Veins in my soap

[BrambleNBumble]

So I've noticed in several of my soaps now clear veins in my soaps with several different recipes. I tend to soap around 110 degrees on all my soaps so I'm not sure what's causing it.

 

[shunt2011]

They look like glycerin rivers. I've found they occur when my soaps gel too hot. Also, if you use TD it can cause it as well when gelling. It's only cosmetic and won't affect your soap.

 

[Obsidian]

Thats what they call steric crackle or glycerine rivers. Its cosmetic only and won't cause a problem using the soap. I believe its caused from overheating during the gel phase. Using titanium dioxide can worsen it and some recipes are prone to it.

You can prevent it by not letting soap gel. I'm sure there are other tricks too but I don't know them.

 

[smeetree]

Is there any way to avoid these if you like to have your soaps gel?

I've never had it happen to my soap, but just wondering.

 

[BrambleNBumble]

Thanks for the info. Fortunately most of my friend and family don't mind the veins, I'm just picky lol. I'll have to make notes because I've only noticed it with certain fragrances so those I'll have to prevent from overheating. I didn't think I was insulating too much since I put my molds in my craft room in the basement with only one towel over them but maybe I am.

 

[TVivian]

Yup, as soon as you see that the soap has gelled to the edges, start cooling. Take off the insulation and pop it in the fridge if you need to. That will probably help. It helped me.

 

[DeeAnna]

It's not from overheating. Mottling and streaking happens when the soap goes through a slow cooling -- the different types of soap crystallize out at different temperatures leaving these streaks. Use of colorants can make the effect more obvious. Allowing the soap to go through gel, use of titanium dioxide and other colors, a high % of palm oil, etc. can make mottling more likely to happen, but any soap can develop mottling under the right conditions.

 

[moose]

This happened to my soaps until I backed off a bit on the insulating. I put two towels and a wooden cover. Now I just use the wooden cover and a tea towel and it hasn't happened since!

 

[renata]

I pour the soap in the mold and put it in the fridge to prevent gel. No stripes or veins or cracks, it works every time