Rebatched Soap In The Crockpot

Last night I decided to make a batch of hot processed soap. It had been quite a while since I had made soap this way. I lost my confidence after having a loaf go crumbly the last time I tried it. The sea salt and sugar that I added didn't dissolve. It was a 100% coconut oil soap recipe. I think that may have been part of the problem, too high a percentage of hard oils.  I decided to use a recipe using olive oil, so I did a simple one with coconut oil, olive oil, distilled water, sodium hydroxide, and cranberry fragrance oil.

Things started out pretty well. I had purchased a used crockpot at The Church of Hope Thrift Shop down the street. It was marked at $5.00, and I got it at 50% off. This was my first time trying hot processed soap in a crockpot. I plan to use it  for  soapmaking only.

I watched the soap batter transform through the clear lid. It went through the different stages: bubbling up, looking like vaseline,  and moving into the applesauce stage. I tried working at a higher temperature this time. I melted the oils in the crockpot, and added the lye water right away, rather than letting it cool. I mixed in a tsp. of sugar that I had combined with a T of distilled water. It caused some clumps in the lye water, which made me nervous. I strained the lye water as I poured it into the crockpot.

After about 45 minutes, I added cranberry chutney fragrance oil and a tsp. of red Brazilian clay mixed into a T of distilled water. I heated the water before combining them. To my dismay, the soap started to separate. When I put it in the mold, the loaf looked like it was sitting in oil. I got a familiar feeling of dread and failure.

I placed it in the freezer, and took a hot bath. I removed it afterward, sliced  the oily soaps and cut them up into quarters. I put them back into the crockpot, and did a rebatch. The soap started to come together, and it looked much better. I mixed it together and pressed it into my silicone loaf mold.

This morning I removed it and sliced it into pieces. They smell divine, and I really am happy with the peachy shade of pink from the natural clay. I used a bar this morning in the shower, and fell in love. I had forgotten that rebatched soap is my absolute favorite to use. It's so mild. The lather is wonderful and bubbly. I have been finding several reasons to happily wash my hands.

These will make really nice Christmas gifts for  my friends, knitting ladies, and neighbors.  They are more simple and country looking than the molded cold processed soaps that I usually make. I like how old fashioned they seem and  feel.  They remind me of farmhouse soaps that women my grandmother's age made in  the fifties.  

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