First time getting soap on a stick! :( PIC ADDED

[AshleyR]

What an adventure I just had!

I got this really nice "Floral Bouquet" FO from New Directions that I used in my CP soap.

First of all, I tried to colour the batch pink (added pink colour to the oils). As soon as I added the lye - bye bye pink! So then I decided to try to colour it purple. Removed some soap, added violet oxide, ultramarine pink, and a bit of titanium dioxide to it - it looked so pretty! I added it to the rest of the soap - turned grey.

My soap has been sitting about 10 minutes by this time, getting to trace all on it's own, as I run downstairs to get more colours. It has gotten to a thick trace almost completely by itself (I hardly stirred it as I was trying to figure out how to colour it) so I figure I better get the FO in right away, and forget about the colour - this one is going to be an ugly one I guess.

So, in goes the FO and I immediately see the ugly grey soap curdling. I haven't even stirred the "purple" colour in completely, and only whisked it for about 5 seconds after adding the FO (so even that isn't incorporated well), when I rush to pour it into the mold because it is hardening in the pot.

Agh!! What a nightmare. I don't REALLY mind that the colour is ugly, but now I'm a little worried that the purple colour and the FO didn't get stirred in enough and are going to show in the soap when it's cut. I wrapped it in towels and put it in a warm oven in hopes that it will gel like heck and maybe that will help incorporate things a little?

How sad! I was really excited about that FO. It would have been so nice in a light pink or purple soap!

Do most floral scents tend to accelerate trace? There are reviews of this FO on the site and nobody said it accelerated, so I thought I was safe. This has never happened to me before.

Does anyone know of any tricks on how to avoid "soap on a stick?" I soaped pretty warm, but only because last night I soaped a little cooler and my soap only partially gelled (agh!!) I wanted this one to gel good so I soaped at probably about 130 degrees.

I would really love to use this FO again... I still have some left, but don't want this to happen next time! Help?

ETA: Here's a cut pic. It's not too bad, just spotty. I basically hot processed it (put the mold in the oven for awhile after) in hopes that the gel would 'incorporate' things a little. Worked somewhat...

 

[abigtroutt]

130 is warm to mix. I mix at about 110. I dont know if the warm temps could have made it trace quickly? Plus adding the FO could have made it trace even faster.

I'm sure one of the experts could help

 

[Deda]

Don't discount the water - at all.
Soap icy cold.
Add the FOs before the Lye.
SB only for a few seconds, then whisk only.

Those are all my tricks for Finicky Fragrances.

I'm sorry the soap fairies visited you. :cry:

 

[Lil Outlaws]

From what I've heard, florals are some of the worst at accelerating.

I had my only Soap on a Stick when I used a Chai Tea FO and it seized up immediately, within 2 seconds it went from purely liquid (baaaaaarely even light trace) to my whisk standing straight on it's own and couldn't move it.
Argh.

 

[MikeInPdx]

Florals ARE the VERY WORST for soap on a stick. I have a rose FO that soaped icy cold, will seize in CP in about 20 seconds.....with a whisk only!

Check out a good tutorial on CPHP the next time you use this FO.....it's another good alternative to soaping icy cold.

 

[jcandleattic]

Mike - I have a rose that does that too, and what I have eventually gone to is using every ounce of my patience and adding it in drop by agonizingly slow drop - BUT - it works. Just add a drop whisk a few seconds, add a drop whisk a few seconds, and so on until the entire fragrance is in...

 

[surf girl]

Ashley, sorry to hear about your fragrance misadventure. I won't be of much help with the seizing question, but you were wondering about the characteristics of your oil and I didn't know if you'd come across this website yet

http://soapscentreview.obisoap.ca/index.php

It has reviews of different EOs and FOs from many many companies, with specific attention to acceleration, discoloration, etc.

You do have to be a member to read. HTH.

 

[AshleyR]

Hey surf girl,

Yep, I am a member over there already! I checked this FO out on there, but nobody's done a review on it yet.

 

[Lil Outlaws]

I think that would mean it's time for YOU to do one!

 

[AshleyR]

No kidding Lil Outlaws.... I will be doing that! :wink:

I just unmolded the soap, and was pleasantly surprised! It doesn't look as bad as I thought it would!!!

There are some oily spots on it that kind of look like DOS, but I am positive they are FO that didn't get fully encorporated (since I had about .3 seconds to stir it in!) :x It doesn't look that bad though.

The colour has lightened up to a nice pale purple colour too... not so ugly grey anymore!

I used my potato peeler to clean up all the edges, and it looks pretty decent!

I'll post a pic a little later. :wink:

 

[AshleyR]

I added a pic!

The FO was yellow so I am assuming the yellow spots that look like DOS (?) are just FO that wasn't stirred in properly.

What do you think?

 

[Lindy]

Ashley I think they look awesome! Nice save.....

 

[topcat]

Very pretty soap Ashley and I bet they smell nice! :wink:

Tanya

 

[ChrissyB]

That soap looks great. I have had many first hand experiences with seizing and know how heartbreaking it can be.
If you had not have told us that soap seized we would never have known!!

 

[digit]

Wow, for being such a fussy batch, they look marvelous!!!!

Digit