Clear lines in soap

by Patsy
(Barrie, Ont. Canada)

Help! The last few batches of soap I have made have clear veins all through the soap , and around the outside off the soap. Help why is this happening.

Answer:

I'm guessing that your soap has overheated during the insulation process.

I would suggest opening up the soap as soon as the gel phase has been reached (you will have to keep checking the soap). With blankets...remove them; with a lid, take it off.

Another trick is to place a fan on the soap after it has reached gel phase. This will help the soap cool down.

Check your recipe as well...sometimes recipes with an overly large quantity of stearic acid or palmitic acid can reach gel stage very rapidly and with extreme temperatures. If that is the case then try to reduce some of the oils containing large amounts of these acids.

As for the soap you have made...the crackle effect, as I like to call it, can be quite impressive looking and doesn't hinder the usefulness of the soap. Probably not the look you were going for but I'm sure it's nice all the same.

Good luck,
Cathy