Does anyone just let the vanillin win?

[glasllyn]

I haven't soaped with any vanillin-containing FOs. I was wondering if anyone uses the discoloring FOs and just lets the brown happen. Do they sell?

 

[JanelleTrebuna]

I do. One of my favorite soaps was one I intentionally used the discoloration.
I only soap for my family's use, but I don't see why they wouldn't sell.
Mine was a deep rich brown swirled with the natural cream color of my soap base.

 

[shunt2011]

I sometimes just let it do it's thing. Like when I make Pink Sugar. I just leave part unscented and color it a hot pink and call it a day. Sometimes I don't mind it at all. Other times I use vanilla stabilizer.

 

[Misschief]

I really don't worry about vanillin discolouration. I do sell. No one has complained about the colours; they don't know what the intention was. I have one soap that was supposed to stay light but discoloured (I didn't realize it was a discolouring fragrance); as soon as people smelled it, they bought it.

 

[cmzaha]

I have several I make that discolor, such as my DB and it remains my best selling soap. Since I hate using TD and very seldom use a Vanilla Stabilizer I simply work with the discoloration and never remember a customer not buying the soap due to the color. If they like the smell they tend to buy.

I do have a statement included in my warning, on the label that it is advisable not to use a $20 white washcloth.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I love the vanilla smell and the color. I have only used the actual vanilla scent once/ mixed with rosemary, left some unscented to do a swirl but the vanilla color is slowly eating the colored swirl. I plan on making this scent again and am just going to go with the vanilla discoloration as I think it is such a rich color on its own

 

[Steve85569]

As has been said I embrace the discoloration and use it to make a swirl or other design.

It's gonna happen anyway so why not use it to my advantage?

 

[Nate5700]

My very first soap I used a vanilla FO and it turned very brown. Then it got ash on it and it may just be the ugliest soap ever made.

Smells great though. I mixed the vanilla FO with cedarwood and orange EOs. I just grabbed a bar for the shower the other day and it is great soap. Next time I'll alcohol spray to keep it from ashing, I think I can live with it being brown.

 

[dixiedragon]

We call it "embrace the brown" lol. I'm not a seller, so I can't speak to that. But people I give to seem to like them - once they smell that scent! I would imagine that brown soap is probably harder to sell online, though.

My issue is not that it's brown, but that it is a dull poo brown. So I will do a swirl with some TD so you have a light brown or creamy brown swirl, or a swirl with some black. Just enough to break it up.

If I do a rebatch that ends up brown b/c I used a bunch of different-colored scraps, I add some coffee grounds or some ground spices to make it speckled for a bit of visual interest - and to get away from poo brown.

 

[Cellador]

I don't sell but it's easy enough to add a pop of color by not adding the FO to a portion of your batter and doing a simple swirl, layers, or swirled tops. Mica lines can also be pretty.
It also helps to rename a discoloring FO too. I used a White Pumpkin Puree and called it Pumpkin Spice. A vanilla could be called Vanilla Bean to change the perception that vanilla should always be a white/cream color.

 

[cmzaha]

Here are three of mine that go dark. I separated batter for swirling and colored the plain batter with micas. Fragrance was poured into the balance of the batter. Gives an idea of how colors will show in darkening soap

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Here are three of mine that go dark. I separated batter for swirling and colored the plain batter with micas. Fragrance was poured into the balance of the batter. Gives an idea of how colors will show in darkening soap
View attachment 38354

I like them, can I ask how old the soap is? I am watching mine to see how far the color eating is going to go. I started with vanilla/rosemary in the main soap and did a drop of what started out green unscented but came out of the mold yellow. so far about 1/3 of the color has turned into the vanilla color. I wonder if it makes a difference cuz the color was too light of a color

 

[WeaversPort]

I have a "sugar cookie" swirl soap that I made with activated charcoal, unscented batter with titanium dioxide, and scented soap batter. It's a nice brown black and tan

 

[amd]

I do have a statement included in my warning, on the label that it is advisable not to use a $20 white washcloth.

Does the brown in vanillan stain? I can't remember ever noticing it - although I also don't use a wash cloth (honestly, I rarely use a scrubbie because I have so much soap we don't need to maximize the soap life). Just wondering if I should advise customers when purchasing vanillan soaps.

I usually embrace the vanillan, unless it's a really heavy content, then I will use stabilizer to help control how much darker it goes. I used Carolyn's DB with stabilizer, the soap still darkened, but then held. Fortunately the darker tones works with the dark reds and blacks that I used in the soap. I don't like using stabilizer (it's just one.more.thing to add to the cost) so I embrace it more than I fight it. (Does that make me "a lover not a fighter"?)

 

[dibbles]

I don't buy too many FOs that discolor to a really dark brown anymore. I have to really love it. I don't mind the lighter discoloration, and it is easier to work a design around I think. But those that get dark, dark, dark - will eventually bleed into any other color. At least that has been my experience. So those I love enough to want to keep using will be one color soaps. Dark brown, one color soaps. I have used stabilizer with success in that it is a light tan rather than a dark brown.

 

[Lin19687]

I embrace, I also don't buy many that discolor anymore. I just try to pick ones that don't as much. Or don't have as much Vanilla % in it.

 

[cmzaha]

Does the brown in vanillan stain? I can't remember ever noticing it - although I also don't use a wash cloth (honestly, I rarely use a scrubbie because I have so much soap we don't need to maximize the soap life). Just wondering if I should advise customers when purchasing vanillan soaps.

I usually embrace the vanillan, unless it's a really heavy content, then I will use stabilizer to help control how much darker it goes. I used Carolyn's DB with stabilizer, the soap still darkened, but then held. Fortunately the darker tones works with the dark reds and blacks that I used in the soap. I don't like using stabilizer (it's just one.more.thing to add to the cost) so I embrace it more than I fight it. (Does that make me "a lover not a fighter"?)

I actually have a statement on my label advising customers that any colored handmade soap can possibly stain a white washcloth. I do not use a washcloth since I prefer bath poufies. I just like to cover all bases and I make several discoloring soaps. My DB line of 5 different blends all go dark as does my Nag Champa that is also a good seller. As AMD mentioned I do not like to use VS since it is another added cost and I spend enough extra using Sorbitol, with I love for the added lather.

 

[jcandleattic]

I so very rarely ever get discoloration due to scent because I use a very good VS in all of my bars, that if I want a brown I have to use a colorant.

 

[lucycat]

I sell and I let the vanilla soaps discolor. Saying that I don't use a lot of discoloring oils. If I had a booth full of brown soaps I wouldn't be happy and it would be difficult to show off the color work. I think it would affect sales. Having 1-4 out of 25 soaps being brown doesn't seem to make any difference.

 

[Kathy Heiner]

Depends on the color of my soap. If I want it to turn out a light color then no, I use a non discoloring vanilla. If my final color is going to be darker, then I don't care.