I've received many comments on how smooth looking the swirls are in my soaps. Many folks mistake my soaps as being made using the Cold Process (CP) method when in fact all my soaps are made using the Oven Hot Process (OHP) method. I've created swirled soaps using the CP method in the past, but to be honest, I don't have the patience for curing soaps. I wanted that 'homogeneous' look that swirled CP soaps are known for, but I wanted to utilize the OHP method instead of the CP method to capture this look. To achieve that effect I developed a swirling technique for the OHP method. It involves just a few extra steps. I've written a tutorial to explain this process.

The swirling technique included in this tutorial was developed (after much experimenting) to be used with the OHP method of soapmaking. Do not attempt this swirling technique if you are not familiar with the OHP method. If you would like to learn to create soap using the OHP method, please visit my Links page for a list of online resources.

o This tutorial does not include a recipe so please provide your own recipe.
o A recipe containing light-colored oils was used in this tutorial.
o This tutorial is based on 32oz of oils. Longer cook and cool times will be required for larger batches.
o This tutorial includes instructions for basic one-color, swirled soaps.
o Lye calculated using the MMS Lye Calculator
o LabColours by Jen's Lab were used to color the soap mixture in this tutorial. Other color additives can be substituted. Follow manufacturers instructions. Color(s) achieved depends upon the product base, recipe, fixed oils and fragrance/essential oils used.
o Tropical Fruit FO from Moon Mountain Soaps was used to scent the soap mixture in this tutorial.
o This tutorial assumes that the crafter has basic soapmaking skills, as there are much more details, concepts and techniques to beginning soapmaking that are beyond the scope of this tutorial.

Acknowledgements
I want to give special thanks to Diane Buckley of Diane's Naturally (Australia), to Carrie Thompson of Cascade Soapworks (USA) and to my father-in-law, Ron Harwood, for contributing their advice for this tutorial.


Tools
Two - Stainless steel pots
Two - Stainless steel ladles
Scale
1-2 Stick Blenders
Wooden horizontal log mold dimensions: 3.5 x 2.5 x 8.0 inches.
      (Slab molds and vertical log molds can also be used with this technique)
Freezer Paper (or your choice of mold liner)
Rubber spatula
Small glass containers for FO's/EO's and color additives
Protective eyewear
Gloves

Getting Started
Calculate your recipe: weight of oils, lye and water using a Lye Calculator. It is recommended that the full amount of water that is calculated for your water portion of your recipe be used. Using the full amount of water helps to make the soap mixture easy to swirl and pour. Use necessary safety precautions when mixing lye and water.

Weigh color additive and FO or EO.

Weigh the empty pot before filling with oils. Use this pot as your "main" pot for the colored soap mixture.

Note: For this tutorial, the recipe used was based on 32oz of oils, with 4% Lye discount and 12oz of Distilled water. No water discount was taken.


Mixing
Pre heat oven to 180ºF

Slowly add lye to water stirring well to dissolve all crystals.

When all lye crystals are dissolved thoroughly, add to oils.

Blend with stick blender until a thin trace is obtained. Weigh pot and soap mixture.

Calculate the weight of soap mixture by subtracting the weight of the pot from the weight of the soap mixture. Ex: My empty stainless steel pot weighs 24.8oz. After thin trace I weighed the pot and soap mixture for a total of 73.6oz.

Pour up to ½ of soap mixture into second stainless steel pot. Leave this second pot of soap mixture uncolored (Fig 1.1). After pouring soap mixture into the second pot, use a rubber spatula to scrape the soap from side of the "main" pot into bottom of pot (Fig 1.2). Note: For this tutorial, I poured 11oz of soap mixture into the second pot.



Using a stick blender, blend the uncolored mixture until a thick trace is obtained (Fig 1.3). Cover pot.



Add color additive to the larger quantity of soap mixture. Using a stick blender, blend the color additive well into soap mixture (Fig 1.4 & 1.5).


Note: Because I use LabColours Concentrated Solutions, which are diluted with distilled water, I prefer to add it to the raw soap mixture so that the excess water can be cooked out. Fuschia LabColours was used to color the soap mixture.


Blend until a thick trace is obtained (Fig 1.6). Cover pot.


Note: Other color variations can be created. Contrasting colors as well as using a lighter shade with a darker shade of the same color can be used to color the soap mixture. When using two or more colors, always blend and obtain a thick trace of the lighter color first, then the darker color unless separate stick blenders are used for each different color.


The Cook
Place both covered pots of soap mixture into pre-heated oven for 45 minutes (use timer).

After 45 minutes, remove both pots from the oven to stir. Your soap will look like cookie dough and will be thick and somewhat difficult to stir. (Fig 2.1 & 2.2)


When stirring soap mixture, make certain to incorporate the bottom portion into the rest of your soap. Don't worry if some of the soap has already gelled (Fig 2.3 & 2.4)



After stirring, cover and place both pots back into the oven for an additional 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, remove both pots from the oven and stir. Your soap should look transparent and resemble applesauce (Fig 2.5 & 2.6)



Leave both pots uncovered for 5 minutes to cool before including any additives.

Note: Longer cooking and cooling times will be required for larger batches. Temperatures vary from oven to oven.


Additives
After cooling, add any fragrance, essential oils, herbs or botanicals to the soap mixtures. Gently "fold" additives into soap mixture to incorporate well into mixture. You may choose to add to the colored, uncolored or both pots of soap mixtures. Work quickly to prevent the soap mixtures from drying out (Fig 3.1). Note: Tropical Fruit FO from Moon Mountain Soap was added to the colored soap mixture.




Swirling
Using your ladle, create 4 to 5 "pockets" at the bottom of the pot of colored soap mixture (Fig 4.1). Scoop uncolored soap mixture into pockets. To swirl, place the ladle (upright) in the center of the pot. With your free hand, rotate the pot clockwise or counter-clockwise (whichever your preference) while pulling the ladle out towards the side of the pot. Make certain that the ladle is always in contact with the bottom of the pot. By doing this, you will be creating a spiral pattern in the soap mixture (Fig 4.2). Repeat this until you obtain the desired swirl effect. Work quickly to prevent the soap mixture from drying out.

Note: This OHP method of swirl-in-the-pot came about as a matter of personal preference. I've experimented with plopping the different colored soap mixtures into the mold, but was never satisfied with the results of the finished patterns.



Pouring
Pour gloppy soap mixture into a lined, wooden mold (Fig 5.1). To eliminate any air pockets, tap the mold on your countertop a few times. This also helps the soap mixture settle into the corners of the mold and smoothes out the surface of the soap.

Note: If I don't take a water discount, my soap mixture is always wet enough so that I just have to tap the mold on my countertop to help the soap mixture settle into the corners of the mold. If your soap is a bit on the dry side, use a wooden spatula to "press" the soap mixture into the corners and the bottom of the mold. Also, the total weight of oils used in this tutorial is slightly larger than the mold capacity in order to create excess soap at the top of the mold. This excess will be trimmed off later (refer to Fig 6.1).



Do not cover or insulate (Fig 5.2). Place mold in a cool, dry area.



Finish
After 6 hours, trim off excess from top of mold (Fig 6.1). **Please note that this step is OPTIONAL.
After 8 hours, unmold and slice (Fig 6.2)



Air-drying time: 7 to 14 days.

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