Little Bit of Soap Lunacy
I’ve been watching videos made with my free soap dough recipe. These videos have at least one step missing, if not more. Each step is very important.
I have made soap dough many different ways and condensed all my experience into the easiest most sure-fire way of making smooth soap dough recipes, books and video tutorials.
Many soap makers are jumping on board with the soap dough phenomena. I strive to master the craft of soap dough. This is a life-time endeavor. To begin to master something, anything, it has been said it takes a minimum 10,000 hours of apprenticeship. Just doing one’s time, having the hours under one’s belt, does not automatically make one a master. I practice my soap-craft daily and have since I began. I share this to let you know where I stand, how dedicated I am to understanding this soap-craft and to sharing my experiences.
Soap Dough Points
Trace is not as important as some think. Trace is defined as leaving “traces” of soap lines, or evidence of soap, that drips off of the mixing tool (spoon or stick blender) on the top of the soap batter. Emulsion IS important. Trace is a sign of emulsion. “An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (un-mixable or un-blendable). The word “emulsion” comes from the Latin word for “to milk”, as milk is an emulsion of fat and water, along with other components.”
Here is where the rubber meets the road – examples of Sorcery Soap embellishments. If you like what I create, and see the potential of soap dough please follow the directions and you, too, will have smooth, pliable SAFE soap dough.
Knowing the difference between “saponification” and “curing” is important. Full saponification can take 3 days, and evidence of using an orange or yellow mica. The color will not fully change from the ugly orange it originally is to the intended color for 3 days. The question is, why?
Curing is water evaporation. That’s it. Full stop. Soap dough does NOT cure until used and exposed to air, continuously. Air exposure causes water to evaporate. Soap dough does not cure in its pliable state, it is the opposite of traditional cold process soaps in this respect. Soap dough stays pliable because the crystalline structure of cold process soap is kept from locking by maintaining the water. Each time soap dough is molded, mashed, the structure is broken. Until the very last time, when the embellishment/figure is created and left to CURE with continuous air exposure. This is why soap dough is kept sealed or in an air tight container, to inhibit or retard water evaporation.
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(of a reaction or process) accompanied by the release of heat.
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(of a compound) formed from its constituent elements with a net release of heat.
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I hope this helps you on your soap dough making process.
Much of this information is discussed in greater detail in the Sorcery Soap Books, all but just the Soap Dough Recipes, which are ONLY the recipes, offered at $1 each. The soap dough recipes are offered as a favor, for those experienced soap makers.