Soap full of mold

by Carina
(Portugal)

I'm Carina from Portugal. I love your site.
I´ve tried my first recipe on 2 january, but now my soap is full of mold. I didn't use any kind of preservatives.
Could you please help me?
Could you also suggest me the best way of testing the PH of my soaps, to ensure I keep the value accurate?

Best Regards

Carina

Answer:

I honestly don't know what to say....I've never, ever seen soap with mold in it!! Are you sure it is mold? Usually when handmade soap goes 'off' it gets yellow/brown/orange spots and has a spoiled oil scent to it.

The only time I know that soaps have gone moldy is when the soap maker uses items like chunks of fruits and vegetables in their recipe. I would also imagine a soap could go moldy if you used too much liquified fruits and vegetables in the recipe.

All I can suggest is that you make sure that the ingredients you are using are fresh and that your recipe is correct.

You said that you are new to soap making...was your recipe a plain and simple one or was it one that contains colour, plant matter, scents, etc.?

Keeping the recipes simple while you are learning is important. That way you get the feel for the process before complicating it with the 'goodies'.

If you are worried about the pH levels of your soap, I would suggest getting a pH meter. These are available at some soap making suppliers or from scientific supply houses.

Good luck,
Cathy