how to get white soap

[kismetjones]

I made two batches of soap on friday and both are a sort of oatmeal color. the recipe I used calls for olive oil, coconut oil, and vegetable shortening as the oils. When I mixed the lye with water it was white, but as soon as I added my oils each time the mixture turned a dark oatmeal color that lightened a little by the time it reached trace.

I was hand stirrning with a wooden spoon and the spoon looks like it has chemical burns now. Is that what prevented the soap from being white?

 

[artisan soaps]

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[xraygrl]

1. What temps are you soaping at? If you are adding the lye to the oils right away (being that it is still white, I'm thinking so) then you are adding the lye too hot and possibly "burning" some of the oils and thus the darker color. I suggest mixing your lye up a bit earlier, and letting it cool....maybe to around 100-110 F. Unless you are adding anything besides water and lye, the solution should be clear, and if you wait, it will go clear on it's own.


What type of olive oil are you using? If you are using a pomace type or extra virgin then that may produce a darker color soap. Try using the lighter versions of olive and your soaps should come out whiter....especially with the oils you mentioned, you shouold end up with a white bar.

 

[Dixie]

When making a white bar, I avoid soybean oil, it turns on me for some reason. Use other white oils like coconut, pko, lard, crisco is fine, extra light virgin olive oil. And just to get it extra white I use a little Titanium dioxide. I use T.D in almost every bar, I like my colors better, unless I want a dark color.

 

[kismetjones]

thanks for all of the information!

I think I've been able to piece together a few problems.

I bought my lye online from a site called 'the lye guy' so I belive it is pure.

I was mixing the lye with water, taking the temperature, then warming the oils to match -- it was all about 150 when combined. It sounds like that was too hot?

I used an extra virgin olive oil that was a dark shade. I'll try using a lighter variety next time.

Just to clarify, the lye/water mixture should be clear and not cloudy before mixing in the oil? And does the oil need to be the precise temperature of the lye mix?

Thank you for all of your help!!

 

[Dixie]

Yes your lye water should be clear...that's how you know if it is completely disolved.

I want my lye and oils to be the same temp. Usually 110.

 

[xraygrl]

yes your lye water should be clear, and you should be waiting a while for the temps to cool down. The temps don't have to be exactly the same, but right around the same temp would be good. 100-110 F are good temps to start with.

The Extra virgin (dark) olive will give you the creamier color, so yeah, try a lighter variety.