It looks like Havarti cheese! Bubbles/heat pits (?) on sides

[AnnaC]

Hi everyone, I need help!

I’m new at CP soap making and am on my 5th batch. All is going well except the sides of my soap always look like havarti cheese! The bottom is smooth and there are not many air bubbles inside the loaves.

Here’s what I did: I’m using B.B. quick mix oils while I learn the technique and how to confidently use lye. (I’ll be moving on to mixing my own oils next week!) I follow B.B. instructions to the letter, pour at a medium trace, use eos and natural colorants, and bang the mold a lot to get any bubbles out. I’m using B.B. 10 inch silicon loaf mold. Wanting the soap to gel, the first time I put it on a heat pad and put a card box and towel over the top. Since then I’ve only used the box and towel - but still the side bubbles!

Anyone have ideas of what I can try next?
Thank you!! Anna

 

[Cellador]

This looks like something called silicone rash. It can happen when a soap overheats in a silicone mold.

Have you tried the CPOP method? It works for me, and I rarely get silicone rash anymore.

 

[AnnaC]

I’ve not tried CPOP yet. Is the idea that it will give a more gentle and all-over warming for the loaf? Thank you!

 

[Cellador]

This might be helpful too...
https://auntieclaras.com/2015/06/overheating-soap/

I think CPOP only forces gel, but I'm guessing (not 100% sure) that the temperature of the soap loaf during CPOP might be more consistant throughout and cool-down would be more gradual.
Some people report more incidences of silicone rash with CPOP, but I always had more predictable results when using this method.
A lot of other factors might play into the overheating as well.

 

[zolveria]

Never seen this..b4 looks like air pockets and bubbles

 

[BattleGnome]

Have you made a batch yet without insulating?

I agree that it looks like silicone rash. Try a batch without insulation to confirm. You may find that you don’t even need to insulate. If you want to work yourself up to the amount of insulation you need try just a towel (if you can) or just the box.

 

[AnnaC]

I think CPOP only forces gel, but I'm guessing (not 100% sure) that the temperature of the soap loaf during CPOP might be more consistant throughout and cool-down would be more gradual.
Some people report more incidences of silicone rash with CPOP, but I always had more predictable results when using this method.
A lot of other factors might play into the overheating as well.

Thank you for your help!

Have you made a batch yet without insulating?

I agree that it looks like silicone rash. Try a batch without insulation to confirm. You may find that you don’t even need to insulate. If you want to work yourself up to the amount of insulation you need try just a towel (if you can) or just the box.

No not entirely- I guess that will be my next step, and then I can try CPOP too. Thank you - good advice

 

[shunt2011]

I only get those when I've done CPOP. Never when I just insulate with a towel with my molds anyway. I've not used the mold you are using. Does look like silicone rash though.

 

[AnnaC]

I only get those when I've done CPOP. Never when I just insulate with a towel with my molds anyway. I've not used the mold you are using. Does look like silicone rash though.

Interesting... at least I know what it is now! I wonder if I’d get these if I used an HDPE mold?

 

[mommycarlson]

AnnaC, FWIW, I use silicone molds (specifically the ones from BB) and put my soaps in a wooden box with a plexi-glas lid, heating pad under the soap, heating pad on top of the plexi-glas, covered in blankets. In the winter the heating pad is on medium for an hour, in the summer it's on low for an hour. The heating pads have auto one-hour shut offs. I have never had silicone rash. The mold itself is also inside a wooden box that DH made for support so they don't bow out. So there is wood insulating the actual mold.

 

[zanzalawi]

this happened to me a while ago
i thought i had whipped air into my soap with my stick blender- i was making a small batch and my bowl was too big to keep my stickblender bell properly submerged
are those pics of just the sides? what does it look like on the inside when its cut?

 

[NsMar42111]

Could always use a planer for the ends if it bothers you...or a potato peeler if you don't want to invest. If it's for personal use, that wears off after a few uses . It's from silicon, I get it even doing HP but it doesn't bother me.

 

[Lin19687]

I get that when my batter is way too thick. Even if I bang to get bubbles out I get it on a few.
I line my HDPE molds with Freezer paper and get it.

 

[IrishLass]

Ack! The bane of silicone rash! Here's an example of mine (it can be easily planed off as you can see):

It's a strange thing, but it only happens with my ED silicone molds. It never happens in my Woodfield silicone mold. But that's a different story for another day (for what it's worth, they are each made from a different grade/type of silicone). From the looks of things, Brambleberry's silicone mold seems like it might could be made from the same type of silicone as my ED silicone mold.

The trick for me in avoiding rash in my ED silicone mold is to CPOP at a lower temp. I normally CPOP my batches at 110 degreesF (which is roughly the same temp at which I soap). Basically, I turn my oven on, wait for three minutes and then immediately turn it off (I found that 3 minutes is exactly what it takes for my oven to reach 110F). Then I put my insulated soap inside, shut the door and leave it there to sit overnight. My soap always gels nicely for me this way without any unsightly issues appearing ................... But when I use this method with my ED silicone molds, my soap always get the rash. After some trial and error, I found that if I pre-warm my oven only 2 minutes (instead of 3) before shutting it off and putting my soap inside, it actually helps to keeps the rash at bay. I may get a few spots here or there, but nothing at all like the full fledged spattering that you see pictured above. For what it's worth, I cover over the top of my ED mold with a cut-to-fit cardboard cover, then toss 3 cotton diapers over top of that before placing the mold in my oven.


IrishLass

 

[AnnaC]

AnnaC, FWIW, I use silicone molds (specifically the ones from BB) and put my soaps in a wooden box with a plexi-glas lid, heating pad under the soap, heating pad on top of the plexi-glas, covered in blankets. In the winter the heating pad is on medium for an hour, in the summer it's on low for an hour. The heating pads have auto one-hour shut offs. I have never had silicone rash. The mold itself is also inside a wooden box that DH made for support so they don't bow out. So there is wood insulating the actual mold.

oh to have a nice wooden box for it...!

 

[AnnaC]

this happened to me a while ago
i thought i had whipped air into my soap with my stick blender- i was making a small batch and my bowl was too big to keep my stickblender bell properly submerged
are those pics of just the sides? what does it look like on the inside when its cut?

Inside is totally fine- no bubbles. Which is why the overheating explanation makes sense for mine.

 

[AnnaC]

Ack! The bane of silicone rash! Here's an example of mine (it can be easily planed off as you can see):

View attachment 30512

It's a strange thing, but it only happens with my ED silicone molds. It never happens in my Woodfield silicone mold. But that's a different story for another day (for what it's worth, they are each made from a different grade/type of silicone). From the looks of things, Brambleberry's silicone mold seems like it might could be made from the same type of silicone as my ED silicone mold.

The trick for me in avoiding rash in my ED silicone mold is to CPOP at a lower temp. I normally CPOP my batches at 110 degreesF (which is roughly the same temp at which I soap). Basically, I turn my oven on, wait for three minutes and then immediately turn it off (I found that 3 minutes is exactly what it takes for my oven to reach 110F). Then I put my insulated soap inside, shut the door and leave it there to sit overnight. My soap always gels nicely for me this way without any unsightly issues appearing ................... But when I use this method with my ED silicone molds, my soap always get the rash. After some trial and error, I found that if I pre-warm my oven only 2 minutes (instead of 3) before shutting it off and putting my soap inside, it actually helps to keeps the rash at bay. I may get a few spots here or there, but nothing at all like the full fledged spattering that you see pictured above. For what it's worth, I cover over the top of my ED mold with a cut-to-fit cardboard cover, then toss 3 cotton diapers over top of that before placing the mold in my oven.


IrishLass

Thanks, I'm comforted to know that it happens to even super experienced soapers occasionally! I need to try CPOP. I love that you know the nuances of your oven so well!!

 

[SunRiseArts]

At what temperature do you soap? Not that it should matter? I always use silicone molds, never seen that.