Slowing down trace

I am new to soap making and have made a lot of batches so far. I still cannot figure out how to slow down trace. I tried to do a column swirl and it didn't work out since the soap was hardening up too fast and wouldn't pour smoothly enough. Any ideas? I cool down my lye and oil mix to 100 before mixing. I use only floral or citrus eo/fragrances.

Need to know more about what oils and scents you are using. Some scents like rose can speed up trace quickly . I try not to mix my oils and lys tell they're down to 80°. I have a found adding some of your fragrance oil to the oils before you add your lye to the oils helps.

Soaping cool and having a recipe with a lot of liquid oils can be pretty big factors in helping to slow down trace. Also be wary not to go too stick-blender crazy.
I've heard of some folks using lecithin to help slow down trace, however I've never done it. I find when I've added salt to my lye water for a harder bar, it can speed up my trace quite a bit.
What does your recipe look like? Are you adding any extras that could maybe be effecting your trace?

Whenever I do any fancy swirls,I use these methods:
- Use oils which from my experience slow down trace,for example lard instead palm, virgin olive oil instead of pomace, I also add sunflower HO or almond oil and generally use either large (>35%) amount of olive oil or >20% of HO sunflower; I avoid cocoa butter or shea since I soap at low temps
- Put my lye water into freezer to make it really cold
- This could be controversial but I also put my melted oils into the freezer for some time (I watch them carefully and take out if they start being cloudy) - I never had any issues with separation (yet )
- Use only selected EOs and FOs, avoid anything that could speed up trace (clove,flower FOs, untested fragrances from the latest delivery - ask me how do I know :???
- I rarely discount water;If I really trust my scent I would go down to 31% lye concentration but not higher
- If I want to use various colours,I use my blender only to the point of emulsification - so that the oils and lye water do not separate anymore when I stop blending, but I am still faaar away from lightest trace - I separate my batch then and mix in colours
- When I want to be uber safe, or whenever I don't want to stick to one of the above rules, I also avoid sugar (sorbitol/milk/beer) in my soap because it also speeds up trace for me

canola is a slow tracing oil. even at 5% it really helps me thinks.

Lard is my favorite oil to use for a slow trace plus it makes great soap.

Soap about 80 degrees both oil and lye, use a well known FO that gives you plenty of time. Cranberry Fig, Sensuous Sandalwood, Lemon Grass are good ones from BB. Also, this will take practice but soap when it is VERY light trace or just emulsified, so don't stick blend too long but your oils need to be mixed well with the lye but not thick... thin. You will figure this out, lots of batches of soaps and experimenting.

What is sunflower ho? What percentage of lard can I use in a recipe and what oils should I replace with lard?

I would say that it is probably those floral fos. Generally they really move fast.

I use anywhere from 25% to 80% lard. I would replace your palm or other hard oils like shea butter or coco butter. If you post your recipe, we can help you figure out amounts.

Thank you for all this help. I'll get my next recipe together and post it for ideas of substituting fats.

lard

If I use 25 % to 60% lard, what other oils should I use? My intent is to slow down trace so that I can do column swirls.

Go very easy on the stick blender and stir mostly by hand with a wire whisk (don't actually whisk, just stir) this has helped me SO much.

Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?

What is sunflower ho?

High Oleic Sunflower is very high in oleic (monounsaturated) acid and has a minimum 80% oleic acid. Many soapers use HO sunflower oil in soapmaking these days for its cost, moisturizing properties and vitamin E. Also, sunflower oil helps to slow down trace .

marie743 said:

Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?

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I have done soap successfully without a stick blender. I just stir with the whisk until I reach trace.. But success with that may have a lot to do with the fragrance oil. I find that I need very little stick blending just a few pulses here and there and the rest by hand. I haven't had a batch separate or not firm up yet. .. Even when pouring very thin.

marie743 said:

Thanks for the advice. Does the stirring without the stick blender allow the oils/lye to mix well and eventually reach trace? Is the stick blender even necessary?

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My first few batches of soaps were made without a stick blender. You don't exactly need a stick blebder but it makes life easier for you.

Without a stick blender, depending on the recipe, I might need to hand whisk/stir for 45 minutes to longer than an hour for it to reach light trace.

Is almond or sunflower oil bought from grocery stores workable in soap? Also, I use a lye calculator for my recipes. Is there something else that I need to do since you mention "discounting water"? What is discounting water? Thanks for all the help

^^^

yes food grade oils will do. i use them all the time.

Lard

I have read that lard is good in soap, but does anyone know it's qualities? Is lard worth using as opposed to oils that condition the skin?