I’m looking into making soap at home and keep seeing most redditors using long rectangular loaf molds, similar to cake tins, then slicing the soap into bars.

Why are these so popular compared with individual molds that make more traditional oval or rounded rectangular bars? Is it mainly about making batches and decorative designs, or are there other advantages?

Some of the finished bars look quite tall and chunky. Do you find them comfortable for everyday handwashing, or do you cut them into smaller pieces before using them? I recently had one in my hand at a farmers market and didn't like the shape and size in my hand, so for that reason, i would prefer smaller cavity molds, but curious what else makes them so popular...

Okay so I want to start off I did this in my garage with the door open.

I wore PPE long aprons, long gloves, long sleves, long pants, closed toe shoes, mask, eye cover on top of my glasses.

I mixed all the oils first and make sure it was temp at 100 f and same with the distilled water.

Just to be safe I switched out my gloves since I was using it for the oils.

I make sure to only pour the exact grams with all this equipment. Then all the sudden I'm so itchy all over.

I immediately stopped took off everything safely.

Did a cold shower for 15 minutes I crapped out at 10 and had to just do body sections I was freezing 🥶

Why did I have this reaction? I'm so confused 😕

This is the lye I used.

https://a.co/d/0fHRs3Yt

-Update it sounds like it was the extreme heat with the PPE and I did use latex free gloves and a lot of you guys said it also could be anxiety too.

I really appreciate all the advice and working through everything. I will make sure to not be so hot. Sounds like I need a fan break away from the lye of course! I don't want it to go airborne.

I'll mix the lye and water first and then the oils.

Thank you all!! 🤗

Wilderness and snow

Did a hot process batch this week, split it, and stirred 2 oz of pumpkin puree into half before layering both into the mold. It came out with this rustic layered texture, and the scent is one of the strongest I've gotten in a long time. Happy to answer questions about adding the pumpkin or about HP in general!

I made cold process soap with a brambleberry FO, soap is ugly as sin and I’d like to rebatch. Will my fragrance oil burn off during the process? Trying to figure out how much to add when the soap is melted if so.

I've been soaping for about 2 years or so and I do CP. I also do MP for embeds and my custom silicone soap molds I made myself.

I have an idea for a design but I would need to mix in some clear MP with some of the CP. Not thoroughly mixed but kind of swirled in. Are there any issues I should know or is it a bad idea? Will it separate or affect the saponification process?

Made also with tepezcohuite coconut oil maceration.