# Swirling soap



## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

I am certain this has been discussed before on this forum, but I've done a few searches and can't find exactly what I'm looking for.

I'd like to make a swirled soap (CP). As I understand it, after the lye and oils are combined and stirred a bit, I should take a little out and mix color with it (I plan to use cocoa powder). Stir the color vigorously. Go back and stir the soap in the pot to a LIGHT trace. 

At that point, I should either pour the color into the pot ( in a swirling motion from up high) and then pour the whole shabang into molds - or I could pour the soap into molds, and then pour color into that and use a utensil to swirl it.

Do I have this right? 

Many thanks in advance,
Penny


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

I do mine in the pot a lot and like the effect, you can also layer in the molds, or swirl it around in the molds. 

Yep, you are getting it right, but just remember don't stir too much after putting in the color!

It took me a couple batches to get a good swirl, and now sometimes it still doesn't end up like I like it!

Bethany


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Penny,
Bring the soap to a light trace, remove and 1/4 of your soap and add color, (with cocoa powder or other dry colorants, you may want to combine with a small bit of water, glycerin or oil, then add to soap to color)

To do a in the pot swirl, pour colored soap into soap pot in a circular motion from a high position to make sure the colored soap penetrates to the bottom of the soap pot. Some soapers will give a stir or two. Pour into mold using a back and forth motion. This will give you a marbled type of effect.

Or after removing your soap to color, pour uncolored soap into mold. Pour your colored soap from left to right, then from up and down in mold. Take a chop stick and pull the colors back and forth (and circular) to form more wisply swirls.

The soap should be at a medium trace, too thin and all the color will go to the bottom of the mold, too thick and the color will stay on top.


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

Thank you for the replies! I really appreciate the tips. The trace stages concerned me most. I'm still trying to figure out light, medium, and heavy trace! I'm going to try the swirl. Hope I don't mess it up too badly. I'm making Cinnabun scented soap for the holidays and I think a deep brown swirl in it would be really nice. I also want to make some coffee soap for the kitchen - supposed to help get rid of garlic, onion, fish, etc. smells on the hands. I may swirl it for practice - if I mess it up too bad I guess I could just quickly mix it all up and end up with a really dark bar - which won't be too bad I don't think as it has coffee grounds in it......

I'm going to make the cinnabun as soon as the silcone molds I ordered come in - hopefully this week. I can't wait! I'll let y'all know how it turns out......

I never made soap until I started reading this forum and now I'm obsessed with it! I'm really loving it right now and appreciate all the wonderful info y'all so willingly share.

Penny


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

Well, I made the coffee soap today. It was a dark tan color. I decided to add the cocoa dark swirl to it. As I suspected, I am swirl challenged :Bawling: I think it ended up blobbing when I poured it. We'll see when I take it out of the mold tomorrow, I guess..... I'll take pictures of the bars so y'all can tell me what I did wrong.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

If it blobbed, then the trace was too thick. Hang in there - it gets better!


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

Darnnit - not only am I swirl challenged, I'm trace challenged as well! I *thought* I was at light trace, but then got worried, and kept stirring. 

I'll show pics when I cut this batch. I'm hoping to do a little better with the next one that I do - hopefully this weekend.

By the way, the cocoa added a really nice sweet aroma to the coffee soap. I did not add fragrance, but it really smells delicious right now. I hope it holds up during the cure.

Penny


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

Yes, blobbed is too thick, but you never know - you might like it! Lets see, thin trace is like syrup, medium - carmel topping, thick - yogurt - well you know what thick is and I can't really think of an instance where you would want thick except for textured tops or soap balls!

I'm swirl challenged too - that's why I do most of mine in the pot!

Bethany


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

You know, Kidsngarden, as simple as your description sounds, it really does help me. I'm going to pay better attention to consistency while I'm stirring to try to catch thin trace, just going into medium so maybe my swirl will turn out right. I also think it took me too long to scoop out soap, mix with the cocoa and then start pouring the swirl. It seemed to get thicker sitting there waiting on me to swirl. Does that make sense?

I hope to cut the bars tonight - I'm anxious to see how they turned out. I chose to try swirling on the coffee soap because that's really just for me to use anyway. But my cinnabun soap will be for gifts - so I hope I get that one right!


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

Well, I couldn't wait any longer, and since the soap easily came out of the mold, I went ahead and cut it. I think I got swirls - or maybe it's marbley?



















My mold has two cavities, and it looks like the one may have been thicker with the cocoa swirl mixture. Maybe that's why I felt it was blobbing out? I'm still not sure on that one. I hate to say it, but I think I really just got kind of lucky - I need to do it again so I can feel more like I have some idea of what I'm doing.

But I'm happy it looks more swirly/marbley than blobby. Thanks for all the tips - I'm going to attempt to employ them on this next batch. 

And by the way, although I used no fragrance on this one, it smells just like a brownie! I expected a coffee smell, but I guess the cocoa really took over. I hope it continues to smell like that - it smells good enough to eat!!


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## kidsngarden (Mar 24, 2006)

I think those look fab! I start dividing at emulsification - when everything is all mixed up if I'm making a bunch of different stuff. Then I keep mixing after the colors are blended until it is good to pour.

Bethany


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

They came out perfect!!!


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

I think you did a great job! Here's a few swirling tutorials. Each one's a little different, so you'll have to see what works best for you.

http://www.geocities.com/blueaspenoriginals/

http://www.teachsoap.com/swirlsoap.html

http://www.candletech.com/coldprocess/

http://www.lovenaonline.com/soapmaking/OHPswirl1.html

http://www.soapdelicatessen.com/soapmaking/instructions/hotprocess/


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## BasicLiving (Oct 2, 2006)

Thanks for the nice comments - I am really happy they turned out so nice. I sure would feel better if I thought I had done it on purpose! I need to do it again so I feel like I know what I'm doing.....

Thanks for the tutorials Charleen. I looked over them real quick and will spend more time later.

I'd like to try and swirl it after I pour it in the mold. Maybe I'll try that next. It's all fun - but better when it comes out well  

Thanks,
Penny


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