Teach Soap

I have always wanted to try the swirling effect on CP soap but after 3 attempts I officially got frustrated...
This is what I did:
Blend mixture to really light trace,
add EO & FO, blend some more,
pour some out and set it aside, let's call it pot B & C.
Go back to pot A, the original, add color, blend some more.
Pour pot A into a pan mold.
Go back to pot B & C trying to add color and realized they were thickening up fast! Way thicker than pot A I already poured, why?!
By the time I added color to pot B & C and tried to break up the thick mixture, it's already too thick to pour smoothly.
Poured in the pan mold the best I can anyway.
Took a skinny stick and tried to draw some random curves.
... pot B & C mixtures now too thick to swirl!!!
Pot A mixture is right trace, pot B & C thick like dry sticky glue.

Ok, I really need you swirl experts' opinion. What did I do wrong?! Is it my formula? What should I do to prevent pot B & C for thickening up while I mix color into pot A?

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Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

Work fast.

If I want to try multiple colors, I separate at a REALLY light trace.

I'm not a swirl expert, but I do enjoy the technique. However, mixing 3 separate colors for swirling could potentially frustrate many a soaper. If you work with just one color and swirl that color into your plain soap in your mold as you described, you will have time to play with the swirl patterns. Some fragrances can really speed up trace, some colors are harder than others to blend, and soaping temperatures can affect how quickly things move. These become trial and error; but if you have a few two-tone swirls you're happy with, you can focus on the other variables. Have fun with it.

I'm thinking if I pour pot B & C out and put them in cold water container to keep temp. down, would that slow down the tracing?

_________________
Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

What temp did you soap at? You could try adding B&C to cold water, but there might be a possibility that if the mixture got too cold, you could end up with soap that zaps or solidifies stearic acid from one of your oils. Does your fragrance accelerate trace?

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

I just thought I'd share with you that you are definitely not alone..lol. I have been trying to soap using color on my last 4 batches. I think I am going crazy. They have all turned out terrible looking Colors going weird too (and not a good weird). My recent one I cooked up today sounds alot like what you are experiencing. I am hoping this one turned out !!!!!!!!!!!!! I think that my problem is that I am waiting too long....I should be adding color faster than I am. I am always worried that my trace isn't thick enough and then its too late, big globs of goo. Tomorrow I am going to be FAST AS LIGHTNING ..lol.
Best of Luck,
Lori.

_________________
Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

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

try starting with a single color swirl, and get comfortable with that. a three-color swirl is a lot to start with!

what FO were you using? you might try starting with an unscented batch to swirl with, too.

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http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

I guess I'm just being too ambitious...
The FO I used is raspberry vanilla? BB gave me a sample, smells yummy but I can't find it online anymore...

_________________
Shieh Design Studio
https://www.facebook.com/ShiehDesignStudio
http://soapandrestless.blogspot.com

that might be a really tough one to swerl with beacuse of the vanilla making it turn brown.

I too have had problems swirling. I have recently made three batches of soap, using the swirling effect. My problem was similar. The mixture I took out of the batch to mix the color in, thickened up real fast, while my main pot of soap was barely at a trace. I went ahead and poured the batch into the wooden mold, and poured the thickend color in. I attempted to swirl this thickened mess. I guess for the first batch it wasn't too bad. Then I made the second batch a few days later, different scent, and different color. Again the colored mixture, thickened up real fast. It was supposed to be lavender color, and turned out brownish. So, my last attempt was a couple of days ago. Again, different color, and different fragrance. It thickened up real fast too. This time I added some warm water to the color, and hand stirred it up to the right consistency, I poured into the mold where I had already poured the soap mixture. I had my granddaughter ready to start swirling, when I took it out of the mold the next day. It looked really nice. So, for me, it worked to add warm water to the colored mixture. My question is, why can't you just add water to the color to start with? Why do you have to have some of the soap mixed in with the color? Then you wouldn't have to worry about it getting too thick too fast.

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

I recently started "Swirling". My 1st batch didn't come out so good because I didn't pour my swirling color from at least 8", or more, above the soap mold & then I used a wooden skewer stick to swirl with. The soap came out great, but the swirl color was only on the top 1", or so, of the soap. Also, I think I traced my soap TOO MUCH, and it was thick enough so that the swirling color didn't sink well. And using a thin stick to swirl with was absolutely WRONG! I think if I had used a spatula and folded the swirl color in more, it would have come out better. Then I tried it again (one set of instructions I read, especially if you're trying to swirl multiple colors) is to start separating your batch just after emulsification (hardly no trace at all). So, that's what I did. I separated a small batch of soap for my swirl, colored and scented my larger batch (lighter color), the mixed my swirl color with stick blender (used Pop Mica Oxides), poured the larger batch into the soap mold, held the swirling color at least 8" above the mold and began to pour one way & then the other. Took my small spatula and began to swirl. It came out great, but next time I will not play with it so much, as I think I over swirled it a bit, but at least the swirl was all the way through the soap and the colors looked great. Hope this was in some way helpful!!??

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Islandgirl