Newbie Seeking Texture on Soap Tops

[photoshadows]

I love the look of texturized tops on soap loafs, but I'm quite new to CP soap making (I've made about 5 batches) and not really sure how to acheive these various texture effects. I have a few guesses, but thought I'd ask the experts for some pointers too

Here are some of my guesses:
First, I assume you let the soap reach a very heavy trace AFTER pouring into your mold and then use various tools to create the texture you're after, but what do you use to create various textures?

I've seen soaps that have tops resembling cake frosting and I imagine that could be accomplished with a thick trace worked with a spatula used much as you would ice a cake.

Some textures seem to almost climb out of the soap like flames (InnerEarth soaps on Etsy.com has a lot of great examples of this--their soaps are soooo beautiful and I sooo want to try them, but shipping to the States is just too much for my blood :cry: ). I would guess this is done, again with a REALLY thick trace, and a spatula placed in the soap and pulled up to create the desired design? Am I even warm on these?

I guess the one I find most confusing, and I'm guessing is actually the easiest, is a texture that usually is found with swirls and kind of moves similar to the motion that would create the swirls, ending up looking sort of like a thick fudge brownie icing (I decorate cakes too in case you're wondering why there are all these baking references ). The best I can figure is that it occurs while the swirling is done and the soap "batter" is rather thick. In other words, it looks like it could just be a by-product of the swirling process in a soap that's setting...or could be achieved by waiting to swirl the soap until it's at a very thick trace.

A variant on this one are "drizzles" on top of the loaf. Again I'm guessing that at a thick trace you just drizzle lines of soap across the loaf in the design of your choosing.

Soooooo.....Am I even close in my guesses about creating texture? Whether I am or not, anyone else's thoughts, tips, tricks or techniques would be greatly appreciated. I'm sure I can figure it out myself, but why reinvent the wheel? Especially when there's plenty of experimenting to be done once you know some tried and true techniques. Besides, practive makes perfect, you rarely get it right the first time and there's always the joy of creating your very own signature

Thanks for your thoughts and keep up all the great soap talk! I'm learning a lot and greatly appreciate the collective knowledge everyone is sharing.

-Christine
lurking no more

 

[Lazy Bone]

Those are great questions!
I'm a noob too and I'll be watching for answers from the more experienced soapers too

 

[Mayren]

I'm mostly a CPHP soaper and that doesn't lend much help to the awesome CP Textured tops.....

The ones with gorgeous tops can chime in but here's what i started with.

I only do textured cake swirly tops with CP soap.

I get the layer to a heavy heavy trace and glob and spread on top.

I use a soap dedicated Whisk then dip into my top, give a little twist and pull up, or just dip in and pull up. I don't get a ton of height to my Textures yet but again, I don't do alot of CP.

I like to use stainless steel objects to pull up the tops because the soap
needs something to stick to a little bit in order to be pulled.

My silicone spatulas don't quite do it for me.

I too will wait for the masters to explain the process as I've seen
the amazing Cake looking to the Inner Earth primordial awesomness
and just have no clue how to get the tops with that steep of a texture.

 

[BakingNana]

You're assumptions are correct, other than the drizzle one (the last one). That would be a very light trace batter drizzled over a poured batter much like an icing drizzle on a pastry. You can't "drizzle" a thick batter.

I pour at light trace for a smooth pour, then let it sit for a few minutes until it's firm enough to texture the way I want. Or pour at medium trace to get the soft, sort of wavy swirling texture as it pours. Swirling in the mold can also give you a soft swirling top texture.

I use a stainless steel icing spatula, the back of a SS spoon, silicone covered or SS whisks, chopsticks...you can use just about anything as long as it's soap-compatable. One great tip posted by someone on the forum....After you texture, spray with alcohol (the 90+% type) to prevent ash. It really works.

 

[photoshadows]

Thanks so much for the tips! I can't wait to try some. One question though, for using alcohol to help prevent ash, do you mean rubbing alcohol?

-Christine

 

[Sunny]

yes ma'am, isopropyl alcohol. it's very stinky but the smell goes away quickly.

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

Don't forget good old youtube, there's some good vids on there about doing colours and texturing

 

[BakingNana]

Use the higher % isopropyl...mine is labeled 91%. Just put in a cheap spray bottle and spritz. I spray right after texturing and again before unmolding. The alcohol evaporates pretty quickly. Whoever originally posted this suggestion, take a bow! I have only 10 minutes to "forum" today, or I'd look it up!!

 

[paillo]

inner earth soaps are gorgeous!!!! but.... i can't help but be a little concerned with her labeling 'all-natural' soap with titanium dioxide. TD is on the list of recent high-priority concerns about carcinogens. all-natural is such a vague term, would be totally great if this community has, as i suspect, or can come up with, a consensus on what does NOT belong on an 'all-natural' label. preaching to the choir, i know

but that's hijacking this excellent thread, and i don't mean to do that. i have TONS to learn about beautiful textured tops, i look at many of them and can't help but simply DROOL with envy!!!!