Soapies coins a New Phrase: Dismasterpiece

So, I was making a loaf of the Soapies Shaving & Exfoliation Soap for a customer's order. What is the last thing you want to do when you are making Cold Process/Oven Process (CPOP) soap?? Get distracted!

I was wandering through the steps and making quick work of it and before I knew it, the loaf was in the oven and cooking its little heart out. Four hours later, I remove the mold from the oven and...SURPRISE!!

Oil slick heaven...or not heaven, maybe? Ohhhh...I stood there dumbfounded trying to figure out what the heck went wrong! I have made this loaf a million and three times without any problems at all. What to do, what to do, WHAT TO DO!! Ok...I am the last person on earth that will waste anything. So, we are gonna save this batch for home and friend use...DANG IT!

Once I had decided I cannot worry too much about what went wrong, I put a stainless steel bowl on the stove and put the sludgy mess in it. I used a low heat to melt my "Disaster". As I was chopping it up with a cooking spoon and helping it to melt, I decided I could add a tad bit more lye water and get the "oil slick" saponified. I grab the Lye Pitcher and DANG IT!!! I, now, know what happened!

At the bottom of the Lye Pitcher is a complete ring of UNDISSOLVED lye!!! What?? Then, I remembered that I got DISTRACTED when I was stirring the lye. Super stupid timing wouldn't you say? I never finished dissolving the lye completely into the water and it sat on the bottom of the pitcher and crystalized there for what I thought was eternity! I tried scraping at it with a stainless steel spoon…nothing. Will not budget! Just as I was ready to throw the pitcher away, I had a thought (I know...scary at this point, right?) Hot water might do the trick!

I microwaved a few ounces of distilled water and poured enough over the crystalized lye to cover it all by one half inch or so. Viola!! The very hot water dissolved the lye immediately! Ok...Back to the former sludgy mess that is now almost fully melted down and pretty danged smooth. I then remove it from the stove and pour in my new lye water and add more of the Bonsai Fragrance that I used the first time around. Stirring with my cooking spoon all the while. The batch is looking pretty nice now!! WOW!!!

I grab my silicone sheet mold and glop/pour it in. A little on the thick side so I grab some plastic wrap and lay it over the top of the batch so I can hand-smooth it…yea!! It worked! I slapped on the lid and put it in the oven for another four hours.

OK - the moment of truth - it is no longer a Disaster but a new Soapies Dismasterpiece!! Looks and smells YUMMY!! Check out the photos on our Soapies Fan Page on Facebook

Always try to save your batches...You just might make a Dismasterpiece of your own!

Toodles and Smoochies to you all...
Princess Kelley!