Help!

saba · Jan 4, 2013

I started making cp soap for almost a year ago. Has never failed batches but the past, many of my soaps started to look like the picture shown. Some more and some less. Yesterday when I cut up two batches it looked like this. I do not know what I'm doing wrong or how they become like this. It almost looks like it's fragrance oil that somehow separated from the soap but I do not know .. I have completely lost my "soap confidence" and it feels like I have lost my ability to make more soaps.

Can someone please give me feedback and suggestions on what I have done wrong?

The recipe:
50% Canola oil
25% coconut oil
15% shea butter
10% avocado oil

3% FO
7% superfat

MaitriBB · Jan 4, 2013

I am definitely not an expert, but the first pic looks like partial gel? I'm sure someone will have advice for you!

What kind of mold do you use? Are you insulating your molds?

maiseycat · Jan 4, 2013

To me, the crinkly effect in the second photo looks what happened with the soap I used too much water soluble Titanium Dioxide in. Did you add any to your lye water?

green soap · Jan 4, 2013

I cannot tell from the pictures (looks fine to me) just wanted to comment that soap made with a lot of canola oil will be more perishable (prone to DOS) because of the abundance in linolenic and linoleic fatty acids. The soap will be fine and conditioning but might not last so long. Olive oil is considered a better choice than canola.

saba · Jan 7, 2013

Thank you so much for your comments!

I use plastic molds and I'm insulating my soaps. When I think about it, the soap problem started after I moved. Earlier I had soaps in a small room which was very hot, which is not in the room that I use now ... Maybe it has something to do with it?

Yes, it is good that I have added titanium dioxide in my lye water! I'm not sure how much I should use so I used 2 tsp titanium dioxide to 900g oil. (2 lbs)
Maybe it's too much then?

As for canola oil so I keep on experimenting with different oils, and I think canola oil gives very moisturizing soaps. But thanks for the tip, maybe I should replace some with olive oil then.