Cold process soap making is an art that combines creativity with chemistry. However, even the most experienced soap makers can encounter challenges, such as soap seizing. But what exactly causes this phenomenon, and how can you deal with a batch of seized soap?
The Science Behind Soap Seizing
Seizing in cold process soap making occurs when the mixture of oils and lye thickens suddenly and becomes almost solid. Sometimes you’ll hear soap makers refer to it as “soap on a stick”! This usually happens very quickly, leaving little time to pour the soap into molds.
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Several factors can contribute to cold process soap seizing:
- Fragrance Oils: Some fragrance oils can accelerate trace and cause seizing. Always research and test your fragrance oils before adding them to your soap batter.
- Essential Oils: Similar to fragrance oils, certain essential oils can also speed up the saponification process and lead to seizing. Common oils that accelerate trace include clove, cinnamon, bay, basil, and nutmeg. All of which contain eugenol; a chemical component that accelerates the saponification process.
- Temperature: Soaping at too high or too low temperatures can affect the behavior of your soap batter. Too low, and it will take a long time to obtain trace. Too high of a temp, and your batter can easily seize.
- Trace: Over-mixing to a thick trace can increase the likelihood of seizing, especially if additives are introduced at this stage. Need example of trace with more details on what exactly trace is? Check out this article: 7 Tips to Control Trace in Cold Process Soap Making
Tips for Saving Seized Soap
If you find yourself with seized soap, don’t panic! Here are some tips to help save your batch:
- Heat It Up: Gently heat your soap to see if it will loosen up. You can transfer your seized batter to a crock pot or a stainless steel container. I don’t recommend a microwave as it could easily overheat the batter.
- Stir Manually: Use a spoon or spatula to try and stir the soap to a more fluid consistency. Keep stirring! It will loosen up!
- Add Liquids: Not my favorite option, but sometimes (just sometimes) adding a small amount of liquid, like milk or water, can help save seized soap. Just be careful that you’re not adding too much liquid. For a cold process I recommend keeping the total water to a maximum of 2:1 water:lye.
For a visual guide on how to handle seized soap, check out this video: How to Save Seized Soap. You’ll see me “not panic” as the darn soap seizes from too much cinnamon! I swear I thought I lowered the amount to a reasonable usage (hahaha!).
Rebatching Seized Soap: A Second Chance
When all else fails, rebatching is a reliable method to salvage your hard work. Rebatching involves grating the seized soap, melting it with a bit of added liquid, and then re-molding. This process allows you to save the ingredients and still end up with usable bars of soap.
For detailed instructions on rebatching, I recommend the “Rebatching Handmade Soap Master Class Bundle,” which provides a comprehensive tutorial on every single way you can save “whoopsie” soaps including: traditional rebatching, partial fluid rebatching, salting out soap, confetti soaps, and Ciaglia soap rebatching. Not to mention… it includes my recipes for Christmas Coal, floating soap, and laundry soaps! All of which are made from soaps you might otherwise give up on a toss in the trash.
While seizing can be a frustrating setback in cold process soap making, it’s not the end of the world. With the right techniques, you can either save the batch or turn to rebatching as a creative solution to recover your soap.
Have you had a seized soap that you turned into something amazing? If so, share the dets. with us in the comments below!
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