The incredible sense of euphoria I experience from looking at a freshly unmolded soap loaf with perfect edges and smooth surfaces, or soap bars sliced into individual squares and lined up perfectly onto a wooden crate to dry, convinces me that I’m officially a soap addict, and a slight obsessive compulsive.
But it’s easy for me to get really, really disappointed too when a loaf comes out with some sort of imperfection, like discoloration or uneven surfaces, and I even consider tossing it out and start over when that happens. The inner soap perfectionist in me (and this is not a compliment) can’t handle it! I don’t, of course, throw away an otherwise perfect handmade soap loaf, but I definitely experience extreme emotional roller coaster when it comes to soap making.
I experienced an unbelievable high when I unmolded two loaves of all-natural Olive Oil Soap the other day. They both came out so perfect, with beautiful cream color, perfect edges, and silky-smooth exterior, and I couldn’t be happier. Then I hit the lowest low shortly thereafter when I discovered that my two-and-a-half year old daughter got to them and made giant dents on, no only one, but both loaves, while they were drying on the dining table! Noooooo! 😥 😥 😥 I was in foul mood for the rest of the day.
Luckily, I was able to slice the loaves into individual squares and salvage most of them, with an exception of two with the imprints. So all in all, everything worked out fine at the end, but man, this soap-making thing is not good for my mental health!
I will share more information about the Olive Oil soap on a separate post. In the meantime, I’m going to go lay down and recover now.
#FirstWorldProblem … I know …
Lavender and OliVE 
I (used to) make my own soap too, and mine is in a big flat slab and I cut the 1 and 1/4″ think soap in 36 bars. I used Olive Oil, Coconut oil, Cocoa Butter, Distilled water, sodium hydroxide, Grapefruit Seed extraxt (GSE) as a preservative plus Oatmeal. I also made a plain, preservative free one. Both kids were for sensitive skin. No dyes or fragrances.
Oh shoot, I left out the Beeswax!
I hear that beeswax makes firm soap, and I love the scent of the beeswax! I so want to try the soap you make! Sounds so amazing! 🙂
I use Beeswax instead of Palm Oil to harden it because I wanted to use more local ingredients.
Excuse my poor typing. I actually CAN spell.
LOL!
Hi Lorraine! Thanks for your comment!
I would love to try making soap in a big flat slab someday! 36 bars at once try — now that’s efficient!
Your soap sounds amazing! Oatmeal is one of my favorite additives!
Hirono
Plus the Cocoa Butter helps harden it.
I don’t know how to put a photo in a comment in WordPress.
Do you slice off the ash layer on top? I do.
I usually use a soap beveler to get rid of the first layer to rid the ash. If the soaps are for me, I don’t bother with the extra step … LOL!
I used to save all the ashy soap I cut off and form it into a ball and use them myself, I always cure my soap for 8 weeks.
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