Am I doing this right???? AACCKKK!!!

[tchad21ut]

I posted this in the introduction forum too, cause I'm a newbie to all this, but if someone could please help answer my questions, I'll be forever grateful!

I just finished my first 2 batches of CP and WOW, that was fun!! but Im still not convinced that Im doing this all the right way...
So do you mind if I ask a couple questions to all your ADVANCED soapmakers?
ok, maybe a few more than a couple, but I want to make sure that I am doing this right....

First of all, does it matter when you mix the lye and water with your oils, temperature wise? I read that you can mix them as long as they are within 20 degrees of each other.. I just was not sure if I could do it at a higher temp to keep it liquid for longer while I do color and fragrance oils.. or if I should wait till it drops to about 100 or so?

After I mix everything, when is the best time to add color and fragrance or essential oils??

I am almost positive that because of the oils that I was using are yellowish in color, the soap turned out pretty yellow in one batch.. I tried to mix in some purple, but didn't really do much at all... it just kind of turned it a yellowey brown color... are there oils that I can use that promote more of a white base to add color into?

now that they are all poured and everything, they still REALLY smell like the olive oil or something, almost overpowering the fragrance, will this switch after it cures for a couple of weeks? or is the fragrance that it is now going to be the same fragrance at the end of the process?
One of my batches smells almost yeasty.. Im not sure if that is the fragrance that I was using, but it almost smells like BEER! which is not what i was expecting at all.. what did I do wrong???

Only a couple more I promise!! :?

One of my batches turned out rather well, though I got really scared when it turned almost lumpy and really thick while i was mixing with my stick blender, is this normal? am I supposed to pour BEFORE I get to that thickness? or is that the perfect time to pour it?

I really should take pictures of some just to show you what Im seeing, but for now, this will have to do...

Thanks everyone in advance for ALL your help!!!

 

[7053joanne]

OK...hopefully this will be helpful.

There are different methods to making CP. If you do RT then you can use the heat of the lye/water mix to melt your hard oils and you don't need to worry about the temperatures too much.

I usually wait for a light trace to add any additives and fragrance. If you are looking for a more white color you can add titianium dioxide.

Sometimes with frangrances they get stronger as they cure. However, the opposite is also true. If you used EOs then often you need to use a bit more or use something to anchor the scent or it will disappear on you.

As for the lumpiness....that may have been caused by a fragrance.....I have had that happen a few times and the soap has always turned out fine. The goal for me is to pour before I get to that point...especially if I am swirling.

Hope this helps and good luck

Joanne

 

[Lane]

I replied in the other post....

 

[mandolyn]

I posted this in the introduction forum too, cause I'm a newbie to all this, but if someone could please help answer my questions, I'll be forever grateful!

>First of all, does it matter when you mix the lye and water with your oils, >temperature wise? I read that you can mix them as long as they are >within 20 degrees of each other.. I just was not sure if I could do it at a >higher temp to keep it liquid for longer while I do color and fragrance >oils.. or if I should wait till it drops to about 100 or so?

Depends. I don't agonize too much about mixing temps, but that's just me. I've never had problems doing it my way. I wait till the lye/water are anywhere from 100 - 110 degrees F & the oil pot is warm to the touch. That's it.

>After I mix everything, when is the best time to add color and fragrance >or essential oils??

At trace. I add my fragrance last just in case it's going to accelerate trace, that way I don't have to worry about whether or not I have time to get my color added.

If I do a swirl, I add color at very light trace, so I have plenty of time & so the mix pours freely for the swirl effect to happen. I do in-the-pot swirl.

>I am almost positive that because of the oils that I was using are >yellowish in color, the soap turned out pretty yellow in one batch.. I tried >to mix in some purple, but didn't really do much at all... it just kind of >turned it a yellowey brown color... are there oils that I can use that >promote more of a white base to add color into?

I use a recipe of Grade A Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Castor Oil & Cocoa Butter (refined) that always give me a nice white soap. Titanium Dioxide will whiten your soap, too.

What type of colorant did you use? Ultramarine, Oxide, Lab Colors or what? It sounds like you just didn't use enough. Check your supplier for how much to use.

>now that they are all poured and everything, they still REALLY smell like >the olive oil or something, almost overpowering the fragrance

I use essential oils at 3% of oils which comes close to .5oz/lb of oils. Lavender seems to fade on me after about 4 months, so I anchor it with a bottom note scent. There's a whole science on blending scents to make the top note scents (which dissipate easily) stick. You might, eventually, want to do some research on scent blending. It will save you $ in the long run.

>One of my batches turned out rather well, though I got really scared >when it turned almost lumpy and really thick while i was mixing with my >stick blender, is this normal? am I supposed to pour BEFORE I get to that >thickness? or is that the perfect time to pour it?

Not normal, but it does happen. You want to pour when your mix is still pourable. That said, though, it's not impossible to "glop" a mix into the mold that has unexpectedly, & furiously gone beyond pourable. As you've seen, it can still come out ok. We try for pourable, sometimes it just doesn't happen.

If you color with clays, for example, it's best to disolve them in with the lye/water or make a slurry & add that. Clay draws moisture to itself & if added at trace will draw all the water out of your mix & you suddenly have very large cottage cheese in your pot!!! NOT a pretty site or a fun thing to have to deal with. Yeah, I did THAT!

Good luck with all your future soap batches!! Sounds like you're hooked. Bwaaahhhhaaaaahhhh!!!

Thanks everyone in advance for ALL your help!!!

 

[Black soap n candle lady]

I like to mix at 100 degrees because adding nutrients at trace will cause less damage to them. It is much easier for me to work with the mix at this temp. Everyone has their own temp they like. You will find yours. Happy soaping!

 

[tchad21ut]

I did try the 100 degree lye/water and RT oils last night, and it seemed to go A LOT more smoothly... I have not pulled the soap out of the mold yet, but it seemed to not affect the fragrance as much, and it seemed to trace not as quickly, so it allowed me to pour it a lot more easily this time too. It looks great so far, I hope after I pull it out to cut this one it will turn out better than the first 2 did. 3rd times the charm, right?!

 

[mandolyn]

Hope you'll post some pics for us!!

 

[IrishLass]

For me, the temps depend. If I am soaping with a high proportion of Palm Kernel Oil, for instance, or any fat with a high stearic acid content such as Kokum, Cocoa Butter or Mango, etc.., I always soap at a higher temp- about 120 degrees (lye about 100 degrees F). I do this because the stearic acid content in those fats always seems to annoyingly set up on me and re-solidify (or get lumpy or apple-saucy) when I soap it cooler, and then I end up with pesky white spots in my finished soap. Except for that, the temps don't seem to matter all that much when I soap.

I like to add my fragrances at very light trace. Colors, too, although If I'm doing a solid color with no swirls, I like to stickblend the color right into my oils before adding the lye/water mixture.

I've found that when coloring with UM Violet, that more is needed to get the color to 'take'. I also found through trial and error that if you add it to your soap after the lye is already mixed with you oils, you get a really nice purple color out of it than if you added it to your oils before the lye. When I used to stickblended it into my oils first, the color would always be more gray for me than purple. Also-you can add titanium dioxide at 1 tsp ppo to the oils, and then UM Violet at trace and get a really nice lavender color.

How often do you run your stickblender while soaping? To avoid the lumpies, or your soap setting up too fast, it's good to use the SB in short bursts every now and then, stirring in between bursts. This has always worked best for me. It also helps to have a well-behaving fragrance- persnikety ones can cause lumping issues, too, especially if you stickblend a known persnikety fragrance.

My 'sweet spot' for pouring is at a medium/thick trace, when the batter is thick, but still quite smooth and pourable.


IrishLass

 

[tchad21ut]

I couldn't wait !!!! :shock:
I just cut that last batch, and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY!!
I'm going to have to take pictures of them tonight and post them.. I got a little scared the first couple batches, and they turned out to bad in my opinion I dont even want to post pictures of them.. lol, but these seemed to turn out GREAT! YAY, Im so relieved!!
8)

 

[tchad21ut]

Here are the pictures from the 3rd batch!
Coconut Lime
Tinted oils with green oxide before mixing with the lye...
Turned out pretty well, I think.. any advice from the Pro's out there??

 

[mandolyn]

Wooohooo! It's SOAP!!!!

Nice job!!