Separation Anxiety In Soap Making

Separation anxiety can be avoided by simply knowing what to do if separation occurs.

Sometimes the lye and fat mixtures will separate during the cooling process. When this happens, there are two possible causes.

The first is the possibility that you did not measure the ingredients correctly, and the second is that your soap cooled too quickly. To determine which problem has affected your soap, you will have to heat the mixture to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

To reheat your soap, place your primary mold in a tub or sink filled with boiling water and hot tap water. Keep adding warm water until the soap begins to liquefy once more. If your soap is hard and does not respond to this gentle warming, you can remove it from the mold, after first donning your safety goggles and rubber gloves of course.

Then, put it back in the pot and heat it on the stove. Stir the mixture gently as it warms, and once it is liquid again remove it from heat and stir it until trailings appear once more.

Pour the soap back in the primary mold and wrap it carefully in your insulating blankets and towels. If the soap looks normal after you unwrap it then you will know that it probably cooled too rapidly on the first go around.

However, if the soap looks party blended or has separated once again, throw it away, and start over again, this time with measurements done more carefully.

You should also throw your soap away if it feels slimy after cooling for 48 hours or more, or if it will not dry completely, which would be sure signs that your ingredient measuring was off.

Go to soap making for additional information and more soap making tips.