Hello, all -- I'm having a weird problem with some soap batches and wondering if anyone has ideas about what's going on.
Four batches out of 10 or 12, fresh from the mold -- when I cut the bars, the interior surface of the soap has "designs" on the surface, swirls that seem etched into the soap. Photo attached. Exterior of log is fine, smooth as usual.
I've looked for differences between the ones with designs and the smooth batches to explain this, but so far, no luck:
Oils -- all batches have olive and coconut, otherwise variable, comparing with "good" batches, there isn't any discernible pattern
Super fat -- all are 5%
Gel -- all went through gel phase
Temp at mixing -- 110-120 degrees
Scent -- some FO, some EO, didn't seem to make any difference
Mold -- mostly silicone in stainless basket from Essential Depot, but one batch was in wooden mold lined with freezer paper
Time in the mold before cutting -- probably 2-3 days
Quality of finished soap -- fine, as usual -- good lather, cleansing, fully cured
I've been making soap for over 10 years, so I know what materials should look like at various stages in the process. All of these batches were poured at medium trace. I can't think of anything I did differently to cause this!
I buy all raw materials from reputable soap-making suppliers EXCEPT:
Olive Oil -- WalMart
Coconut Oil -- Walmart
Sodium Hydroxide -- local chemical company
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated,
Deborah
Four batches out of 10 or 12, fresh from the mold -- when I cut the bars, the interior surface of the soap has "designs" on the surface, swirls that seem etched into the soap. Photo attached. Exterior of log is fine, smooth as usual.
I've looked for differences between the ones with designs and the smooth batches to explain this, but so far, no luck:
Oils -- all batches have olive and coconut, otherwise variable, comparing with "good" batches, there isn't any discernible pattern
Super fat -- all are 5%
Gel -- all went through gel phase
Temp at mixing -- 110-120 degrees
Scent -- some FO, some EO, didn't seem to make any difference
Mold -- mostly silicone in stainless basket from Essential Depot, but one batch was in wooden mold lined with freezer paper
Time in the mold before cutting -- probably 2-3 days
Quality of finished soap -- fine, as usual -- good lather, cleansing, fully cured
I've been making soap for over 10 years, so I know what materials should look like at various stages in the process. All of these batches were poured at medium trace. I can't think of anything I did differently to cause this!
I buy all raw materials from reputable soap-making suppliers EXCEPT:
Olive Oil -- WalMart
Coconut Oil -- Walmart
Sodium Hydroxide -- local chemical company
Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated,
Deborah