Is this partial gel?

[maryloucb]

I made an avocado soap (with some fresh avocado purée) and put it into the freezer right after pouring. This looks like partial gel to me. Can anyone confirm?

 

[AliOop]

Yup, and it looks pretty cool, too!

 

[maryloucb]

Yup, and it looks pretty cool, too!

I think so too! This soap making stuff is crazy!

 

[hlee]

I love your soap!

 

[Kamahido]

That is partial gel, yes. Not to worry though, as it's purely cosmetic.

 

[SoapDaddy70]

I made the Avocado soap from Jan Berry's book and put it in a small Pringles can as a mold. One of my favorite soaps I have made since I started soaping in September. Numbers don't look great when you look at the recipe in Soap Making Friend but its nice and creamy. Been using it has a hand soap and love the feel and lather of it.

 

[DeeAnna]

The soap also has some "mottling" (aka "glycerin" rivers) in the center bullseye where the soap got warm enough to gel. Compare the look in the center to the look of the soap outside the bullseye.

That's also kinda cool.

 

[maryloucb]

The soap also has some "mottling" (aka "glycerin" rivers) in the center bullseye where the soap got warm enough to gel. Compare the look in the center to the look of the soap outside the bullseye.

That's also kinda cool.

I noticed that! I put it in the freezer to avoid it getting hot, but it didn’t totally prevent that. I imagine I need to soap cooler next time and maybe put it in a different mold if I want to avoid gelling. I used a wood mold with silicone liner.

 

[DeeAnna]

Refrigerating or freezing soap in the mold isn't a surefire way to prevent soap from gelling as you've found out. I prefer my soap to gel, but I don't want it to overheat. My solution is the same either way. I set my mold up on something -- a few soup cans or a cooling rack -- and use a fan to blow room air around the mold.

Moving air, even at room temp, is more efficient at cooling than not-moving air in the fridge or freezer.

 

[maryloucb]

Refrigerating or freezing soap in the mold isn't a surefire way to prevent soap from gelling as you've found out. I prefer my soap to gel, but I don't want it to overheat. My solution is the same either way. I set my mold up on something -- a few soup cans or a cooling rack -- and use a fan to blow room air around the mold.

Moving air, even at room temp, is more efficient at cooling than not-moving air in the fridge or freezer.

That's good to know. I would not have thought of that. I could also put it outside where there is airflow and the temp is typically in the teens this time of year!