Teach Soap

Could someone explain what false trace is? I will be making my first batch of soap soon. I have read about getting a false trace but haven't seen an explanation of what it is. Thank You.

False trace is where you think the reaction between the oils & lye has started and the mixture appears to be thickening, but the reaction hasn't really started. After you pour, the oils and lye water separate. Most common cause is working at too low of temperatures because the oils that are solid at room temperature are cool enough to thicken the mixture. So you think the reaction has started when it hasn't. That's why it's recommended that you mix your oils & lye water at between 110-130 degrees F, with the temperatures of both within 10 degrees, to avoid this situation.

How can you tell that is false trace? Does it leave the trail when stirred? That is how trace has been described to me.

One way you can tell is when you stop stick blending and then use a stainless spoon or a spatula and stir by hand. If the raw soap stays together after hand stirring, you should be fine. If it starts to separate, you need to stick blend some more.

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

Thank You! That was my biggest concern. Can't wait to get started.

Have fun, Finney. It's a blast to make something so awesome to use.

If you are super nervous, you may want to see if you can find a soaper in your area and do your first batch with them.

But it's not as scary as it sounds - my first batch came out great, and I didn't even have a scale then - I was using the volumn measurements.

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