"Alien brains" commonly happen to cold process soapmakers if their soap gets too hot during the gel phase stage of the soap making process. This is an aesthetic problem only; it will not affect the quality or your soap. Simply shave off the bumps and ridges and use the soap like normal.

Next time you make the same recipe, simply take your temperatures down 5 or 10 degrees - or don't insulate as well - and your soap should have a nice smooth surface again.

If you have any questions about base, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to help.