Oils at trace?

laVale · May 16, 2009

Hello!
I read that it's better to add "precious" oils at atrace, so they will keep better their properties in soap.

I have a recipe with coconut, olive, avocado, almond, shea butter and jojoba.
Olive and coconut are at 64%, so I guess I won't have any trace with just 2 of them and lye solution, or if I get any trace, there will sill be a lot of soda in need to react, so when I will add the rest of my oils, they will lose anyway their properties.
What would you do?

Ciao
Vale

carebear · May 16, 2009

for CP soaping, it's been shown that it doesn't matter if you add them at the beginning (my recommendation) with all the other oils, or at trace. The vast majority of the saponification happens in the mold. PLUS, soap is not static - the fatty acids swap themselves in and out of the "salts" (the saponified fatty acids are then salts, go figure). so don't complicate things by adding oils at the end - you are more likely to forget them.

second, both shea and jojoba have a high level of unsaponifiables - so it REALLY wouldn't matter for them

so pour all your oils together and add your lye...

laVale · May 16, 2009

Thanks!
So at trace I just add "additives" (FO, EO, colors...)?

Guest · May 16, 2009

That is how I do it, at trace I add the goodies etc.

Kitn

xraygrl · May 16, 2009

When I did cp I just added all the oils/butters up front like carebear says. It doesn't make a bit of difference. Everything else fo's colors, etc at trace.

laVale · May 18, 2009

Hello!
I have to pictures of the soaps I made during the weekend, it's "baby grand" from "the soapmaker's companion" by Susan Miller Cavitch.

The first had jojoba and avocado at trace (I guess I didn't mix them well, after trace, but it was getting too dense), the first had all fats together.

Both are CPOP, with 38% water.
The first is a bit strange. Do you think I can use it (after curing, of course)?