After making cold process soap and then waiting 4 long months of curing, it is a huge disappointment to find soda ash all over the soap.
This happened to me recently with the cold process unscented, but no matter, I salvaged my soap. It may not be perfectly shaped, but that is the beauty of homemade soap sometimes.
What is soda ash? It is harmless white chalk buildup normally found on the edges of the soap bars. It occurs from the reaction of lye with carbon dioxide in the air.
How does it happen? It can happen from not mixing long enough to form a nice thick trace, from not having enough heat during your hardening period before you cut it, or from not having a high enough temperature of your oils and lye when you mix them together.
How can I prevent it from occurring? Watch your temperatures carefully when combining. If there was buildup after mixing your oils and lye at a certain observed temperature, then try mixing at a higher temperature. Mix earlier.
Make sure to cover your soap after making it with a towel and a box or container that will keep it warm and away from the carbon dioxide. I had been using a towel, but I will now start using a box over top.
It is also suggested to use a heating pad at this stage.
Spraying on some rubbing alcohol on top of the soap should help too.
I wanted to get rid of the ash that had formed, so I followed a few tips.
- Use a knife to carve off the chalky parts along the edges.
- Rinse and Dry.
- Use a Steamer.
- Apply Rubbing Alcohol
I started with a steamer that my mom purchased right before my sister’s wedding. It was the first time I had seen one on her wedding day. Who knew I would want to borrow one to help with my soap shortly after.
After this, I realized that the middle of the bars may have looked a bit better, but the problem were the thick chalky edges. I realized that I wanted to just take it off the old fashioned way.
They looked so much better afterwards! I rinsed each bar, sprayed each bar with rubbing alcohol, and allowed them to dry.