Gel stage color pattern remains

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dantango

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As far as I can tell, this has no effect on the quality of the soap, but I've noticed that my cured soap retains a different, darker color in the center. This is equivalent to the gel stage pattern.

Most of the log stays slightly darker, with the outer edges whiter.

Why does this happen?

The recipes that do this are typically about 70% coconut, with 5 to 10% olive, castor and sweet almond.

I add the lye to the oil when both are around 100F and remove from the mold after 24 hours.
 
I left out what may be a critical part of the recipe, the discount. I use less lye than when I started, about a 14-15% discount. This may account for a gel stage that only takes place fully in the center 95 (or so)% of the soap. I fully insulate the soap for 24 hours.
 
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