Swirlgasm!

[TashaBird]

I went a little nuts with the swirling, but it was super fun! I used clays, charcoal, and indigo for the colorants and fir, orange, and rosemary EO. I’m a little worried about the crystally stuff on top. But, everything seemed to go right during the making. So, I’ve been told to keep calm and let it cure. Nighty night soap babies!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Swirlgasm!

Luv it!

 

[Megan]

You know, in my head I'm like blacks and browns and neutrals are so boring...but then I see this and I'm like

 

[TashaBird]

You know, in my head I'm like blacks and browns and neutrals are so boring...but then I see this and I'm like

I mostly prefer the earthy tones, except for the pink soap I made which, for some reason I just love!

 

[AliOop]

These look great! You got a fantastically straight diagonal line going there.

The crystal stuff on top is soda ash. I get a lot of that with charcoal soaps, myself. Definitely don't worry about it.

 

[TashaBird]

These look great! You got a fantastically straight diagonal line going there.

The crystal stuff on top is soda ash. I get a lot of that with charcoal soaps, myself. Definitely don't worry about it.

It zapped the hell outta my tongue, not just a little, so I’m still kind of worried. But, it was mixed and thickening for real, so I’ll let it cure and see how it goes. Thank you though! I really LOVE how they look! I’m trying to get a good swirl recipe and technique, based on the oils and ingredients I have.

 

[AliOop]

It zapped the hell outta my tongue, not just a little, so I’m still kind of worried. But, it was mixed and thickening for real, so I’ll let it cure and see how it goes. Thank you though! I really LOVE how they look! I’m trying to get a good swirl recipe and technique, based on the oils and ingredients I have.

Remember that most CP soaps will zap for at least the first 72 hours, because it takes that long for saponification to be complete.

Lye that is thoroughly dissolved in the water before mixing doesn't generally precipitate out. However, I've learned to pour in my lye water through a strainer, because there can be small crystals or even significant chunks that didn't dissolve. Those are the chunks you need to worry about since they will not be "activated" by the water and thus will not react with the oils to create soap - they will remain in the soap as lye.

Ask me how I know this, and I'll show you pics of a batch where I did just that, thinking that I could stick-blend the lye bits into the soap and be fine. NOT! And it was one of my first big (6 lbs, big for me) batches, too.

Anyway, as long as you are sure you dissolved your lye well, and you strained it as you poured it into the batter, then those aren't lye crystals on top of your soap. Also, it would be very odd for them to be only on top of your soap, as opposed to being dispersed all the way through it.

 

[TheDebby]

Two swirls for the price of one, I love it!