Teach Soap

Hello everyone
I've only been making CP soap since January 2009. I've tried coloring a little bit. The batches I have colored wasn't really what I was going for in the beginning but ended up turning out ok. Is there a really good coloring tutorial somewhere? I'm mostly confused on when color. For example, if I want to layer something (brown on bottom, pink on top) how do I do this? The other day I was trying to color the majority orange and swirl some green into it. I mixed the lye solution in with the oils and then scooped out like a 1/2 cup of oil to mix with the green. I continued mixing main mixture and colored it orange. I poured it into the mold at a medium/full trace. I then mixed the green into the set aside amount. When I poured it on top of the mold, it just pooled on top. I couldn't really mix it in. I guess my main question after all of that would be...at what point during mixing, do you add color? So sorry for the book.

Thanks a bunch

You need to get the raw soap to at least a light trace, so the oils and lye stay mixed. Sounds like you didn't mix long enough. Depending how much soap your mold holds, you could make 2 separate batches. Make the first one, pour into your mold. Start on the second one. By the time you are done with the second one, the first batch in the mold should be stable enough to pour the second layer on top. Then let both of them gel, so they adhere.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

When you say 2 separate batches, what exactly do you mean? Make the whole recipe twice or make half of the recipe seperately? I'm not sure if that makes any sense or not. Am I only mixing to a light trace so it doesn't set up to much in the mold for the first layer? I hope I'm not completely confusing you, I REALLY appreciate all the help I'm getting.
Thanks soapbuddy

Make 2 completely separate batches. That way you can be sure you reach trace in each one. Once you get the hang of what a full trace is, then you can separate one batch into two.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

You're welcome.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.