two stages of gel?

And gel rings.

This is a calendula oatmeal soap (sorry about the streaks).

The middle of the loaf had a darker oval inside a lighter oval, in the middle of the ungelled soap. Towards the ends of the loaf, there is a standing heat wave apparently, areas with hotter and cooler soap, making wave or ring patterns inside the soap.

The patterns were completely different on the faces of the cut soaps, as I hope you can see in the bars towards the back.


DSC01447 by rosetalleo, on Flickr

In spite of the partial gel, I adore the color and texture of your soap. It sounds so yummy, and I love the topping. I will have to get my hands on some calendula soon! Thanks for posting the photo.

What an interesting look the 'gel' rings have given.

I grow calendula, but still haven't made any into soap. What FO/EO did you use? The colour and texture of the tops looks great.

those streaks are caused by the calendula petals dragging thru the soap as you cut it. i avoid this by turning the loaf on its side and cutting side-to-side instead of top-to-bottom. hth!

I did not think it is a pretty soap, but I am fascinated with it, and I don't think the customer will mind. I had never seen two gel stages or shades (with a very distinct boundary) plus gel rings, like a standing wave.

As I cut it the center of the loaf had the inner darker ring, surrounded by the other lighter gell ring. This was maybe the half central portion. Then, gel rings 'moved' along the loaf in such a way that the gel marks are completely different on one side of the bar than the other, just like a giant swirl. It is as if the soap needs three distinct temperatures, a cool one not to gel, a higher temperature for the lighter gel stage, and a certain higher temperature (and above) for the darker inner ring gel. Then these regions of higher temperature are distributed within the soap loaf as a standing thermal wave. I told you i was fascinated by it.

When I saw the lovely pastel yellow of the soap batter from the calendula petals I tried not to gel. The soap I made after it did not gel (honey oatmeal, I posted a picture in the CP section). I placed both in the freezer for 2 hours and in the fridge for overnight, plus soaped at around 90F. The difference was that I used 10% less water in the soap where i successfully avoided gel.

Even though partial gell is undesirable, I rather like it! and yes, the calendula and oat pieces drag across, I can cut it upside down if I put the petals and flakes on top again in the future.

This soap is made with about 30% infused calendula petals oil (after I dry them completely). I used 1/4 cup powdered dried petals in a pint of oil. Heated in a warm oven for about 6 hours, and left at room temperature 3-4 days. The soap has a very slight herbal calendula scent, I call it unscented. This is one of my unscented soaps, but just like chocolate, it does have its own subtle scent.