Differences in batches

differences in batches

April 27th 2020 - Christina Underwood

I mention this a couple areas of this site (and to my customers), sometimes batches of the same soap come out differently.

Handmade soap can differ greatly due to all kinds of things. This example (pictured to the left) is a good one. This is my "Treat Yo Self" bar. Same ingredients made a few days apart. If you notice, one looks darker and thicker, while the other looks creamier. You may be wondering "How come this doesn't look like the last bar I ordered?" Well, many variables effect the look and consistency of the soap. In this case the darker bar was mixed at a higher temperature. The result, was a thicker, darker, harder soap. Same oils, herbs and scents, different mixing temperature. I actually had to add bronze color mica powder (natural colorant mineral powder) to the second batch (top creamier, lighter soap) to keep the color as close as possible to the original. The first batch was mixed at a higher temperature which caused it to darken. Does that make it bad? Nope, same soap just different temperature. In order to keep consistency every step of the recipe must be the same. Unfortunately, when you are making small batches that aren't regulated by industrial equipment, making sure the temperatures are exactly the same can be difficult. But rest assured you are still getting the same great soap.

Sometimes the difference might be a change in recipe. Maybe one of the butters or oils originally used in a soap was causing a lack of lather or maybe we found a better brand of oil to use. This is also a contributing factor to a different look. We are always striving for improvement with the best possible ingredients. If we do change an ingredient we will update our soap descriptions and labels.

Always make sure to read the label and descriptions thoroughly to avoid any allergies you might have.

My sister, for instance, is allergic to mango. I don't know if the mango butter will cause a reaction to her skin so I always make sure to avoid gifting her soaps with mango butter as an ingredient.

We use natural herbs and essential oils. But just because they are natural doesn't mean they can't cause irritation. Some people can have sensitivities to things like tea tree oil or some of the other more potent oils and herbs. Your age and ethnicity can also play a part in how your skin reacts. So please remember to always test any and all new skin care products in a small patch before using.

Some areas of the body are more sensitive than others. Please avoid using potent oils and herbs in sensitive areas. For instance, a friend of mine read online that rosemary oil helps relieve dandruff (which it does) so she put the oil directly onto her scalp. This was after she had bleached her hair and she had a chemical burn on her scalp. IT BURNED!!! She was in a lot of pain. She didn't realize that she was supposed to dilute the rosemary oil with a carrier oil like coconut oil and that she should wait till her scalp was healed from her beach treatment. Always error on the side of caution. Skin can be sensitive. Avoid using peppermint, tea tree and rosemary oil near genitals or eyes and make sure not to use if you have cuts, scrapes or burns. Using essential oils on damaged skin can cause further irritation. Just use common since.