Is there something wrong with my soap?

[CrypticBlonde]

This is my whole second batch of CP soap. I was wondering what people thought of the (unintentional) swirling appearance of the soap (pic attached)?

Here are the details...
-The coloring is only the olive oil and coconut oil infused with annatto seed.
-I used a mix of orange and related essential oils for fragrance.
-After adding the EOs there did seem to be some clumping that I blended out (with stick blender) but it started to get thick so I hurried up and poured it.

I just don't know if this is simply cosmetic or indicates something is wrong with the soap.

Here are the oil ratios (from a Jan Berry recipe):
46% Olive Oil Pomace
27% Coconut Oil
15% Sunflower Oil
7% Castor Oil
5% Avocado Butter

I double verified the lye with an online calculator (sage)... I can give the exact details if needed.

Thanks for any thoughts or advice!

Michelle

 

[Saponomancer]

Test it for zap! If it doesn't zap its just cosmetic

 

[BattleGnome]

Slightly more scientific: it looks like the different fatty acids solidified at different times. Not an issue for anything other than looks (I personally like it)

 

[kchaystack]

Its either what battlegnome said or it is 'glycerine' rivers. either way should be safe as long as zap test is ok

 

[CrypticBlonde]

Thanks for the feedback!

Thanks all! I only poured it a week ago (I suppose I should have mentioned that). I wait until it cures (4-6 weeks) to do a zap test, yeah?

Michelle

 

[BattleGnome]

You can zap test right after cutting. There is a sticky thread somewhere with picture instructions but the basics are: wet a finger and lather the soap a bit. Touch the suds to your tongue to see if there is a zap. A zap feels like a 9 volt battery and means there is still active lye. No zap = no active lye.

If you get a zap put the bar down and come back in afew days. Sometimes the soap needs a bit of a rest to do its thing before it's zap free. Unless you did something horribly wrong, the soap will work itself out by the end of your cure. (It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong and 90% of the wrong stuff can later be righted later on)

 

[CrypticBlonde]

Thank you

Thank you @BattleGnome (and @kchaystack and @TheDragonGirl) for you attention and feedback. I really appreciate it.

I think I am going to wait a while then do the zap test... I suppose it only matters if it passes or doesn't at the end (IMO)!

If anyone looks at this again, I suppose I have one more question. If it doesn't pass the zap test, does that mean it isn't safe to shred and put as confetti in other soap batches? I'd hope I could do something with it.

Although I haven't searched the forums (but I have to head to work, I'll do it later). This has probably been answered so I'll see if I can find the answer to this question in the other posts.

Thank you all again!

Michelle

 

[navigator9]

I agree, I don't think this is anything but a cosmetic issue, and this may or may not be the case with your soap, but here's my two cents. I used to sometimes get streaky soap like yours. I got the idea that what if the problem was that the soap batter wasn't getting mixed thoroughly. I think that we may feel that the stick blender is doing a better job than it really is, sometimes. I also think a lot of variables come into play, like the size of the batch, the strength of the stick blender, the shape of the pot or container, how much we move the stick blender around, etc. So I decided to try something. Since I always have the spatula handy to scrape the last of the batter out of the pot after pouring, I thought I'd try stirring with the spatula before I poured, and as I stirred, I scraped the sides and bottom of the pot, making sure that I mixed well. And guess what...no more streaks for me. I'm not saying it's definitely what caused your streaks, but you might want to give it a try before pouring your soap and see if you still get streaks.

 

[CrypticBlonde]

@navigator9 - Thank you for your comments and perspective. I can see your point and think it's entirely possible that the batch was not mixed well enough. I like your idea of using the spatula to make sure the edges properly in the mix too.

Thank you for responding to my post. I love hearing your experience! I will definitely be paying more attention to the mixing next time (batch #3)!

Michelle

 

[SaltedFig]

Hi CrypticBlonde,

I'm another one - I think your soaps are lovely with those wispy swirls and mounded up tops.

You are lucky - the petals you have chosen (calendula) to complement your soap colour are one of the few botanical additives that will keep their colour for years (most botanicals turn brown within hours or days, months at the most).

I get this streaking when I combine olive and coconut (or olive and cocoa butter or olive and ...). It's the different acid reaction times in the oils, and gets especially obvious when you mix cool oils, or the oils cool while your mixing them. It can also be a particular EO that will "catch" one of the oils and help it saponify before the others (I'm still in working on my description of this - as you can probably tell, but I get it a lot because I tend to soap with olive mostly, nearly always at room temperature and I only use EO's).

The soap itself will most likely be just fine

 

[CrypticBlonde]

@SaltedFig - Thank you for your thoughts and feedback.

Because you said you have this happen when you do combine olive oil and coconut oil -- do you usually do pure olive oil, or...?

Coconut oil seems to be a staple in many recipes in combination with olive oil (unless it's palm oil instead, which I haven't yet tried).

I think you definitely have a point that the different oils can be reacting differently or at different times. Probably reiterates the fact that I may not have stirred well enough. It did seem to go to thick trace awfully fast though... might have been my temperatures... Hmm...

Michelle

 

[SaltedFig]

What EO's did you use? They might have sped things up for you.

On coconut, it is often a staple (or is replaced by one of the other short chain, fast reacting, bubbly wonders of the soaping world, like Palm Kernal Oil or Babussa).

Some people are sensitive to coconut, so it's often recommended to keep it under 20% (but, like all things, there are exceptions to this general rule).

-- do you usually do pure olive oil, or...?

I usually use a high percentage of extra-virgin olive oil (local and/or organic).

 

[Susie]

Although I think your soap is fine (I had this same effect loads of times when starting out!), if you want us to absolutely tell you it is safe, you need to post your entire recipe (including additives) in weights. That way we can run it through a calculator quickly.

I, too, would zap test to be sure.

My standard response to unintended appearance issues is, "I meant to do that!".

 

[Kelley]

Hi CrypticBlonde,

I'm another one - I think your soaps are lovely with those wispy swirls and mounded up tops.

You are lucky - the petals you have chosen (calendula) to complement your soap colour are one of the few botanical additives that will keep their colour for years (most botanicals turn brown within hours or days, months at the most).

I get this streaking when I combine olive and coconut (or olive and cocoa butter or olive and ...). It's the different acid reaction times in the oils, and gets especially obvious when you mix cool oils, or the oils cool while your mixing them. It can also be a particular EO that will "catch" one of the oils and help it saponify before the others (I'm still in working on my description of this - as you can probably tell, but I get it a lot because I tend to soap with olive mostly, nearly always at room temperature and I only use EO's).

The soap itself will most likely be just fine

I made an olive, avocado, coconut soap with no fragrance or essential oils and found this too. I had no idea why but I thought it looked lovely and added to the natural, rustic look that I am partial to at the moment.

 

[Kelley]

I like it!