Why oh why are my soaps doing this???

[Relle]

Hi Relle, I tried baking paper but I was all thumbs and I found it hard to get out of the mould. I LOVE freezer paper and I've learned to fold it so it's just like a paper box inside the mould. Expensive but worth it. I got my TD from a supplier in the UK but I've got some from Heirloom that I might try next. The TD I'm using dissolves immediately in the water with no clumps at all. I was just adding all the oils together and heating at the same time so I'll try doing them separately. The red dye was from am aussie supplier and it's now in the bloody bin!!! I'm absolutely gutted that they're looking so awful! BTW I'm in Oz too. Thanks so much for helping. I'll let you all know how it goes.
.

I've got TD from Kerry at Heirloom and find it OK. I've also got my red liquid colour from her but found to get that colour red of yours with no bleeding I need to add Aussie Red Reef Clay which I got from New Directions. I knew you were in Oz, thats why I mentioned the baking paper. I do the same and make a box thingey to sit in my mould with the paper - its what you get use to I suppose. What area are you in ?

 

[kdaniels8811]

I think your soaps look awesome! Not seeing any problem....

 

[deirdreanne]

Hi Relle, I tried baking paper but I was all thumbs and I found it hard to get out of the mould. I LOVE freezer paper and I've learned to fold it so it's just like a paper box inside the mould. Expensive but worth it. I got my TD from a supplier in the UK but I've got some from Heirloom that I might try next. The TD I'm using dissolves immediately in the water with no clumps at all. I was just adding all the oils together and heating at the same time so I'll try doing them separately. The red dye was from am aussie supplier and it's now in the bloody bin!!! I'm absolutely gutted that they're looking so awful! BTW I'm in Oz too. Thanks so much for helping. I'll let you all know how it goes.
deirdreanne ----- was in Vancouver for a few days last year on our way to Alaska. Loved Vancouver and we'll definitely go back there again....you have a beautiful city and you are all so friendly.

Glad to hear you liked Vancouver! Come again!

I had this issue once when I rushed mixing TD in (water soluble, dissolved in a bit of water). When I stick blend well, it doesn't seem to happen.

Hope everything works out for you! I really love the design of the second soap.

 

[Sinny]

Relle -- I'm in Coffs Harbour. How about you? Did a batch tonight making some adjustments as per everyone's advice so fingers crossed!!!!

 

[retmcp]

I have had that happen to one of my batches but I have never used TD. Interesting if you did a batch without it and see if you get better results. The recipe I used was equal parts of coconut, palm, olive, sunflower and castor (20% of each). Someone on another forum suggested it may be stearic acid, but I have no idea what the cause is.
I was using the ordinary baking paper, but recently changed to Glad Bake which is good.
Loretta

 

[soapnmomma]

I have had this happen to me MANY times and it turned out to be the TD. It happened EVERY single time I used TD! So I do not use TD anymore. I tried everything with the TD to see if it made a difference but I still got the same results. But maybe make a batch with the exact same recipe and FO and leave out the TD and see if it still happens. I have read some FOs can do this also but I have never experienced it from FOs.

 

[paillo]

I don't use TD so can't comment, but I LOVE the crackley look! Looks like faux paint or stained glass or something else arty. I've had soaps rice on me with similar results, and after initial dismay decided I loved the look after all. I think yours are beautiful just as they are even if they're not what you planned

 

[countymounty22]

Never give up. You will always have your failures. That is what makes this so fun. The questions I always ask myself are does it still clean and does it smell okay. If you are not selling it but thosetwo questions can be answered with yes, throw it in a box marked survival bars and use them whenever. The survival box is a joke at work. In the event of collapse, iam in charge of guns and soap. Soap on.

 

[Lynnz]

I sometimes experience this very same crackling effect and tend to think it is the palm/TD mostly. I know a soaper here in Queensland that will not use her palm until she has melted it all down stirred the dickens out of it and allowed it to reset Since doing so she rarely experiences any problems...........three factors Palm TD and heat will sometimes cause this effect. Personally I dont mind it.

 

[Relle]

Relle -- I'm in Coffs Harbour. How about you? Did a batch tonight making some adjustments as per everyone's advice so fingers crossed!!!!

I'm in Sydney. My brother lives near Woolgoolga and my sister lived in Mullaway up until November and moved to Forster. Haven't been up that way for a couple of years now.
I love your new soap, glad it turned out alright for you.:grin:

 

[la-rene]

I had this happen with my oxides. I contacted the nice people over at Brambleberry and they suggested that I was letting the soap get too hot in the mold. (I knew they were probably right as those batches that had the streaks also had that wrinkly skin texture on top from overheating. Someone called it Alien Brains....)

I made another batch and did not let the soap gel and had no clear streaks at all. It happened with titanium dioxide, burgundy oxide and a yellow oxide. If the soap doesn't gel or if it does, doesn't over heat it seems to work better. For me, anyway.

 

[terminatortoo]

I think your soap is absolutely gorgeous! I would love to make soap look like that on purpose.

 

[Desert Karen]

Thanks guys. I was just mixing the TD with a little water then adding it to the mix but it never turned out right. I read someone else put the TD in the lye and when I tried it, it mixed in really well and it turned out great. The red dye is an oxide! Never had trouble with them before! The red dye in the other picture is a new liquid one and it's just bleeding all over the place! Umm, I didn't know you had to stir the palm before melting it.....seems like a messy task if it's a bit solidified, but I'll give that a go.
I don't understand why there are clear like bits in both the colours....too much lye? I use mms lye calculator. Not fully gelling? I dunno. Here are a couple more I've just done that have done the same thing.....although the green one I did last night is the one I mixed the TD in the lye. The green is awful, all crackly and crap!! They're bloody awful!!! Awww, maybe I wasn't meant to be a soap maker :sad: I'll try all your suggestions though, and thank you all so much you're ever so helpful!

OMGOSH! You think your soap is crappy??? I think it's seriously AWESOME! I love the crackle effect. :-D

 

[sapone]

Call me crazy, but I think they are all very very cool like that.:smile: