Explaining and Preventing Glycerin Rivers

I have to agree that soap making is both a science and an art. There are many things that can affect a soap batch. Temperature is a big one that can affect the look and feel of your soap.  As for a cold process soap batch, if the temperature is too hot, it can result in glycerin rivers. You are wondering what are glycerin rivers?  Glycerin rivers create a cracked or mottled appearance that can obscure more intricate design.  It does not affect the soap but it just affects the way your soap will look.  If you want to learn how to prevent glycerin rivers, then I recommend reading the post from The Soap Queen called Explaining and Preventing Glycerin Rivers.