Help

[Tina05]

Hi soapers, I consider myself a rookie, learning every day. I have a question about little white things I see in the last soap I made last night. Could you help me find out what could have happened? I didn’t use Titanium Dioxide. Thank you, it is well appreciated.

 

[Obsidian]

Can you take a close up picture of one bar? Did you by chance cut your soap with a wire cutter?

Hard to tell but it kinda looks like they might be air bubbles, they can be exaggerated when using wire cutters

 

[Katie68121]

I get those on mine too! I think it’s air bubbles and combo of using wire cutter like Obsidian mentioned... still looks beautiful to me!

 

[Tina05]

Sure, here is another picture. I use a wire cutter, if not that, what do you recommend to use, so the soap cuts clean?

 

[Obsidian]

I like a wire cutter best, gives the cleanest cuts. You can use a planer to smooth the surface or cut with a very thin bladed knife.
Personally, I don't mind the bubble bumps. Handcrafted items aren't perfect.

 

[Tina05]

I like a wire cutter best, gives the cleanest cuts. You can use a planer to smooth the surface or cut with a very thin bladed knife.
Personally, I don't mind the bubble bumps. Handcrafted items aren't perfect.

Thank you for your advice, and that it’s true, handcrafted items aren’t perfect! Totally agree!!!

 

[AliOop]

The soap is very pretty! You can try to reduce the number of air bubbles by pouring in the lye water slowly and over the neck of the stickblender; "burping" your stickblender any time you put it into the bowl; and pounding down the mold on the table or counter to encourage the bubbles to rise to the surface and pop. Or just embrace them as part of the hand-crafted charm.

 

[Tina05]

The soap is very pretty! You can try to reduce the number of air bubbles by pouring in the lye water slowly and over the neck of the stickblender; "burping" your stickblender any time you put it into the bowl; and pounding down the mold on the table or counter to encourage the bubbles to rise to the surface and pop. Or just embrace them as part of the hand-crafted charm.

Thank you for the compliment coming from you. I will try that next time.

 

[Catscankim]

They are very pretty! And I like your color combo...plus nice straight lines!!

Once I take my sb out of the pot, I do not put it back unless absolutely necessary. I'd rather stir for a half an hour before risking bubbles, and it always happens to me when I think...ok, just a little more with the sb, and bam, bubbles.

 

[Tina05]

They are very pretty! And I like your color combo...plus nice straight lines!!

Once I take my sb out of the pot, I do not put it back unless absolutely necessary. I'd rather stir for a half an hour before risking bubbles, and it always happens to me when I think...ok, just a little more with the sb, and bam, bubbles.

Thank you for the compliment Catscankim, I will try doing that as well!

 

[jcandleattic]

As everyone said, they look like they could be bubbles due to the wire cutter - remedy is either waiting a little longer to cut, or plane them.

However, IMO they look more like stearic spots - what is your recipe, or did you use oils high in stearic? It's aesthetic only and won't hurt the use of the bar. The remedy for that is to just soap a tad warmer so the stearic stays melted while making the soap.

 

[Rachelmf]

As everyone said, they look like they could be bubbles due to the wire cutter - remedy is either waiting a little longer to cut, or plane them.

However, IMO they look more like stearic spots - what is your recipe, or did you use oils high in stearic? It's aesthetic only and won't hurt the use of the bar. The remedy for that is to just soap a tad warmer so the stearic stays melted while making the soap.

I thought possibly stearic spots as well.

 

[jcandleattic]

I thought possibly stearic spots as well.

The main reason I say this, is you can see in one of the bars on the bottom right there IS a bubble that looks different than most of the spots. I get stearic spots in my soaps too because I soap with RT oils and RT lye, and they look just like the soaps you posted.

 

[AliOop]

@jcandleattic I agree, they look more like stearic spots.

 

[Tina05]

As everyone said, they look like they could be bubbles due to the wire cutter - remedy is either waiting a little longer to cut, or plane them.

However, IMO they look more like stearic spots - what is your recipe, or did you use oils high in stearic? It's aesthetic only and won't hurt the use of the bar. The remedy for that is to just soap a tad warmer so the stearic stays melted while making the soap.

I used 10% of Cocoa butter in the recipe, with CO, OO, Avo and Castor oils, do you think that would be the reason?

 

[Jersey Girl]

Looks more like stearic spots to me. What temp did you soap at and could you post your recipe and process with more detail?

 

[Ansa Smit]

Sometimes the source of air bubbles in soap can be due to a busted stick blender shaft seal. Took me forever to find the source of mine. Burped the daylight out of mine without any luck because the blender actually sucked air into my batter. Here is a video on how to test your blender seal.

 

[Tina05]

Sometimes the source of air bubbles in soap can be due to a busted stick blender shaft seal. Took me forever to find the source of mine. Burped the daylight out of mine without any luck because the blender actually sucked air into my batter. Here is a video on how to test your blender seal.

Thank you for sharing

 

[earlene]

Sometimes the source of air bubbles in soap can be due to a busted stick blender shaft seal. Took me forever to find the source of mine. Burped the daylight out of mine without any luck because the blender actually sucked air into my batter. Here is a video on how to test your blender seal.

That's why it is important to rinse the soap off the SB right after making soap, so the lye doesn't have more time to eat up the seal. My first SB 's seal came loose & I learned that lesson. I was able to replace the SB arm and continued to use the same SB motor for a long time afterward.