Unidentified Flying Spritz! What are they spritzing with?

[milky]

My hubby showed me a sped-up soap-making video in which the soaper sprayed each layer with something before adding the next. The final result looked a bit translucent so I think it was M&P. Whatever it is, would it also be helpful in CP?
I've also seen a video or two in which the soaper sprayed a mold with something before pouring the batter in. To help with removal? What was it?

 

[BattleGnome]

It might be rubbing alcohol. In melt and pour it's supposed to help the layers stick better. Alcohol can help speed trace (or more accurately soap on a stick), so a spritz or two of rubbing alcohol could help harden a layer before pouring the next.

I spritz my m&p molds before I melt my base, but that's more for cleaning out dust

 

[IrishLass]

It's rubbing alcohol. Not only does it knock out any air bubbles that might be lying on the surface of the M&P, it also helps layers to adhere to each other.


IrishLass

 

[milky]

Neato. Thanks!

Now I'm wondering... If I want to make a CP soap with very defined layers but also work with it while still in a thinner trace, would spraying with alcohol between the layers help so as not to have to wait so long? Or is it perhaps a good idea to do so that the white dusty-looking layer (I'm having trouble remembering what it's called) doesn't form between them? Or would that not show up?

 

[IrishLass]

I've never used alcohol to spray in between my CP layers. They stick perfectly fine without it. I'm not even sure if it would work with CP the same way that it does for M&P. I've only ever used it for that purpose in M&P.

You don't have to worry about ash showing up in your layers. I've never, ever had that happen in my layered CP. Each successive CP layer makes for an ash-preventing 'cover' in and of itself.

For what its worth, this is how I make layers in CP, which actually goes rather quickly for me (I usually make 2-layer or 3-layer soaps):

-I bring my batter to emulsion and then separate the batter out into separate containers for each layer I'll be making, withholding adding any color and/or scent until right before I pour whichever layer.
-I scent and color the first layer and bring it to a med-thick trace with my stick-blender and pour immediately into my mold, making sure to bang the mold to level the batter out/make it even. I've found that medium-thick trace is a good consistency to work with when doing layers. It's thick enough so that the subsequent layers won't break through if you pour or over top in a gentle manner, and although it's on the thick side- it's still fluid enough to level/even out when the mold is wiggled/jostled or banged.
-If I'm doing a 3-layered soap, then I do the same as above to the second layer, making sure to pour or spoon the batter over top of the first layer gently/carefully so that it does not break through it. Then I even it out by wiggling and/or banging the mold.
-For the top layer, I don't have to stick-blend until med-thick trace. I can pour it whenever the scent/color is mixed in properly and it has at least reached a light trace.


IrishLass

 

[milky]

Ah-ha! Ash (duh, lol)!
That sounds like a really good no-fail method to go with. Thanks for explaining .
Since you add fragrance to the layers separately, do you try to measure them so they are the in the same concentrations throughout or just eyeball it? Do you do it that way in case the batter accelerates or does the fragrance stick around better when added after trace?

I was thinking about complicating things and trying to have layers with separate thin trace swirls. Then I imagined ash might form while I was waiting for them to set. Probably not worth the trouble anyways. Or use dividers.. Have to make dividers... Or just swirl the top. Fun fun.

 

[IrishLass]

Ah-ha! Ash (duh, lol)!
That sounds like a really good no-fail method to go with. Thanks for explaining .

My pleasure!

Since you add fragrance to the layers separately, do you try to measure them so they are the in the same concentrations throughout or just eyeball it?

I eyeball it.

Do you do it that way in case the batter accelerates or does the fragrance stick around better when added after trace?

I do it only to keep any acceleration at bay. In my experience, I've found that FOs stick around just fine no matter when I add them, whether directly to my oils up front or later at trace. Seems to make no difference- at least not to my nose.


IrishLass