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Soap troubleshooting

What went wrong with your batch, whether it's safe to use, and how to fix it.

Each page starts with the answer, tells you whether the soap is safe to use, then ranks the likely causes.

Appearance

Films, spots, cracks and color changes.

A loaf of uncut handmade white soap rests on a rustic wooden table beside a window.AppearanceCracked soapTwo handmade soap bars, one purple swirl and one tan, rest on a slate tray.AppearanceFading or morphing colorA rustic handmade soap bar dusted with white powder rests on a dark slate board.AppearanceWhite film on top (soda ash)A square handmade soap bar covered in moisture droplets rests on a dark slate coaster.AppearanceSweating soap

During the batch

Problems that happen between mixing and pouring.

A glass bowl of layered oils and soap mixture with a spatula on a wooden countertop.During the batchFalse trace and separationThick, textured soap batter with a deep center crack sits inside a wooden loaf mold.During the batchOverheating soapA gloved hand blends white, riced soap batter in a stainless steel bowl using an immersion blender.During the batchRicingA stainless steel pot filled with thick, textured soap batter and an upright silicone spatula.During the batchSoap seized

Texture and safety

Soft, crumbly or harsh bars, and how to tell if soap is lye heavy.

A textured bar of handmade soap rests beside a metal scraper on a wooden cutting board.Texture and safetyCrumbly soapA purple pH test strip inserted into a cut block of handmade soap on a wooden board.Texture and safetyLye-heavy soapA sliced bar and loaf of handmade natural soap rest on a rustic wooden cutting board.Texture and safetyLye pocketsA pile of grated soap shreds sits on a wooden cutting board next to a metal grater.Texture and safetyRebatch failed soapA bar of handmade white soap rests on a slatted wooden drying rack on a rustic table.Texture and safetySoap smells badA gloved finger presses into freshly poured soap setting inside a wooden loaf mold.Texture and safetySoft soap won't harden