Ask Anne-Marie: Soap Making Questions | Bramble Berry 

Glycerin rivers is a misnomer that soapmakers have perpetuated for years. Yes, glycerin is a by-product of soapmaking, but the crackling and mottling is not the glycerin. What happens is the different fatty acids solidify at different temperatures. So, we all know that the oils in soapmaking are broken down into fatty acids by the lye. Stearic acid and Palmitic acids crystalize first into opaque crystals, while oleic acids crystalize later on and they are more transparent. The combination of these opaque and transparent fatty acid crystals make up the phenomenon we call "glycerin rivers".

I have been making soap for well over 20 years, and I still learned a couple things today, TY! I miss the soap club lessons you used to do, they were so informative, supportive and fun! Getting a new box with all the ingredients was so much fun! I learned an incredible amount by doing those for which I am very grateful. I no longer sell my soaps due to the liability issues and small volume I prefer to stay with, but I still make soap and get such a thrill every time I cut into a new 5# loaf!! Your passion is contagious AM!! 😀

@Brambleberry when the gel phase soaps begin to cool down, either because the saponification process is slowing down or neat complete and the temperature of the soap naturally drops, or because the external heat source has been removed, such as turning off the oven in CPOP or turning off the heating pad, the liquid soap mixture (gel phase) begins to cool down and solidify. The first soaps to cool and solidify are those with the highest melting point, which includes sodium stearate and sodium palmitate soaps. As these liquid sodium stearate and sodium palmitate soaps cool, they solidify and appear more opaque because of their chemical composition. This causes the other liquid soaps like the sodium oleate and sodium linoleate soaps, which are less opaque, to flow away from the cooling and solidifying parts and it creates segregated areas- some with more opaque crystals that rapidly cool and others with more translucent crystals that cool at a slower rate. This separation of opaque and translucent crystals gives us the appearance of translucent lines, cracks or rivers. This variance in soap crystals happens in a large concentration of soaps that reach gel phase, but most simply aren’t visible without a microscope because the crystals and the separation don’t grow as large. The longer the soap is in gel phase and the slower the cooling period, the bigger the crystal growth and the more likely there will be visible glycerin rivers. Pigments and TD make it more visible. Lower water % and no gel phase prevent the rivers from forming.

Love all your tips and tricks and passion, it's contagious for sure! I learn something from every video! I started soaping about 8 years ago and your videos are the best! Cheers!

Hi Anne-Marie, What do you think about Hot Process soap? Do you have a good recipe to make melt and pour crystal clear soap? Thank you very much. Love your videos! ❤ What is your favorite melt and pour soap to make? Can you make melt and pour shampoo soap with mica’s? Best fragrance to use for shampoo and conditioner bars?

Always good information even for being a advanced soap maker!! Thanks AM!!! ❤️

Thanks for watching! Read more tips and tricks on our website here: bberry.studio/AMTipsAndTricks Video Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:15 - In CP soap how do you figure out what temperature is better for recipes with more hard oils and also for recipes with more soft oils? what helps the most in determining the ideal soaping temp. Generally? 01:46 - What are some factors that cause oil separation after pouring soap and letting it sit? I’ve been making soaps for a few years, but here recently I’ve had issues with it. I don’t know what’s happening! 03:00 - Do you have any recommendations for soap maker in a hot country? The room temperature here is always around 98 degree Fahrenheit! So I get glycerin rivers in my soap all the time and cut soaps were sweaty even! I never changed my formula. 05:27 - I can't seem to get a good scent throw on my soaps what am I doing wrong?/How to improve the fragrances in cp soap? 07:40 - Am new at this and so far am making melt and pour. So can I mix two different M&P base or will it clash? 09:01 - How do I stop my CP soap from forming a slimy layer in the shower? (I’ve added hard oils and butters, introduced a water discount and cured for longer). Nothing seems to work! :( 10:56 - My frozen goat milk curdled and turned orange, can I still use it in my cold process soap? 11:41 - How do I get vibrant colors in cp soaps? 13:17 - What’s most rewarding about your work? If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer service team at info@brambleberry.com or 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. You can also live chat with customer service on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. Shop Bramble Berry: bberry.studio/_ShopBrambleBerry Recipes, Tips & Inspiration: bberry.studio/IntheStudio_Projects Facebook: facebook.com/BrambleBerry Instagram: instagram.com/brambleberry/ Twitter: twitter.com/brambleberry TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@brambleberry Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/brambleberry/

Thanks! This is great! I have made 6 batches so far. I haven’t got it right quite yet and this will help.

Hi, Im new at soaping and am currently making M & P soaps. How do I switch to CP, is the process hard, especially calculating Lye seems daunting. How does a newbie start off with CP. Thanks Christine

Thanks so much for this QandA!! All the tips helped me so much!! ☺️

Can you extend the shelf life of your soap by sealing it in vacuum seal bags and adding desiccant inside before sealing?

most awaited!:) always a joy to watch Anne-Marie:)

Thank you for the advice Anna Marie!!

Hi, I learnt wonderful info today in your video …I have a question regarding the ph of soap …how to avoid getting alkaline ph around 9?what can I do to get a ph is always 8 or less ? I have a highly acne prone skin and what to change or add while making soap to have the right ph? Plz shed some light on the perfectly balanced ph bar

I work full time but also want to dabble in soap and body cream making. I have been doing personal care for my kids and myself for the past couple of years. What is the best way to expand the horizon while working full-time?

Hi! Thank you for your excellent videos! Some soap makers suggest mixing kaolin clay with fragrances as the clay helps lock in the scent in the cold process soap. it's true?

I love BB fragrance oils, not so in love with the labels that you can't read after a few months. What tips do you have to keep the label readable, or any thoughts to changing the labels so they last longer?

I love your detailed videos and Q&As!! I have not seen other videos quite like yours. I'm curious to know if I can re-make a liquid soap into a stronger-lathering (less creamy and less residue after washing it off) bar soap? I have some bath and body works shower gels, and I really got fed up with putting extra effort into rubbing the creamy residue off. I used to melt a bar of goat soap to mix and make it lather and wash off better. But is there a way I can actually turn it into a bar soap? Also, is there a good way to make hard soap with flax seed oil?

Great questions and answers!!

Dear Anne-Marie! Hello from Europe 🙋🏼‍♀️may u can help me? What is the difference if I use 100% milk in the soap? Or if I do my lye with water and add the milk to the oils? Is it just a preparation difference or does it cause any other difference in the lather? Thank u ☺️

I never saw you use ROE. Should I consider using it when I use actual fruit purée in my cold process soaps?

Thank you for all that you do.

A whitish layer formed on top of my soap. What could be the reason behind this? And I wanted to know the secret behind getting a smooth bar of soap. Please help me with my queries :)

Hey Bramble Berry team, do you ship to Germany? I tried to find the info but I couldn't. Thanks!

I made soap according to your recipe but when I unmold it was very soft and ruined the shape and break the corners and some soap left in mold like I have problem in unmolding do you help me plz

Good afternoon ma Anne-Marie I need your help with something that has been bothering me. So I make cp soaps and I have I had a few complaints about how it darkens them and it seems to be confusing me. I used coconut oil, olive pomace oil, activated charcoal, palm oil and coconut milk. I don't know what could be causing them to darken since all the oils are natural and no additives are added. Can you please help. Thank you.

i have a question about soap making i want to know in cp soap what hard oils and soft oil mix together is the best

Tnx a lot for very useful video! Hi from Ukraine ;)

I know that you have a lot of questions but mine wasn't on there. How do I prevent little yellow spots in my white soaps. They sometimes appear at the bottom of the soaps.

I hope you get to see the video I tagged you guys in with my daughter cutting her soap design!

can you make mughwort or cica face mask

i ask the questions too

Here because Safiya

I have learnt soap making online but not happy all my soap is becoming soft I have checked my sodium hydroxide, DM water , my trace is correct even with soap calculator my soap is getting moise and becoming soft .when I pour in to mould I feel it's perfect honestly not understanding wr I'm going wrong.

Hi

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