Rebatching is a technique perfect for the novice as well as the advanced soapmaker. If you use essential oils to scent your soap, you can make 100% natural soap without having to work with lye.
Beginning soapmakers can purchase ready made rebatch base and make handmade soap without touching lye. It’s an easy introduction to choosing fragrances and colors. Many advanced soapmakers like to rebatch because they can make one large plain batch of cold process soap and then rebatch it into a wide range of colors and scents. The rebatching technique is also called French milled, hand milled, double milled or triple milled. It’s all the same process of heating up grated cold process soap and customizing it with your favorite colorants and fragrances.
This tutorial uses the Bramble Berry rebatch kit to show how easy it is to make rustic, handmade bar of soap.
Rebatch Kit includes:
1 lb Basic Grated Rebatch Base
1 lb Luxury Grated Rebatch Base
Heather and Hyacinth Fragrance Oil
1/2 oz Liquid Blue Colorant
Easy to follow instructions
Tools from home:
Double Boiler
Spoon
Plastic wrap
Get everything you need in the click of a button!
Make your first 4 rebatch soaps with this recipe!
12 oz Luxury Rebatch (that’s how much our double boiler holds)
2 Tablespoons Distilled Water
9 ml of Heather and Hyacinth
ONE: Put 12 ounces of the Luxury Rebatch in the double boiler on medium heat. Luxury Rebatch is made with Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Mango Butter and Apricot Kernel oil for a skin loving and super luxurious bar of soap!
TWO: Add 2 Tablespoons of distilled water and 9 ml of Heather and Hyacinth fragrance oil to the rebatch base and stir the soap over medium heat.
THREE: Keep stirring as the soap melts (still on medium heat). You’ll start to notice the soap looking very similar to mashed potatoes. If that’s the case you’re right on track! If it seems a little dryer than mashed potatoes, try adding a little more water to the base and stir.
Note: Rebatch can be used as soon as it hardens. But remember, the more liquid you add to your rebatch, the longer it will take to dry.
FOUR: After the fragrance and water is fully incorporated into the soap, and you have your “mashed potato” consistency, glop the soap into the mold and cover it with plastic wrap to smooth out the back of the soap.
FIVE (optional): Add a colorant! The blue soap (pictured below) has 8 drops of Liquid Blue colorant in 8 ounces of Luxury Rebatch Base. Mix it in well and remember that what you see is what you get with the colorant (WYSIWYG).
Color Tip: Experiment with different colorant usage rates to vary your blue hue. Add more colorant for a darker blue and less colorant for a lighter grey/blue. Mix the colorant and soap together well in the double boiler over medium heat.
The rustic texture (rustic = not totally smooth) is a normal look of rebatch soap. If you add more liquid, the soap will be more smooth but will also take longer to harden. It’s a trade-off. Once you get the basics down, check out more rebatch tutorials like Green Tea Rebatch, Lilac Salt Rebatch, Annatto Infused Rebatch, Lavender Rebatch and Plastic Baggie Method Rebatch.
Hi,
I was wondering if you re-batch uncured CP, will you need to let it cure the normal 4-6 once done? I’m going to end up doing it in a crock pot. 6 Pounds that didn’t gel completely because I forgot to insulate.
When you rebatch the CP in a crock pot, the heat should facilitate the rest of the curing that the CP would have needed. The final rebatch soap, however, may need a bit of time in order to harden, depending on how much liquid was added during the rebatching process.
-Kristen with Bramble Berry
Can you recommend a way to make a salt soap using rebatch?
Good morning, Courtney!
If you are looking for a rebatch soap recipe that includes salt, I’d definitely check out the link for the Lilac Rebatch Salt Bar below. It’s a super scrubby bar and can be customized to whatever colors and scents you are wanting to make. I hope this helps! Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you. =)
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/mothers-day-is-sunday-last-minute-project/
Can I use an already made-fragranced-cured cp soap for rebatch?
You definitely can use an already fragrance and cured soap for rebatch, it’s totally up to you. And, you can always add another fragrance during rebatching if you want a different blend. Here are a few more links of rebatching that I think could definitely help you out.
Green Tea Rebatch: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/green-tea-rebatch-teabatch/
Rebatch – Double Boiler Method: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/rebatch-double-boiler-method-2/
How to Make Rebatch Soap: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/soap-queen-tv-presents-how-to-make-rebatch-soap-2/
Rebatch soap – Plastic Baggie Technique: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/rebatch-soap-plastic-baggie-technique-2/
I hope this helps! 🙂
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thank you very much! Will try to do it this weekend with some cured soaps that I already have.
Thanks! 🙂
Sounds great! Keep us updated on your progress. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
just a question from a novice soaper….
I made a batch of CP soap that turned out quite hideous, so I’m considering a rebatch. Now, my questions is regarding cure times.
My current CP batch is already into week 2 of it’s currently cure time. Do I need to wait the full 4-6 weeks before grating it down to rebatch or is it ok to move forward now?
Secondly, is there a standard formula for how much liquid to add? (i.e. 1 cup water for every 2 cups of grated base, etc?)
Thank you so much.
Hi Jennifer!
That’s a great question, you can always rebatch cold process soap that didn’t quite turn out how you were expecting. All you need to do is grate down your soap and add in your liquid, you don’t need to wait until your soap is done curing. We typically suggest around 1 ounce of liquid (oil or water) per pound of soap. Here is a great Soap Queen TV episode where Anne-Marie explains how to rebatch your soap:
How to Make Rebatch Soap: http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/soap-queen-tv-presents-how-to-make-rebatch-soap-2/
-Becky with Bramble Berry
P.S. Just remember that the more liquid you add in the longer it will take to dry. 🙂
Hi –
Well, it went into the 3D mold ok. I just glopped and packed both side. Let it sit all day. Came out in pieces. NOT A GOOD IDEA!!! The one we did in a regular mold was fine. I think the air can’t get to it to dry it enough. Well, experience is good!! I just pulled it out and smooshed it into a bar!
I’m so sorry that the 3D mold didn’t work out for you Dawnia, but I am glad that you were able to save it and smoosh it into a bar! You are right, experience is good and sometimes it takes experimenting to figure out what works and what doesn’t. =)
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Hi –
Just curious – do you think you could use a 3D mold with this? If I glop it in the mold before putting the sides together?
Probably going to try – will let ya know!
We’ve never tried it but my gut instinct is no. Typically, rebatch is gloppy and thick and may not pour into the 3D soap mold easily. To make it work you would probably have to add a lot of extra moisture to thin it out, which would require a longer drying time.
Let us know how it goes if you experiment with it!
Courtney from Bramble Berry
I just got my kit two days ago and made the first batch with the basic base! I went against recipe and used some Lavender EO and kind of made it more my own but I must say SUPER easy and I am officially in love!! It was so easy shipped so fast and well packaged!! Thank you for the videos they are lifesavers for newbies like me!!!
We are so happy to hear it was so easy and fun for you! Thank you for your order Alisha and we can’t wait to hear more from you! Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
I CAN’T STOP WATCHING! I was doing a quick search for ideas to do after school workshops on (for middle schoolers who tend to be too cool for everything) and next thing you know, it’s been hours, I’ve watched ALL the tutorials, and am going to have to make a huge order and make soap all summer. Such great, informative, entertaining videos, and a wonderful company! Thanks so much!
Aw, thanks Marlie! That is a huge compliment. I hope your cool middle schoolers find soap or lip balm (or whatever you make!) interesting and fun. =)
To get a smoother look, add water, correct?
It was mention that it will take longer to dry,
how much longer? 4 to 6 wks?
How is this compared to “French” or “Triple” milled soaps sold in stores?
Thanks!
Rebatch soap is always going to have that rustic look to it because of the method. You can always add more liquid to get a smoother soap, but the more liquid you add, the longer it will take for your soap to dry.
Since your rebatch soap has already cured (before you rebatched it), you don’t actually need to wait the 4-6 weeks cure time like you do with cold process. Depending on the recipe and how much moisture you add, it could take 1-2 weeks, but generally speaking it drys pretty fast! 🙂
Rebatch soap is actually just another name for Triple and French Milled Soaps. Here is an excellent video on rebatch:http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/cold-process-soap/soap-queen-tv-presents-how-to-make-rebatch-soap-2/
Happy Soaping!
-Becky with Bramble Berry
Thanks so much Becky!
I´m curious: why do you add the fragrance at the beginning of the process? Won´t it fade then?
That’s a great question Annette. You can definitely add it at the end – and for really delicate essential oils, I would save it to the end – but it helps add to the liquid content that makes the soap nice and soft so that’s why I add it earlier on (in most instances).
Awesome, Anne-Marie!!!