Soap making revolves around three basic methods: melt and pour, hot process and cold process.
The melt and pour process involves a pre-made base that the crafter melts and then pours into a mold.
Both hot process and cold process follow the same recipes. The hot process involves heating the raw materials until they form soap (see the photo above).
The benefit to hot processed soap is that it is mild as soon as the heat process is completed. A cold processed bar of soap is not mild (cured) for several days, to several weeks. A cold processed bar of soap must sit on a curing rack, awaiting mildness and hardness, for 4-6 weeks. A hot processed bar of soap is already mild, therefore, it only needs to harden for a few days to 1 week.
I am a girl that loves to wing-it. I really am impatient with reading someone else’s instructions. I dive into whatever I am doing with prayers that it works out, and sometimes that means I learn the hard way. The good news is the hot process batch of soap was very successful. I was hoping the mottled look would leave as I pushed the thick soap into the mold.
Alas…the mottling stayed in the soap.
Now, for the rest of the story!
I am trying to stay on top of sales during the holiday season. As I completed an inventory count of honey oatmeal goat milk soap I realized I might run out before the holiday season ends. So, I decided it was time to dive into the hot process. What better soap to start with than honey oatmeal!
It smells wonderful. It is mild. It is pretty. But it certainly does not pass for the creamy look of the honey oatmeal goat milk soap that I normally carry. I used a small piece of the soap already, by the way, it is excellent soap!
What do you think of the hot processed honey oatmeal soap?
Annies Goat Hill Handcrafted Soaps 