Newbies random soaping questions

[Laurabolyard]

I hate the thought of staring a new thread every time I have a random question. I hope it's ok to just keep a thread going for them.

First question
In cp, for thinnest batter, Is it better to get to emulsification and then pour and get to trace in the individual color containers? I'm wanting the batter a bit thinner than I just achieved!

 

[lsg]

If dividing into several containers, just blend until you have a good emulsion and then divide the soap.

 

[Cellador]

I usually stick-blend to emulsion, add FOs & additives, then separate into individual color containers. You don't have to wait until trace to start pouring. A lot of more complex design work requires a really thin batter- waiting until you see trace on the batter can reduce the amount of time you have to play.

 

[IrishLass]

Here's a great swirling prep video from the SMF challenge video channel on youtube, where forum member Newbie shows what emulsification looks like and how to reach it:




IrishLass

 

[Saffron]

Great video. Thanks IrishLass (and Newbie). I could never tell when it had reached emulsion and would give it another stir just for good luck.... Now I know

 

[Laurabolyard]

Thank you!! That will buy me much more time!!

My white wasn't nearly white enough, I was going for a real muted blue and lavender with a nice white and black contrast against gray. Not enough black, for sure, but for the white I used a white mica. I now wish I had used TD (and more black). Is white mica best used for lightening colors only? It's only one tsp per lb oils, could I have used more?

My second attempt on the right. closer to the color pallet I was looking for, although the purple is now not muted enough.
I used TD this time and got a better white, although it's a bit 'crackly '. I didn't think I used too much. What do experienced soapers do to get a flawless bright white?

 

[Misschief]

That crackling is aka glycerin rivers. I love the look in some soaps and try to get it on purpose.

 

[Laurabolyard]

That crackling is aka glycerin rivers. I love the look in some soaps and try to get it on purpose.

Sorry, I hadn't posted the picture! Is there a reason it only happened with the TD?

 

[Misschief]

I'm not sure about all the science-y stuff. I have noticed that it happens mostly when I use TD. You can see a bit of it in this picture, in the white part. I'll let someone more knowledgeable in the science of it weigh in with explanations.

Salt And Pepper

• Misschief
• Feb 11, 2018

 

[Laurabolyard]

In a natural looking soap like yours, it looks great!! Natural looking soaps are actually my personal favorite, Therefore what I should be doing, but I feel compelled to practice/experiment with colors and swirls. HOW IS A NICE WHITE ACHIEVED??!!! Lol! The white mica sure didn't work. I'm guessing a start would be low olive oil.
I see so many designs on a white base, but I'm afraid! Not gel??

 

[Misschief]

My whitest soap was made with lard and tallow. They were also some of the hardest bars I've made.

 

[cmzaha]

Heat is the culprit with causing td to crackle. Here is a great site for information on soapmaking and TD Crackle and glycerin rivers https://auntieclaras.com/2014/05/glycerine-rivers-trying-to-understand-them/. By spending some time on Auntie Claras site you can lean a lot from her tests and experminents

 

[Steve85569]

For time and thin ( flowing) batter I use a water:lye ratio of 1.5 and plan, plan, plan.
Then I set up for it. Some of the FO's that I use do not allow much time so they get measured out ahead in small quantities and ONLY added when the color is ready to be poured- like in an Hombre or rainbow layer soap. That way I can take advantage of the FO accelerating to get clean layers.

That is a bit of my trial and error for you so you don't need to repeat it.
Steve

 

[Laurabolyard]

My whitest soap was made with lard and tallow. They were also some of the hardest bars I've made.

JUST lard and tallow? I would be willing to give that a try, I wonder how white mica would do added to that.

Heat is the culprit with causing td to crackle. Here is a great site for information on soapmaking and TD Crackle and glycerin rivers https://auntieclaras.com/2014/05/glycerine-rivers-trying-to-understand-them/. By spending some time on Auntie Claras site you can lean a lot from her tests and experminents

Thank you, heading there now!!
Edit... HOLY WOW!! I'm going to have to read that about 5 more times!! I have to first understand what's considered high and low water soap. I think I will understand a bit more with each read!

 

[IrishLass]

I use TD at a rate of 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. ppo to get a beautiful white. It's rare that I ever get 'glycerin rivers', but when it does happen, it can always be traced back to either my soap overheating during gel, or a particularly pesky/fast-moving FO causing my batter to abnormally heat up before I even pour the batter into the mold. And TD doesn't even have to be a part of the equation, because I've had it happen to me in batches without the addition of any TD. I think why it's associated so much with TD is because it shows up better in lighter colored soap.


IrishLass

 

[earlene]

Laura, you soap is beautiful! To get whiter soap, with or without TD, your choice of oils would be a good place to start. Making sure you are not using a discoloring fragrance is the next thing to look at.

I have found that TD doesn't really whiten, but only 'lightens' some soaping oils because they start out so dark. Some oils lighten on their own over time and the white can become whiter with some oils (OO, for example).

But if I use a discoloring oil like Dragon's Blood, then I will never have white soap, no matter what I do. Also some discoloring fragrances bleed and migrate into the rest of the soap, discoloring adjacent swirls.

And I have discovered some colorants bleed and migrate in the soap. Brick Red Oxide Pigment (BB) is one such colorant that will darken over time and bleed into lighter colored swirls which over a longer time becomes a solid brick red. I did not expect that when I soaped with it. I don't know how many colorants do that, but that one does for sure.

 

[Misschief]

JUST lard and tallow? I would be willing to give that a try, I wonder how white mica would do added to that.

Not just but those were the main oils, if I recall correctly. If I find the recipe I used, I'll share.

 

[Laurabolyard]

it can always be traced back to either my soap overheating during gel,


IrishLass

I am frustrated that I don't understand, yet, the following...
What conditions (soaping temp, water amounts) allow for soap to gel on its own, vs using the oven? My first cp, about 6 weeks ago, gelled just fine being wrapped in a towel. I THEN learned of putting it in the oven and turning it off. Ive done this with the last 3 batches as a "just to be sure" measure, but in doing so I may be doing more harm if the oven isn't needed.

Laura, you soap is beautiful! To get whiter soap, with or without TD, your choice of oils would be a good place to start. Making sure you are not using a discoloring fragrance is the next thing to look at.

I DO think that's a good place to start. One of my first soaps is nice and white on its own, I'll have to go back and see what I used, although I seem to remember it was 'shortening heavy'.
Do essential oils tend to discolor less?

Not just but those were the main oils, if I recall correctly. If I find the recipe I used, I'll share.

I would LOVE to give it a try!!

 

[Misschief]

This was one of the recipes that came out nice and white, from Soaping 101. The recipe is in the comments.

 

[Laurabolyard]

This was one of the recipes that came out nice and white, from Soaping 101. The recipe is in the comments.

OOOOOOHHH!! Beautiful!!