# White spots in bar soap



## Kezban (Apr 16, 2015)

Hello folks,

I've been making soap for a few months. I was using oil soluble food colors in powder form.
These days I want to experiment natural scents. Such as ground coffee,

Sometimes white spots occurs when I cure the soap. As I've read it might be lye, but white spots pH is the same as other parts.

Why do I get white spots like this? Any ideas?

Do you think the soap will turn white and only small coffee bits will remain?

In this HP batch, I used 500g oils, added 4ts dry ground coffee after cooking, mixed and moulded. It had a very nice color when i unmoulded, and then color began to fade and white spots came out.


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## Susie (Apr 16, 2015)

Do you use palm oil?  If so, it is stearic spots.


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## Obsidian (Apr 16, 2015)

HP often has these white spots, especially when you first start making it. It could be bits of soap that didn't get the colorant mixed all the way in or it could be bits of soap that dried out from too much cooking. To me, it looks like uncolored bits. Next time try adding the color earlier so it can get mixed in better.
Its just a cosmetic issue, the soap is safe to use. I don't think the colors will change much more, it definitely won't turn solid white.


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## Seawolfe (Apr 16, 2015)

It looks to me like those dry white bits you see at the end of the HP cook. I leave those out of the mold and then ball them up into their own little wad to test first. Of course incompletely mixed palm could do this or exacerbate the problem as well.


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## cmzaha (Apr 16, 2015)

Looks like uncolored soap or dried soap from the edges of the pot, if you scrape the sides of your pot. I would have to disagree about the stearic spots which I find to usually be more like pin dots /specks, instead of large spots.


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## shunt2011 (Apr 16, 2015)

I agree with bit's of cooked soap from the end of HP.  Just cosmetic or say you meant for it to be that way.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 16, 2015)

shunt2011 said:


> I agree with bit's of cooked soap from the end of HP. Just cosmetic or say you meant for it to be that way.


 
I like those spots/chunks, especially in brown soap, b/c it stops it from looking like mud (or poo) and adds some visual interest.


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## Seawolfe (Apr 16, 2015)

dixiedragon said:


> I like those spots/chunks, especially in brown soap, b/c it stops it from looking like mud (or poo) and adds some visual interest.


<falls over laughing>


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Apr 16, 2015)

As soon as I saw the images I thought to myself "Effy, I bet this person HPs their soaps.........................."

It certainly isn't lye and not that pH is worth a mention in all this (check out the threads here about pH and soaping) so I would cast an askance glance in the direction of where it was that you read it might be lye.

I will also put money on the fact that, when you give a friend some soap, someone will ask you how you got those cool little white bits


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## shunt2011 (Apr 16, 2015)

My last shave soap kind of looks like that.  Smaller white piece mixed in.  Looks cool.  As dixiedragon said no poo looking soap.  Very good analogy.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 16, 2015)

I made a coffee soap in this mold:





And when it was worn down it looked just like a coil of poo.


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## DeeAnna (Apr 16, 2015)

Oh, my, so I'm not the only one who's thought "poo thoughts" about certain types of brown soaps. It's good to know I'm in the company of people who have the same twisted imagination I do.


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## not_ally (Apr 16, 2015)

Straight brown in a mold is a bit poo-ish, not sure how to get around that (and I have tried.)   Maybe someone will suggest the perfect chocolate/brown/non poo color. Ok, I just defeated myself.


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## zolveria (Apr 16, 2015)

Also try using espresso coffee as half of the water in your recipe. 
you can also use Cinnamon powder that has been macerated in oil for a while. 
There a picture i posted on here of Cinnamon Soap really looked nice/

try to CPOP your soap. 165-170 degrees for 2-3 hours. I   CPOP some of my soaps not all. This particular soap i used  half of the water as milk and the other i used for the lye. it was a longer tracing recipe since i needed time to play around. 
I have never HP in a crock pot. It just looked awful and messy.


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## Kezban (Apr 17, 2015)

Thanks a lot. I think the white dots are the dried soaps in the bottom of the crockpot.
I use a wide pot to cook, when cooking little amounts of soap, they are drying much faster. I dont put them in the mould but they get in somehow anyway


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## dixiedragon (Apr 17, 2015)

not_ally said:


> Straight brown in a mold is a bit poo-ish, not sure how to get around that (and I have tried.) Maybe someone will suggest the perfect chocolate/brown/non poo color. Ok, I just defeated myself.


 
If you get it really DARK DARK brown it goes away from poo and more like coffee or chocolate. Also a swirl really helps, even  if it's just a swirl of lighter or darker brown.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 17, 2015)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> As soon as I saw the images I thought to myself "Effy, I bet this person HPs their soaps.........................."


 
I missed this the first time - you refer to yourself as Effy? That's precious.


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## Kezban (Apr 17, 2015)

zolveria said:


> Also try using espresso coffee as half of the water in your recipe.
> you can also use Cinnamon powder that has been macerated in oil for a while.
> There a picture i posted on here of Cinnamon Soap really looked nice/
> 
> ...



What a beautiful soap this is  
I will try CPOP as soon as i get an owen.. 

By the way, for HP, Do you think adding colors before cooking is better?
Are they more stable or long lasting?


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## kumudini (Apr 17, 2015)

It's really interesting how this thread quickly took the turn it took. I had one batch with honey and ground up cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. Hubby felt almost offended by the soap. It had spoon swirls on top, when I cut the tops off, it was less offensive for him. Now, I didn't think it was looking bad. Since the thing in question could actually be many different colors and there are multiple things all around us in those very colors, I don't always compare things to 'poo'. 
May be its a texture thing, so I will say no spoon swirls on those colors. May be some criss crossing lines across the top?


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## not_ally (Apr 17, 2015)

Pretty soap, Z. Dixie, I always just look hard at the plain brown soaps and try to think "CHOCOLATE, NOT POO!"  Really hard.  Those bars are the ones that get used in my shower, not gifts


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## zolveria (Apr 18, 2015)

lol  i made chocolate soap too. and i does look kinda weird. I think perhaps adding some white to it as whipped cream would make this soap less insulting to the eyes ;P


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