Acceleration vs seizing.............

craftgirl08 · Mar 30, 2008

O.k., I have a question. When I added my 1oz fo to the trace it started to clump. I was able to smooth it out with the stick blender and it was smooth. How do you know if the batch seizes or was this a case of acceleration from the fo that I added? The fo was skin/bath/body safe but I don't know if anyone had yet did the testing on it for CP.

Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

craftgirl08

jadiebugs1 · Mar 30, 2008

I'm hoping someone will help you with a more professional answer, but I always thought that seizing WAS accelerated trace....accelerated to the point of seizing????

Me knows nothing..... :cry:

Guest · Mar 30, 2008

You would know if you get a seize..

Acceleration - When the soap speeds to a thick trace......to where you have to rush to put it into the mold and if not it will be in clumps and will have to smack it down into the mold.

Seize - We call this soap on the stick.. meaning it freezes up so quick.. its stuck on your stickblender..and you cant really move the stick blender out of the soap LOL

You will know the difference...

It will help if you warm up the fragrance oil prior to putting it into the soap. Also it will help if you would add the fragrance prior to trace ..adding it to your oils will help as well. (I have done this with no problem, the lye didnot burn off the fragrance)

soapgardener · Mar 30, 2008

The saponification reaction will go through several phases:

Trace - thick like pudding
The soap will continue to harden from this point
The speed of the hardening will depend on oils/heat/certain FOs or acidic additives which will act as a catalyst and accelerate this process.
Once the soap is very very hard it will continue to heat up unless you do something to stop it (freezer, outside, fans, etc)
At this point the soap will gel - look like vaseline
After about an hour at this temp (195 deg F) the saponification reaction is complete and the mixture will start to cool
The soap will become hard once again

If your soap seizes (reaches the very very hard stage) - all is not lost. Just heat the soap gently in your pot on the stove - give it a stir when you can and the soap will gel. You can now glop it into your mold

Sometimes the soap will OVERHEAT when it becomes very hard. Acids will cause this to happen (milk esp). The whole thing will fall apart into soap curds floating in oil. Again, all is not lost. Heat and stir stir stir and you will get gelled soap once again. Once you have gel your soap is complete and there will be no more surprises (the reaction will not spontaneously run in reverse)

Hope this helps!