Teach Soap

Soaping with BB Lots of Lather Quick Mix (completely heated and mixed through) and no matter if I try 110-130 I trace too quick/rice/almost seize, cottage cheese ... this is with Lavender EO from BB, Lemongrass EO from BB, Sun and Sand from WSP, and today Rosehip Jasmine FO from BB.

I am not sure about the Rosehip/Jasmine from today but the others actually turned out despite but are not as pretty as an in the pot swirl should be just that and not a glopped in mess that luck would end up looking good enough for the family.

If room temp soaping is a remedy for many "issues" why not always room temp soap? Of course, after oils have been reheated and mixed thoroughly.

And if adding a FO to the oils before the lye water is added to the oils to prevent super acceleration, why not always start all soaps regardless of FO or EO that way?

If my average daytime temp is 85-90 and sadly, humid, till November in the garage (safest place to work with lye)


Reading books and the internet till dizzy and I can't find definitive answers other than its a preference.

Guidance would be so appreciated. I do not want to give up the Lots of Lather yet as I adore the idea of them while learning the motions etc., before I break out the bulk oils in our food storage. I hope its not the Quick mix

I CP soap at around 110 degrees (US). Faster trace could be the oils/butters you used. I add all my scents to the cooled off oils. Some fragrance oils do accelerate trace, rice, seize or turn into cement. Those are best as HP.

I don't do room temp soaping because you could get a false trace, unmelted oils or lye pockets.

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

So it might be best if maybe I add my fragrance to the oils before the lye and hand stir, maybe? I know my arms could probably use the workout anyways as it occurred to me that the stick blender is not being kind.

I will try to start earlier in the day to give the lye more time to cool off to a much lower temperature as you do. Thank you! I've got the single color/scent thing down with the exception to air bubbles but in my mind I have all of these designs, you know? I just want to paint - with soap! Loving every minute - ricing and all

(and no more floral scents unless I want to try HP)

Don't use a stick blender. Just mix with a whisk. When I started soaping, I was always stick blending a lot. I learned that you don't need to use the SB nearly as much as you might think. And if any fragrance or recipe is an unknown, I'll try whisking it first to see how it behaves. If something isn't reaching trace after a few minutes of whisking then try stick blending it for 3-4 seconds then mix manually and check. Rinse and repeat.

It gets easier with time and practice. Trust me. I know.

(you beat me to it - I was writing this as you posted. Just hand mix)

So I'm having issues and what do I do? Jump into soaping with goat milk!

Frozen fresh goat milk, mixed at 85-ish temp oils using BB's Lots of Lather ... by hand ... two batches in a very cold fridge. With all of the reading I am still hesitant to ever take them out of the fridge!

Tonight's project = shredding the 5# batch of soap I made on Saturday and attempt to re-batch a Rosehip/Jasmine swirl gone wrong before deciding to hide the stick blender from myself.

Don't hide your SB too well. You'll need it when you start to make lotions.