Teach Soap

I made my first and second batch of cold process soaps this weekend. Boy was that fun! My question is, what do you cover your soaps with while in the molds as to not mess up the textured tops? They suggest plastic wrap, but when I placed the plastic wrap on my soap, it messed up my textured top that I was so excited to be able to make. Then, when the soap went through gel phase, it really messed it up. I will probably have to cut that part off since it is no longer pretty. It looks like it does when one covers icing on cake with plastic wrap and the icing gets stuck on it.

Should I let my soap get harder before I cover with plastic wrap so the soap won't stick to it?

Do any of you cover your soap with a box placed upside down (so it won't touch the tops of the soap) then cover the box with a towel?

And, my final question, do you prefer to not let your soap go through gel phase even if it will take a little longer to harden in the mold just to avoid covering it and messing up the textured tops?

I have been doing research on this to find an answer, and there has to be a way of doing this because there are so many pretty soaps out there with beautiful textured tops.

I CPOP (cold process oven process) most of mine to force it through gel. It keeps the textured tops.
I have also put mine in a big box and covered the box with a quilt and that works okay as long as your house isn't really cold.

I don't cover my soaps with saran wrap to prevent ash, I spray it with alcohol after pouring in the mold, and that usually helps prevent ash.

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Genny

Thanks Genny!

I have heard of the box method, and I am going to try that. I saw where you take a box, not a big one, and turn it upside down so the soap sits under it, then cover it with towels. My house is pretty warm, so that may work. I will spray with the 91% alcohol too. My favorite part of cold process is doing the textured tops along with wanting to learn how to swirl.

I have tried everything to prevent ash, with absolutely no success. Saran wrap (soap ashes when saran wrap is removed to cut, 99% alcohol spray...

Are some recipes more likely to ash than others?

I have only used the "Lots of Lather" recipe and the "Lots of Lather With a Twist" recipe from Bramble Berry. I did not see any soda ash on either one of mine.

I use a box, cover it with towels, and let the soap gel that way. It works well and is very uninvolved!

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Genny

I am definitely going to try the box method tonight when I make another batch. Thanks Mgrimm!

Genny, does the weather or the temperature in your house have anything to do with the soda ash?

And if you have any problems gelling all the way to the edges with the box method, you can always try a heating pad under your mold to help it along a little.

I haven't found a connection between my soaps getting ash & the temperature of my house.

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Genny

I find that ash depends on the recipe and fragrance. Some scents seem to always cause ash.

Also, it helps with gel to use as close fitting a box you can for the mold. That helps keep heat in. I like to tent fold the small priority mail box over my mold. I have to make sure it isn't going to slip, but I always have a few on hand for mailing anyway (plus my square boxes mysteriously keep getting filled with bars is soap!).

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! You all are very helpful for a CP newbie like me.

I used the box to cover my soap and placed 2 towels and a blanket on it. I also sprayed with the 91% alcohol as per instructions. The soap came out beautiful, and my textured top was exactly the way I made it! I will try this method again, and I think I might experiment with not gelling and putting my soap loaf in the freezer to see how that comes out.

Does anyone know how long I am to leave it in the freezer? Overnight, 24 hrs., etc.?

I took a 6" PVC connector (its a short pipe, maybe 8" long) and cut it in 1/2 lengthwise, then in 1/2 again to make 4 1/2 circles of PVC. I set them on the mold so the span the top then cover it with a towel. In my head this was the easiest option... then someone mentioned a box with one cut open. Yeah. My head complicates things! LOL But honestly, those PVC spanners work wonderfully!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Great idea with the PVC! We have some here in our garage.