Question about cp method

[pleiades]

After several evenings reading the posts on this forum, I came across a link to a you tube video showing how to make swirls. Intrigued I watched several you tube videos by the same person and now have a question.

From what I've read and from what I've seen here, any additives, colours and fragrance are added at trace.

I've seen clay, fragrances mixed with various milks added to the oils before the lye mixture reaches the oils.

What is the advantage of doing this? What are the disadvantages? Does this hinder gelling? I didn't think the fragrances would survive the lye stage but they obviously do.

What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Cosmo]

If working with more than one color, I will mix my oils and lye until just emulsified, separate out the amount of mixture I want for each color, add the color and then bring the soap to trace.

If making soap just one color, you can add your color to the oils before the lye if you want, since you are not separating colors. I tend to add my additives and colors at emulsification in this case though, too.

Fragrances I always add after the lye, again at emulsification (the point where the oils and lye turn opaque).

No matter when you add fragrances or additives, in my experience their is no difference in gelling.

 

[lsg]

You can also add you fragrances to your oils before adding the lye. Here is a great tutuorial on in the pot swirling in which she explains why she adds the f.o. to her oils.

http://www.magdoline.com/2010/03/kb-shi ... video.html