# help with making translucent soap



## Stonehengesoaper (Jan 25, 2015)

Hello Soapers, I have been making CP and HP soap for a couple of years now and absolutely love it, totally hooked and have waaay too much soap stored and curing in the airing cupboard!  I'm ready for the next challenge now and would like to attempt to make translucent soap. I've done some reading and I think I understand the process but I don't understand what alcohol to use?? I am in the UK and I believe I need to use 'denatured alcohol' (?), I have found this on a couple of websites but it appears you need a certificate from HMRC to purchase it.  Is there an alternative I can use or somewhere else it can be bought?  Any advice gratefully received :smile:


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## seven (Jan 25, 2015)

you can also use propylene glycol. that's what i use to make my meltable (melt and pour) base.


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## new12soap (Jan 25, 2015)

Be careful of denatured alcohol. Some are good for soap and some aren't, it depends on what kind of base alcohol it is and what it is denatured with. The stuff you would buy here in the US from the hardware store is NOT skin safe!

Here we would use very high proof vodka or grain alcohol, or alternatively you can get 70% ethyl alcohol at the pharmacy. You don't want isopropyl alcohol, it smells nasty and it never really goes away. I don't know if that helps in the UK at all, but gives you more options.


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## jnl (Jan 26, 2015)

i saw this video where a lady made home made translucent soap WITHOUT any alcohol.  they use glycerine instead to make the soap translucent.  its a melt-and-pour recipe.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOVPvbwfscI[/ame]

here is the blog post that goes with it:
http://oilandbutter.blogspot.ca/2014/02/how-to-make-your-own-melt-and-pour-soap.html


i have not tried it.


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## Stonehengesoaper (Jan 26, 2015)

Thank you for your quick replies - I think I will try the propylene glycol or glycerine method, the process using  high strength alcohol sounds risky and as new12soap has pointed out there seems to be a few different varieties of alcohol that can be used with varying results.

Wish me luck, luckily I love a challenge.............!


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## seven (Jan 26, 2015)

the glycerine method has some drawback: it sweats like crazy. might want to consider that as mp soaps is prone to sweating, esp in humid climate.

based on experience, i would suggest the combo of propylene glycol, sorbitol, and glycerine.


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## Dorymae (Jan 26, 2015)

I second using something else as well. Glycerin is a wonderful product - but it does weep sometimes badly. It is in its nature - draw water to itself. I would definitely use some kind of alcohol. ( I use grain but I think you can use others)

If you do use only glycerin, come back in a few and let us know how it turns out.


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## jnl (Jan 26, 2015)

for the people who have done this using alcohol, wouldnt that make your soap really drying?  many people say dont use anything in your soap with alcohol or it will be drying.

is it more or less or the same as a typical M&P?


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## jnl (Jan 26, 2015)

maybe a combination of glycerin and alcohol so its not as sweaty and not as drying...?


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## Dorymae (Jan 26, 2015)

Believe it or not, it doesn't make it drying. Soap naturally will produce glycerin, perhaps that is the reason. Also I believe most of the alcohol evaporates although I can't be sure. Wish Deanna was here.


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## Stonehengesoaper (Jan 28, 2015)

I like the idea of trying to make my own m&p,  I can't seem to get good fragrance strength (particularly when using essential oils) using the cp method.  I assume adding fragrance when re-melting the m&p would ensure  better strength?   Another issue is obviously how easy the ingredients are to get hold of, I have found propylene glycol and sorbitol available on the internet so I will search for a basic recipe and try seven's earlier suggestion.

Many thanks for all your input, i agree glycerin does add a lovely moisturising quality but even without adding extra some bars do seem to weep slightly in damp conditions.

It's all a learning curve but I think that's why I enjoy making soap so much - every batch is different, I learn from each one and always look forward to trying the next


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## DeeAnna (Jan 28, 2015)

The ethyl alcohol content in a transparent soap should be very low when fully cured, so there should be very little alcohol to dry the skin. 

The original Pears transparent soap was a regular type of soap that was flaked, mixed with alcohol, stirred until the soap dissolved, and then a large amount of the alcohol was evaporated off. They recovered most of this alcohol for use in the next batch. The soap was pressed into flattish bars and then the bars were allowed to cure in a warm room for some time before sale. The depression in the center of a bar of Pears soap was caused by the loss of alcohol and water during cure -- the bar wasn't originally pressed into a shape with that depression.


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## jnl (Jan 28, 2015)

I would think that adding fragrance at the end of hot process soap after saponification has completed would be equivalent (in smell retention) to making M&P and then melting the soap and adding the fragrance - except HP would be easier.  you wouldnt need to do the alcohol step or re-melt the soap again after.

Are there any pro's who have tested both and can confirm if one is better at holding scent than the other?




Stonehengesoaper said:


> I like the idea of trying to make my own m&p,  I can't seem to get good fragrance strength (particularly when using essential oils) using the cp method.  I assume adding fragrance when re-melting the m&p would ensure  better strength?    (truncated...)


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## snappyllama (Jan 28, 2015)

Some scents fade over time. Since you can use M&P right away and HP needs a cure, you'll have more guaranteed results for scent-by-usage-date. I'm not sure if one would fair better than the other if compared at a typical 6 week mark.


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## jnl (Jan 28, 2015)

If you are making a M&P from scratch, doesnt that still need to cure just as long as HP does?  Unless she makes her M&P well in advance and is just scenting when re-melting the M&P after it has cured.




snappyllama said:


> Some scents fade over time. Since you can use M&P right away and HP needs a cure, you'll have more guaranteed results for scent-by-usage-date. I'm not sure if one would fair better than the other if compared at a typical 6 week mark.


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## jnl (Jan 28, 2015)

I like the idea of making my own M&P so I can have some on hand to make some quick soaps if I want.  Is it the alcohol that turns the soap to a higher % glycerin that makes it able to melt to a liquid again?  Because rebatching a normal soap looks like the best case scenario you can get is "mashed potatoes", so no fancy designs.  I really don't care about transparency, but re-melting to a liquid would be awesome.

I live in Vancouver, which is pretty humid.  Better idea to just not deal with M&P?  Tho the major soap supplier here (https://www.voyageursoapandcandle.com/) sells a crapload of M&P, and in their shop their M&P bars look perfect.  Tho im not sure if they have totally transparent M&P, I only remember seeing opaque M&P (tho I wasnt actually looking for M&P, so it could have been right there beside the opaque stuff).


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## snappyllama (Jan 28, 2015)

Yes, that's what I would assume she would be doing with M&P. Making it in advance and then remelting & scenting.


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## RhondaJ (Jan 28, 2015)

I've been reading this thread and following along and all I have to say is....ENABLERS!!!! OMG, I just ordered a gallon of Propylene Glycol. I will be trying this over the weekend!


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## DeeAnna (Jan 28, 2015)

Transparent soap is not the same as melt and pour soap. If you melt a transparent soap, it will become more or less opaque again, depending on what solvents you used to make the soap transparent in the first place. If you melt a translucent form of M&P, it will remain translucent after it solidifies again. 

I'm getting the feeling people may be confusing the two, so I just wanted to clarify this point.


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## regansoap (Jan 18, 2016)

Bonnie from I think it's nature's garden has a brilliant you tube video showing how to make melt and pour using propylene glycol check her out.


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## TashaBird (Jan 18, 2021)

I’m tryin got learn more about translucent soap and found this thread. This is what I’m thinking about trying.


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## Arimara (Jan 22, 2021)

TashaBird said:


> I’m tryin got learn more about translucent soap and found this thread. This is what I’m thinking about trying.



This thread predates my membership. Why not make a new thread? When/if you try this, it can be more about you, your process, your concerns, and what you learned about making translucent soap.


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## Zany_in_CO (Jan 23, 2021)

TashaBird said:


> I’m tryin got learn more about translucent soap and found this thread. This is what I’m thinking about trying.


Hi TashaBird. This thread is about making translucent soap/M&P. The ingredients and the way they are added in that video is for making transparent soap. I speak from experience. One of the first soaps I made back in 2004 was a transparent and I made them for years.

My technique was different from the video: Make the soap CP. Cure 2 weeks. Grate up. Add the polyol mix of 90 Proof Ethanol (aka grain alcohol, Everclear) plus simple sugar syrup plus glycerin. Pour over the gratings and cook until a thin skin forms on top. Push skin aside to add fragrance & liquid colorant. Pour into pretty individual cavity molds. Put in freezer for one hour. Unmold.

Made lovely, skin friendly soap -- not drying at all. I found this pic in my files. It's the only one I could find.  Those are molds from Michael's. Not my best work, but you get the idea.









Arimara said:


> Why not make a new thread? When/if you try this, it can be more about you, your process, your concerns, and what you learned about making translucent soap.


Ditto.


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## TashaBird (Jan 23, 2021)

Zany_in_CO said:


> Hi TashaBird. This thread is about making translucent soap/M&P. The ingredients and the way they are added in that video is for making transparent soap. I speak from experience. One of the first soaps I made back in 2004 was a transparent and I made them for years.
> 
> My technique was different from the video: Make the soap CP. Cure 2 weeks. Grate up. Add the polyol mix of 90 Proof Ethanol (aka grain alcohol, Everclear) plus simple sugar syrup plus glycerin. Pour over the gratings and cook until a thin skin forms on top. Push skin aside to add fragrance & liquid colorant. Pour into pretty individual cavity molds. Put in freezer for one hour. Unmold.
> 
> ...


Thank you! That’s good to hear. LovinSoap had a sale for her E-classes %50 off, so I bought her class on making clear CP. It sounded so overwhelming and complicated, but your quick summary gave me some perspective! I’m excited to try it. I just have to get all the ingredients, and finish watching reading all the info!


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## Zany_in_CO (Jan 24, 2021)

TashaBird said:


> Thank you! That’s good to hear. LovinSoap had a sale for her E-classes %50 off, so I bought her class on making clear CP. It sounded so overwhelming and complicated, but your quick summary gave me some perspective! I’m excited to try it. I just have to get all the ingredients, and finish watching reading all the info!


You're so very welcome!
Amanda's classes are excellent plus the money she and her husband make go to support their mission work to teach soap making in 3rd world countries to raise the living standard for women and subsequently their children.

You shouldn't have any trouble finding ingredients except for the 190 proof Everclear (95% alcohol by volume). I have to *ask for it* at our local liquor store. Some states don't have 190 proof but do have 150 proof (75% alcohol by volume). I understand from online discussions that works too. I'm guessing Amanda will cover this in her class.

One other thing to be prepared for... once the polyol mix is added and the batch cooked the result is *watery thin*. You can't imagine that it will turn into hard bars but it does! 

Also, unless things have changed, I allowed 12 weeks/3 months for the bars to clear.

GOOD LUCK & HAVE FUN!

*ETA:



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