# Slowing down trace



## marie743 (Aug 30, 2014)

I am new to soap making and have made a lot of batches so far. I still cannot figure out how to slow down trace. I tried to do a column swirl and it didn't work out since the soap was hardening up too fast and wouldn't pour smoothly enough. Any ideas? I cool down my lye and oil mix to 100 before mixing. I use only floral or citrus eo/fragrances.


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## dalewaite48 (Aug 30, 2014)

Need to know more about what oils and scents you are using. Some scents like rose can speed up trace quickly . I try not to mix my oils and lys tell they're down to 80°. I have a found adding some of your fragrance oil to the oils before you add your lye to the oils helps.


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## froggybean37 (Aug 30, 2014)

Soaping cool and having a recipe with a lot of liquid oils can be pretty big factors in helping to slow down trace. Also be wary not to go too stick-blender crazy.
I've heard of some folks using lecithin to help slow down trace, however I've never done it. I find when I've added salt to my lye water for a harder bar, it can speed up my trace quite a bit. 
What does your recipe look like? Are you adding any extras that could maybe be effecting your trace?


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## mintle (Aug 30, 2014)

Whenever I do any fancy swirls,I use these methods: 
- Use oils which from my experience slow down trace,for example lard instead palm, virgin olive oil instead of pomace, I also add sunflower HO or almond oil and generally use either large (>35%) amount of olive oil or >20% of HO sunflower; I avoid cocoa butter or shea since I soap at low temps 
- Put my lye water into freezer to make it really cold
- This could be controversial but I also put my melted oils into the freezer for some time (I watch them carefully and take out if they start being cloudy) - I never had any issues with separation (yet ) 
- Use only selected EOs and FOs, avoid anything that could speed up trace (clove,flower FOs, untested fragrances from the latest delivery - ask me how do I know :???
- I rarely discount water;If I really trust my scent I would go down to 31% lye concentration but not higher 
- If I want to use various colours,I use my blender only to the point of emulsification - so that the oils and lye water do not separate anymore when I stop blending, but I am still faaar away from lightest trace - I separate my batch then and mix in colours
- When I want to be uber safe, or whenever I don't want to stick to _one_ of the above rules, I also avoid sugar (sorbitol/milk/beer) in my soap because it also speeds up trace for me


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## seven (Aug 30, 2014)

canola is a slow tracing oil. even at 5% it really helps me thinks.


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## Obsidian (Aug 30, 2014)

Lard is my favorite oil to use for a slow trace plus it makes great soap.


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## Jaccart789 (Aug 30, 2014)

Soap about 80 degrees both oil and lye, use a well known FO that gives you plenty of time. Cranberry Fig, Sensuous Sandalwood, Lemon Grass are good ones from BB. Also, this will take practice but soap when it is VERY light trace or just emulsified, so don't stick blend too long but your oils need to be mixed well with the lye but not thick... thin. You will figure this out, lots of batches of soaps and experimenting.


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## marie743 (Aug 30, 2014)

What is sunflower ho? What percentage of lard can I use in a recipe and what oils should I replace with lard?


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## Meganmischke (Aug 30, 2014)

I would say that it is probably those floral fos. Generally they really move fast.


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## Obsidian (Aug 30, 2014)

I use anywhere from 25% to 80% lard. I would replace your palm or other hard oils like shea butter or coco butter. If you post your recipe, we can help you figure out amounts.


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## marie743 (Aug 30, 2014)

Thank you for all this help. I'll get my next recipe together and post it for ideas of substituting fats.


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## marie743 (Aug 31, 2014)

*lard*

If I use 25 % to 60% lard, what other oils should I use? My intent is to slow down trace so that I can do column swirls.


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## TVivian (Aug 31, 2014)

Go very easy on the stick blender and stir mostly by hand with a wire whisk (don't actually whisk, just stir) this has helped me SO much.


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## marie743 (Aug 31, 2014)

Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?


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## Ellacho (Aug 31, 2014)

_*What is sunflower ho? 
*_
High Oleic Sunflower is very high in oleic (monounsaturated) acid and has a minimum 80% oleic acid. Many soapers use HO sunflower oil in soapmaking these days for its cost, moisturizing properties and vitamin E. Also, sunflower oil helps to slow down trace .


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## TVivian (Sep 1, 2014)

marie743 said:


> Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?




I have done soap successfully without a stick blender. I just stir with the whisk until I reach trace.. But success with that may have a lot to do with the fragrance oil. I find that I need very little stick blending just a few pulses here and there and the rest by hand. I haven't had a batch separate or not firm up yet. .. Even when pouring very thin.


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## summerflyy (Sep 1, 2014)

marie743 said:


> Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?




My first few batches of soaps were made without a stick blender. You don't exactly need a stick blebder but it makes life easier for you. 

Without a stick blender, depending on the recipe, I might need to hand whisk/stir for 45 minutes to longer than an hour for it to reach light trace.


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## marie743 (Sep 1, 2014)

Is almond or sunflower oil bought from grocery stores workable in soap? Also, I use a lye calculator for my recipes. Is there something else that I need to do since you mention "discounting water"? What is discounting water? Thanks for all the help


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## seven (Sep 1, 2014)

^^^

yes food grade oils will do. i use them all the time.


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## marie743 (Sep 3, 2014)

*Lard*

I have read that lard is good in soap, but does anyone know it's qualities? Is lard worth using as opposed to oils that condition the skin?


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## cmzaha (Sep 4, 2014)

Rice bran oil, Canola, Olive, lard all help slow down trace. Lard makes wonderful feeling soap that is non-comedogenic


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## marie743 (Sep 5, 2014)

oK soap friends, I slowed down the trace by using lard, olive oil, and rice bran oil and mixed the lye water with the oils at about 80 degrees. My soap is in the mold. It's been about 8 hours and I never felt the heat emitting from the gel phase and the soap still feels very soft. Is this normal from not using palm oil and mixing at a much lower temp?:?


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## marie743 (Sep 13, 2014)

*rebatching soap*

Here is my problem: I made a batch of soap that turned out very dry and almost brittle. I must have forgotten to add one of the oils for it to turn out this way. So I wanted to shave the bars and melt them down to rebatch. How would I know what to add to it to "oil it up" a bit so it drys as it should? I don't know what I might have forgotten to know how much oil it needs. What would you do?


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## shunt2011 (Sep 13, 2014)

Personally, if you don't know which oil you left out or how much it's would be very difficult to rebatch it.  I would just throw it out and mark it up to a learning experience.  I always check off my ingredients as I go.  Someone else may come along and know a way to possibly save it.   Sorry that happened to you.


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## jules92207 (Sep 14, 2014)

I wouldn't risk it either. It sucks but letting it go is much safer than a guessing game.


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## marie743 (Sep 14, 2014)

*rebatching soap*

Thanks for the help; that was my guess too.:clap:


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