Does anyone add Titanium dioxide directly to lye water?

[akseattle]

I use lard, sometimes tallow, coconut and 5% cocoa butter (ivory wafers from WSP) 5% castor, HO sunflower and regular olive oil. I use white mica instead of TD and I don’t care if my white is a little more fresh cream than fresh snow.

@dibbles , I do have 3 different jars of white mica. I bought it for M&P before it occurred to me to just buy a white base.... I might try using white mica, too. It certainly blends into soap batter without a problem. I can't say cream colored soap would be an issue, I'm just trying to get it not to be yellow. Plus, if it's really yellow, it's harder to get a blue, I end up with green.

 

[KimLynn]

@KimLynn I'm interested to see how your TD and bolts in water compare to your TD and bolts in oil.
So, was your squeeze bottle of TD in water enough for more than one batch? So, the idea is you will shake up that pre-mixed TD and use at a later date?
I'm interested to see if the TD in the water ends up settling and clumping, or if it works as well as your first batch. I'm still having PTSD from my efforts to work with my pre-mixed TD in water. IF sifting the TD before adding to water works, I'm probably going to stick to just mixing it up fresh each time.
Keep us posted!!

Both the bottles of TD end up with clumps, but the water IS worse. I end up having to run a chopstick around the bottom to dislodge what’s settled; the bolts don’t break it up as much as I’d hoped (got the tip from Lisa of I Dream in Soap but it hasn’t worked as well for me as it apparently does for her).

I didn’t use all of what I had in the bottle for my batch, but I was making a small batch using the Bramble Berry 4” silicone loaf mold, so I didn’t need much. We’ll see what happens in the next batch.

 

[akseattle]

@KimLynn I'm sorry to hear that the bolt technique didn't work as well as hoped. Non clumping TD is seeming a bit like a unicorn to me. But, I'm holding out hope.... next time I use TD, I' going to try sifting it first. Hopefully that will work better for me!

 

[AliOop]

Both the bottles of TD end up with clumps, but the water IS worse. I end up having to run a chopstick around the bottom to dislodge what’s settled; the bolts don’t break it up as much as I’d hoped (got the tip from Lisa of I Dream in Soap but it hasn’t worked as well for me as it apparently does for her).

I didn’t use all of what I had in the bottle for my batch, but I was making a small batch using the Bramble Berry 4” silicone loaf mold, so I didn’t need much. We’ll see what happens in the next batch.

Did you blast yours first in a blender, like she recommends? I've not tried that, but apparently others have and say that's the key to keeping it from settling as much. I haven't tried it bc I don't have a spare blender to sacrifice just for TD mixing. I also don't use enough TD to justify making it ahead of time. That's why the sifting trick is my go-to option. But if I did use a lot of it, I'd probably find a used NutriBullet and try it her way.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

@akseattle I use lard, sometimes tallow, coconut and 5% cocoa butter (ivory wafers from WSP) 5% castor, HO sunflower and regular olive oil. I use white mica instead of TD and I don’t care if my white is a little more fresh cream than fresh snow.

I also moved to using white mica instead of TD so I don’t encounter blending issues @dibbles. I’ve also switched to creating a white soap base through recipes that use very light colored oils, such as High Oleic sunflower oil or HO safflower oil. Starting with a very white base allows colors to stay true in finished soap. (vs a yellow base shifting true blues, etc.)

 

[KimLynn]

Did you blast yours first in a blender, like she recommends? I've not tried that, but apparently others have and say that's the key to keeping it from settling as much. I haven't tried it bc I don't have a spare blender to sacrifice just for TD mixing. I also don't use enough TD to justify making it ahead of time. That's why the sifting trick is my go-to option. But if I did use a lot of it, I'd probably find a used NutriBullet and try it her way.

I didn’t. Like you, I don’t have a dedicated blender (yet). I may try sifting the TD first (if I can remember to do it) .

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

@akseattle I got a wild hair yesterday and I mixed my TD 1tsp to 2tbsp oil. First I smooshed out as many of the clumps as I could with a fork, added the oil and mixed it with a milk frother. Them I popped it in the microwave for 30 seconds and remixed. It was as smooth as butter, No clumps, lumps or icky white TD spots in my soap. I did this with 3 separate batches to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. Now if I could master the darned steric spots!!!

I’m going to try this out and leave it in a covered container to see if it separates or stays at the same consistency

 

[akseattle]

@Barefoot Farm Girl, good experiment! Especially if it keeps on working!
I am going to try sifting. If that doesn't work, I'll go on to the microwave technique.
How can this little powder be such a bull!??

On stearic spots, do you melt your solid oils first? And at what temperature do you soap?
I haven't gotten stearic spots for awhile (knock on wood.) But I do melt my solid oils to about 165% in the micro wave oven before heating the liquid oils on the stove and then mixing them together on the stove.

That said, I've been so consumed by this TD speck issue that stearic spots may be going unnoticed.
Like if one kid in the classroom is a nightmare, the teacher doesn't notice the other 50% that are misbehaving but just haven't beat up anyone.

 

[Barefoot Farm Girl]

@Barefoot Farm Girl, good experiment! Especially if it keeps on working!
I am going to try sifting. If that doesn't work, I'll go on to the microwave technique.
How can this little powder be such a bull!??

On stearic spots, do you melt your solid oils first? And at what temperature do you soap?
I haven't gotten stearic spots for awhile (knock on wood.) But I do melt my solid oils to about 165% in the micro wave oven before heating the liquid oils on the stove and then mixing them together on the stove.

That said, I've been so consumed by this TD speck issue that stearic spots may be going unnoticed.
Like if one kid in the classroom is a nightmare, the teacher doesn't notice the other 50% that are misbehaving but just haven't beat up anyone.

I melt all the solids then add the liquid and heat, I’m going to try heating to a higher temperature, good call!!!!

 

[AliOop]

I melt all the solids then add the liquid and heat, I’m going to try heating to a higher temperature, good call!!!!

Liquid oils don't need heating unless you want to soap at higher temps for some reason (like when making LS, for instance).

Definitely heat your high-stearic fats such as lard, tallow, soy wax, and butters with all your other solid fats (PO, PKO, CO) to at least 160ºF. Then add your room temp liquid oils to that, which will help cool everything down to your desired soaping temp.

 

[akseattle]

@AliOop I prepare my lye water first. While it's cooling, I heat my oils. So, if I get side tracked/ distracted and my lye water has cooled way down before my solid oils are heated, that is a great suggestion!! The last couple times this happened, I took my heated oils to the back porch, put ice around the oil pot ... etc. to try to get it caught up / down with the lye water. Kind of stressful....

It actually hadn't occurred to me that my liquid oils don't need to get that hot So, I'll definitely keep this in mind!! Thank you for the suggestion!

 

[AliOop]

@AliOop I prepare my lye water first. While it's cooling, I heat my oils. So, if I get side tracked/ distracted and my lye water has cooled way down before my solid oils are heated, that is a great suggestion!! The last couple times this happened, I took my heated oils to the back porch, put ice around the oil pot ... etc. to try to get it caught up / down with the lye water. Kind of stressful....

It actually hadn't occurred to me that my liquid oils don't need to get that hot So, I'll definitely keep this in mind!! Thank you for the suggestion!

You are welcome.

You do know that oils and lye solution don't have to be the same temp, or even within 10 degrees, right? Too big of a difference might cause false trace, but I've not had that happen yet, and I use room temp MB lye with 100º oils all the time.

 

[akseattle]

@AliOop , yes, I know that. I still like to have them within 10 degrees (actually, like 5). I figure I might as well take one variable off the table.
One day, when I have more experience, when I don't have so many questions, I'll start going "meh - whateva "

 

[linne1gi]

If you add TD to your lye water, then no matter what color you want it’s going to be pastel.
I may up a batch of TD (mixed with water) ahead of time I use a 1:3 ratio. One part TD to 3 parts water. In a squeeze bottle. I mix it very well, and then just use it as I need it. I never get TD spots because the TD is well dissolved.

 

[ewhitake]

@KimLynn I'm interested to see how your TD and bolts in water compare to your TD and bolts in oil.
So, was your squeeze bottle of TD in water enough for more than one batch? So, the idea is you will shake up that pre-mixed TD and use at a later date?
I'm interested to see if the TD in the water ends up settling and clumping, or if it works as well as your first batch. I'm still having PTSD from my efforts to work with my pre-mixed TD in water. IF sifting the TD before adding to water works, I'm probably going to stick to just mixing it up fresh each time.
Keep us posted!!

I have a bottle of water soluble TD in a 1:3 solution. It settles but a good shake (I have bolts in mine) and everything is right as rain. One less thing I have to premeasure.

 

[AliOop]

If you add TD to your lye water, then no matter what color you want it’s going to be pastel.
I may up a batch of TD (mixed with water) ahead of time I use a 1:3 ratio. One part TD to 3 parts water. In a squeeze bottle. I mix it very well, and then just use it as I need it. I never get TD spots because the TD is well dissolved.

There must be different grades of TD. When I tried this, it always settled terribly between uses, and wouldn't remix well at all.

 

[linne1gi]

I have a bottle of water soluble TD in a 1:3 solution. It settles but a good shake (I have bolts in mine) and everything is right as rain. One less thing I have to premeasure.

It’s great that way, and I actually have glass marbles in mine.

 

[akseattle]

There must be different grades of TD. When I tried this, it always settled terribly between uses, and wouldn't remix well at all.

@AliOop , I agree. I really must have bought a low quality TD.
I can't believe that I have to beat up on mine for 20 minutes to even begin to avoid specks while others give it a little shake with a marble.
Either that or life is truly not fair....

 

[AliOop]

@AliOop , I agree. I really must have bought a low quality TD.
I can't believe that I have to beat up on mine for 20 minutes to even begin to avoid specks while others give it a little shake with a marble.
Either that or life is truly not fair....

Try the sifting! It is the only thing that has worked for me, and it is so easy!

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

I use a small baggie, the jewelry sized one. I put the TD inside and add my distilled water. I then use a popsicle stick to mash it along the sides. I do this ahead of using it. I keep mashing and blending.

ALSO: Has anyone used Zinc Oxide instead of TD? Someone??? recommended that instead of the TD. Just curious.

I have used Zinc Oxide instead of TD a lot. But I have learned it yellows quite a bit faster so I would recommend it only if you are going to be selling them fairly soon so they don't yellow on your customers. It works at close to the same ratio and imo is close, but not quite as white. I used it a good bit when making soaps like pumpkin spice that have an orangey/yellow tint anyway so it works.