Teach Soap

I just ran across a chocolate milk soap I found in a book by Catherine Bardey. I would really like to try it out but I have seen several posts about using milk and the soap getting overly hot. What I would like to know is this, should I just make this up, put it into the mold then straight into the freezer with some plastic wrap over it, or go ahead and do the insulation thing I have been doing to get it to gel phase? I don't want to end up with a explosion of volcanoed soap in my soap closet.
Thanks so much in advance

Most milk soaps need no insulation. Milk has natural sugars, which can make the batch overheat.
Go ahead and stick it in the freezer, lightly wrapped.

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

Thanks so much Irena. I was just getting everything together so I was ready to go when I got a response from someone wish me luck. Off on another adventure in soaping.

OK another question.. was the lye solution supposed to turn YELLOW? I used half and half, figuring it would be a richer bar. DID i just blow this?

The sugars in the half 'n' half started carmelizing on you so it turned your lye solution yellow. Other than possibly not wanting the color, it's fine. Just make sure you mix your lye in really well since you can't see the lye solution turn clear. Good luck!

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

I would also strain your lye solution so that you don't end up with lumps in your final soap.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

Thanks guys I will do both, I thought perhaps the fats from the half and half turned to presoap I guess you would call it Since I am making chocolate soap I don't think the yellow will affect the color too much. I can add some cappachino colorant to it to darken it up if i need to. Off we go. Pics to follow

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

I got dark chocolate brown from the ounce of unsweetened cocoa powder I added to the batter as well. I LOVE the smell. My housemate saw the mix and said Oh yes I am making brownies tonight. I love when she goes bazerk baking. Her hubby and I have gained at least 10 lbs in the last year. I am getting even with all these yummy smelling soaps now. (Thankfully I have lost the 10 lbs as well LOL)

Is there any advantage to adding milk to soaps via rebatching vs. dissolving in lye - in terms of the final outcome? Or does the milk addition act pretty much the same no matter how you got it into the soap? I am referring to things like how much moisturizing it adds, and the quality of the lather.

I don't add much liquid (if any) to my rebatch soaps so for me there would be no benefit to using it in rebatch. I doubt the 1 tablespoon I would add would make much difference. By using it in place of all the water in my recipe I can really get some of the benefits in my soap.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

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

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!

I added the milk to the water then the lye to that. It was pretty interesting to see it change to a bright golden color, as well as the little lumps of milk fat that floated to the surface. When I poured everything in I used my stick blender really well to make sure everything incorporated well.