First time using milk + First drop swirl

[SpaceCorgi94]

2nd attempt at soap making! This is a cocoa + milk drop swirl, with pine fragrance. This time I tried a few different things including:
- a drop swirl!! (wooo the thing I got into this hobby for yaay)
- cutting down on the number of ingredients
- substituting water with milk in my lye solution (and managing to keep it in temperature range!)
- using a fragrance oil (Pine)
- a tsp of regular table salt to speed up curing/harden the soap better

Ultimately it feels very smooth to cut, only needed about 12 hours before cutting and I love how there's no cracks along the edges because of it (unlike with my previous attempt). But next time I would hope to have some of the micas about. I'd also like to do a better job of removing bubbles, as there're a few of those that formed, as well as better incorporating the powders that are in it (in this case, cocoa)

I also managed to keep it from the gel phase (going through? preventing? idk), and I love the more pastel colours!

 

[Catscankim]

Pretty drop swirl! Congats!

when i melt my hard oils in the microwave, i find that there are a lot of bubbles in the oil. I usually heat till partially melted and let it go from there to melt the rest. Unless it needs another zap a few minutes later. But the oils have bubbles. So i slowly mix and keep scraping the bubbles up the side of the container till its bubble free. Its kind of relaxing lol. Im talking about just oils. No lye involved yet.

That is what i found to be my problem with bubbles anyway....

 

[shunt2011]

Congratulations, it turned out nicely. Just an FYI - Salt will not speed up curing or make a harder soap. It will still require 4-6 weeks to cure and salt will help it be harder after saponification to help get it out of the mold easier. Too much salt will inhibit lather though.

 

[SpaceCorgi94]

salt will help it be harder after saponification to help get it out of the mold easier

Oh thank you!! My apologies, I'd been trying to figure out the word and assumed "Curing" referred to the hardening in the mold I heard a good ratio was 1tsp of Salt per 450g of oils, does that ratio sound about right to you?

 

[shunt2011]

Oh thank you!! My apologies, I'd been trying to figure out the word and assumed "Curing" referred to the hardening in the mold I heard a good ratio was 1tsp of Salt per 450g of oils, does that ratio sound about right to you?

Yes, when I use it I use 1 tsp per pound of oils.