Mica-colored oil question

[Zing]

Soapers, I have a question and don't know how to phrase it on Google or this forum's Search to get the results I'm looking for -- so I'll ask the experts here. I want to use my mini-column mold to make a mostly white column with 4 accent colors at 6% each using an in-the-pot swirl. Obviously the amount of soap batter for the accents is extremely small. So my question is this in prepping the accent colors: what would happen if I did NOT make soap but instead just added oil mixed with mica? Would it crumble and break along the oil/mica lines? Or would I get what I'm looking for?

Or would I be better off making larger amounts of accented colored soap and use the leftovers in another mold? Thanks, soapy friends!

 

[AliOop]

I've mixed mica-colored oils to make swirls like you suggested, and have never had a problem with the soap breaking along those mica lines. Although I've only done that in bars, not in skinny column molds, I'm going to guess it will be fine as long as you keep the swirl percentages low.

 

[glendam]

The only issue I have had (and perhaps because I over did it) was that on a soap where I did a mica oil drizzle, the edges of about three bars (I believe end pieces), had a thick corner or almost entire side of just mica. It didn’t break apart but I kept them instead of giving them as part of the party favors set, because I worry that in the shower they will bleed too much when used. It is a nice way to keep metallic micas staying metallic, so it would be worth a shot.

 

[TheGecko]

Soapers, I have a question and don't know how to phrase it on Google or this forum's Search to get the results I'm looking for -- so I'll ask the experts here. I want to use my mini-column mold to make a mostly white column with 4 accent colors at 6% each using an in-the-pot swirl. Obviously the amount of soap batter for the accents is extremely small. So my question is this in prepping the accent colors: what would happen if I did NOT make soap but instead just added oil mixed with mica? Would it crumble and break along the oil/mica lines? Or would I get what I'm looking for?

Or would I be better off making larger amounts of accented colored soap and use the leftovers in another mold? Thanks, soapy friends!

I get what you're going for, and the concept is good, but I think the execution is going to fail given the small amount of soap batter. Depending on shape of the mold, you're talking anywhere from 3.7 oz to 6 oz total batch weight. I think you'll end up with a muddied mess with that many colors and possibly having your column fall apart. But nothing ventured, nothing gained so go for it. The worst that will happen is that you don't get what you want and you can always shred the soap later use.

 

[GemstonePony]

It would not crumble and break, but the hard part about oils is getting them to be in the middle of soap batter instead of getting pushed to all the edges. I think a carefully layered ITP would work, but key in that is layered. If you just put oil in batter you will get white with pretty halo, and if you attempt to stir it, it will bleed into the white way more than it would if it were batter.

 

[jcandleattic]

This is not a column mold, but I did exactly what you are talking about in these soaps. I didn't use much mica oil for each of the colors, but as you can see, it didn't break or crack where the mica was, it didn't in the shower, I didnt' have to layer it, nothing special. Before I poured the batter, I just put the oils on top of the soap, did a quick stir in the pot for an ITP, and then poured, and this was the result. It darkened due to the scent and I didn't use a VS.

 

[Zing]

This is super helpful -- good to hear of your experience.

 

[AliOop]

This is not a column mold, but I did exactly what you are talking about in these soaps. I didn't use much mica oil for each of the colors, but as you can see, it didn't break or crack where the mica was, it didn't in the shower, I didnt' have to layer it, nothing special. Before I poured the batter, I just put the oils on top of the soap, did a quick stir in the pot for an ITP, and then poured, and this was the result. It darkened due to the scent and I didn't use a VS.

That is a similar result to what I got when I did the mica-oil ITPS, only yours is MUCH prettier looking!!

 

[jcandleattic]

That is a similar result to what I got when I did the mica-oil ITPS, only yours is MUCH prettier looking!!

Thank you!!

 

[Zing]

In reading a different post, I realized that I did not close the loop on this experiment. It was an epic fail! It indeed was a muddied mess with that amount of oil in my mini-cylinder mold.
However, I've had great success using a little mica-oil in my loaf molds.