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“Trace” is one of those words that soap makers throw around that means something slightly different to each person. Trace is the point at which the soap has thickened and blended enough to have formed a stable emulsion. It’s a “point of no return” where the oils and lye are no longer at any risk of separation.
How do you find traces in soap making?
Once the lye and oils are saponified and the two will not separate, the soap has reached trace! Immediately upon pouring lye water into oils, the mixture will begin to turn slightly cloudy and milky. With a few pulses and stirs of the stick blender, the entire mixture will turn a creamy consistency.
How long does it take to get to trace in soap making?
It takes about 1-2 minutes to reach. When you remove the stick blender and drizzle soap on top, you’ll notice thin streaks stay on the surface. Those are referred to as “trailings.” Medium trace is great for suspending embeds and heavy additives like poppy seeds.
What causes false trace in soap making?
False trace occurs when soap batter appears to be a thick consistency, but the oils and butters have not saponified. Perhaps the most common cause of false trace is using solid oils or butters at too cool of a temperature. If solid butters and fats are below their melting point, the oils and butters may re-solidify.
What happens if soap does not trace?
Whether you pour your soap at light trace or heavy trace, it’s still going to make soap. As long as you reach that point of no return where the oils and lye won’t separate, you’re fine.
How do you fix false trace soap?
What do you do if your soap has false trace? If this starts to happen to you, keep stick blending! The oils and lye need to be stick blended until the batch is emulsified. The soap will get pretty thick during this process.
How can I speed up saponification?
Curing Soap Faster: Speed up the process Reduce the humidity. Most people make soap in their homes, or if they are lucky enough, in their workshops. Zeolites. Zeolites are rocks that pull moisture out of the air. Fans. Use less water. Space heater. Good Airflow. Too much lye. Using the oven.
How do I know if my soap is safe?
An extremely common recommendation I found as a method of checking the soap pH is to touch a bar of soap to your tongue. If touching the bar of soap to your tongue zaps similar to touching your tongue to a battery, it indicates a soap is lye heavy.
Which oils Saponify faster?
More saturated oils (like coconut and palm oils which are solid at room temperature) tend to saponify more quickly than less saturated oils such as olive oil.
Why is my homemade soap not getting hard?
Too much extra liquid (milk, purees, etc.) on top of the water in the lye solution causes soap to not harden correctly. The type of mold also affects how quickly soap hardens. In general, cold process soap made in silicone and plastic molds takes longer to harden and umold.
Why did my soap turn yellow?
First, it could be due to adding too much oil. Whether it is fragrance oil or carrier oil, the soap can only hold on to so much before the oil begins to leak out to create beads on the surface. More often, it is due to the soap drawing moisture from the air.
How do you make soap thicker?
To thicken, all you need to do is create a salt water solution, and add the salt water to the base in small amounts. To make the solution, first mix 0.5 ounces of plain table salt (just the cheap stuff!) to 1.5 ounces of warm, distilled water. Stir until the salt is fully dissolved.
Does shea butter accelerate trace?
When using Shea butter for soap making trace does speed up substantially, so be sure to adjust your soap making method accordingly. You can slow down trace by stirring manually instead of using a stick blender and by soaping at a cooler temperature then usual.
How does temperature affect trace soap making?
If the lye solution is too cold, it can solidify the oils and butters upon contact. If the lye is extremely hot, it can cause the saponification process to speed up dramatically. This is problematic if the soap design involves lots of layers, swirls or other complex techniques.
Why is my homemade soap slimy?
The main reason that your homemade soap may be is that not enough hard oils were added. These are usually the oils you find in coconut butter, castor oil, or even avocado oil, with the closest runner-up for your slimy soap being old, or not enough lye added.
Why is my homemade soap turning white?
Why Your Soap Is Turning White When the lye in your homemade soap is exposed to the air, it meets carbon dioxide. These two elements interact to create a layer of sodium carbonate, which most often appears as a light white, uneven dusting on the surfaces of your soap.
How long to let soap cure before cutting?
While the exact time varies for each batch depending on size and ingredients, we suggest waiting for 24-48 hours before removing and cutting your nearly finished soaps. However, you can use a gloved hand to check the soap to determine whether the soap is too soft.
Why did my soap turn orange?
Soap with dreaded orange spots is safe to use, but it is a cosmetic issue and may develop an unpleasant odor. Several factors increase the likelihood of dreaded orange spots, but the most common is oxidative rancidity, or rancid oils. Like food, each soap making oil and butter has a shelf life.
