Gelled soap is simply soap that has gone through gel phase. Gel phase gets its namesake as your soap mixture becomes gelatinous in the mold (think jelly or Vaseline). This is a brief period of time shortly after the soap mixture has been poured into the mold and begins to heat up.
If CPOP soap making is completely new to you though, I would recommend placing your soap in the oven for 45 to 60 minutes at 170 degrees Fahrenheit, then adjusting from there as/if needed. It's going to be really, really tempting to open that oven door and take a peek at your batch of soap.
Properties. Shower gels are known to consist of the same basic ingredients as soap - water, betaines, and sodium laureth sulfate, or SLS.
The gel phase of soap making is the heating stage of saponification. Once you pour your soap into its mold it will start to heat up. Gel phase starts with the soap turning translucent in the middle and then spreads out to the edges. Check out this goat's milk soap that is just starting gel phase.
What causes partial gel? Saponification is an exothermic reaction, which means it releases heat. If there is enough heat during saponification, you'll see a gel phase which is when the middle of the soap mass starts to look like translucent jelly.
The term “gel phase” refers to a part of the saponifacation process where the soap becomes very warm in the mold – up to 180 ° F. Gelled soap also has a more translucent, shiny look than non-gelled soap. Gel phase is purely an aesthetic quality, and does not affect the quality of the soap.
Some ingredients are already prone to overheating, and we do not recommend soaping at higher temperatures or insulating these recipes. Milk soap, honey soap, beer soap, wine soap and fruit purée soap all are prone to overheating and will likely gel even if you place them in the refrigerator.
Wait 30 minutes and then check on it - if the mold feels warm to the touch or you can see that gelatinous appearance, your soap is going through gel phase. Pop the box back on and let it sit overnight.
The Don'ts of Using A Shower Gel
No matter how good the ingredients of your body wash are, it isn't meant for your face. The skin on your face is extremely delicate compared to that on your body and it requires a milder and personalised cleanser. So, never use body wash to cleanse your face.
Warm temperatures are key to forcing gel phase. Start with your lye and oils around 120-130°F. Once the soap is in the mold, cover it with a cutting board and then a towel or blanket. If your soapmaking area is cooler, you can place it on a heating pad set to medium.
According to Kevin Dunn, “At any realistic temperature, saponification will be complete within 24 hrs.” Using CPOP soap fresh is doing you and your customer a disservice.
The time you leave your soap to cure is dependent on the oils and water content of your recipe. Four weeks is a good enough time for the majority of cold-process soap recipes. Err on the longer side if your bars contain a lot of olive oil (60%+ of a recipe).
The gel phase is a part of the saponification process that happens after the soap has been poured into the mold. During this time soap gets hot, up to 180°F, and becomes more translucent in appearance. Though this is a part of the soap making process that can happen naturally, it is not completely necessary.
Placing melt and pour soap into the fridge for a few minutes can aid in removing it from the mold. But, melt and pour soap should not be stored in the fridge or freezer for long periods of time. Extremely cold temperatures can cause the soap to become brittle.
Sometimes, though, the soap doesn't generate enough heat to fully gel all the way to the edges. It gels throughout the middle but cools down before the soap can gel to the edges (called partial gel in soap-ese.) When soap only partially gels, you get the problem of soap with a dark center and a lighter edge.
Use jelly soap the same as you would regular bar soap. Or pinch off a little bit and use the same as you would bar soap. Does jelly soap need to be in the fridge? No, the soap does not contain gelatin, so it does not melt at room temperature.
Soap made a few hours ago is turning darker in the middle and looking funny: Reason: This is a normal part of the soapmaking process called gel phase, which is when the chemical reaction between the lye and oils causes the soap to heat up hotter than it was when you first started mixing it.
On average, Melt and Pour soap takes approximately 4-6 hours to completely harden; however, the actual time will depend on factors such as the room temperature as well as chosen additives. It is important to remember not to remove the cooling soap from the mold before it has been given enough time to harden.
Too much extra liquid (milk, purees, etc.) on top of the water in the lye solution causes soap to not harden correctly. Water discounting soap reduces the chances of glycerin rivers, shown above. It also produces a bar that hardens faster.
The shower gel has a firmer, gel-like consistency, while body wash is more like liquid soap. However, due to the formulation, body washes are more moisturizing and hydrating than shower gels. Shower gels are more fragrant than body washes, with a higher concentration of ingredients that are pleasing to the senses.