# best recipe for swirling



## jbedaded (Sep 1, 2017)

Can someone suggest a good recipe to be used for making a swirled soap?  Some of the soaps I've made go to trace very quickly, and I need time to play with the colors!  Brambleberry does sell a mix for this but I prefer to mix my own oils.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks in advance!


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## Obsidian (Sep 1, 2017)

50% lard
25% OO
20% coconut oil
5% castor

soap around 95degree or just warm enough for the oils to be clear. Lard really slows trace and makes a great soap.


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## jbedaded (Sep 1, 2017)

Obsidian said:


> 50% lard
> 25% OO
> 20% coconut oil
> 5% castor
> ...



Thank you!  but i should have mentioned that I make only vegetarian soaps.  What can I use instead of the lard?


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## toxikon (Sep 1, 2017)

Castille soaps (100% olive oil) take aaages to come to trace. They also take a long time to cure.

If you're not using lard, sub in Palm at a lower percentage.


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## Obsidian (Sep 1, 2017)

palm traces like crazy though, that's one reason I stopped using it. Can't help with veggie recipes, sorry.


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## Zany_in_CO (Sep 1, 2017)

jbedaded said:


> ... i should have mentioned that I make only vegetarian soaps.  What can I use instead of the lard?


Shea Butter? Hydrogenated Soy Oil? Good Value Shortening from Walmart? It has been receiving good reviews here lately.


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## Soapprentice (Sep 1, 2017)

100% coconut oil with 20% super fat. This takes its time to trace.. i use this for most of my challenge soaps.


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## Nao (Sep 2, 2017)

I lean toward that your technique is more important than the recipe when swirling: just mix until emulsion not trace, soap at appropriate temperatures,  lard and butters seems to stay fluid longest at higher temperatures, prepare fragrances and colours before mixing the soap batter, those kinds of things. 

I mean I made my first hanger swirl the other week with a 50% palm recipe and it took upwards of 45 minutes before it become too thick to use.


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## Obsidian (Sep 2, 2017)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Shea Butter? Hydrogenated Soy Oil? Good Value Shortening from Walmart? It has been receiving good reviews here lately.



Good value shortening has tallow in it, that's why its so good.


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## psfred (Sep 2, 2017)

There are two Great Value shortenings, one has tallow (and a picture of fried chicken on the label) and the other is vegetable oils, probably cottonseed oil and soy (and a picture of a pie on the label).  Both are reputed to work well in soap.  Just make sure you get the one you want.  The vegetable one is the same as "old Crisco" in the lye calculators.


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## jbedaded (Sep 2, 2017)

Thank you to everyone who replied!


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## ibct1969 (Sep 2, 2017)

I tend to agree with Nao.  I found that soaping cooler and using a trusted FO (or no fragrance at all!) has helped me with creating swirls more so than the ingredients ( I have soaped with both palm and lard and both have hardened up on me when I soaped too hot or used a bratty FO ).


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## penelopejane (Sep 2, 2017)

Shea and coconut oil speed trace for me. 
And some FOs.
I use high OO soaps without palm or lard and soap cool to slow trace.


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