{"id":42551,"date":"2019-03-24T12:47:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-24T17:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lovinsoap.com\/?p=42551"},"modified":"2024-02-16T18:33:39","modified_gmt":"2024-02-17T00:33:39","slug":"clear-transparent-soap-from-scratch-quick-method","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovinsoap.com\/2019\/03\/clear-transparent-soap-from-scratch-quick-method\/","title":{"rendered":"Clear Transparent Soap from Scratch – Quick Method"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Okay, so if you’ve been in the soap making groups<\/a> on Facebook lately, you’ve seen all of the transparent soaps that makers have been posting! Quite impressive! I’ve made transparent soap before, but nothing as clear as what we’ve been seeing lately. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I got experimenting! I was inspired by a post in our soapmaking group, Saponification Nation<\/a>, by Harriet Pretzsch. She generously shared her procedure for making a cold process transparent soap. You can find it on her blog here<\/a>. You’ll have to translate it or join our FB group and search her name…you’ll find it translated. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WARNING! This is an advanced tutorial. You should have some batches of cold process or hot process soap under your belt. If you are new to soapmaking, check out our Free Basic Cold Process Soap Making Guide<\/a>.<\/a> Wear safety gear when working with sodium hydroxide and make this soap in a well-ventilated area, especially when working with the lye solution and alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

We now offer an eClass<\/a> on this quick method! If you want to see it done in videos, sign up here<\/a>! I’ve updated my process, created new recipes and added some design tutorials. I hope you’ll join us! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Transparent soap is all about the oils that you select and your solvents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oils –<\/strong> You want to choose oils that are high in stearic acid and that have a low amount of unsaponifiables that can cloud your clear soap. You want to choose oils that are not yellow or green tinted…Harriet uses tallow, coconut, castor and rice bran. Because you do add lots of solvents (some with water), you want to use a high amount of hard oils to create a hard bar. I would shoot for 60%+ of tallow, lard, stearic acid or palm oil. I tried a few different blends. The more solvents I used, the more stearic acid\/coconut oil I used. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Superfat – <\/strong>Because superfat (unsaponified oils) can cloud transparent soap, go with a 0% superfat. We do add glycerin, and that acts as a superfat in your soap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solvents<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Solvents are what make the magic happen. They dissolve the soap crystals that normally form when combining sodium hydroxide with fatty acids (base oils). Solvents include alcohol, liquid glycerin and sugar. You can use one, or for best results, try a combination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alcohol<\/strong> – You can use either isopropyl or ethyl (ethanol) alcohol. Ethanol seems to create a more clear soap. Each type of alcohol comes in different strengths. You want to find the purest\/highest strength that you can so that you’ll end up with less water in your soap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n