My soap freezes

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Baqn

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
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Location
Bulgaria
Hi guys,
I have big problem with my not so new project. I am working with the following recipe:
Olive oil VIRGIN - 45%
Coconut butter 76 deg - 20 %
Palm oil (solid) - 20 %
Almond oil - 5 %
Mango butter - 5%
Castor oil - 5 %
8% SUPERFAT

Water - 33 %
Lye solution - 1:2.48

Fragrance - 41g/kg oils

As fragrances I use - Rose Geranium, Citronella, Lavender and Sandalwood, all essential oils.

As collorants - Titanium oxide, Black iron oxide and Red pigments - Red iron oxide and red micas

I start soaping at about 100-110 F (37-42 C)
After my last unsuccessful I mixed essential oils with the Almond oil before mixing them with the batter. So I mixed the oils with the lye. I got the emulsion. Then I divided the batter into 4 places. In one I added titanium oxide, in the other I added Black iron oxide. I bled them for 3-4 times and added the fragrance. I mixed the batter by hand with spoon. In 15-20 seconds the batter started freezing and I couldn't work anymore with it. Other two parts were still more or less liquid (they had no fragrance or pigments). I read in one article that Geranium accelerates trace and even makes rice. In other posts I read that people says they have no problem with it. Also I found information that oxides accelerate trace also. And also I estimated that butters accelerate trace also as well as waxes. I am thinking that I put too much pigment but I read and saw that people put much more pigment than me. My pigments are mixed with oils as well. Any suggestions, any solutions? Please help me coz I feel really desperate. I am thinking on this project also. Thank you in advance!

P.S. I did no photos coz I felt very bad during my last attempt.
 
Well I experimented on very small batches with and without mango butter (100gr) and Geranium did not accelerated trace at all. I added titanium oxide also. I notices acceleration the batter with mango butter. It's real mystery for me. There might be possibility I could have added less Titanium oxide in the small batches.
 
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I’m thinking it’s the oxides. I do find they thicker up bit quicker than micas. I’ve not used most of the EOs other than lavender. And certainly not Sandalwood. Which they may be the problem unless you’ve paid a high amount of money for true sandalwood.
 
I’m thinking it’s the oxides. I do find they thicker up bit quicker than micas. I’ve not used most of the EOs other than lavender. And certainly not Sandalwood. Which they may be the problem unless you’ve paid a high amount of money for true sandalwood.
Since I know what happens to essential oils in the uncured soap I do not use expensive Sandalwood oil. :) I was using Rose concrete (instead of Sandalwood) and I thought that the waxes in it caused the problem. It was too small amount less than 4 grams per more than 1 kg of soap.
I start thinking that the problem is the combination between the Geranium/Citronella and the oxides.
 
Since I know what happens to essential oils in the uncured soap I do not use expensive Sandalwood oil. :) I was using Rose concrete (instead of Sandalwood) and I thought that the waxes in it caused the problem. It was too small amount less than 4 grams per more than 1 kg of soap.
I start thinking that the problem is the combination between the Geranium/Citronella and the oxides.

Oh, you listed sandalwood that’s why I mentioned it. What is Rose concrete? I don’t use many EOs as they don’t stick well for me.
 
Oh, you listed sandalwood that’s why I mentioned it. What is Rose concrete? I don’t use many EOs as they don’t stick well for me.
I prefer using as much as possible natural ingredients. Rose concrete is something similar to rose essential oil but not that pure. It differs the oil by the method of extraction. It's composed of rose essential oil, waxes, butters and other substances that were extracted. It is not that expansive as Rose essential oil or Rose absolut. It has calming effect on irritated skin.

As for the initial question I think I solved it by myself. It's about my stick blender and the quantity the TD and iron oxide. Thanks anyway. I couldn't fall sleep if I hadn't solve that mystery.

... and finally the solution :cool:
 

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