What is trace in soapmaking?

What is trace in soapmaking? When making soap, this "trace" sounds complicated, but once you make soap and see it for yourself, it is easier to spot the next time.

Specifically, trace is when the chemistry of water, oils and lye have created a soap substance. When real trace has occurred, your oils and lye-water will not separate anymore, the emulsion of the oils and water, with the chemical reaction with the salt (lye) has fully blended will continue to set to a solid. While this solidifying is occurring, the ph levels of the lye are being neutralized, so in the end, you have a gentle cleansing compound.

This photo shows your oils all melted and it's clear amber color.

Before trace, you have melted your oils and had them reach the right temperature. You have also added the lye to your water and let that reach the same right temperature. Now is the time to add your lye-water to your pot of oils. When you do this you will see the lye-water go to the bottom of your oil pot. This happens because the oils float and the salted water is heavier.

Now is the time to stir - carefully - you don't want this caustic liquid to splash you. If using a stick blender, careful to keep the blades under the top of the soap base as stick blenders like to splash. Alternatively, they also attach to the bottom by the pull of the blade movement. Alternate between stick blending and stirring with a large wooden spoon. And yes, you can let is rest for a moment or two in between.

Now the soap base has changed color a little, depending on the type of carrier oils and the color tint that they have. It will not look so oily anymore, but if you were to stop blending, you would probably find that your base will start to separate, with a layer of oil coming to the top. That is natural, it will separate like this until it is fully emulsified.

This photo shows oils that are still sitting on the top of your soap base.

After enough stirring and blending, which could be between 15 minutes and 2 hours, your soap will have different color, a milder color, sometimes described as looking like the color of pancake mix or vanilla pudding.

When deciding if your soap has traced or not, it is better to over trace than under trace. In theory if your soap is under traced, it may try to separate a little, with a harsh lye-strong layer of soap on the bottom of your your slab, and a layer of oil on the top of your slab.

If you over trace, this just means that your soap was ready a few minutes ago, and is only getting thicker as it cools. It cannot get ruined by being over traced. The only problem that could happen would be that it could be difficult to fully blend in the essential oils or other additives, but only because the soap is solidifying. Some people over trace as a rule, then you will see them spooning their soap out into the mold.

This photo shows clearly what your soap base should look like fully traced. The different colors in the base are related to the type of oil you use. A darker color may occur with darker oils like virgin olive oil, and a lighter color would occur with a canola oil base.

You can see the stir marks and grooves in the top of it, sort of like when making pudding or whipping cream.

You will probably need to crouch down and catch the light reflecting off the top of the base in order to first spot the signs of trace starting to happen.

At this point, your soap is soap, all natural and unscented and uncolored. Now you would add your additives then pour into the molds. Also, at this point you would not use your stick blender until you are ready to pour into the molds. The stick blender increases the speed at which trace happens, and you may need a couple of minutes to put in your final ingredients. Stir in the final additives, stick blend for the final time, and pour. And yes, you should scrape the sides of your pot, there can be 1 - 2 bars of soap base lining your pot.

From 'what is trace in soapmaking', to info on lye, aka sodium hydroxide, here....

Information on the types of water to use for soap, here...

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