There is probably already a thread about this but since there are 150 pages of threads I hope it is not annoying to anyone that I started a new one. I have been making soap on and off for about 4years now and just started using activated charcoal in my recipes and have noticed horrible cracking all the way down the soap or just where there is the charcoal when I layered the soap. Have I used too much? I used about a teaspoon per pound of soap. Hope someone can help me out with this. Thanks!
Activated charcoal
- Thread starter Sarah87
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Dorymae
Well-Known Member
It could be it is not mixed well enough with the batter although when i think of cracks I usually think of overheating, the fact that in only happens in the charcoal half makes me think it didn't combine.
When I use it I treat it like colorant in that I wet it with oil first and mix then mix a bit of my batter into the charcoal, then add it all in.
I don't think you are using too much. Do you have pictures of the cracks?
When I use it I treat it like colorant in that I wet it with oil first and mix then mix a bit of my batter into the charcoal, then add it all in.
I don't think you are using too much. Do you have pictures of the cracks?
I really can't imagine you're using too much, i mean i cant even see any black in your soap, and activated charcoal makes soap VERY black with a small amount of said colourant. The only time i have ever had cracked soap is when i insulated my beer soap and it over heated. Is this your typical recipe and did you force gel phase at all?
But that's my point though, if the soap isn't middle of the night black, there is no way you have used to much XD
Dorymae
Well-Known Member
That is some severe cracking. Did you discount the water in the recipe? It looks completely dried out in the pictures - like a desert needing water. When I've seen overheating cracks they are usually straight down and parallel. This has me stumped but I think it would have something to do with not enough liquid and heating on top of that. Charcoal does absorb water but not usually to that extent.
Recheck your recipe especially the water/lye. After that I would try making a small batch the same way only increase the water maybe 10 percent and see what happens.
Recheck your recipe especially the water/lye. After that I would try making a small batch the same way only increase the water maybe 10 percent and see what happens.
What kind of charcoal are you using?
Activated charcoal from bramble berry. It may be a water thing. I am trying out new fragrances and wanted to test colorants at the same time. So maybe my calculations weren't right. However I used the same measurements exactly in about 6 other batches with different colorants and scents and no cracking has happened. Which is why I think it's the charcoal.
On another note, I had a mishap with another batch where my boyfriend bumped my arm while I was adding activated charcoal to add more black and it dumped a pretty good amt in my soap. I couldn't remove it without taking soap batter with it so I left it and it feels like the slivers that u use to move with magnets. Just in a texture way not metal slivers way... But that's my mistake. Lesson learned wih that.
Just want to make sure I'm using the charcoal correctly. Do I need to add extra wter when using charcoal or just my normal lye/water mix?
On another note, I had a mishap with another batch where my boyfriend bumped my arm while I was adding activated charcoal to add more black and it dumped a pretty good amt in my soap. I couldn't remove it without taking soap batter with it so I left it and it feels like the slivers that u use to move with magnets. Just in a texture way not metal slivers way... But that's my mistake. Lesson learned wih that.
Just want to make sure I'm using the charcoal correctly. Do I need to add extra wter when using charcoal or just my normal lye/water mix?
Candybee
Well-Known Member
I use activated charcoal in some of my soap and never had any cracking. If your charcoal is acting similar to those magnetized particals- sorry don't know what they are called; iron shavings? -- it sounds weird. My charcoal is so fine and powdery I actually have to be extra careful opening the bag up or it can 'pouf' out of the bag and settle all over my hands and counter.
I don't use extra water when I use charcoal and I use enough to make a very deep black. I never have cracking or a weird texture. If I was you, I would email BB and ask about it. It might be worth it to try a different source.
Dorymae
Well-Known Member
I don't use extra water with charcoal but I don't discount it either. I am really interested in the solution to this problem, as I said I haven't seen cracks like that before.
If you do try making another sample batch let us know how it turns out.
If you do try making another sample batch let us know how it turns out.
In my full charcoal soaps I use 1-2tbs of charcoal in a 6lb batch and I have never had cracking due to the charcoal with a liquid disount and Brambleberry charcoal is good activated charcoal. I would say something else is going on. Are you using a different recipe with a lot of hard butters? Even when I recently soap with a 50/50 lye solution only my soap traced quick as an Indy racer but no cracking
