Can I see your hot process pics?

[jenneelk]

There really aren't any in the photos area.. Just 6 I think.
I have yet to try HP because I'm worried it will be lumpy like my rebatch. I've heard it's really thick to work with?
Waiting 6 weeks is sometimes not conducive when testing so id love to learn HP but I really am a bit OCD with lumps. Lol
Can you get it smooth? Ill read up on how to do it, won't ask for details here, just curious what it can look like when done.
Pics anyone??
Thanks!

 

[Stakie]

I'll probably have pictures tomorrow. HP soap can turn out just like CP in loafs! It is thicker because the process is pretty much being cooked rather than letting it do it self. (The soaponification or w/e it's called) I always look at videos via youtube. Best bet of finding LOTS of pictures.

 

[Obsidian]

Here are my lilac scented HP bars. It was my first HP and it didn't turn out too bad, I should have cooked it lower to prevent the little white spots that are dried bits I scraped down from the sides. I have HP shampoo bars too but I have no pics of them, they look really nice.

 

[Lidyax]

Here are my lilac scented HP bars. It was my first HP and it didn't turn out too bad, I should have cooked it lower to prevent the little white spots that are dried bits I scraped down from the sides. I have HP shampoo bars too but I have no pics of them, they look really nice.

They look so rustic and natural! I love it.


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making

 

[sugarnik]

Here is some of my hot process pics. It's possible to get it pretty smooth.

 

[Nightlilly]

These are two different recipes. The brown one has cocoa butter, shea butter and kaolin clay.

 

[jenneelk]

Oh those look nice! I'm really trying to simplify a bit and thinking if I do HP maybe I won't have a drive to color so much. Lol
I watched YouTube last night and it seems HP really only just speeds up the time to gel.. Like quickens the first 6 hours or so? Is there another benefit?

 

[Skatergirl46]

I'm impatient about seeing how it comes out so I like HP because of that (main reason for me). Also, when you're finished with HP you don't have a bunch of tools covered in hot raw soap.
The tops on these are rough because I made them that way intentionally. I don't find HP to be so much lumpy as thick. If it starts getting lumpy I usually whisk it back to being smoother.

 

[ocean_soul]

I only have a couple of HP soaps on hand, here's the first I made last week. Officially the ugliest green soap I've ever seen, lol! Well, after trying to toss Nettle powder into the oils as they heat up a couple of times, I have learned my lesson. Never again!



And here is a Pumpkin-Turmeric soap I made awhile back. Can't wait to make more of it.

 

[Nightlilly]

Oh those look nice! I'm really trying to simplify a bit and thinking if I do HP maybe I won't have a drive to color so much. Lol
I watched YouTube last night and it seems HP really only just speeds up the time to gel.. Like quickens the first 6 hours or so? Is there another benefit?

From what I've read, cure time for HP is like 2-3 weeks to CP's 4-6 weeks. I've only HP'd when I had a new recipe that I wanted to try faster or I had a floral that I read can seize a soap so I added it at the end of the cook time.

 

[Nightlilly]

Skatergrl,

I love that pink soap! It reminds me of a slab of pink stone that's been cut, like granite, quartz or something.

 

[jenneelk]

Thanks everyone.. Looks like it will be fine for some solid more natural colors like I want to do more of.

I just add colors, scents and additives after it starts to gel?
And does the temp of oil and lye matter much?

 

[Nightlilly]

The temp doesn't matter too much, I would try to keep them within 10 degrees of each other when you combine them. No point in soaping cool when it's just going to heat up. Depending on the design you want and the colorant you use, you can add them before the cook, your clays for example. You want to add any scent at the end of the cook, right before you mold and make sure the temperature of your batter is below the flash point of which ever scent you use. In my experience (which is only 3 HP batches...lol) you want to work quickly when incorporating your additives because once your HP starts cooling down, it gets more difficult to keep a smooth looking soap.

 

[jenneelk]

Thanks! Very helpful. One is cooking now and oils and lye were quite warm at about 140 but I had the same thinking of it being ok if it speeds trace and needs to heat anyways. Took a chance and it looks great so far.

 

[Obsidian]

You will want to know the flash point of your FO or EO and make sure your soap has cooled to below that before adding them. Not sure what would happen if you add them too hot but I guess its not too good.

 

[Nightlilly]

I'm not positive but I think if your batter temp is above the flash point, the scent will "burn off" and you're left with unscented soap.

 

[hlee]

If you add FO when batter is above flashpoint of the fragrance the fragrance will simply burn off leaving you with less fragrance in your soap.

 

[jenneelk]

Oh I did do that. I have the lazer one and took a reading right when stirring.

Here it is. Zap tested good but process seemed like still a bit of work to keep checking and I'm worried about pockets inside. I did bang the heck out of it.
How do you keep the portions you seperated for colors warm while you work?

I took out a small portion since my fragrance browns and I wanted some orange, but that small set aside quickly started to set in like 3 min. Do u use towels and such?

Trying to figure if this is more or less work. Haha!

 

[Nightlilly]

I like to use simple designs with HP and what I do is pull out the portion that will go in the mold first (the bottom layer) color it then put it in the mold, while leaving the rest in the pot. Then pull out the next portion and color it, mold it, etc. That way the heat from the pot keeps every thing warm until I'm ready to use it. You can also do in the pot swirls. Check out this Youtube video, she does a great job explaining.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ui1atWMtCwM[/ame]

 

[jenneelk]

Very cool.. I'll def try this!