help

[terr]

I am new to soap making and have made 3 batches all with different oils however all my soap batches come out brown even before adding any additives can anyone help me? please:?

 

[Dorymae]

We would need the recipe to troubleshoot a cause for you. Too many possibilities to go through with out one.

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome! Please post the recipes(in weights, please), including additives, and we will be happy to troubleshoot with you.

 

[terr]

hi this is the last recipie
1 Palm Oil 35.00 0.386 6.17 175.00
2 Coconut Oil, 76 deg 30.00 0.331 5.29 150.00
3 Olive Oil 35.00 0.386 6.17 175.00
Totals 100.00 1.102 17.64 500.00

the one before was

1 Coconut Oil, 76 deg 50.00 0.551 8.82 250.00
2 Cocoa Butter 20.00 0.220 3.53 100.00
3 Safflower Oil 30.00 0.331 5.29 150.00
Totals 100.00 1.102 17.64 500.00
hope you can help

:???:

 

[newbie]

DId you add any milk or anything else? What did you use for your liquids? Any fragrance added? And botanicals/clays etc.. added to the soap? And what level of brown did you get? If you could post a picture of the color, that would be helpful too.

I know you said no additives but just curious if you used only water and lye. The cocoa butter one might be a brownish (light) color because of the cocoa butter. The first recipe should be just an off-white because of the palm, but not brown. What type of OO do you use?

 

[terr]

i used water for liquids first one was-


Pounds Ounces Grams
Water 0.838 13.40 380.00
Lye - NaOH 0.336 5.37 152.34
Oils 2.205 35.27 1,000.00
Fragrance 0.068 1.09 31.00
3.447 55.15


the second one was
Water 0.419 6.70 190.00
Lye NaOH
0.159 2.55 72.22
Oils 1.102 17.64 500.00
Fragrance 0.034 0.55 15.50

getting really despon:???:dant now!!

 

[terr]

forgt to add that it goes a dark caramel colour sorry no photos as have chucked it all just in case!

 

[Seawolfe]

What was the fragrance? Anything with vanilla will go brown. I had a grocery store tea tree oil go brown on me too. If it still smells and feels ok, then it's just cosmetic.

 

[terr]

1st fragrance was rose oil

2nd was jasmine

however soap was brown before adding these
:???:

 

[DeeAnna]

Yep, those soaps shouldn't be brown unless your fragrance is the culprit. But, oh, gosh, don't throw the soaps away!!! There's probably nothing wrong with them that an "attitude adjustment" won't cure. I mean this as a gentle tease, but there's truth in it -- sometimes we get locked into one way of viewing a situation and later find out the situation is not at all the way we first perceive it to be.

edit: Okay, just read your last post and I'm confused -- you explained the soap was brown before adding the fragrance. Can you explain your method of making your soap, please?

 

[DeeAnna]

Also, what equipment are you using to make soap -- are you using any aluminum items, perhaps?

 

[terr]

i weighed all the fats, mixed the lye and water and when oils were fully melted added the lyewater and used stick blender to acheive thick trace, I then put crock on low for 15 mins then checked on it and it was already going brown! i checked again after 15 mins and stirred it then left it for 30 mins until it was like brown vaseline then added my flavourings and colours ( however none of the colours actually worked !

I dont really want to give up but whats the point ? Everybody elses soap looks lovely and mine looks like dog sick!

:???:

 

[terr]

no aluminuim my pot is earthnware and everything else is stainless steel or glass use disposable pots for the lye and fragrances

 

[TVivian]

You soap was probably going through a gel phase where it turns dark and translucent. After it's done doing that, and you put it in the mold, it lightens up again!

 

[Seawolfe]

Yeah the translucent phase in hot process is a golden brown color for every soap Ive seen. Kind of like this:

 

[terr]

yes thats exactly what mine looked like was it fully cooked then? or should i have cooked it longer?

 

[newbie]

You could have just molded it then and let it cool. It would have lightened up as it cooled, maybe not to snow white but definitely whiter. See the color of the cooled portions on the wall of the crockpot? that's the color that soap will be when it cools.

 

[Susie]

And there is no need to cook the soap. Just get it to trace, and pour into a mold. Let it sit out at room temperature and go through gel phase in center so you know what that looks like. There is nothing wrong with it, even if it ends up a bit two-toned due to partial gel.

 

[Dorymae]

Were you using distilled water? The only thing I can think of is if the water you used had a high iron content that may have reacted with the soap to make it brown.

 

[terr]

yes distilled water so I would have been fine with that ! sugar cant believe that i just threw it away still at least i know now and the next batch i will save and show YAY ! while on the subject what do you ladies usee too colour your soap and will the next one turn out white?