One of the most annoying parts of being
a soap maker is the inevitable nuisance of soap ash...
Soap ash? What's soap ash? Can it hurt
me?
Soap ash is the thin layer of white
powder (or ash) that sometimes appears on handmade cold process soap.
Among soap makers, there are a variety of reasons why soap ash
appears, from impurities in the water to lye quality to overheating.
It seems that most ash occurs when there are a large percentage of
hard oils (like palm oil and coconut oil) in the soap, or when the
soap does not completely gel (the soap takes on a gel-like
consistency while hardening in the mold). Some soap makers have found
that they can limit the amount of soap ash on their soap by covering
the soap with plastic wrap while it is hardening in the mold, but
even then, soap ash can still occur.
The most important thing to know about
soap ash is that it is not going to hurt you! It is a natural
byproduct of cold process soap, and it usually washes away the first
time a bar is used.
Soap ash can be a nuisance, but it is
completely harmless and can be easily removed!
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