# an interesting soaping experience



## Becky-DixieDoesAlpines (Oct 26, 2007)

Well, for those who read my other thread you know I am focusing on getting thicker trace. I just finished soaping..........whew. I'm tired out! I was "stickblending" along (is that a word?) and the soap had just hit thick lovely trace. I measured out my first portion, was doing several lovely layered blends. I scent and pour the first color, turn around. ……And my big bowl of unscented soap is soap on a stick. My first time ever. Well I beat it hard and it softened a tad, I made my next scent but ended up smashing plain unscented soap into 2 stripes on a Martha mold, just too thick to do anything with. It is probably going to be full of air bubbles, if it is I'll chunk it into little cubes and use them in colored soap I guess. Or I stocked up on unscented. I think I got it a little too THICK 

I was trying to make a mountain soap, Peaks of Otter soap, like I posted about a few weeks ago. I blended lavender, tea tree, and peppermint EO's and colored it all different blues and lavenders. I hope it turns out, if so I'll post a pic.
Becky


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

Man, I avoid thicker trace like the plague unless I know I am doing just an ITP soap or I want the peaks I suppose you are looking for in your soap. Very brave girl.

Some FO's actually will thin out the trace and slow it way down in my experience. BB Energy is one that does that - gives you tons of time to play! Sometimes I get impatient cause it stay too thin too long!!! If you are in the swap you will get one of my energy bars. It is a recipe I don't do anymore (just lard, coconut, sunflower) cause I like more lather, but the scent is AMAZING and a pound of the FO is fairly inexpensive for BB, just $20. It's like the PERFECT Fo for lots of color!


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## Becky-DixieDoesAlpines (Oct 26, 2007)

looking forward to trying the enrgy , I've wanted to sniff it!


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Lately, everything I want to play with turns to thick pudding before I'm done. :/


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

I do like Vicki does and put my fo in right after everything is mixed (barely traced if at all) and only whisk it in very well. I swear these days I am using my Stick Blender less and less. By only whisking in the FO I have a lot slower trace.

Helps to use lard recipes. I could never play nearly as much with palm based recipes. I just used the last of my palm and think I will be subbing it out and using shea in my recipes instead.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Interesting you should say that, Bethany. I never knew palm could be the culprit in fast soaps. I have to admit that I love my lard soaps. I'll be having both (all-veg & lard) on my table this summer so I will see if my customers care one way or the other.

I use my SB very little too. ANd most times when I get impatient and do use it I regret it. LOL


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2008)

I've never had Palm cause any of my soaps to move fast.

Sara


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2008)

Me neither and I've used it for years! Also, I've never had DOS, I use it under 40%.

Christy


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Maybe it's not so much that palm speeds things up but that lard slows things down then.


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## Guest (Mar 21, 2008)

:yeahthat

That must be it!

Chridty


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## kidsngarden (Oct 28, 2007)

I believe palm has a lot higher stearic than lard??? I tried adding stearic acid to soaps and you really gotta watch it. Even at 5% it moves. Same with cocoa butter, it seems to trace much quicker than lard.

I don't know what it is, but my lard recipes always move far slower than my palm...so maybe it's just like Kalne said. Lard just slows things down...


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