# Transparent soap - UPDATE with photos!



## mommycarlson (Apr 8, 2018)

I've become intrigued by the prospect.  I've read what I can find on the forum about it.  I have a recipe from "The Everything Soapmaking Book" (3rd edition) by Alicia Grosso.  I have not tried it yet, and wondered if anyone has any input or advice about it?  I would appreciate any and all feedback.  I have denatured alcohol that I purchased before I knew I had this recipe, which calls for 190 proof vodka.  Are the two interchangeable?  This particular recipe does not call for glycerin as some of the recipes I've seen do.  If anyone has a recipe they would like to share I would love that    Here is the recipe from the book.  I have not put it into soapcalc yet but I will before I make it.  

6.5 oz coconut oil
6.5 oz palm oil (can I use lard instead? I do not have palm)
6.5 oz castor oil
6.25 oz distilled water
3 oz lye
10 oz vodka
2 oz water
5 oz sugar


Thank you in advance for your help!


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## lsg (Apr 9, 2018)

Soaping101 has a recipe here:  http://www.soaping101.com/soap-recipes.html

and a YouTube tutorial here:


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## mommycarlson (Apr 9, 2018)

lsg  thank you thank you!  I really appreciate it    I'm so excited, I even have all the ingredients!

I made the recipe from Soaping 101 today, I colored it with Love Poem from Nurture, it's iridescent and shows up really nicely but not in the photos.  Next time I will not use color so I can see how clear it really is.  I am thrilled with how this came out!  It's time consuming but really beautiful.  The embeds are CP that I made a few weeks ago, scented with Flower Child from RE, the transparent soap is scented with Hippie Chick, also from RE.  I had hoped the embeds would all stay at the bottom but they just floated around like they were the boss!


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## DeeAnna (Apr 10, 2018)

Nicely done, neighbor!


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## mommycarlson (Apr 10, 2018)

Thanks DeeAnna!


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## SaltedFig (Apr 10, 2018)

Pretty!


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## lsg (Apr 10, 2018)

Congratulations!


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## earlene (Apr 10, 2018)

Lovely!


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## Richard Perrine (Aug 3, 2018)

I love it!!! My second 'official' attempt at making soap as a newbie was transparent soap two days ago . Grapefruit and the color is entirely from the essential oil. Great scent and color. I used the alcohol/lye recipe in Catherine Failor's 'Art of Making Transparent Soap' book. Instant success and so easy. This is so much fun!




Oh, forgive me. I failed to mention that I am trying my best to be socially, environmentally conscious about what I put in my soaps. I have friends and family very interested in such causes as I am, so I try not to use palm oil and any animal products. I used a modified version of a recipe found in Catherine Failor's book that does not use any animal oils or palm. Instead of palm oil, vegetable stearic acid is substituted.


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## earlene (Aug 3, 2018)

Richard, I am impressed!  My one attempt at transparent soap when I was new was so much work and not nearly as successful as yours, that I have never bothered with it again.  Great success!


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## lsg (Aug 3, 2018)

Congratulations on a very nice-looking soap.


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## TheDragonGirl (Aug 4, 2018)

Oh those came out really pretty, I love the stained glass effect.


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## Richard Perrine (Aug 4, 2018)

earlene said:


> Richard, I am impressed!  My one attempt at transparent soap when I was new was so much work and not nearly as successful as yours, that I have never bothered with it again.  Great success!


 Thank you! I really enjoyed making the transparent soap. I wasn't sure they were going to come out so well, but yippee! I am currently really excited about my new hobby. I have no intention of doing this for anything else other than the creative and scientific curiosity associated with it...and the fun factor! My family and friends are the only recipients of my creations.


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## Dr.J (Aug 4, 2018)

Richard Perrine said:


> Instead of palm oil, vegetable stearic acid is substituted.



The veg stearic acid was most likely derived from palm.  Do you know the true source?


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## miheypete (Aug 4, 2018)

Richard, congratulations. They look beautiful. It's so fun to follow a recipe closely and see how it all comes together, resulting in such a beautiful, practical bar of soap!  I wish you many years of soaping success! 

Mary


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## Richard Perrine (Aug 4, 2018)

Dr.J said:


> The veg stearic acid was most likely derived from palm.  Do you know the true source?


Dr. J. It appears that is of palm origin. The company that produces it has the product registered with REACH, an EU organization that regulates and certifies(?) products imported and produced in the EU. The organization is in the business of recognizing products that are mindful of the human and environmental impact they play. So, hopefully, its origins are ethical.


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## Richard Perrine (Aug 4, 2018)

miheypete said:


> Richard, congratulations. They look beautiful. It's so fun to follow a recipe closely and see how it all comes together, resulting in such a beautiful, practical bar of soap!  I wish you many years of soaping success!
> 
> Mary



Thank you, Mary. My brother loved it! I don't believe I'm going to venture too far from the recipe. As a beginner, such successes build confidence and my brain is now spinning with possibilities. Not going to fix what isn't broken.


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## cmzaha (Aug 4, 2018)

Richard Perrine said:


> I love it!!! My second 'official' attempt at making soap as a newbie was transparent soap two days ago . Grapefruit and the color is entirely from the essential oil. Great scent and color. I used the alcohol/lye recipe in Catherine Failor's 'Art of Making Transparent Soap' book. Instant success and so easy. This is so much fun!
> 
> View attachment 31441
> 
> ...


Those look very nice.


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## dibbles (Aug 4, 2018)

Congratulations on your beautiful soap! You've picked up a fun and addictive hobby.


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## Moose Wrangler (Aug 4, 2018)

Your soap looks absolutely fantastic, well done!!


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## madison (Oct 1, 2018)

Great job Richard! 
Do you mix by hand or with sb?


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## Richard Perrine (Oct 1, 2018)

Hi Madison. I mix using a stick blender initially only to trace. After the mixture has gone through the stages expected in HP, I then add the solvents (glycerine, sugar) by hand and only mix by hand from then on. Don't want to aerate the mixture. The reality is that after adding the solvents and mixing thoroughly, by hand, I rarely go back to stir again. Only to reincorporate some of the hardened soap film you get on the surface, but that's it. Take a look here:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/transparent-soap-adventures.71136/


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## madison (Oct 2, 2018)

Richard Perrine said:


> Hi Madison. I mix using a stick blender initially only to trace. After the mixture has gone through the stages expected in HP, I then add the solvents (glycerine, sugar) by hand and only mix by hand from then on. Don't want to aerate the mixture. The reality is that after adding the solvents and mixing thoroughly, by hand, I rarely go back to stir again. Only to reincorporate some of the hardened soap film you get on the surface, but that's it. Take a look here:
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/transparent-soap-adventures.71136/



Thank you, that's helpful.


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## SoapCake (Oct 2, 2018)

Great job, love the look of the embeds in there! I wonder if the transparent soap performs similar to CP/HP? I can't wait to try my hand at this once I get some Everclear. I'll make sure to post photos.


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## Angelique (Oct 13, 2018)

So it is CP that you make transparent!?! 
I'm going to read into that...I love your soaps


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## Richard Perrine (Oct 13, 2018)

Angelique said:


> So it is CP that you make transparent!?!
> I'm going to read into that...I love your soaps



Hi Angelique. No. HP. Then you add the solvents. Thank you.


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## DeeAnna (Oct 21, 2018)

You can make transparent soap from soap made with either process -- HP or CP. It's true that many people in the modern age use an HP process because it's more convenient to add solvent while the soap is warm and fluid. But you can use the method more often used by perfumers who made transparent soap in the late 1800s and early 1900s -- grate up CP soap, warm until it's reasonably fluid, and add solvents. That's roughly how the original Pears soap was made.


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