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Yesterday, I set out to make my first batch of soap-making homemade cold process soap. Spoiler: it was a total flop. My blender overheated, my lye was old, and I had to dump the entire batch.
But here’s the good news: every mistake turned into a lesson. Today, I tried again – with the right tools, fresh ingredients, and a much better mindset – and things went so much smoother.
If you’re new to soap-making, here are the five things I did wrong the first time (so you can skip the drama!) along with the fixes I used today.
At first, I thought lye was lye… but it turns out lye loses strength over time when exposed to air and moisture. Because of this, my old lye didn’t perform the way it should, which made everything harder to blend and caused my equipment to overheat.
👉 Lesson: Always use fresh lye for soap-making. In addition, store it in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place.
👉 Today’s fix: I used fresh lye.
I also grabbed my regular kitchen blender instead of investing in a sturdy stick blender for soap-making. As a result, my poor blender melted under the stress and quit on me halfway through.
👉 Lesson: Get a dedicated immersion blender (stick blender) – they’re designed to handle soap batter and also won’t overheat.
👉 Today’s fix: I invested in a 1000w stick blender
Because I was excited to dive right in, I skipped checking whether all my tools were soap-safe and heat-resistant. Unfortunately, not everything was. The wrong tools can warp, melt, or even contaminate your soap.
👉 Lesson: Always use stainless steel, heavy-duty plastic, or silicone for soap-making. On the other hand, avoid aluminum and cheap plastics.
👉 Today’s fix: I bought a digital scale for precision. Now my oils and lye are perfectly measured.
Soap-making takes patience. At first, I rushed the blending stage, tried to force things to “trace” too quickly, and ended up overheating the mixture.
👉 Lesson: Trust the process. Let your oils and lye solution come to the right temperatures before blending. Furthermore, don’t rush the stick blender.
👉 Today’s fix: I slowed down. I let my oils and lye reach the right temperature, blended calmly, and hopefully it will come together beautifully.
When things went south, I had no backup equipment and no extra ingredients. Consequently, I had to dump the whole thing and start from scratch another day.
👉 Lesson: Always have extra tools and ingredients on hand. Mistakes happen, and it’s easier to try again if you’re prepared.
👉 Today’s fix: I came in with a better mindset – ready to learn, not rush. This time, the process felt enjoyable instead of stressful.
By the end of today, I walked away with a successful soap batch and the confidence to keep experimenting. Also, if you’re just starting out, I hope my mistakes (and my fixes!) help you skip the messy part and get straight to the fun.
👉 Want to dive deeper? Check out my other post: How to Make Jasmine & Vanilla Cold Process Soap.
✨ Your turn: What’s your biggest DIY fail that turned into a win the second time around? Share your story in the comments — I’d love to hear it!
