FO's at trace ?

[Jo Moore]

I'm brand new to this forum and to soaping and have a question. All the videos I watch on soap making say to add the fragrance oils right at trace. EXCEPT one, by a guy who has his own soap shop. He adds his fragrance and micas into the oils BEFORE the lye solution gets added. I would like to try that because it looks so much easier. Can anyone tell me why most people wait til trace? Thanks...

 

[shunt2011]

I'm brand new to this forum and to soaping and have a question. All the videos I watch on soap making say to add the fragrance oils right at trace. EXCEPT one, by a guy who has his own soap shop. He adds his fragrance and micas into the oils BEFORE the lye solution gets added. I would like to try that because it looks so much easier. Can anyone tell me why most people wait til trace? Thanks...

It’s a personal choice. I am one who adds it to my oils before the lye mixture. 1. I don’t forget to add it 2. If a fragrance is slightly naughty I can still make it work.

If I know it’s something that moves fast I wait till I have my lye and oils at emulsion, separate it out, add my colors then stir in the FO.

 

[Relle]

I do both, I'll add the fast moving ones in with the oils and others that are slow I'll add at trace. You only learn with experience which ones move fast.

 

[lsg]

I usually add both at trace. Like Relle, if the formulas is fast moving, I add the color and FOs to the oils.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Jo Moore!

Like the others, I either add my FO to my oils before adding the lye, or at some point after adding the lye. It all depends on what kind of colorful design I'm trying to achieve in my soap and whether or not the FO is a fast mover or a slow mover.


IrishLass

 

[Megan]

I almost always add at emulsification/light trace after coloring. However, I often do several colors in a batch. I feel this gives me time to really get the color incorporated in case the FO acts up. I do this especially with Titanium Dioxide because that thickens up batter itself...sometimes adding in FO can loosen it up a bit too.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

...He adds his fragrance and micas into the oils BEFORE the lye solution gets added.

That's what I do. Not only is it easier, but you're less likely to forget to add them when the time comes.