Streaking

[jarvan]

Ok, not the naked kind! I have a question about the streaking I sometimes get with cutting my soap loaf. I have noticed that if I color a portion of my soap, it causes a vertical streaking when I cut the slices. Is there a way to avoid this or some technique for cutting I am not aware of. It's a subtle streaking, but I see it readily. I am using a pastry scraper for cutting or a wave cutter.

 

[Guest]

Are you using oxides for colorant? Without a pic to go by, the vertical streaking you're describing sounds like it could be unmixed bits of oxide "smearing" as you cut the soap.

 

[jarvan]

You could be right about the oxides not mixing well enough. I think I need to try mixing the colored portion at a lighter trace to have enough time to mix it better. Yes, I am using oxides. I got them from Majestic Mountain Sage. I don' t know if you can see it very well on here, but this was one of the batches it happened in.

 

[Guest]

Yep... that's exactly what it is.

Mix your oxide in a small amount of oil (about a tablespoon) before mixing into the rest of your oils. This will make it easier to dissolve the oxide completely.

 

[jarvan]

Being rather new to this, so I will ask what will seem like a very dumb question. When you say to mix it into a little bit of the oils before combining with the rest, are you talking about before the oil before I add the lye solution or after I start mixing? It makes sense that the thinner the solution, the better the dioxide will disperse and mix. But it doesn't make sense to me to do it before the lye solution. I really appreciate all the help. I want to do this well, not half-a$$ed.

 

[Guest]

Don't mix the oxide powder directly into your soap mix. This is a surefire way to end up with unmixed bits.

Oxides are oil-soluble (meaning they dissolve in oil, not water), but they don't dissolve very readily -- so stick blending them into your soap mixture won't work very well most of the time. You have to smoosh them into the oil to really get them mixed in.

The easiest way to do this (that I've found) is to mix your oils together, and then take a small amount -- about a tablespoon -- and put it in a small dish or ziplock bag. Then add your oxide to this bit of oil. Really smoosh the oxide into the oil to get it fully dissolved and mixed in. If you still see little clumps, it's not mixed well enough. You want to do this BEFORE adding your lye solution.

Once this small amount of oil is smooth and full of the oxide color, mix it back into the rest of your oils. Then add your lye solution and soap as you normally would.

 

[jarvan]

Ok, I get that this would work if coloring the whole batch, but then what sort of color should I be using if I want to scoop a little bit out of the batch and color it differently than the base color? Could I mix my color ahead in just a tad of glycerin and add it like that? Is this making sense? You are very helpful, by the way. I have so much to learn.

 

[Guest]

This is how I did it when I did a layered soap a few weeks ago:

I mixed my oils and lye solution and brought to trace.... poured the uncolored portion in the mold.... then scooped a small amount of the remaining soap into a dish and mixed my oxide in, then added it into the rest of the portion of soap to be colored, mixed it all together, and then poured the now colored soap on top of the soap already in the mold.

So in this method, you do mix the oxide in after trace, but you have to act fast. If I'm just doing the whole soap one color, I mix the oxide into the oils before the lye (as explained above) so that I don't have to worry about it tracing out of control while I'm coloring it.

 

[Guest]

I try to prevent streaks by making sure my cutter is wet . I just dip the blade into water before I cut each slice .I think it decreases the friction.I believe it helps some. I also think how hard the soap is , plays a part in the equation.

Kitn

 

[jarvan]

Lovin' the help! I will put these things into practice with my next batch. Thanks again!

 

[Guest]

Anytime