For forty-three hours I was filled with anticipation for the unmolding of my oatmeal soap. What a surprise I received when I saw that there was a crack in my soap.
For water as a percentage of oils, I used 37% instead of 38%. I thought that that was the problem because I am experimenting with reducing the water in my soapmaking to cut down on the curing time. Because when you do a water discount, you are just reducing the water and not the lye.
What I have learned is that there are several reasons why this can happen in soapmaking. This is not an exhaustive list.
Overheating: Soaping at a high temperature.
Lye Heavy: Too much lye in the formulation.
Ingredients: Using ingredients like honey, sugar, milk, can cause the temperature to heat up significantly during gel phase.
Additives: Clays, powders, oatmeal, for example. Dry ingredients can absorb the moisture making the soap dry.
Looking at my formulation, soaping temperature (I soap at 100 degrees Fahrenheit), and ingredients, I found the culprit to be the oatmeal. I used 3 tablespoons of ground oatmeal which was too much.
I tested the pH of the soap, and it is within the safe pH range for soap, so it is safe to use. With the bars being cut, it’s hardly noticeable. Next time I will cut down on the measurement of the ground oatmeal.
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