Embracing the brown of discoloring FOs

[Feelin' Soapy]

So many of my favorite FOs discolor to tan or brown. I prefer to embrace the brown rather than use a stabilizer, but I'm rarely happy with the results. They often seem muddy to me (like the one below) rather than "I meant to do that." Please show me some of your favorite soaps in which you've "embraced the brown."

 

[AliOop]

Honestly, I love those bars! The blueish-green goes very well with the tan and the reddish tone. I don't have any pics right now of soaps with vanillin-FOs and not with VS, other than this shave soap, which was scented with Dragon's Blood, IIRC. It turned significantly browner as it cured.

 

[BWt]

So many of my favorite FOs discolor to tan or brown. I prefer to embrace the brown rather than use a stabilizer, but I'm rarely happy with the results. They often seem muddy to me (like the one below) rather than "I meant to do that." Please show me some of your favorite soaps in which you've "embraced the brown."

Your soap is beautiful. Wish I could do swirls like that! IF you decide to lighten the base color of your soap a bit of white mica is easily added. Only necessary if you wish to have more contrast. Next month am going to attempt swirling. Do you have any tips on that?

Honestly, I love those bars! The blueish-green goes very well with the tan and the reddish tone. I don't have any pics right now of soaps with vanillin-FOs and not with VS, other than this shave soap, which was scented with Dragon's Blood, IIRC. It turned significantly browner as it cured.

View attachment 70378

Looks like nutmeg! Edible even. I like this color a lot.

 

[Obsidian]

The brown is a bit darker irl. I used a vanilla heavy FO in the brown part, patchouli EO in the pink part

 

[AliOop]

Your soap is beautiful. Wish I could do swirls like that! IF you decide to lighten the base color of your soap a bit of white mica is easily added. Only necessary if you wish to have more contrast. Next month am going to attempt swirling. Do you have any tips on that?

I agree, her soap is really pretty as-is!

Sadly, in my experience, neither white mica nor TD will overcome the browning effect of vanillin in FOs. Only a vanilla stabilizer will do that.

 

[BWt]

I agree, her soap is really pretty as-is!

Sadly, in my experience, neither white mica nor TD will overcome the browning effect of vanillin in FOs. Only a vanilla stabilizer will do that.

Oh. That is very good to know! Thank you. My favorite thing on this site is the help and guidance.

 

[Michelle0803]

I embrace the brown and add mica to get a less muddy color or add some activated charcoal to get a black. I do use a VS when I don't want to embrace the brown.

 

[BWt]

I embrace the brown and add mica to get a less muddy color or add some activated charcoal to get a black. I do use a VS when I don't want to embrace the brown.

Excellent idea with using mica to move to a more intense shade of brown.

 

[BWt]

The brown is a bit darker irl. I used a vanilla heavy FO in the brown part, patchouli EO in the pink part

Lovely soap. It looks like candy! Love it.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

Thank you for so many positive responses! I did add TD to the base batter in this soap. I imagine it would have been much darker if I hadn't. It was the first time using a new FO, Nag Champa from Scented Expressions.

Most of my soaps have a white base that contrasts nicely with the color parts. The white just looks cleaner and happier to me, partly just because I'm used to it. Oftimes I get some white by leaving some portion of the soap unscented, but I'm trying to find more combos that look happy with the tans and browns.
@AliOop You're quite right about TD or mica not lightening the discoloring very much. It kinda makes it look more muddy and dirty.

@Obsidian I really like your soap. The pinks look very pretty with the tan.

@bwtapestry I did a hanger swirl on this soap. In my experience, a hanger swirl will always give great results, and never the same twice!

@Michelle0803 That's a good idea to add brown to make the discoloring look more intentional. I'll give that a try soon.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I like your soap!

I’ve spent entirely too much time looking for inspiration photos of designs/color schemes that I think would work with discoloring FOs. I haven’t found all that much.

There’s this one: Browsing soap pics

and this one that would be reasonably straightforward with an FO that discolors to tan:

Discoloring FOs work for ombre type designs (this one is mine): August 2021 SMF Soap Challenge - Ombre Designs

I can’t find a photo of a particular soap I made a couple of years using a fair amount of uncolored batter with pastel pink and grey mica portions and a light tan discoloring FO. The FO accelerated the batch which made it a bear to mold, but the effect on the colors was interesting. It looked antique, but not in a bad way.

 

[Feelin' Soapy]

I like your soap!

I’ve spent entirely too much time looking for inspiration photos of designs/color schemes that I think would work with discoloring FOs. I haven’t found all that much.

There’s this one: Browsing soap pics

and this one that would be reasonably straightforward with an FO that discolors to tan:

Discoloring FOs work for ombre type designs (this one is mine): August 2021 SMF Soap Challenge - Ombre Designs

I can’t find a photo of a particular soap I made a couple of years using a fair amount of uncolored batter with pastel pink and grey mica portions and a light tan discoloring FO. The FO accelerated the batch which made it a bear to mold, but the effect on the colors was interesting. It looked antique, but not in a bad way.

Those are some great suggestions, thank you! I like the earthiness of the first one (looks like granite), and I love your ombre. What a challenge designing a soap that is basically invisible while you're making it!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Yep, the distractions must be kept to a minimum when pouring a gradient soap without visual clues!

 

[Ephemerella]

I tried something similar. I had an FO I knew would turn dark brown, so I added a bit of sparkle to uncolored batter, and attempted to darken part of the batter to create an ombre effect. It was too dark in the end to come out clearly. I have a few more skills under my belt since making this and have been wanting to try again, using KC to help moderate the discoloration.