Coloring question ......

[SunRiseArts]

I have been watching soap videos today ..... one of the thing I watched, I am not even sure if I asked this before, is that royalty soaps puts her titanium white in the lye, instead of the oils. Is there any benefit to that?

Also I wonder. Does mica last forever? Does it ever go bad? My son bought me a lot for mother's day, and it will take forever to use.

Has anyone ever use lakes in cold process soap? Will it bleed?

Thanks.

 

[dixiedragon]

I assume titanium white = titanium dioxide? There are different types - one is water soluble, one is oil soluble, and one is both. So if you want your entire batch to be snowy white, it would make sense to add it to the lye water.

I think micas are in-organic, so there's nothing to go bad. Seal them off from moisture, keep them out of the sun, and they should last for years.

Some lakes are good in soap, I don't know if all are.

 

[SunRiseArts]

lol yes Titanium dioxide. I do know some are soluble in water, and some in oil . So (face palm). I should have thought of that .....

With the water soluble one. Do you think is less rick for glycerin rivers?

On the other hand, is it possible to get glycerin rivers with another color dioxide? Like red or green? Or it can only happen with white?

 

[dixiedragon]

I'm not really sure. I think possibly TD makes glycerin rivers easier to see, rather than creating them. But TD is the only color I've ever read about causing TD rivers.

 

[shunt2011]

I've added TD to my water before the lye and it works fine for a white soap. If using full water or mostly full water and it heats up you can still get glycerin rivers. Micas will last a long long time. I have some from when I first started 7-8 years ago.

 

[David1pro]

But TD is the only color I've ever read about causing TD rivers.

A lot of micas out there have TD as an ingredient along with whatever is used for the color, so in that sense, colored micas could (and do) cause glycerin rivers - but it is because of the TD in the mix.

 

[loriag]

I've added TD to my water before the lye and it works fine for a white soap. If using full water or mostly full water and it heats up you can still get glycerin rivers. Micas will last a long long time. I have some from when I first started 7-8 years ago.

I have had some water soluble TD that I haven't used yet, as I want to avoid those glycerin rivers. How much water as percentage of oils do you do to avoid this?

 

[shunt2011]

I use 33% lye Concentration for slow moving recipes and 30-31% for faster recipes. The more water/liquid the better chance of rivers in my experience. Or if it gels too hot.

 

[loriag]

Thanks shunt2011, good to know, I usually soap at 33%, so if I'm not trying anything to complicated I will have to drop it to 30% and give it a go.

 

[Passion Factor]

I use 33% lye Concentration for slow moving recipes and 30-31% for faster recipes. The more water/liquid the better chance of rivers in my experience. Or if it gels too hot.

yes, that is just what I was going to say.

 

[jcandleattic]

lol yes Titanium dioxide. I do know some are soluble in water, and some in oil . So (face palm). I should have thought of that .....

With the water soluble one. Do you think is less rick for glycerin rivers?

On the other hand, is it possible to get glycerin rivers with another color dioxide? Like red or green? Or it can only happen with white?

You can mix with lye, or your oils, your results will be the same. Other than, if it's mixed in the lye, chances are it will get mixed in a little bit better. Glycerin rivers will still show up if they are going to, no matter the method you mix your oxide.

And yes, glycerin rivers can show up even when no titanium dioxide is present. I get it when using all sorts of colorants.

 

[zolveria]

i have yet to experience this. however with micas i keep a little lye water and pour them in little medicine cups.. and add my mica.. this way i can see if the color Morph to something else before i added to my soaps

 

[snappyllama]

i have yet to experience this. however with micas i keep a little lye water and pour them in little medicine cups.. and add my mica.. this way i can see if the color Morph to something else before i added to my soaps

That's a really good idea for testing out new micas!