# Heating Pad?



## DWinMadison (Jan 14, 2013)

This topic has probably been beaten to death in the past.  If so, please excuse the newbie, but I was wondering if there is any benefit to setting molded soap on a heating pad to promote extended gel.  Also, does the added heat destroy or negate essential oils?


----------



## lizflowers42 (Jan 14, 2013)

Hmm, that's a good question that I wish to know the answer too as well! (My heating pad gets used to help make bread dough rise faster!) Unfortunately this adds nothing to your question!


----------



## chicklet (Jan 14, 2013)

Yeah, I don't know either, but I do know that I had some soap in the mold get really warm last night (see my post about crack).  I didn't use a heating pad but I'm thinking it got really warm inside my homemade gelling box.  Not that there is such a thing as a commercial gelling box, and I may find out in a few minutes that making a gelling box was not a great idea to begin with . . . sigh.  I'm about ready to just put ALL my soap in the fridge, although that's no guarantee against the dreaded partial gel!!!


----------



## Genny (Jan 14, 2013)

Lots of soapers set their molds on heating pads with much success.  But honestly that's all I can tell you about it, because I don't care if my soap gels or not.


----------



## RocknRoll (Jan 14, 2013)

I have used heating pads to wrap around my plastic loaf molds to ensure gell esspecially when I soap at room temperature. It does help but i find that I have to keep checking it to make sure it isnt overheating. I usually only have to keep it on for an hour or so until I get a good gell. As for the EO's being diminished by the heat?... hmmm, good question, it sounds logical but i'm not sure!  Good luck


----------



## judymoody (Jan 14, 2013)

In winter I sometimes use a gardening mat that is designed to help seedlings propagate faster.  It's not as hot as a heating pad - maybe it adds 20-25 degres to the ambient temperature.  It gives it a little boost but not to the point of overheating.

If I use a wooden loaf mold, insulation with blankets is generally sufficient to ensure full gel.


----------



## soapnmomma (Jan 27, 2013)

I use to put my CP soap in the mold then in a pre-heated oven for 2 hours UNTIL I found the heating pad did the same thing only better! I have been using my heating pad for my soap ever since, 4 years now, and my soaps turn out perfect! I use an upland mold with a silicone liner in a wooden box and I pour my soap into the mold sit it on a pre-warmed heating pad then I put the lid on the mold and leave it for an 1.5 hours UNLESS it is a soap I know will over heat easily like recipes with honey or etc. then I watch it and usually turn it off after about 45 minutes to an hour, and just leave the soap to sit on the turned off heating pad until the next day. Works perfectly and I have never had issues with EOs fading or anything like that. HTH


----------



## terminatortoo (Jan 27, 2013)

I have a friend you makes soap professionally and she told me today that you can use a heating pad or the oven but she also said you can use the soap almost right away by using this method. Does that sound right to any of you? I thought curing for 4 to 6 weeks was a must.


----------



## Lindy (Jan 28, 2013)

All she is doing is forcing gel, you still need to let the soaps cure for a minimum of 3 weeks.  Any soap is useable within 72 hours of making, it's just not at its nicest yet.  And just a hint here - just because someone sells doesn't make them a professional.  There are a huge amount of people that try to sell their 3rd batch, and they aren't even close to qualified let alone professional....  Just saying....


----------



## TeriDk (Jan 28, 2013)

I use a heating pad to assure gel and it works great.  Especially in winter


----------



## Soapsense (Jan 28, 2013)

Could putting your mold in an insulated cooler bag work?


----------



## green soap (Jan 28, 2013)

DWinMadison said:


> This topic has probably been beaten to death in the past.  If so, please excuse the newbie, but I was wondering if there is any benefit to setting molded soap on a heating pad to promote extended gel.  Also, does the added heat destroy or negate essential oils?



Essential oils with low flash points might suffer.  I have done some experimenting with eucalyptus-peppermint, one gel and one un-gelled loaf - the one that gelled had less scent.  Same thing with citrus oils.  So when I use EOs with low flash points, or the ones that are notorious faders, I try to suppress gel.  I do this by soaping cooler, I don't bother with the fridge/freezer.  

I have to qualify this and say I am one of the few people that does not mind partial gel.  Lots of forum members go to a bit of trouble to avoid partial gel.  I like it because it tells me that at least part of my soap did not gel, so the average temperature was lower than it would have been had I attained full gel.  Also, my customers think partial gel looks cool.  If the soaps are spoon swirled the partial gel can look very nice.  If they are single color I stamp them and this makes the partial gel look OK too.


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 2, 2013)

I made what I hope will be a beautiful rosemary mint soap today using a hanger technique one of you guys posted from a SoapMistress YouTube. The process went extremely well. At the last minute, I decided to gel,it on a heating pad. Why, oh why, can't I lave well enough alone?!?!  I guess we'll find out tomorrow if the heating pad helps or hurts.


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 3, 2013)

Just unmolded my heating pad batch. Beautiful soap!  But I will say, the prolonged gel seems to have taken a toll on the fragrance.


----------



## terminatortoo (Feb 4, 2013)

Lindy said:


> All she is doing is forcing gel, you still need to let the soaps cure for a minimum of 3 weeks.  Any soap is useable within 72 hours of making, it's just not at its nicest yet.  And just a hint here - just because someone sells doesn't make them a professional.  There are a huge amount of people that try to sell their 3rd batch, and they aren't even close to qualified let alone professional....  Just saying....



I understand what you are saying but my friends soaps are top quality. Maybe I mis-understood exactly what she said about using them right away, I will ask her again.


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 4, 2013)

OK, so here is the batch I made this weekend using the heating pad.  It really is beautiful soap...exactly what I was going for.  Also, as mentioned earlier, it appears that the extended gel took a "notch" out of my fragrance (EOs of peppermint and rosemary.)  They are clearly still there, just not as strong as in previous batches using the same recipe and EO/lb of oil but with no heating pad.  Finally, I'm wondering if the soap may end up a bit "grainy."  No way to tell until fully cured, and I'm sure I'm being way picky.  I would proudly give this as a gift to any friend or family member.  In fact, several bars are going to my wife's brother and sis-in-law as a housewarming.  The rest...who knows?  Anybody want to buy some soap?


----------



## lizflowers42 (Feb 4, 2013)

They look like flowers!  Beautiful DW!


----------



## nebetmiw (Feb 4, 2013)

I think most get over concerned about Gelling the soap.  I soap at RT or close to it with low temps.  I try to avoid gel in most of my batches.  Reason is I want a white soap.  Now in some I want gel for it will give me that white color.  My last batch was a partial gel so it is white outside and light tan inside.  Hey it is just soap stop getting over worried about it.  It is still usable.


----------



## hlee (Feb 4, 2013)

Beautiful!
Man you people are talented!


----------



## chicklet (Feb 4, 2013)

Those are so pretty!! They do look like flowers. Did you use a hanger swirl?

ETA - I went back and read (imagine that!) and saw that it was a hanger swirl.  Good job!


----------



## Lindy (Feb 4, 2013)

Gorgeous!


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 4, 2013)

I shamelessly stole the technique from some nice lady called "Soapmistress" on YouTube.  [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07eK0rKzo3E"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07eK0rKzo3E[/ame]


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 4, 2013)

I really like the idea of keeping soap clean and predominantly white/natural then doing something interesting with color more as a detail.  1) I think it just looks cleaner 2) From a practical standpoint, you spend way less on colorants especially if you want dark colors.  What do you guys think?


----------



## chicklet (Feb 4, 2013)

I think that I need to learn the "less is more" principle when it comes to swirling.  I always want to swirl too much.  My best swirls are simple in-the-pot ones where I only use a small amount of swirling color.  The ones I am most prone to overswirling are the hanger swirls.


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 4, 2013)

chicklet said:


> I think that I need to learn the "less is more" principle when it comes to swirling.  I always want to swirl too much.  My best swirls are simple in-the-pot ones where I only use a small amount of swirling color.  The ones I am most prone to overswirling are the hanger swirls.



After watching this lady, I stopped by Lowe's and purchased a larger gauge steel wire (about twice the thickness of a shirt hanger) and bent it to fit my mold.  I think you can show more swirl with fewer strokes (i.e. less mixing of color) with a thicker wire.


----------



## danahuff (Feb 4, 2013)

My sister said she used it to force gel. I have never had to. I just cover it in towels. I have more trouble avoiding gel when I want to. I have heard it works well, but I would keep an eye on it so it doesn't overheat.


----------



## danahuff (Feb 4, 2013)

DWinMadison said:


> After watching this lady, I stopped by Lowe's and purchased a larger gauge steel wire (about twice the thickness of a shirt hanger) and bent it to fit my mold.  I think you can show more swirl with fewer strokes (i.e. less mixing of color) with a thicker wire.



DW, have you watched Celine Blacow's videos? She's Soaperstar on YouTube. She has some really fabulous techniques.


----------



## DWinMadison (Feb 4, 2013)

danahuff said:


> DW, have you watched Celine Blacow's videos? She's Soaperstar on YouTube. She has some really fabulous techniques.



Thanks for the reco. I'll do that tonight.


----------

