Clay Sinking to the bottom

[Daidre]

Hi Everyone,

I mixing a shea butter melt and pour base with red moroccan clay. I added a tablespoon of the clay with alcohol mixed it together then put it into the melted melt and pour soap and mixed very well everything seemed to be well mixed. I unmolded them and the clay has suck to the bottom. I don't know how to avoid it as its happening to all my soaps

does anyone know how to avoid this ?

 

[FreeBird]

I think if you would mix it with a tad of distilled water and make a paste it would work better. I think maybe the alcohol could be the culprit.

 

[lsg]

You can also mix mica with a little glycerin.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

I found mixing "solids" in MP to be a pain in the b...
The way to do it is to whisk in the clay/alcohol slurry in your melted soap, keep whisking until your mixture is less than 130 F, then pour into your molds. In this way, your solids are more likely to stay suspended in the soap. What is tricky is that if it gets lower than 125 F it will usually start clumping. What I found was the best practice for me was to do one bar at a time.
The great thing about MP is that you can cut up a bar you're not happy with and remelt.
Let me know how it goes.

 

[Carly B]

I have seen M&P based designed to suspend additives such as jojoba beads or clay. I don't know how they're different, formula-wise, and I haven't used one in over 10 years, but if they are still out there, that could be an option.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

I agree with nona's farm, it is a pain. You have to bring the temperature down at least below 130°. I have found that 125° is a better temp but even then, there is a possibility that heavier embeds will sink.

 

[bookreader451]

Try mixing the clay slurry into the soap with a milk frother. Alcohol is you friend anytime you are trying to break up lumps. When I was doing MP I used a lot of clays and I always found they mixed in smoother with the frother.

 

[Relumee]

My experience is that clay has lighter and heavier bits. I use very little clay in melt and pour soap, only for coloring.
I mix clay with a little bit of soap, then mix it with rest of the soap. Then I let it rest a bit before pouring and when I pour I do not pour heavy bits that sit in the bottom into the mold. Here is a photo of a soap bottom up. There are some small bits in the bottom, but not much.