# Brown spots and streaks in cold press soap



## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Hello everyone. I'm new to soap making and just started making cold press soap, this was my first batch. I have the random brown spots and streaks in the soap and I'm not sure what caused it. 

My recipe is 30% coconut oil, 30% sunflower, 25% soybean 15% shea butter.

The lye was around 104 at the time it was mixed with the oil and the oil was around 108. I'm going off memory but that is close.

Thanks for the help and sorry about the bad picture not sure why the camera wouldn't focus today.


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## CanaDawn (Aug 12, 2014)

It's cold process, not cold press.

How long has the soap been curing? My first thought is DOS, but they are also very even...what did you cure the soap on?


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

CanaDawn said:


> It's cold process, not cold press.
> 
> How long has the soap been curing? My first thought is DOS, but they are also very even...what did you cure the soap on?



that's after about 3 weeks of curing.

I let it set in a wooden mold for 48 hours it was then taken out and cut and let cure on a cookie rack for 3 weeks. The spots were visible when cut and have not faded.


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## Seawolfe (Aug 12, 2014)

If the cookie rack is some metal other than stainless steel, I'd blame it - see if those marks line up with the bars on the cookie rack.


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Seawolfe said:


> If the cookie rack is some metal other than stainless steel, I'd blame it - see if those marks line up with the bars on the cookie rack.



They were there at the time it was cut before being placed on the rack. The rack is stainless steel.

I didn't use distilled water could that be an issue?


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## Seawolfe (Aug 12, 2014)

So they where already there when you cut the soap?


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Seawolfe said:


> So they where already there when you cut the soap?



Correct yes.


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## Seawolfe (Aug 12, 2014)

Are they just on the surface? or if you dig a bit they are underneath too? What did you use to cut them with? The pattern of the spots is kind of freaking me out! Thats entirely too regular of a pattern.


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Seawolfe said:


> Are they just on the surface? or if you dig a bit they are underneath too? What did you use to cut them with? The pattern of the spots is kind of freaking me out! Thats entirely too regular of a pattern.



It was underneath as well. I used a stainless soap cutter I bought at michael's.


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## Meganmischke (Aug 12, 2014)

What did you use for a mold?


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Meganmischke said:


> What did you use for a mold?



Wood box molds lined with parchment paper for baking.


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## Meganmischke (Aug 12, 2014)

Well I am stumped


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## Seawolfe (Aug 12, 2014)

If they arent from metal, then perhaps its the fragrance not blended in? What was the fragrance? Or lye? (I hope not). Do the spots smell different? Can you zap test one?
When you poured in the mold, did you pour in 2 or 3 different layers by any chance? Smoothing as you went?


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## cib (Aug 12, 2014)

Seawolfe said:


> If they arent from metal, then perhaps its the fragrance not blended in? What was the fragrance? Or lye? (I hope not). Do the spots smell different? Can you zap test one?
> When you poured in the mold, did you pour in 2 or 3 different layers by any chance? Smoothing as you went?



I thought fragrance as well but they don't appear to be, they don't smell stronger, or weaker, than the rest of the bar. It is in every bar and every cut though. 

No layers, we poured the full amount then a small amount we kept out with color added for swirls. We poured the color in then smoothed the top with a spatula, wrapped with a towel and set aside till we cut it two days later. We did place cardboard on top to protect the soap from the towel during this time but the cardboard never touched the soap as it was clean with no stains.

I'll try to zap test later.


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## Susie (Aug 12, 2014)

I don't have a clue, but I have a theory or two.  Would you be able to cut one bar both vertically, and then horizontally through a row of spots with a stainless steel knife that has been cleaned with alcohol immediately before use?  Just spray the alcohol on, then wipe off with clean paper towel.  Then get pics of all?


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## SunWolf (Aug 12, 2014)

cib said:


> They were there at the time it was cut before being placed on the rack. The rack is stainless steel.
> 
> I didn't use distilled water could that be an issue?



If you used tap water and you have a lot of sediment or metals in your water, that could very well be the cause.  It is a fairly consistent pattern of spots though, it's pretty weird.


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## DeeAnna (Aug 13, 2014)

The rows of spots and your use of a metal rack are a strong correlation. Metals act as a catalyst to break down free fats, so this basically is a row of DOS spots. Very few cooling racks are stainless, by the way.


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## Seawolfe (Aug 13, 2014)

Ya except the OP says they spots were there before the bars were put on the rack - they were there when they cut!



DeeAnna said:


> The rows of spots and your use of a metal rack are a strong correlation. Metals act as a catalyst to break down free fats, so this basically is a row of DOS spots. Very few cooling racks are stainless, by the way.


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## dixiedragon (Aug 13, 2014)

Are the marks on the same place on each bar? They seem to be strongest on the outside of the bar - possibly something on the parchment paper itself that leaked into the soap?


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## DeeAnna (Aug 13, 2014)

Wups -- I stand corrected! Thanks for pointing that out, Seawolfe.


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## cib (Aug 13, 2014)

DeeAnna said:


> The rows of spots and your use of a metal rack are a strong correlation. Metals act as a catalyst to break down free fats, so this basically is a row of DOS spots. Very few cooling racks are stainless, by the way.



The spots were there at the time of cutting but they do appear to have faded in other areas but where the metal rack touched the soap. I'm going to try another batch but this time stand them up on the end and see if I get the same result. 

The marks aren't the same on each bar but I inspected multiple bars and it appears to be darker where it touched the drying rack. Where it wasn't touching they seem to have faded drastically.

The ZAP test came back good so nothing there.


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