jose Miguel from Mar Amoli, and today we are excited to share with you some valuable insights directly from our "Introduction to Artisanal Soapmaking" course. Soap making is a wonderful art but, like any craft process, it can present its challenges, especially when working with the cold saponification technique.

One of the most common problems with cold saponification is soft soap. If after several days your soap is still soft, it could be due to too much water in the mixture, the quality of your ingredients (if you used some blend of oils instead of a pure oil), if you didn't use distilled water (tap or purified water often has minerals that affect the chemical reaction), or an insufficient amount of sodium hydroxide. Patience is key here; leave the soap in the mold a few more days and it may harden perfectly.

Another common problem is spotty soap, which usually happens when a high percentage of tallow or animal fats are used or when the soap has been on the shelves for a long time and gets orange stains. While this may simply be an aesthetic issue and the soap is still safe to use, we understand that appearance is important when creating your own handmade soaps.

Finally, we face the dreaded "fast trace," where the soap hardens too quickly, making it difficult to pour into the mold. This can be caused by certain fragrances or overheating during mixing. A good tip is to work at lower temperatures and add the fragrances at the end of the process (we recommend using better essential oils to add the scent to our soaps, as they are natural and more stable).

Do you face these or other challenges when making your soaps? Don't worry, in our course we provide you with all the tools and knowledge to overcome these obstacles. Not only that, but we'll be there to guide you through every step, answering your questions and making sure each batch of soap is better than the last.

Curious what else you could learn about? Download our additional resource Cold Saponification Complications in which we talk about more typical complications and their solutions, and fully immerse yourself in the art of handmade soap by signing up for our course.

We hope you found this article helpful and that it has inspired you to continue exploring the exciting world of cold process saponification - we're here to help you every step of the way!

Don't forget that when facing challenges, knowledge and practice are your best allies. Join us and transform those challenges into stunning bars of soap that are not only a delight to the senses, but also works of art in themselves.

See you at the course!