Gritty Soap

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Devon
I noticed some gritty bits in the lather of my Figaro Monsieur Gold (TFS) when using it last week and additionally again when test lathering it today. The soap is more of a croap and the lather still performs exceptionally but the occasional bit of soap grit is a bit annoying. Here's a picture of the croap itself:

IMG_20190804_200000_compress40.jpg
You'll see it looks a little 'beady'. Is this normal with this type of croap? Is the grittiness par for the course with this stuff?
 
I found the very same with Cella a couple of years ago....looked "curdled".
Assumed that it was older stock and ingredients "separating" or "oxidising".
Didn't notice any issues with the smell but I thought it seemed a little sharper than I would expect, and the lather was not long-lasting!
Ultimately, I didn't care for it and binned it to my brother who would shave with washing-up liquid if he could save a quid.
 
I am not a soapmaker, but I found this in an Internet search:

Reason: This is primarily a problem with fragrance oils. Some don't do well when combined with raw soap and will bind with bits of hard fats in the recipe causing those solid lumps.
Solution: Carefully read reviews before purchasing and using a fragrance oil. Try using your immersion blender to smooth the lumps out. This will result in a very thick trace, but it might help save the batch. If you can't blend the majority of them out, then I suggest rebatching the soap.
If an essential oil causes ricing check the brand that you're using since it's likely cut with synthetics. Inexpensive essential oils from Amazon and Ebay, or local stores...are almost always mixed with synthetic fragrance to save cost. Pure essential oil should not cause ricing in soap.
 
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