I am not a bold soaper -

He says... sadly.
I make one recipe, the same each time, with (seemingly) minor variations of color and scent, and maybe mixing temperature, and yet....
while several earlier batches worked just fine, my last two batches have insty-traced to like cold oatmeal... with indistinct colors, and inconsistent shape. (Learning point - don't try to swirl cold oatmeal.)

I cannot figure out why I'm suddenly tracing so quickly.

For the curious types, my recipe is:
- 5.6% avocado oil
- 16.7% coconut oil
- 19.4% olive oil
- 22.2% palm oil
- 27.8% palm kernel oil
- 8.3% shea butter

I use colors I got from a local craft store, which don't color very well. This time it was white and purple. Maybe the white was Titanium Dioxide, but there's no way to be sure.

My essential oils this batch were:
.5 oz Tea Tree
.5 oz Lavender
.2 oz Palmerosa
.1 oz Cinnamon
1 eye-dropper Vetiver
Essential oils were about 4% of the total oil weight.

I mixed the oils/lye at about 105F, and added the EOs right after.
No stick-blending... just stirring with a spoon, and by the time i had broken the batch into two tubs for the two colors, it was already set up.

Is there a list of essential oils that trigger quick trace?
I'd feel better if I had any idea what's going on.

Thanks to all for your insight.
Todd_in_Sad-esota

Cinnamon! Don't know if you're using bark or leaf but the leaf seizes every time for me.

Also your recipe is about 40% CO and PKO which can contribute to faster trace.

How much lye & water are you using? % superfat? Water discount? These can also affect how quickly your soap sets up.

Batch size? Based on amount of EO, I'm thinking 1-2 lbs?

Sorry to ask more questions than give answers but it's the best way to trouble shoot.

I am not sure about the mix you have for your soap base, but your essential oils are mixed at 4%, which this website, and everything i have ever read about essential oils suggest only 3%. Sometimes essential oils can make a batch of soap hotter, thus getting trace faster. maybe reduce your percentage, and like the post above, see what cinnamon you are using, and try one with lesser strength (From what i remember cinnamon is a heat culprit)? I use EO's alot, and sorry but that is the only area i can offer help in. good luck!

Hey Judy,
Thanks for asking!
My oil weight is 29.3 oz. Water is 8.3 oz. I superfat 5% - so 4oz Lye as per www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php.
Total weight is around 41 oz. - 2.5 lbs.
Cinnamon EO is Cinnamon Leaf, from Wyndmere Naturals.

I agree the two hard oils could be contributing, but other times I've mixed this recipe it's required stick-blending to even start to trace...
Could mixing colder (105F instead of 115F) matter?

Also - like 'My Mountain' proposed, I DID get the sense that the Cinnamon essential oil was somehow 'warmer'... Not sure what that means, but it seemed that way to me while I was mixing.

And, thanks again for helping!
T

judymoody said:

Cinnamon! Don't know if you're using bark or leaf but the leaf seizes every time for me.

Also your recipe is about 40% CO and PKO which can contribute to faster trace.

How much lye & water are you using? % superfat? Water discount? These can also affect how quickly your soap sets up.

Batch size? Based on amount of EO, I'm thinking 1-2 lbs?

Sorry to ask more questions than give answers but it's the best way to trouble shoot.

Click to expand...

good luck on your next batch/re-batch!

My feeling is the cinnamon as well. I did a mix that included cinnamon and clove last night and now feel glad it went as well as it did--it got textured but went into detailed molds pretty well. I soaped cooler than you did--lye and oils right around 100, I think (I usually soap much hotter).

I think for next time you should mix your colors well first, so have two pots and two containers of lye water. Then blend in your EOs, (or blend in earlier and then divide up the oils into 2 pots) then just stir the lye in, or pulse a tiny bit with the stick-blender. Whichever one you mix first, don't touch that pot with a stick blender until you have the second color at emulsion. Not trace, although that will come in moments.

I would really cut down the amount of coconut oil and palm kernel and increase olive oil

I agree with Renata....way too much Coconut and Palm Kernel...would be way too drying for most skin. I would drop the total to around 20-25% and increase the Olive. Will also give you more play time.

Another vote here for the cinnamon, especially since you've used that recipe before with success.


Sent from my iPhone using Soap Making

Yes it is the cinnamon leaf. Cassia and clove EOs will also do that.

You are asking for help slowing this down, not on your recipe. Your recipe might be drying to some folks in this forum, but if you like it, leave it alone.

This happens to me every fall as I introduce soaps with spices.

Slow things down by:

1. using more water or whatever liquid you use. You'll have to wait a bit longer to unmold and cut, no big deal.

2. Soap at cooler temperature. This can be done by dissolving your lye in a frozen or semi-frozen liquid.

3. Do not stick blend after you introduce the scents, just blend by hand.

4. I have given up on swirls with accelerating scents. You can still do some layering, but I have re-embraced the solid colors. You can use a stamp to dress the soaps up a bit.

Wow -
All you folks are great!
Thanks so much for the ideas, and the expertise.
Next batch, I"ll lay off the cinnamon - and when I become a more bold soaper I'll start adjusting the recipe toward softer oils.

Thanks again for helping.
Todd

P.S.
I propose a 'sticky' that lists known trace-accelerants.
So far I've personally witnessed:
- sweet birch (betula lenta) - instant bricks!
- cinnamon leaf - instant cream-of-wheat
And the forum reports:
- cassia
- clove

What else do we know about?

I've not experienced myself but floras are bad for accelerating/seizing. Gardenia seems to be especially bad. Pine tar really accelerates, you have a pretty limited amount of time to get it stirred in and poured.

That is a really good idea, stickies in the EO forum and is there one for FOs?

Sweet birch is potentially toxic in small %; even in a wash off product I'd go sparingly or avoid it all together.