Teach Soap

I am still relatively new to CP soap, I have had good luck in the past adding fragrance at light trace, even with an accelerated trace from some FO with cloves in it. I read in a book to add the FO to your oils prior to adding the lye toensure a consistant mix. but I tried it tonight with some lilac FO, and my soap practically seized in the pan! I had to glop it in the mold!

should I just throw it away or see what it looks like tomarrow? of course I will try it again, adding the fragrance to the mix at light trace. maybe it will make a difference.

I always add my scent to the cooled off oils. If I know that a particular fragrance accelerates trace, I add a small amount of lecithin to the oils as well. If the soap does seize in the pot, let it. It should go into gel on it's own and will soften enough that you should be able to glop it into your mold. Bang the mold well after adding the soap to get rid of air bubbles or air pockets.

As far as this batch, wait til tomorrow and see what it looks like then. Worse case scenario you can always rebatch.

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

thanks! its a learning curve. I will try again adding the FO to the soap at trace

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

I too add all fragrance oils and essential oils at trace. I'm wondering how others do it as well!

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

So here is my thought.. if I know an EO\FO causes a soap to trace and gel very quickly would I not want to add this just before I am ready to pour? And would I not want to gel this since I do not like the look of a partial gel? Of course this would mean that I have already run a test batch so that I know what happens with this fragance. Has anyone found a colorant that causes a speed up of trace or a partial gel?

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

If you know a fragrance that accelerates and you add it at trace, there is a chance that not all of the FO will get incorporated and you could end up with fragrance pockets. Those pockets could irritate the skin, since they are straight FO. I have had no colorants that would speed up trace or cause a partial gel.

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

I've never had luck mixing fragrance at trace. I either get pockets, like soapbuddy mentioned, or else it seeps out around the sides and bottom. For me, it usually works best to add it to the essential oils just before I add the lye. If I know a scent is going to accelerate trace, then I add it AFTER adding the lye, but just before the soap reaches trace... I've never seen anyone reccommend doing it this way, but it seems to work for me. I don't use fragrance oils, but for EO's I just assume anything citrusy or spicey will accelerate trace. Lemongrass can be troublesome too... but that seems to vary with the recipe.

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I have tried both ways and adding at thin trace has always worked better for me. It mixes well for me and does not seep out of my mold. If I am working with one that I know is finicky I will save out a small amount of oils and mix the fo/eo with it before adding at trace. I think we all find which ever works for us so expierment and see what works best for you. There is no one perfect way for any of it really. Good luck.

Thank you for all the advice. I will keep on with my 'experaments'

I have also had a lot of problems with seize. Here are a couple things I am going to try. Combine lye and oils at only 100 degrees. Add fragrance at thin trace. Don't touch the damn thing with a stick blender after the fragrance has been added but stir and stir whith a whisk.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Soapbuddy where do you get liquid lecithin, I've only seen it in the granule form in the supermarket I think that's a great idea using it to slow things down, thanks for the tip

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