What Do They Mean By Trace When You Make Homemade Soap?

Blogs by their nature usually have their latest information at the top of the page and so when reading how to make homemade soap the early information about what a trace was occurred in earlier posts so I never saw it.. I had to search to find out just what the word trace meant in the soap making context. Trace is when the soap mixture has started to change, to become ready to put into molds. As you mix the lye and the fat or oils together and stir it eventually it will start to become a little dull on top of the mixture. You will find that it develops a fine ring around the edge of the bowl and your stirring spoon will leave a little valley behind it as you stir as it doesn’t flatten out immediately as it did to start with.

There has been a new way of making homemade soap, that of using a “stick” blender. This is great in that it reduces the time it takes considerably. Animal fats come to trace faster than vegetable oils do. If you are making soap for the first time and using animal fats then it is a good idea to use a spoon to mix your ingredients. A stick blender can bring the mixture to trace before the lye has even been mixed in completely leaving a bit of a mess. Alternatively you can use vegetable fats which take much longer to come to trace. It usually takes over 30 minutes of stirring with a spoon to get to that stage with most oils.

When you set out to learn the art of making homemade soap as well as just getting a finished product you have to learn the art part. When I was learning to cook at school I was always amazed that 20 pairs of girls could come up with such different results using exactly the same ingredients. This occurs equally when you make homemade soap. Each time you make it you learn some new aspect as the conditions are slightly different each time. Allow yourself to be pleased as you develop the skill and artistry of being a competent soap maker.