How to get the whitest soap possible

[Sweet T]

I'm thinking about trying to make a vanilla mint soap (my daughter's request) with white and green coloring (somehow swirled...not sure how I'm going to achieve that yet) and my question is....What is the best way to get the white as white as possible? I haven't found any white colorant (Ok, I haven't looked THAT hard. Just at BB) but maybe I don't need it. I'm still very much a newbie, I've only made one batch of soap so far!
I haven't decided on a recipe yet so I will consider all contributing factors.
Thanks

 

[Fullamoon]

Hi SweetT,

You need Titanium Dioxide (TD) to make the soap white. I have some, it's a powdery substance I got from BB. I haven't tried it yet. I recently made a layered soap and scented the bottom layer with Almond Biscotti fragrance. I didn't add fragrance to the top layer and it turned out a nice, bright white. I was surprised because all my soaps turn golden or brown if I scent them but use no color. The oils I used were olive oil, vegetable (Crisco), and coconut oil. I think if I used TD on the bottom layer that it would have remained lighter. There is water-based TD and oil-based TD. Water-based is added to the water/lye mixture, and oil-based is added to the oils. I hope this helps you out.

Search TD in this forum and you should see some examples and more discussion about how and when to use it. Have fun!

 

[Sweet T]

Thank you so much! Titanium Dioxide is now on my BB wishlist (along with a bajillion other items). I can't wait

 

[dagmar88]

I presume you're going to scent with a vanilla FO?
Then TD isn't going to make much change.

The vanillin content in the FO is going to discolor your soap.
There are some companies that do carry a non discoloring vanilla FO, like brambleberry.


But results seem to differ in CP soap.

 

[carebear]

I presume you're going to scent with a vanilla FO?
Then TD isn't going to make much change.

The vanillin content in the FO is going to discolor your soap.

This.

If there is vanilla in the FO, TD can lighten it a touch, but it won't be near white.

 

[sosocal]

I received some excellent advice here after I asked a similar question. Make a 100% coconut oil soap (20% SF) and you will get a bright white bar and you will not need to add TD. Plus the CO soap is just divine.

 

[Sweet T]

Yeah...After doing some more research I realize you are right. I have only made one (ugly, stinky) batch of soap which didn't have any colorant so I don't have any experience with that yet. I might just leave the white part unscented and MAYBE use TD or go with whatever natural white I can get and use some sort of natural green shade for the other part so if the vanilla and mint oils turn it a bit dark it will (hopefully) be an earthy green and off white swirl. I just hope the green doesn't end up too brownish and looking like baby poop. That would not be a good look for soap.
I had an idea in my head but I'm OK with it not being the bright and vibrant contrast between white and green. I generally prefer the more natural earth tones myself.

 

[Sweet T]

soscal, after I posted I did some more research (I always find what I am looking for AFTER I post, even if I spent forever looking before! haha) and saw your inquiry and replies which were very helpful. I will try using all coconut oil. I had read somewhere that a rule of thumb is to make sure that 40% of your oils are hard fats (castile soap being an exception). I wonder why? My coconut oil is hard at room temp anyway but I'm still curious why 40%. Overall soap hardness? Geesh, I have so much to learn.

 

[Scentapy]

I have only been making soap a year so I am definetly NO EXPERT on the subject ...but...unless you are making a salt bar, 100% Coconut Oil is too much. It will dry out your skin. I could be wrong and I am sure someone will correct me if I am!

When I first started making soap, my coconut oil was at 40-50% and my hands always felt really tight and dry when I used the soap. I cut my Coconut Oil back to 25-30% and it makes a wonderful bar.

I have used TD. It will get your soap white (but not with a fragrance oil that contains vanillin as others have pointed out). You just have to be careful not to use TOO MUCH TD or your soap will be powdery.

Happy soaping!!

 

[Sunny]

well, that's why he said to superfat it at 20%, so that it would be less drying. either way I do not love that bar - opinions differ. but there are many other recipes out there that I like better. you are more than welcome to try it out for yourself obviously.

my suggestion on the vanilla part - if you are doing two separate fragrance oils for the vanilla and the mint, I would leave the mint in the green side and vanilla in the white side. if you are adding vanilla to the green side, depending on how brown it gets, you may not get green at all but rather some brownish green color. so I would just embrace the brown, put the vanilla in the uncolored side, and have a brown and green soap, instead of a white and muddy green soap. most vanillas I have tried have discolored pretty dark so I don't even try.

who cares anyway! vanilla beans are brown, right?

hey, do whatever you want at the end of the day, and whatever you decide, PLEASE share pictures!

 

[IrishLass]

NO EXPERT on the subject ...but...unless you are making a salt bar, 100% Coconut Oil is too much. It will dry out your skin. I could be wrong and I am sure someone will correct me if I am!

You hereby stand corrected! :wink: But with a caveat.... As Sunny pointed out, a superfat of 20% counteracts the drying effect of using 100% coconut oil, whether it's in a salt bar or a non-salt bar. At least for me and many others, it does, though some may find 100% coconut oil too drying for them, no matter what the superfat. It all comes down to personal preference and individual skin sensitivities. I personally find 100% CO with a 20% sf a decadent, luxurious feeling, lovely treat- not drying at all, but others may not feel the same way. You'll just have to try for yourself to see.

so I would just embrace the brown, put the vanilla in the uncolored side, and have a brown and green soap, instead of a white and muddy green soap. most vanillas I have tried have discolored pretty dark so I don't even try.

+1

who cares anyway! vanilla beans are brown, right?

Another + 1. I often wonder what the rationale was behind coloring things white that are scented or flavored with vanilla. Maybe it started with the ice cream industry and being able to visually differentiate between vanilla ice cream and chocolate ice cream? I don't know, but as Sunny pointed out, vanilla beans are brown, so who cares?


IrishLass

 

[Sweet T]

As I was sitting here waiting for the UPS guy to deliver my Bramble Berry and/or MMS supplies so I can start making soap already I was contemplating that very thing. Who's idea was it to make white the go-to vanilla standard color? In everything! Frosting, candles, candy, cookies, the mentioned ice cream, and SOAP. We've been brainwashed. It's a conspiracy. Maybe it's because its kinda the opposite of chocolate and they can't BOTH be brown. That's no fun.
Still want white soap though for some soaps, for the contrast, but I won't continue the lie and make it vanilla. I'll go with the slightly browned vanilla and dark green. haha. There is one problem though, I didn't order any colorant yet. That will have to wait :/
Do any FO or EO NOT turn brown? Is there something that can tell me ahead of time which FO or EO will affect the color of my soap. Sorry if that's a dumb question

 

[Sunny]

Do any FO or EO NOT turn brown? Is there something that can tell me ahead of time which FO or EO will affect the color of my soap. Sorry if that's a dumb question

oh definitely! some places you order from will tell you the vanillin content - if it is 0%, then typically that scent won't discolor.

vanillas discolor obviously, and anything containing vanilla usually discolors... like anything "creamy" scented, or often sugary type scents.
example, sea salt caramel, cotton candy, eggnog, pumpkin bread. those all discolored for me. but I have sage and lemongrass, tropical blast, bergamot grapefruit, baby powder that did not!

eo's that are an obvious color in the bottle, like orange eo, can discolor a little orange. lemongrass can be a little yellow. otherwise I have not had a problem with a lot of eo's - lavender stays perfect, mint too.

 

[Scentapy]

well, that's why he said to superfat it at 20%

Missed that! I guess my eyes just focused on the 100% coconut oil. lol.

 

[judymoody]

Vanilla will not discolor just a little. It will go brown, and depending on the variety of FO you use, it can turn nearly black.

If you want a white and green soap with a hint of sweet, why not try spearmint EO? It doesn't discolor, it's very strong and it lasts forever. It's also not particularly expensive.

 

[Sweet T]

Thanks JudyMoody
Actually, spearmint is what I ordered. I wanted to be able to use it in lip balm as well as my soap. I will consider leaving the vanilla out all together. I think the combination of spearmint and vanilla would be interesting but you are probably right, the spearmint may be sweet enough on its own (as opposed to other mints).

 

[Stinkydancer]

Soaping cool with Coconut Milk gives you a really white soap.

Here are a couple...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/89258933/mi ... ocess-soap

http://www.etsy.com/transaction/70370640

 

[Sweet T]

Stinkydancer, thanks for sharing! Your soap is beautiful and the minty clean was exactly what I was picturing in my mind. If you don't mind me asking, when you use the coconut milk as the liquid, is the volume and lye ratio the same as if you were using water? I could look it up but you all are so wonderful at answering questions its easier to just ask

 

[Stinkydancer]

Yep it's the exact same.

I do my goat milk with frozen milk but Coconut I do a little differently.

I pour my lye into my aloe juice at 1 to 1- then the rest of the liquid which is cold coconut milk goes into my soap pot after the lye emulsify's the oils- then I take it all to trace and move on from there. I just make sure that I'm soaping cooler because Coconut Milk can be burned and turn on you to a lighter tan.

I used no TD in these batches either. I was pretty shocked to see how white it was.

Both of the recipes I used for this usually soap on the light tan side so it was a pleasant surprise.

Thank you so much for the compliment- I really appreciate that! I always feel my soaps are so boring compared to the loveliness on here that I always see.

 

[Maythorn]

With or without milk I think that lye colors oils yellow just a little. I've had melted oils re-congeal and altogether they were fairly close to paper white. Then soaped them with no fragrance, no additive that would have caused yellowing and the soap was that tinge anyway. Cream white that is, not tan or yellowish like when I've added milk or a slightly discoloring scent.

If you want really white soap maybe use some titanium dioxide.