Naughty Soap 2

I see from the comments to yesterday's post, that I am taking for granted that everybody knows how to make soap. It is professional blindnes or whatever it's called in English.

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    For en forklaring på dansk, se min sæbeblog om vulkansæber.

Here is the photo once again. It is a soap, I'm making.
I start by mixing lye (NaOH) and water (in this case woodruff tea) in one pot, and melting the fats, beeswax and oils in another
Then those are combined, stirred and poured in a mould when they begin to thicken.
After being put in the mould, the soap will heat up somewhat. This is the chemical process of turning fats and lye into soap, known as saponification. Sometimes the process runs a bit wild. That is what is happening here. The soap is overheating, becoming liquid and also darker, just like a volcano making ready for an eruption.

This photo, taken half an hour later, clearly shows how liquid the soap has become. I stirred it, because the corners do not normally heat up, leading to funny markings on some of the soaps.

This process is known as gelling, it is a sought after occurrence because the soap is then ready for use after de-moulding and cutting. This will happen tomorrow.
The soap will be better, have more longevity, after curing and dehydrating for 1 to 6 weeks. But I can use it tomorrow, only it's still kind of soft and bendy.
Photos of de-moulding and cutting will follow tomorrow.