Pock marks?

[Zing]

Soapers, today when unmolding from my silicone loaf mold, there were pockmarks on the sides and bottom. I was afraid that I had glycerin rivers but the bars look fine, it's just the outside edges with these marks. Does anyone know what caused this? I poured at medium trace, are these just air bubbles? There are no air bubbles inside. I used a tried & true recipe and colored with BB yellow mica and activated charcoal, and CPOPed.

 

[dibbles]

That is what is referred to as silicone rash. It can happed when the soap is either too hot during gel, or - and more likely - CPOP'd too long. It's just cosmetic and you can call it a rustic technique you are perfecting if anyone asks. Or plane it off if it bothers you. I plane it.

 

[Misschief]

It actually looks kind of cool. But, yes, silicone rash.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Soapers, today when unmolding from my silicone loaf mold, there were pockmarks on the sides and bottom. I was afraid that I had glycerin rivers but the bars look fine, it's just the outside edges with these marks. Does anyone know what caused this? I poured at medium trace, are these just air bubbles? There are no air bubbles inside. I used a tried & true recipe and colored with BB yellow mica and activated charcoal, and CPOPed.View attachment 52938View attachment 52939

Wow wonderful close up shot. It looks like it was intended. now I know what "silicone rash" looks like.

 

[Zing]

Learn something new every day! I never knew what silicone rash was but imagined it to be more like soda ash. Thank you all for the diagnosis!

 

[Marsi]

Zing your soap pattern looks like a moonscape

 

[Zing]

Now if I can only re-create this for the January challenge!

 

[TheGecko]

Now if I can only re-create this for the January challenge!

Easy-peasy...just 'bake' your soap for three hours like I did at 170F.

 

[Lperdue]

Soapers, today when unmolding from my silicone loaf mold, there were pockmarks on the sides and bottom. I was afraid that I had glycerin rivers but the bars look fine, it's just the outside edges with these marks. Does anyone know what caused this? I poured at medium trace, are these just air bubbles? There are no air bubbles inside. I used a tried & true recipe and colored with BB yellow mica and activated charcoal, and CPOPed.View attachment 52938View attachment 52939

Yeah i suffer from silicone rash. Someone here told me to let my soap set up pretty firm before I put in heat to for e gel. I have learned that that advice does help a lot however if I use full water it is worst. I had to just play around until i found a sweet spot. My wood mold doesnt do this but silicone def does.

 

[Zing]

Yeah i suffer from silicone rash. Someone here told me to let my soap set up pretty firm before I put in heat to for e gel. I have learned that that advice does help a lot however if I use full water it is worst.

Thanks, I'll try to let it firm up more. Come to think of it, I'm realizing now that another soap -- in a mini-column -- also had silicone rash (really tiny mold, thought they were air bubbles). So the only 2 times I've CPOPed and kept the oven on for an hour, I've gotten the silicone rash. So another note to self is to turn the oven off when I put the mold in.
I frequently use 32.5% lye to lye liquid.