A bubble bar question.

Damies · May 22, 2017

Not sure if this is the right place as this is my first post here. (moved)

Anyway I made some creamsicle bubble bars and the white section is visibly browning and I guess that would be due to the vanilla content of the fragrance. My question is can I use vanilla color stabilizer in a bubble bar?

lsg · May 22, 2017

Any fragrance oil with vanilla will turn brown. Vanilla stabilizer works for a while, but not permanently.

dibbles · May 22, 2017

I am far from being a bubble bar expert, but my first thought is that you will probably have to adjust for the extra liquid by reducing some of the liquid in your recipe. It could probably be done but might take a bit of fiddling around to get right. And it may discolor down the road. Maybe it would be better to divide your dough in half and scent separately with vanilla and something else to make a two color bubble bar.

SunRiseArts · May 22, 2017

I have used stabilizer with success at a 1:1 ration (stabilizer:fragrance) BUT mine are used within a couple of months at the most.

Damies · May 25, 2017

I know vanilla containing scents discolor to varying levels of brown, I was just surprised it happened in the bubble bar, I guess my brain was thinking "It's not -soap- so it'll be fine" which was silly of me.

And I know it isn't a permanent fix, using vanilla stabilizer, but I really don't like how my creamsicle bubble bars now have "cinnamon swirls" and would like to avoid it in the future even if only for a while, I'd hope they get used before they discolor but there really isn't a guarantee there.

In the future I may just scent the orange section (which is not as vibrant as it was originally but not as obviously discolored) to try and avoid the white being so drastically not what I wanted.

My concern with using the vanilla stabilizer in a bubble bar was if it is safe in bubble bars like it is in soap.

Thank you all for your input!

dibbles · May 25, 2017

As far as safety goes, I know WSP sells vanilla stabilizer for lotion as well as for CP and M&P. Bubble bars are probably more like a B&B product than a soap, so that might be something to look into. Or try to find a non discoloring vanilla FO you like. They do exist.