Didn't See This Coming - 2nd Batch CP

[ShirleyHailstock]

I moved a step up yesterday with my soap making (or thought I did). I used several different oils, a color, Black Amer & Lavender fragrance and Sodium Lactate. After 24 hours, the 10-inch bar looks like a chocolate rectangle and it very gel-like to the touch.

The inside is pale yellow (expected), but all the blue color that I alternated with the yellow, looks like a light cocoa.

I used a liquid color (not mica) that came with a melt and pour kit. When I made a Castile soap using the color, it looks perfect.

Recipe (checked with a soap calc):

Coconut Oil - 25%
Lard - 25%
Caola Oil - 25%
Olive Oil - 15%
Almond Oil, Sweet - 5%
Castor Oil - 3%

Superfat - 10%
Water -Lye Ration - 10%
Sodium Lactate 2tsp added to lye water when it reached 120 degrees

Did I add too much color? Any help would be appreciated. While it may not look good, if it cures well, I can still use it. But for the future, I want things to turn out right.

Thanks in Advance.

Shirley

 

[jcandleattic]

I used a liquid color (not mica) that came with a melt and pour kit.

Probably not stable for CP, and will morph in different variations when used. Probably why it worked when making the OO soap and not this one.

I'm not sure I understand this: Water -Lye Ration - 10% - however, the rest of the recipe looks good, so it really is probably just a matter of the the colorant not being suited for CP.

 

[cmzaha]

If you used Black Amber and Lavender from Brambleberry it goes chocolate brown. The inside will stay yellowish until it fully oxidizes.

 

[Primrose]

If you used Black Amber and Lavender from Brambleberry it goes chocolate brown. The inside will stay yellowish until it fully oxidizes.

Well this was just in the nick of time! I was about to embark on a four colour swirl using this FO, I didn't remember seeing the advice in discoloration when I bought it (it would have been there I've just forgotten). Thanks!!!!

 

[cmzaha]

Well this was just in the nick of time! I was about to embark on a four colour swirl using this FO, I didn't remember seeing the advice in discoloration when I bought it (it would have been there I've just forgotten). Thanks!!!!

Your welcome. VS will help it.

 

[Arimara]

If you want to play around with colors- Mad Micas and Nurture Soaps are to popular sites to get CP-safe colorants from. TKB trading is good too. Since you're in NJ and I have not tried the other two, I suggest you take a gander at Nurture Soaps when you get a chance. I've always received my orders within a week of ordering (I'm in NY) so I'm wondering if they will be good for you too.

 

[TheGecko]

I moved a step up yesterday with my soap making (or thought I did). I used several different oils, a color, Black Amer & Lavender fragrance and Sodium Lactate. After 24 hours, the 10-inch bar looks like a chocolate rectangle and it very gel-like to the touch. The inside is pale yellow (expected), but all the blue color that I alternated with the yellow, looks like a light cocoa. I used a liquid color (not mica) that came with a melt and pour kit. When I made a Castile soap using the color, it looks perfect. Did I add too much color?

From lessons learned:

1) When trying new scents, colors, ingredients, recipe...get a 4" mold or a small cavity mold that makes four soaps. My first six months of soap making I had as many failures as successes and it was a lot easier on the heart, soul and mind...not to mention pocketbook...to toss 4 bars of soap instead of 9.

2) Make sure all your ingredients are meant to be used with CP/HP soap making. I had bought a gorgeous blue mica...ruined two batches of soap before I realized that it was NOT meant to be used in soap. I also have a 1 oz FO that is NOT body safe...it's for candle making.

3) Going strictly on my own experience, different ingredients react differently. I love my Lemon Sherbet Regular Soap, but not my Lemon Sherbet Goat Milk Soap. The Goat Milk aside, the only other difference is that I don't use Cocoa Butter in my GMS. Also, some soaps are ready to unmold and cut in 18 hours, while other soaps may need to sit in the mold for two days and then need another two days before you can cut.

Well this was just in the nick of time! I was about to embark on a four colour swirl using this FO, I didn't remember seeing the advice in discoloration when I bought it (it would have been there I've just forgotten).

If you're the Black Amber & Lavender from Brambleberry, it right on the page; you just have to scroll down a little further and look under 'Product Details'. First thing is says: Vanilla Content: 11.50 %. Third thing is says: Discoloration: Brown. If it's from Crafter's Choice, Vanilla Content is 6.8% and Discoloration is Light Brown. If it's from Nature's Fragrance, you have to hunt a little but it says Vanillin: .50% under Description and Discolors to brown under Soap Testing Notes.

I've learned the hard way to read, read and read again (I'm a slow learner).

 

[Primrose]

If you're the Black Amber & Lavender from Brambleberry, it right on the page; you just have to scroll down a little further and look under 'Product Details'. First thing is says: Vanilla Content: 11.50 %. Third thing is says: Discoloration: Brown. If it's from Crafter's Choice, Vanilla Content is 6.8% and Discoloration is Light Brown. If it's from Nature's Fragrance, you have to hunt a little but it says Vanillin: .50% under Description and Discolors to brown under Soap Testing Notes.

I've learned the hard way to read, read and read again (I'm a slow learner).

Apologies if I wasn't clear; what I meant was that I didn't remember that the website (Aussie soap supplies in this case, which is the Australian distributor for BB products) said it discolored brown. I bought it before Christmas and I don't often buy discolouring FOs so between then and now it had completely slipped my mind

 

[TheGecko]

Apologies if I wasn't clear; what I meant was that I didn't remember that the website (Aussie soap supplies in this case, which is the Australian distributor for BB products) said it discolored brown. I bought it before Christmas and I don't often buy discolouring FOs so between then and now it had completely slipped my mind

No worries. I don't always remember either...which is why I ended up with 'soap on a stick'. Actually, having it on a stick would have been great, I could have at least used it. LOL Instead I had to chip the damn concrete out of the bowl and ended up tossing the bowl when I put a hole in it. Things was...it was almost three weeks from the time I ordered the FO to the time I actually used it and I had completely forgotten that it accelerated and my husband wanted a yellow and green swirl. Now...even when using an EO or FO I have used before, I sit down and read my notes or go to the website I bought it from just to double check that what I have in mind is going to work or if I have to do something different.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

If you used Black Amber and Lavender from Brambleberry it goes chocolate brown. The inside will stay yellowish until it fully oxidizes.

Thank you for letting me know. That is what I used. I'll be sure to NOT get that again unless I want chocolate brown.

From lessons learned:

1) When trying new scents, colors, ingredients, recipe...get a 4" mold or a small cavity mold that makes four soaps. My first six months of soap making I had as many failures as successes and it was a lot easier on the heart, soul and mind...not to mention pocketbook...to toss 4 bars of soap instead of 9.

2) Make sure all your ingredients are meant to be used with CP/HP soap making. I had bought a gorgeous blue mica...ruined two batches of soap before I realized that it was NOT meant to be used in soap. I also have a 1 oz FO that is NOT body safe...it's for candle making.

3) Going strictly on my own experience, different ingredients react differently. I love my Lemon Sherbet Regular Soap, but not my Lemon Sherbet Goat Milk Soap. The Goat Milk aside, the only other difference is that I don't use Cocoa Butter in my GMS. Also, some soaps are ready to unmold and cut in 18 hours, while other soaps may need to sit in the mold for two days and then need another two days before you can cut.



If you're the Black Amber & Lavender from Brambleberry, it right on the page; you just have to scroll down a little further and look under 'Product Details'. First thing is says: Vanilla Content: 11.50 %. Third thing is says: Discoloration: Brown. If it's from Crafter's Choice, Vanilla Content is 6.8% and Discoloration is Light Brown. If it's from Nature's Fragrance, you have to hunt a little but it says Vanillin: .50% under Description and Discolors to brown under Soap Testing Notes.

I've learned the hard way to read, read and read again (I'm a slow learner).

Thanks to both of you. I didn't read that when I bought the product. From now own, I will be reading a lot more carefully. The part about products being used in CP soaps. I read that to make sure it says CP soap, so I don't buy the wrong (and expensive) supplies.

If you used Black Amber and Lavender from Brambleberry it goes chocolate brown. The inside will stay yellowish until it fully oxidizes.

Thank you. I'll read more carefully next time.

Apologies if I wasn't clear; what I meant was that I didn't remember that the website (Aussie soap supplies in this case, which is the Australian distributor for BB products) said it discolored brown. I bought it before Christmas and I don't often buy discolouring FOs so between then and now it had completely slipped my mind

Someone else let me know. This is a learning process. While I watched hundreds of soap making videos before doing a single batch myself, very little is said about the colorants or the FO's.

 

[TheGecko]

Someone else let me know. This is a learning process. While I watched hundreds of soap making videos before doing a single batch myself, very little is said about the colorants or the FO's.

It depends on who you watch. Some soap makers provide more information than others about the scents and colors they use, including the name of the product, what company it comes from and if there are any issues or not. Some may just flash the bottle across the screen, some may note they used an EO or FO or give a general color description and some don’t do anything.

One thing to remember though, just because they are using ABC Company’s Pink Bubble Gum and it looks really pretty in their cut soap...you may not get the same result because you aren’t using the same oil combination they are or other factors...but it’s a good start.

For future reference, Rustic Escentuals’ Pearberry FO accelerates...fast. And their Lemon Sherbet Mica turns orange in the soap batter, but later turns back to yellow.

 

[bookreader451]

Sometimes you have to embrace the brown and work with it. If you like the scent think of ways to use the discoloration. Navy blue, burgundies and some greens can stand up to discoloration. You may get a brooding looking soap but it will smell great.

 

[cmzaha]

B&B Black Amber & Lavender is delicious smelling and sticks like glue. I just embrace the dark and work with it. I swirl in a bright purple mica that works quite well. I did use some Vanilla Stabilizer in a batch but I really did not like the effect it had with the fragrance. It almost gave it a gel effect. It was RE VS, so I just embrace the chocolate brown for the beautiful good selling fragrance.

 

[TheGecko]

Sometimes you have to embrace the brown and work with it. If you like the scent think of ways to use the discoloration.

Pumpkin Pie Spice...I knew ahead of time it would discolor brown so I separated a portion, added orange and just a tiny amount of the FO to darken the orange and swirled it in; turned out really nice...reminded me of a cocoa/pumpkin bread someone once made.

 

[ShirleyHailstock]

Sometimes you have to embrace the brown and work with it. If you like the scent think of ways to use the discoloration. Navy blue, burgundies and some greens can stand up to discoloration. You may get a brooding looking soap but it will smell great.

True, if I want a chocolate or brown effect again, I'll use it, but I generally like light or bright colors.

 

[Quilter99755]

So far in the little bit of testing that I've done with FO's, all the ones I really like discolor the soap. I haven't tried swirls with half the soap plain and the other half with the discoloring FO. That's next on my list. I'd rather have a brown or gold soap than a white one that smells like Tide or Lysol!

 

[Edward Sebastian]

I moved a step up yesterday with my soap making (or thought I did). I used several different oils, a color, Black Amer & Lavender fragrance and Sodium Lactate. After 24 hours, the 10-inch bar looks like a chocolate rectangle and it very gel-like to the touch.

The inside is pale yellow (expected), but all the blue color that I alternated with the yellow, looks like a light cocoa.

I used a liquid color (not mica) that came with a melt and pour kit. When I made a Castile soap using the color, it looks perfect.

Recipe (checked with a soap calc):

Coconut Oil - 25%
Lard - 25%
Caola Oil - 25%
Olive Oil - 15%
Almond Oil, Sweet - 5%
Castor Oil - 3%

Superfat - 10%
Water -Lye Ration - 10%
Sodium Lactate 2tsp added to lye water when it reached 120 degrees

Did I add too much color? Any help would be appreciated. While it may not look good, if it cures well, I can still use it. But for the future, I want things to turn out right.

Thanks in Advance.

Shirley

That looks great, Shirley