Tracing ultra fast with mango butter

[eleraine]

My latest soap went into crazy mode and traced ultra quick the moment I poured the lye into the oils. I barely had time to toss in my essential oils, pour one layer into the mould, colour another layer and assemble together without having to put up with air pockets (I hope not!).

The recipe for 700 gms oil and superfat at 7% with a lye concentrate of 30.5% (it's premade lye). I soaped at 40 C. I had mango butter at 25%, the rest are soft oils.

EOs are Ylang Ylang, May Chang and 4 Thieves
Additives are ginseng powder and coix seed powder
Colourant is cinnamon powder.

I also added in some ROE (about 1-2 ml) into the base oils.

I don't think the colourant and EOs are the problem. It could be the additives although I have never known powders to quicken trace that fast! Could it be the mango butter or the ROE? Hm, I'm definitely going to repeat this again with minor changes - make my own lye at maybe 36-38%, soap at a lower temp and toss the powder in later.

Gah. Will take a pic later.

 

[eleraine]

Don't know if you can see the soap clearly but here are some pics of the soap in the mold...

 

[dirrdee]

Im a noob so not sure about the other stuff, but I use mango butter frequently and I have quick trace too. I've been wondering why too so curious as to the reply's here.

 

[semplice]

I have a pound of organic mango butter I was thinking about soaping. I'm curious as well.

On a sidenote: how easy is it to unmold using the acrylic molds?

 

[eleraine]

@semplice - it depends on when you unmould it and the recipe. But generally, if it's done before 16 hours, it's okay to unmould. Just push downwards, etc. But if after, you'll need to pop it in the oven for a couple of minutes.

 

[IrishLass]

You are experiencing what is known as 'pseudu trace'. Pseudo trace looks and feels like it's a real trace- and a very quick/accelerating one at that- but it's not real trace at all. What's happening is that the naturally occurring stearic content in the mango butter is re-solidifying or precipitating out of fluid suspension because the temp is too cool to keep it fluid.

The remedy is to soap warmer when working with the higher stearic fats like mango butter, cocoa butter, kokum butter, hydrogenated PKO, etc.... When working with such higher stearic fats, you need to find that 'sweet spot' temp to where you are able to keep the naturally present stearic in the fat from re-solidifying or precipitating out throughout your entire soaping session as other things are added to your batter that could bring the overall temp down too far below their melting points.

For me and my own particular formulas, I've found the 'sweet spot' temp to soap at is when my oils have reached at least 120F and my lye solution is just warm to the touch. Since soaping my high stearic fats this way, it has totally eliminated pseudo trace for me.


IrishLass

 

[eleraine]

AHHHHHHHHHHHH...thanks for the insight. I reckon it's also because instead of just 5% mango butter (in my first bar), I'm using 25% which is a huge difference! I guess that means I should soap at a higher temperature (I love the recipe too much to change it).

I hope I get soap...from the search, I read you mentioned that the white spots are stearic spots - I think I'm seeing that now since the soap has gelled. Still okay for use?

 

[IrishLass]

As long as your soap does not zap, it is perfectly safe to use.

IrishLass

 

[dirrdee]

I usually soap at 120 for oils AND lye, so if I take my lye temp lower (room temp) will my recipe with Mango butter take longer to trace?

 

[eleraine]

@IrishLass, I licked my soap (unmold and sliced it) and it tasted like soap. So yay!!!! The stearic spots are not very obvious - just a couple here and there. Overall, the soap, well, it looked like soap (I think I'm falling in love with the textured appearance). Here is a pic:

@dirrdee, I soap about 104 (40 C) for both and it went to pseudo trace instantly. The issue is that mango butter (or other stearic rich butters) will start solidifying at lower temps, etc so it won't take longer to trace but the opposite instead. Maybe you may want to retain 120 for the lye but push the oil up to 135 min? I'm going to retain lye at 40°C and push up the oil to at least 55°C the next time I attempt this just to see what will happen.

 

[Robbiegirl]

Your soap is beautiful.

 

[dirrdee]

that soap is absolutely gorgeous!! I love it.

side note: I will try the oil temp increase next time I soap and see what happens...thanks for the tip!

 

[IrishLass]

Eleraine- your soap is absolutely lovely! I love your stamp, too. Very elegant and classy.


IrishLass

 

[dubnica]

The soap looks great!

P.S. I also like your blog.

 

[Faegirvlva]

As long as your soap does not zap, it is perfectly safe to use.

IrishLass

What if it zapsat first, but then stops zapping as it cures?

 

[Lin19687]

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