{"id":39450,"date":"2022-12-26T22:54:20","date_gmt":"2022-12-26T21:54:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/?p=39450"},"modified":"2022-12-26T22:54:24","modified_gmt":"2022-12-26T21:54:24","slug":"what-is-gel-phase-in-soap-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/cold-process-soap\/what-is-gel-phase-in-soap-making\/","title":{"rendered":"What is gel phase in soap making"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Has your cold process soap ever looked gelatinous after a few hours in the mold? It\u2019s likely going through gel phase. That\u2019s a part of the saponification process where the soap gets hot \u2013 up to 82 \u00b0C. It doesn\u2019t affect the quality of the final bars, but it does affect the way they look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-39453\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-phase-soap-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You can choose whether to force gel phase based on your recipe and personal preference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-forcing-gel-phase\">Forcing gel phase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are a few reasons you may want to gel soap:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You want vibrant colors. Gel phase helps the colors pop and it gives the bars a slightly shiny appearance. Learn more about&nbsp;how to color handmade soap here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re using&nbsp;natural colorants. Without gel phase,&nbsp;they can have a dull appearance and a different hue. For instance, gelled soap colored with&nbsp;madder root powder&nbsp;has a deep red hue. The ungelled version is a muted mauve. See both versions&nbsp;in this post.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re using\u00a0LabColors. Gel phase makes them brighter and ensures they\u2019re true to color<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re in a hurry. Because of the higher temperatures, gelled soap hardens and unmolds more quickly. The soap\u00a0still needs to\u00a0cure for 4-6 weeks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"427\" height=\"320\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-39459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-2.jpg 427w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-2-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/gel-2-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 427px) 100vw, 427px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Warm temperatures are key to forcing gel phase. Start with your lye and oils around 50-55 \u00b0C. Once the soap is in the mold, cover it with a cutting board and then a towel or blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If your soapmaking area is cooler, you can place it on a heating pad set to medium. Check it after 30 minutes to make sure it\u2019s not overheating \u2013 that can cause&nbsp;volcanoes, heat tunnels, or glycerin rivers. If it\u2019s getting too hot, turn the heating pad off and remove the blanket. If not, leave it on for another 30-60 minutes. Then, turn the heating pad off but leave the soap on it overnight. Learn more about&nbsp;how to insulate soap here.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Preventing gel phase<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s why you might want to prevent it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You prefer matte soap. Ungelled bars look creamy and have pastel colors that some makers love.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re&nbsp;making cold process soap with milk. It can scorch if it gets too hot, which causes discoloration and an unpleasant smell. That can also happen with alternative liquids like coffee, wine, tea, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The same goes for soap made with additives like&nbsp;fruit&nbsp;or&nbsp;honey. We recommend keeping the temperatures low to prevent scorching.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019re working with\u00a0soap frosting. If it gets too hot it may not hold its shape.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-39479\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Soap-10-2-768x512.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>This&nbsp;<\/em><em><u>Pure Honey Soap<\/u><\/em><em>&nbsp;is kept&nbsp;cold to prevent scorching.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To keep your soap cool, start with your lye and oils around 32-37 \u00b0C. Once it\u2019s in the mold, put it in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours. You can also put the soap\u00a0 in a cool area like a garage or basement and run a fan over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The third option is to leave your soap uncovered at room temperature. It may gel or not, depending on oil&nbsp;and lye temperatures and how warm the space is. That can sometimes result in partial gel phase, where one area of the soap (typically the middle) is slightly darker than the rest. Again, that only affects the look of the bars \u2013 they\u2019ll still feel great on the skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/gelphase.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/gelphase.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-159893\" width=\"410\" height=\"273\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/gelphase.jpg 275w, https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/gelphase-150x100.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 410px) 100vw, 410px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>These bars only gelled in the middle, which caused the\u00a0color difference.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As with everything in soapmaking, the best way to find out what you prefer is to experiment. Try all three methods and then choose your favorite.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Has your cold process soap ever looked gelatinous after a few hours in the mold? It\u2019s likely going through gel phase. That\u2019s a part of the saponification process where the soap gets hot \u2013 up to 82 \u00b0C. It doesn\u2019t affect the quality of the final bars, but it does affect the way they look. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":395,"featured_media":39460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,4857],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39450","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zeep-maken","category-cold-process-soap"],"acf":{"schema_OpeningHoursSpecification_repeater":null,"schema_SpecialDays_repeater":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39450","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/395"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39450"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39450\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":159899,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39450\/revisions\/159899"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39450"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39450"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.youwish.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39450"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}