Tracing too quickly

by Angela
(East Texas)

I have been mixing my oils and lye at about 110-120 degrees. Will either mixing it at a higher temp (or lower temp) cause it to trace slower? I add my oils last but still don't have enough time to mix my soap before it traces.

Answer:

120 seems a bit high to me but many people soap at higher temperatures. I would try more around the 100 degree mark.

Also look at your recipe. Does it contain a high percentage of hard fats like palm, shea butter or cocoa butter? Somewhere around 30 - 40 percent total is ideal with no more than about 10 percent of that being cocoa butter.

Run the recipe through a lye calculator to make sure the amount of lye is correct.

Another culprit could be your scent...if you add your scent early (before a medium trace)it could be speeding up the trace time. Fragrance oils and essential oils like clove, other spices and geranium can speed trace up considerably.

Hope those suggestions help,
Cathy