Common Soap Making Mistakes & How to Avoid Them | Bramble Berry

🧼 Starting your soap making journey is exciting, but it can be a little intimidating, too. There are always mistakes that can happen. Having a successful first batch can help you maintain that feeling of excitement. Here are some common mistakes and ways to avoid them. We hope this will help you make your first (and second, and third) batch of soap a success.

This overview should give you the information you need to make your soaping adventure a success. Always remember that everyone, even soap making veterans, makes mistakes. Most of these mistakes will still result in a usable bar of soap. The Bramble Berry website has lots of articles about soap making so that you can answer any questions that come up.

• Beginner's Guide to Cold Process Soap:

• Lye Safety Guide:

• All About Trace:

• Beginner's Cold Process Soap Kit:

• Basics of Soap Making Playlist:

🧼 Video Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Not Enough Research
02:01 - Not Making a Basic Batch of Soap First
04:15 - Measuring by Volume
06:30 - Wrong Amounts of Lye, Oils, and Water
09:13 - Soaping at the Wrong Temperature
12:04 - Not Using a Fragrance Safe for Soap Making
14:33 - Stick Blending Incorrectly
17:57 - Outro
18:37 - Answering Your Questions

🧼 Common Soap Making Mistakes and How to Avoid Them article:

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[bramble-berry]

🧼 Video Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:28 - Not Enough Research
02:01 - Not Making a Basic Batch of Soap First
04:15 - Measuring by Volume
06:30 - Wrong Amounts of Lye, Oils, and Water
09:13 - Soaping at the Wrong Temperature
12:04 - Not Using a Fragrance Safe for Soap Making
14:33 - Stick Blending Incorrectly
17:57 - Outro
18:37 - Answering Your Questions

[tellget]

Soapmaker for 12 years. Learned today: violett clay turns brown and doesnt change back 😂 It never stops

[waynegross]

I learned on Soap Queen, years ago, lol! I did make a plain batch for my first with one color. I've never regretted that. Now I do all the complicated swirls and layers, but I now prefer a plain bar of soap, lol! I think everyone eventually comes full circle, if you started out with a basic bar. There's something really pure about a plain bar of soap. Ok with just a bit of goats milk, lol! It's great on the skin and simple to make and clean up afterwards! Yeah, less dishes. I'm all for that!
Jill Gross

[foragedarts]

when i tell people about the zap test, i tell them "its like touching an electric fence...with your tongue"
cant tell i grew up on a farm! lol

[DarkusZarvix]

Fragrance recipes can change over time due to availability of ingredients too! Just because a fragrance worked for you perfectly last year, getting a new bottle of it and using it this year doesn't always mean it will soap the same way. I've had one bottle work perfectly, then next time I bought it, it seized up and was unusable. Definitely check reviews! Sometimes those can let you learn from another person's discovery about a fragrance changing. Just keep in mind that some oils work with some fragrances. If you don't use the same oils as someone who reported seizing did, you might have a different result and it'll work fine! If one person reports ricing or seizing, it could be due to temperature or oil recipe or something else entirely. Soapmaking is a constant battle of trying to wakeboard. Too fast or slow and things go wrong... but when you get that sweet spot that works for you, you really do have fun with it! It's a science and an art all in one!

[jamaica]

My soap making journey started with your book... and I am so grateful! Soap queen, your books... but also I know I can count on anything I buy from Bramble Berry.Thanks!

[justinejustice_league]

I made all white 100% coconut loaf for my mom last mothers day and they turned out beautifully, I was so scared they'd be too hard but they were gorgeous and porcelain white. I've sold a few of these bars since then and called them white geisha

[CrazyDyslexicNerd]

I made my first batch about a year and a half ago with the brambleberry orange essential oil kit. It was really nice and having a scent that also colored the soap was really helpful. I've done 4 batches since then, two with the lots of lather oil mix, though i did stripes with them, and then two that i mixed the oils myself. I did have a minor failure when i tried to use a 12 cavity mold for the first time rather than a loaf mold because i tried to stripe it and it got too stiff. The soap works fine, but it doesn't look as nice as any of my other batches.
I did have a bit of an issue with my most recent batch of trying to incorporate a small amount of shea butter to my oil and fat mixture. I managed eventually and it was only about 5% of the mixture, but there's probably an easier way to do it

[Mari-cres]

As a seasoned soap maker.. taught by the Soap Queen and the wonderful monthly classes with kits you used to do, I still found this video very interesting. There’s nothing like learning from the master!! I built a small business of mostly craft fairs and word of mouth, but have found that the (necessary) price of insurance is too much. So now I create for fun, family and friends only. And still marvel at the bars as I get to cut them! Thanks for a great video!! 🧑🏼‍🎨😀

[nancymcmillan]

Thank you for this info. I’m still in the research stage of cp. Hope I can get my feet wet soon. Going to get one of your books and kits.

[Famvidful]

Excellent video! I made soap for 10 months before starting my business. I learned so much in those nine months that prepared me well.

[melaniewilliams]

I love your step by step instructions I been soaping now for 16 years. I’m still always learning new techniques

[TexasGoatlover]

My first batch ever i used a whisk i stirred for 2.5 hours....bought a stick blender the next day 😄

[rochaelroulo]

Made my first batch of CP soap with a wonderful kit from Brambleberry! Very easy to use and set me up for success! Thank you!

[tanyabonnett]

I watched videos and read books and researched for 2 years before I made my first loaf of CP soap

[maliassalon]

Hello m malia from INDIA . From lockdown i started flowing how to do soap making in ur channel. N m so thankful to u dat now i can make super duper soap. Thanks a ton. God bless u.

[mrsjoy]

You hit the nail on the head, I made those mistakes basic recipe to starr
start don't rush

[janetaleman]

For years I mixed and blended by hand. Of course it took longer, but every batch turned into beautiful fragrant soap. So it can be done and should be done if you are just starting and not sure if soaping is for you or if you are just making an occasional batch for the family. No sense spending the money if you don't need to.

[dypkvyf]

You totally remind me of Pamela Anderson in THIS video, with her no makeup look.
I enjoy your videos and JUST found your channel!
So excited to make a tallow with other ingredients shampoo bar tomorrow. 😊

[ladymsoaps]

My very first batch of soap I made back in March and it was a three colored layered soap with rosemary and lemon. It turned out beautifully. I have been addicted since and have gotten up to doing very intricate designs and doing soap frosting as well.