Warming soap curls

by Terri
(Ohio)

When you say "warm soap curls and mold" while mixing soap, what temp and how long?

Also, how do you cut long, thin, flat soap curls? Why doesn't the soap crack as you curl it?

How long has the soap that you make balls, curls, and ribbons set up? I would think that when you pour warm soap into molds with these things that the small pieces would melt and just blend in.

Answer:

Here is a link to my page about making soap curls.

I usually warm the curls in an oven that has been preheated at the lowest setting and then turn off the oven when I place the curls in. This is usually done just before I start to combine the lye and oil mixture.

Unless a soap recipe is extremely high in hard oils or olive oil, the soap is usually very pliable and will easily roll into curls.

I use a cheese slicer which can be bought at most department stores to cut off long thin slices of soap from a large block of soap. It is best to use fresh soap (less than one week old) for this since it still contains most of its water and is easier to work with.

It is important to roll the soap curls right away after cutting the slices. If you leave the slices for too long, they will dry out and start to crack when you roll them.

As for the soap pieces melting when the base soap is poured in.....that has never happened to me.

Cold process soap only gets really hot during the insulation stage. At this point it is quite likely that small bits will melt but unless you stir up the insulating soap, the bits will retain thier shape and solidify once the soap cools back down.

Happy soaping,
Cathy