Why does my soap look like this?

[MihiriBubbles]

Recently I've had a couple batches of soap end up with this weird crackling inside. I read somewhere that it could be from unwanted gel phasing. It's been pretty warm in my home lately, should I find a cooler spot to store my soap? I wasn't sure the best way to store soap. I've seen people put their soap in styrofoam boxes after they've poured them, and some just keep their soaps on a shelf in a dark, cool area (which is usually what I do).

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Aw, that's a bummer, such a beautiful design and then these weird craquelée patterns everywhere.

Pretty sure these are glycerin rivers. Indeed triggered by hot temperatures during saponification, and slow cooling, as well as high water content, and amplified by mineral pigments (titanium dioxide). Insulation after pouring (towel, styrofoam, oven) will likely worsen this.
https://auntieclaras.com/2014/05/glycerine-rivers-secret-revealed/

 

[lsg]

It looks like glycerin rivers to me, too.

 

[Ford]

Cry me a river . The TD I use. Is water and oil soluble. Got better results with oil. Also using less water in general is a good thing. When it comes to glycerin river's. What was your liquid: lye ratio?

 

[Zing]

BEAUTIFUL soap! Your questions make it sound like you are a beginner -- but that soap looks like an expert made it. Wow.

Do a good search on this forum for preventing glycerin rivers. After my experience, now I soap at less that 100 degrees. And my lye to lye-liquid ratio is 32.5% Some people embrace glycerin rivers. My trick is to call all unplanned events "rustic."

I store my cured soaps in cardboard shoe boxes punched with holes. I throw a coupla cotton balls with the essential oil, and a coupla silica gel packets. People should not box up soap after unmolding and cutting. It needs to be out 4-6 weeks to cure. Stagger the bars so there is air circulation. I turn my bars once per week.

And can I just say that since @ResolvableOwl has joined us, you have certainly upped the game with your vocabulary! Craquelée?'

EDIT: I meant to say I do all the glycerin river prevention things when I use titanium dioxide.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

@MihiriBubbles, @Zing
Actually I'm officially unqualified to talk about glycerin rivers, I can't reproduce them myself by any household means. But I'd love to.

And can I just say that since @ResolvableOwl has joined us, you have certainly upped the game with your vocabulary! Craquelée?'

I kindly ask for forgiveness. Seriously, it's not that uncommon a word for the cracks in old oil paintings and ceramic glazes, and tbh I needed two or three tries until I wrote it correctly into the translator. First hit was “roister, make noise”… the fancy accents come from lazy copy&paste.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Recently I've had a couple batches of soap end up with this weird crackling inside. I read somewhere that it could be from unwanted gel phasing. It's been pretty warm in my home lately, should I find a cooler spot to store my soap? I wasn't sure the best way to store soap. I've seen people put their soap in styrofoam boxes after they've poured them, and some just keep their soaps on a shelf in a dark, cool area (which is usually what I do).

First off your soap is beautiful' i'd agree w/ the commits above' looks like GR to me too.

 

[MihiriBubbles]

Thank you everyone for the advice on glycerin rivers!
And thank you for the sweet comments about the soap design! This was my sixth ever batch of cp soap - I've been dreaming of making cp but just stuck with m&p for the last two years while I did my research. Apparently I should have researched "glycerin rivers" though

 

[Zing]

Fun fact: I accidentally stumbled upon this forum the first time I got glycerin rivers and I did not even know what term to use. I couldn't believe how total strangers were so helpful to me -- plus I just had no idea what a large soaping community there was!

 

[Todd Ziegler]

Thank you everyone for the advice on glycerin rivers!
And thank you for the sweet comments about the soap design! This was my sixth ever batch of cp soap - I've been dreaming of making cp but just stuck with m&p for the last two years while I did my research. Apparently I should have researched "glycerin rivers" though

Welcome to the forum and you are officially banned lol. It's not fair for a beginner to be that talented.

I really am joking. It's so great to see beginners with talent because it is the life blood of any hobby or addiction in my case. Without new people like you the art would never survive.

By the way it's a beautiful soap.

 

[MellonFriend]

That is not soap, it is pie. You should ask a baker why it cracked.

 

[MihiriBubbles]

Update! I reduced my water amount and stored in a cooler area and it seems to have helped! I didn't get the swirls quite as nice as the first batch, but no gross craquelée Thanks for the help and nice comments everyone!

 

[Zing]

sooo very hungry now

 

[AliOop]

sooo very hungry now

... pumpkin mousse is what comes to mind for me. Or maybe butterscotch ice cream pie.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm hungry

 

[Juggsy]

Update! I reduced my water amount and stored in a cooler area and it seems to have helped! I didn't get the swirls quite as nice as the first batch, but no gross craquelée Thanks for the help and nice comments everyone!

This is soap my mother would save! If it's pretty, or smells good she stashes it - likely with her undies and bras - "delicates" (she definitely would correct my language).

 

[AliOop]

undies and bras - "delicates"

aka "unmentionables."