Soapmaking Hints, Tips and Techniques

Scents

Like all soapers, I like to experiment. One of the first things I learned was NOT to use food extracts to scent soaps. Regardless of the amount you use, the soap will most likely loose it's scent before very long.

I have also heard that other soapers experience seizures with their soaps when using food extracts. While I have never had this happen, it's still better to stick with FO's (fragrance oils) and EO's (essential oils)

Molds

I have found that it is a lot easier to use large plastic garbage bags to line my molds.

Other

I have found that by using a regular hand held mixer, you can create very fine air bubbles in the soap that will make it float. If you do it just right, you won't even know that the bubbles are there. Stick blenders and canister blenders will not give this effect. I use my hand held mixer on high speed for about 5 minutes and then stir for a while with my spoon. I repeat this process until the soap mix has reached trace. Then pour into the molds.

Rebatching

Nobody warned me on this one. I rebatched for the first time the other day and used a crockpot. The rebatched soap was so thick and ugly that I will only use it for myself. I won't go so far as to say that ALL rebatches will be ugly, but they can get very thick and you will have to spoon them into the molds.