Teach Soap

Recently I have had two separate batches of soap split apart between layers. I don't generally do M&P soap (I'm a CP gal at heart ) however I've done it enough to know to use alcohol between layers so I know that's not the problem. I also did not put the soap in the freezer so I know that's not the reason either (I learned that one the hard way many years ago). The only possible explanations I've been able to come up with are a) because one of the bases (low sweat opaque) is 1.5 years old or b) because the opaque and clear bases are not the same (one is low sweat from BB and the other is SFIC Crystal Clear from a local retailer). I suppose the base [i]could[i] have overheated but if it did, I wouldn't think it would be by much. I try to be careful about that.

Are either of these plausible reasons? I promised to make soap for my daughter's school fundraising auction and I don't want this to happen again.

Thanks
Peggy

Did you spray 70% alcohol between the layers?

I used 91% alcohol between layers.

Possibly you waited too long between the layers, so the first layer was completely hardened? That would keep them from adhereing.

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Jen
"Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants." William Osler

My guess would be on the bases being from different manufacturers. I'd skip layering unless you use the same base & color it differently.

I did wait quite a while between layers (overnight) so it could be that. The next soap I am planning to make calls for an embed. Would that same principle apply here?

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

Thanks everyone. But out of curiosity, how are embedding other soaps different from layers? For example, I've made lots of soap where I chop up bits of previously made M&P and then embed those in more M&P. Why would that be different? I don't make the embeded pieces at the same time and yet those pieces don't fall apart.

That's today's technical ponderings from me...

That's because you are embedding the pieces. When you do layers, the two layers touch each other in a larger surface area.

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

OK thanks!