Is gel phase necessary for soap?
Gel phase helps the colors pop and it gives the bars a slightly shiny appearance. Learn more about how to color handmade soap here. You’re using natural colorants. Without gel phase, they can have a dull appearance and a different hue.
Do you have to insulate cold process soap?
If you want your soap to go through gel phase, insulating is important. But, why else would you insulate cold process soap? Insulating cold process soap prevents soda ash from forming on the surface of your soap.
How long does it take cold process soap to gel?
Wait 30 minutes and then check on it – if the mold feels warm to the touch or you can see that gelatinous appearance, your soap is going through gel phase. Pop the box back on and let it sit overnight. If the mold feels cooler or you don’t see any gelling, add a towel and possibly a heating pad.
How long do you insulate cold process soap?
Cover and Wrap First cover the soap, we usually cover with another mold turned upside down, and then insulate around the mold. Use a towel or blanket to wrap around the mold to keep it warm and keep it covered and wrapped for 24 hours.
How do you prevent gel phase in CP soap?
Preventing Gel Phase in Soap Making
- Discount your water.
- Make smaller batches.
- Put your soap in the fridge or freezer.
- Elevate your soap after you pour it.
- When your pouring multiple loafs, don’t line them up together touching.
- Soap at cooler temperatures.
What is the fastest way to cure cold process soap?
Reduce the amount of water in the recipe by 7-10% and the soap will cure faster. The amount of lye and oils stays the same, so there is no danger of the soap becoming lye heavy and being too harsh. I use a water reduction in almost all of my recipes now and my cure time is about 3 weeks for most of my soaps.
How do you stop a soap volcano?
How do I prevent volcanoes or cracked soap tops?
- Reduce your overall soapmaking temperature to lower your chances of overheating.
- Reduce insulation of your soap in the mold by elevating it for more air flow or by using a less insulating mold.
Why is my cold process soap cracking?
Temperature is perhaps the most common reason why a soap cracks. It’s even more likely to happen if the soap contains a high percentage of butters, waxes or dry ingredients. Adding honey to cold process soap can cause an extreme gel phase, which can lead to the soap cracking.
What causes Ricing in CP soap?
Ricing and seizing are usually caused by fragrance oils. Ricing occurs when an ingredient in the fragrance oil binds with some of the harder oil components in the recipe to form little hard rice-shaped lumps (shown on the left).
How do you know when cold process soap is cured?
A typical cure time is 4-6 weeks, but what determines when a soap is “done”? The most reliable factor is weight. Each week, I weigh each soap on the cure rack. When the soap goes a full two weeks (most soapers wait one week) without changing weight, I know that it’s both safe to use, and will hold up when used.
Why is my cold process soap sticky?
Soap made from a high percentage of olive oil and castor oil will cure to be a really hard bar of soap. Although high quantities of castor will harden up a bar of soap, it will also cause the bar of soap to be sticky and draggy. Most of my recipes contain a high amount of olive oil.
How do you keep cold process soap from cracking?
Learn more about adding honey to your cold process soap here. If you add ingredients with extra sugar such as honey, place the soap in the fridge or freezer directly after pouring for 5-24 hours to help prevent gel phase and cracking.
Can you prevent gel phase in soap?
But preventing gel phase isn’t as easy as you might think. Cold process soap naturally wants to heat up. If you simply do not insulate, you will likely wind up with a partial gel. You can put your soap in the fridge or freezer, but depending on your recipe and mold, you may still end up with a partial gel.
What is cold process soap making?
The method of cold process soap making naturally generates heat as the lye reacts with the oils. As it heats up, the soap goes through a process called gel phase.
Can you put cold process soap in the fridge?
Cold process soap naturally wants to heat up. If you simply do not insulate, you will likely wind up with a partial gel. You can put your soap in the fridge or freezer, but depending on your recipe and mold, you may still end up with a partial gel.
Should soap gel be insulated?
Some soapers prefer not to have their soap gel at all so do not insulate. Again, it is a personal preference.” Have a question about this blog post? Come join us at Bramble Berry’s Facebook page and we can help you out with any of your soapy questions!
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