Soap tops

[PreciousSoaps]

I've been making soap for quite some time, but never figured out how to make a nice "top" like in the picture below. I've always covered my soaps and made them flat because of the ash that would form on the exposed soap while it was curing.

My questions are; How can this be done without having to spend hours cleaning the ash off? Would I spay it with rubbing alcohol? And how are the pretty peaks created?

 

[Seawolfe]

You basically just pour the soap at thick trace and smoodge it up in place with a spoon.

There IS ash on that soap - I think it adds to the look, personally. I have heard that if you spray the top with 90% alcohol, you might not get ash. But its no big deal if you do get ash. You can leave it as this person did, and I often to. You can steam it off using a clothes steamer or tea kettle. Or you can was and gently scrub it off with nylons or a gentle scrubby like a shower pouf.

I don't see ash as a big deal, sometimes it actually adds to the look, and its easily washed or steamed off if you don't like it.

 

[TVivian]

That soap in the picture appears to have quite a bit of ash on it.... Nonetheless, I texture my tops and wait for them to set up (to the point where the soap is almost firm on top and then soap can be covered. The covering doesn't necessarily need to touch the tops of the soap to prevent the ash. Covering your mold with a nicely sized box works just as well as plastic wrap. Also, I find that a good water discount and pouring the batter thicker prevents ash and makes it so the soap doesn't need to be covered at all. That's my experience anyway

 

[PreciousSoaps]

Amazing! Thank you so much for your replies. I will give it a try with a thicker trace before pouring...and also try putting a box over my mold to help keep the ash at a minimum....kinda like in the picture.

 

[AKjulz]

I do the whippy tops on my soap, I really like the look and think you can be more creative with it. I spray mine after pouring with 90% rubbing alcohol and then put a box over it. That keeps the ash at bay for me.

 

[lsg]

You can also make a kind of tent over your soap, so that the towels or blanket won't touch the top.