What are these ghosts in my soap?

[ibct1969]

Hi All,

I made soap with 90% lard and 10% CO recently. Lard and CO were both around 120 when I SB them and poured them in the mold. I set the mold on a heating pad for 30 minutes on med/high. The next day when I cut the soap I could see partial gel in 2 bars and the other two had what I can only describe as ghosts. What are those ghosts?

 

[BattleGnome]

For lack of a better term, those are ghosts or possibly fancy steric spots.

Swirls like that happen when something in the batter isn't fully mixed or the oils happen to cool at different rates. Someone in another thread said to scrape the sides of the bowl more when mixing or to slow the temperature changes somehow. They don't effect the soap in anyway and I find them to be super pretty. If you want to prevent them in the future you might try controlling the cool down more with towels or a box.

(I'll add the note that I have yet to get any internal swirling like that. I'm basing my reply on things I've read on the forum)

 

[Seawolfe]

Different water amounts / lye concentrations can make swirls like these ghost swirls. Or yeah, maybe stearic clouds or just not mixed enough. In any case its pretty

 

[Primrose]

For lack of a better term, those are ghosts or possibly fancy steric spots.

Swirls like that happen when something in the batter isn't fully mixed or the oils happen to cool at different rates. Someone in another thread said to scrape the sides of the bowl more when mixing or to slow the temperature changes somehow. They don't effect the soap in anyway and I find them to be super pretty. If you want to prevent them in the future you might try controlling the cool down more with towels or a box.

(I'll add the note that I have yet to get any internal swirling like that. I'm basing my reply on things I've read on the forum)

Wow, thanks for that link, that's fascinating! And those soaps are beautiful. I must try this, as an admirer of "the plain soap"

 

[navigator9]

Sometimes these streaks can be pretty, as in Seawolf's case, but at other times they're just annoying. There are various possible causes, but here's what I do to prevent streaking, in case you decide you want to do that. After stick blending to desired trace, take your spatula and scrape along the bottom and sides of the pot and stir thoroughly for a few seconds before pouring into your mold. I do this every time I soap, and it has prevented streaking for me.

 

[ibct1969]

I have seen Auntie Clara's ghost swirl soaps- beautiful right? I probably couldn't do that if I tried She is a master.

I had to SB the heck out of this soap to get it to trace but I did not scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Lesson learned b/c I don't like those ghosts.