And for my next trick...

[AliOop]

I'm wondering ... Do you guys try any color or swirl in a soap that you know will discolor? Or do you just allow it to be discolored?

I either work with the tan or brown as part of a swirly color scheme, or I use VCS to keep it from turning brown or tan. For my husband's neem oil soap, scented with Dragon's Blood, he's fine with just brown.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I'm wondering ... Do you guys try any color or swirl in a soap that you know will discolor? Or do you just allow it to be discolored?

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/what-to-use-for-discolouring.83571/

 

[AAShillito]

Others have posted that it does last forever in their soaps. Just checked the date on mine, and it's actually at 8.5 months with zero sign of browning in a soap with white, yellow, and orange. I am guessing that experiences vary depending on recipe, process, FO, etc.

My FO contained 1.8% vanillin, and my usage rate was 6% in a high lard recipe that was gelled on a heating pad. I did add the VCS to the oils, rather than mixing directly with the FO; that was also a suggestion made in one of the threads here.

@AliOop @John Harris @Misschief how do you work the amount of VCS into your recipe liquids? .I'm going to do a fo that needs a 1:1 vcs.

 

[AliOop]

I pretty much ignore it, but I'm a low-water soaper, usually at 40% lye solution. So I have plenty of room to have more liquid in the form of FO, VCS, etc. It will be interesting to hear how others change, or don't change, their water calculations when using VCS.