# How much Titanium Dioxide to get soap white?



## Guest

How much Titanium Dioxide do I add to make my soap really white? What would happen if I added too much? Would it affect the soap? 

Also with colors, how do you know how much to add to the soap? I keep getting v light colors, but I'm worried about adding too much mica/powder. What is a rough guideline? I'm using powder colorants from TKB.


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## SleepingDragonfly

Hiya 

I might be wrong in my practise but I just add a little bit at a time till I get the colour I want. There probably is a better way to do it. 

I do find with the TD that if you put too much in the soap batter, it gets thicker ... which is not good for some swirling but still use-able. I havent had any bad effects from using TD but that may just be due to my "little-at-a-time" approach.


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## Dragonkaz

I rarely use TD, so can't be sure on that one.

I use a lot of pop mica and use the suppliers notes on that one.  Next I keep records of the amount I use each time, so I can compare for the  next time.

I make 2 kg of soap at a time and if I'm taking soap to make a swirl, I add 3 gm to it.  If I'm colouring the whole batch, I usually use 5 gm ... or for a stronger colour 7 gm.


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## dirrdee

I usually use 1/2 to 1 teas TD for whiteness, depends on how yellow the soap is, I always start with less and add a little more if needed.


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## megh55555

I generally use anything between half a tea spoon to a full teaspoon per kg oil depending on the types of oils used. if u have green olive oil ,u would rquire a bit more , if all the oils are yellow/ white- u may require a bit less. 

About TD making the recipe thick - Im not sure.  This is somehting i would like to observe in the coming batches.


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## semplice

The elusive white bar of soap.  I still haven't come up with the right amount of TD to add.  The closest I've gotten is an OMH soap that's cream colored - not stark white.  I'll keep experimenting!


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## IrishLass

The max I use of TD is 1 teaspoon ppo. I've noticed that if I use more than that, my soap starts to feel chalky. 

As for the micas from TKB- I only have 2 TKB micas- Colorana Bordeaux and Hot Step Mama- both different shades of red. I haven't used Hot Step Mama yet, but I've used Colorana Bordeaux. I use it very sparingly and for swirls only (nowadays), because it gives me pink lather when I color my whole batch with enough of it to give me a good red (which is 2 tsp. ppo, by the way). To give me a good red when I'm swirling with it, I use 1/8 of a tsp mixed into about 1/3 of a cup of raw soap batter.




IrishLass


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## xyxoxy

IrishLass said:
			
		

> The max I use of TD is 1 teaspoon ppo. I've noticed that if I use more than that, my soap starts to feel chalky.



Me too...
White soap can be achieved by a balance of several things.
1. TD, but not too much
2. Lighter colored oils (Light olive, Lard, Palm, CO...)
3. Fragrances that do not discolor (Anything with vanilla will turn tan or brown. Some citrus scents will discolor yellow or orange)
4. Prevent gel. This will give you a more solid, creamy and less translucent quality. With colorants this gives you lighter pastel shades.

You just need to experiment in small batches and see what works best for you.


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## opalgirl

I use a healthy teaspoon PPO.  I do notice that it cuts differently if I have too much.


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## Sue Bear

The thing about TD depends on your recipe because each combo of oils is different in everyone's recipe. I can now acheive a great white with 1 - 2 tsp. PPO for most batches. Here is what works for me with TD to make a white soap with no streaks or crackle. Take a container (cup size) with a lid and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil in it and then mix in 4 heaping tbsp. of TD and stir. Put the lid on and let the blend marry overnight. Then whenever I need white, I just take off the lid, stir the mixture good, and put a tsp. or so into my batch and I have perfect white soap.


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## youreapima2

I use 1 teaspoon for 2 lbs. With great whitening. The last time I used was in a GM soap that the milk had gotten scorched, and ended up with light tan bars. 
Most times I will use the TD as noted above mixed with 2-4 tablespoons of canola oil or soy oil and mix well with a "Frother" that I got at IKEA. 

I separate other colors in cups that I want to swirl, add the TD to the main batch minus the soap I poured for colors, and then swirl in the colors after I have the white base. It works like a charm.


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## youreapima2

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## judymoody

Sue Bear said:
			
		

> The thing about TD depends on your recipe because each combo of oils is different in everyone's recipe. I can now acheive a great white with 1 - 2 tsp. PPO for most batches. Here is what works for me with TD to make a white soap with no streaks or crackle. Take a container (cup size) with a lid and pour 1/2 cup of olive oil in it and then mix in 4 heaping tbsp. of TD and stir. Put the lid on and let the blend marry overnight. Then whenever I need white, I just take off the lid, stir the mixture good, and put a tsp. or so into my batch and I have perfect white soap.



Thanks for this tip.  I used some TD in a recent batch and was too timid with the amount because I feared chalkiness.  I also got a very few speckles.  I had preblended my TD with oil but probably didn't let it sit long enough.


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## RogueRose

What does PPO stand for?  I see people saying they add the TD after PPO? (just found out it means "pounds per oil" but that didn't make sense when I heard someone say "I use X amount after PPO".  I thought is was a process, lol.


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## Crombie

*TD*

I regularly use 1 tsp PPO of TD in my HP soaps.  I use oil soluble.  I sift over the melted oils and wait 15 minutes.  Then I stick blend well and then add my lye solution.  I have never had chalky soap or glycerin rivers.  I do my clays the same way.
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www.sadiesmissionsoaps.com


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