The process of making transparent soaps

If you are going to make transparent soaps, it would be good if you already had some experience in making soaps. At least you made cold soap. Making transparent soaps is the most complicated process in making soaps and certainly not something to start. In essence it all comes down to the recipe process and it is not impossible for a novice to bring it out. Everything is possible! However, to understand and master the whole technique, you need certain experience, understanding and knowledge. Only then will it become an adventure through which you are learning and enjoying!
The process of making transparent soaps coincides with one part with a cold process of soap making. A detailed description of the cold process is described in the "Soap Making Process". You should follow all the initial steps to point 8, ie until the soap mass is mixed with a rod mixer and traces it. When you perform point 8, you are ready for a process that will lead you to transparent soaps. The continuation of the procedure is in fact a description of the warm process of making soap. The warm process is carried out by low temperature cooking. In classic conditions, it would be cooking in a double pot. To simplify the process, I got a slow cooking pot (a popular crockpot). Ideal for making soaps. You almost do not have to mix. Just let the heat process the saponification process.

1) Soak up the fat that you have traced into a slow cooking pot. Turn the pot on LOW, cover it and let it go for half an hour.

2) The soap mass is cooked until it passes completely into the gel phase. Approximately it is about 3 hours cooking. When you cook in a crockpot you almost do not have to mix. Occasionally, every half an hour, lift the lid and remove soap pads from the bottom of the bowl and from the bottom.

3) Gel or colloidal phase will be easy to recognize on a glassy look. It is important that the whole soap mass moves to that state. It will be a mistake if you do not cook too much as if you are cooking too much. If too little cookware and soap mass is not completely transferred to the colloid state, you will not get a clear soap. Also, if you're cooking too much, the soap crystals increase, the soap as if it is wrinkled and the possibility of transparency is lost. The moment of gel phase is most important in the whole process of making transparent soaps.

4) When you reach the gel phase, add alcohol and glycerin. Mix well. Soap mass will start to rins in solvents. Carefully scrape the walls and bottom of the vessel. The bowls of the bowls must be clean because you will only have problems with the remaining and unresolved parts of the soap mass later on.

5) Alcohol easily evaporates and is highly flammable. That's why you have to be extremely careful. To maximally prevent alcohol vaporization, place an adhesive foil between the lid and the pot. Cook for 30 minutes at a higher temperature. HIGH is required for the crockpot.
While frying, prepare the sugar solution. Prepare double the amount of solution as you will need to achieve transparency. Place the sugar in distilled water and boil until boiling. It is important that the sugar is completely dissolved.

6) After half an hour of cooking, add the sugar solution and stir well. The sugar solution gives even more transparency and bistrina. Rinse the mixture again to LOW. Probably only small pieces of unwashed soap will now be left. I recommend scramble for potatoes. Unopened pieces of soap can simply be pressed to the bottom and thus accelerate their melting and decomposition.

7) The foam will appear constantly on the surface as a kind of supper. You do not have to be burdened with this occurrence. This is normal and needs a bottle of sputum with a little alcohol near it. Occasionally spray the alcohol on the surface and the foam dissolves.

8) Once you have a completely dissolved soap mass, it is time to check the transparency. It is best for this purpose to have transparent glass panes. Place all plates in the freezer briefly. Take one chilled saucepan and place a small amount of soap mass with a spoon. Let it diverge in a thin layer. Wait a few minutes to see if milk is produced. It will probably be created. It is a sign that you have not yet achieved a clear soap. Cold glass accelerates the cooling process and gives you insight into whether your soap remains transparent. If you have soaked soap, it will always remain transparent and no blur will occur.

9) If the soap mass on the plate starts to cloudy, add about 40 g of sugar solution. Mix well and hold the crockpot at LOW. Again, check the transparency on the cooled pan. If no results, add about 40 g of sugar solution again. If this does not contribute to transparency, add about 80 g of alcohol. If this does not correct the situation, try 40 g of glycerin. If anything does not work, repeat the sugar solution, again alcohol, glycerin, all in the circle until the soap is cleansed. This step requires all the patience you have. You need to have plenty of time for these checks. This step depends on everything and no decision on speed can help. For me it worked after the fourth test when I was adding alcohol. This is the hardest part of the procedure and do not lose patience!

10) When you achieve transparency, it is time to add smells (in the form of essential oils) and colors. You can also pre-soap at this point too. Rinse the soap in the molds. For the second day, remove them from the mold and dry them in the airy place. For transparent soaps, it is recommended that you drink at least 2 to 3 weeks. They are already neutral, but they have to dry. By drying, the transparent soaps do not lose transparency even increases.

11) After removing from the mold, on the side where the air was exposed, soaps have a thin crust. Usually, this crease shakes with the knife so that the soaps are really perfect. From touching soaps, prints are easy. So soaps can still be polished with a napkin soaked in alcohol.




The situation when adding solvents to obtain transparency is the most delicate part of this process. I think a lot of attention has to be paid to alcohol because this may be the source of the most common mistake. Alcohol easily evaporates when cooking, especially if the pot is not properly protected. The most common cause of the lack of transparency is the lack of alcohol. Therefore, in the process of checking the transparency I add twice the amount of alcohol in relation to other solvents.