Help with soap moulding

[soapstarter]

Can I ask
I've purchased recipes watched videos and all just say to leave soap once in mould in a dry place. My question is
1.which types of soaps can be left out after adding to mould with no towels or blankets ?
2. Which soaps need to be wrapped in blankets / towels or placed in oven overnight
3. Which soaps need to go in the fridge

I want to always avoid a partial gel and have a lovely smooth finish for all soaps I make. Thanks

 

[AliensrReal]

@soapstarter

1. Any soap can be left out without towels or blankets. If a soap or EO/FO is prone to overheating it would be better to not insulate.

2. If you are trying to get full gel then covering with towels or doing CPOP can be a good idea.

3. If you are trying to avoid gel you can use a fridge.

 

[soapstarter]

@soapstarter

1. Any soap can be left out without towels or blankets. If a soap or EO/FO is prone to overheating it would be better to not insulate.

2. If you are trying to get full gel then covering with towels or doing CPOP can be a good idea.

3. If you are trying to avoid gel you can use a fridge.

Thank you for clarifying I've been completely confused about this last step of soap making
What EO are prone to overheating?
And does that mean that even for soaps that have milk or honey or fruits in should be kept warm for full gel ?

Thank you for clarifying I've been completely confused about this last step of soap making
What EO are prone to overheating?
And does that mean that even for soaps that have milk or honey or fruits in should be kept warm for full gel ?

I just want to avoid the ring / circle that appears in soaps sometimes

 

[AliensrReal]

Thank you for clarifying I've been completely confused about this last step of soap making
What EO are prone to overheating?
And does that mean that even for soaps that have milk or honey or fruits in should be kept warm for full gel ?

I don’t use EO’s unless they are in a fragrance oil so I really don’t know.

Soaps with milk and honey may do better uncovered or with not a lot of insulation but that totally depends on the amount in the recipe. When I did use coconut milk I insulated some of my soaps and if I noticed it starting to heat up I would remove the towels.

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi - I don’t add fruits or veggies, but I’ve read others who do, I just can’t speak to it. I do use milk in all my soaps. The sugars in the milks do help things get hot, and so does honey. About keeping soaps cool, f the temp inside is warm, I’ll pop them in the fridge, but if it’s nice and cool in my house, I’ll just elevate my soap on 2 cans and let a fan blow on it. Hope that helps.

 

[Relle]

Thank you for clarifying I've been completely confused about this last step of soap making
What EO are prone to overheating?
And does that mean that even for soaps that have milk or honey or fruits in should be kept warm for full gel ?


I just want to avoid the ring / circle that appears in soaps sometimes

If you want to avoid the circle that appears, soap at room temperature, then leave in the fridge overnight. I don't gel my soap and my soap is smooth, my soap with honey goes in the fridge and my gm is frozen before I make it, to keep cool..I can't help with the EO.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I use EOs but generally don't have issues with them overheating. The floral EOs cause some acceleration, and Ylang Ylang in particular caused the worst acceleration I have ever experienced, but I don't recall the soap overheating. My suggestions are to start with small batches and keep good notes.

 

[KiwiMoose]

A lot of things before you have your soap in the mold may contribute to whether it will overheat or not. Soap with honey, beer or added sugars will overheat. I don't think you should attempt any of these until you have been soaping for a while anyway so you know what your base-line is. If you use a high water concentration ( say, 27% - 30% lye concentration) they could be more prone to gel/overheating. If you use too much castor oil, same. 'Heating' EOs such as florals, cinnamon and other spices will cause acceleration and likely gel.
My recommendation is use 33% lye concentration, no milks, sugars, honey and no more than 5% castor oil for your first batch. Make a small batch ( about 500 grams). Will you put them into cavity molds or a loaf mold? The bigger the mold the more likely they will gel.
If you don't want it to gel, leave it uncovered. It's cold over there, but I know how much you heat your houses, so maybe put it in the fridge or out under the porch or something. If you do want it to gel, cover it with towels and pop it near a radiator.
I gel all my soap, so always CPOP. I prefer a gelled soap because the colours are brighter, and i don't want to risk partial gel so would rather gel to avoid it.
Remember - Soap do what soap do ( and it's often what you don't want it to do).