BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Soapmaking Hand Milling Problems?

Hi! I just started soap making and the like yesterday. So far, I'm having a lot of fun. I prefer hand milled soaps, so, I'm experimenting with herbals and the like.

I'm running into a problem, however. The soaps I've made all are foamy on the back. A set of four Cinnamon & Vanilla soaps has a settled layer of cinnamon, then the peach of the colorant, than a very soft pink layer of foam. The Milk & Honey ones did something similar in that the first set is extremely soft (and foamy!) and the second set... I haven't taken out of the molds yet, but they're foamy!

Do I need to let the glycerin base cool before adding everything? Not quite sure how to fix the problem. I know it happens when whisking it....

Hi Kryssie:
Glad to have you here!!

1.The first thing I would ask you is-- are you spraying with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl)? The alcohol will disperse bubbles between layers. Spray the minute you pour that layer. But if that does not work go on to plan be --

2. It could be that the melt and pour soap needs to be cooled a bit more before pouring. Also over stirring can cause bubbles in the mix. I have found that using a wide spoon instead of a whisk and waiting for the soap to cool to lukewarm a smoother soap. Plus, lets not forget that adding too much fragrance per pound of soap can make the soap do funky things like separate and foam up.

Thanks!

I almost set my oven on fire last night, so I tried another batch and waited for a while longer before adding all the stuff and the soaps came out beautifully!

Thanks, Winsome! :-D

PS: Oven is just fine. Dinner was not ruined. Soapmaking = stress relief. :-)