If you are new to making soap you may not even know what trace is when it comes to soap. Trace is nothing more than the consistency of your soap mixture, different traces will indicate different stages of consistency. At some points the mixture will be like pudding and this is the best time to mix in other types of soaps to create a swirl effect in the design of your soap. Other times it will be ready to pour into the mold.

Key Takeaways:

• Trace is very useful for figuring out when a soap mixture has been adequately blended for it to subsequently be placed into a mold.
• Light trace, which has a creamy consistency and occurs right after blending, is good for use with intricate molds.
• Thick trace doesn’t flow or pour very well, and may need to be spooned out, but is useful for layering applications.

“Different levels of trace or soap consistency can assist you in using particular techniques and achieving specific soap designs.”

Read more: http://www.bathalchemylab.com/2016/03/knowing-your-trace-in-soap.html