It's not soda ash...I don't think.

[DoctorCrowley]

A week ago I made a soap and I tried to be time efficient but ended up with all sorts of foolishness and failure. It's a previously successful recipe so I don't think it was that. I think I just messed up some measurements somewhere. The soap frosting never got thick enough to pipe with (I thought it was and then pulled the bag up and it went everywhere so I mixed that up and just frosted it like a cake). The batter got to trace pretty quickly (I think it was the FO, Nurture Soap Lavender and Sage). So a day later (as usual) I went to go unmold as the frosting was hard, but a large corner chunk stuck into the mold. It was soft like playdough. I've made a dozen batches of soap if not more and this never happened before. I was able to cut most of them successfully and place on the curing rack. A couple days later the soap hardened up to what it normally would have been when I unmold. But now as it is curing there is this white haze appearing on all sides of it. I tried to mess with it to an extent (rubbing alcohol, water) and it won't go away and now the two distinct purples aren't distinct anymore. What the heck is it and is there anything I can do about it? How do I know if it's safe to use? Should I just toss it? Yeah I know there are mica streaks cause I mixed it by hand to keep it loose (darn it). Photos are in order from unmolding to today

 

[AliOop]

That does look like ash to me. I notice that purples get more than their share of ash on my soaps.

 

[DoctorCrowley]

That does look like ash to me. I notice that purples get more than their share of ash on my soaps.

Thank you. Should I take a steamer to it after it's done curing or can it be done now?

 

[AliOop]

I’d wait till it is cured, bc it can keep coming back in the meantime.

 

[SoapDaddy70]

I have soap that same thing happened to. Did you use Titanium Dioxide? I did in my batch. First week the colors were ok looking but each week thereafter the soap started looking chalky and now the colors are very light and muted just like yours. Very weird.

 

[DoctorCrowley]

I have soap that same thing happened to. Did you use Titanium Dioxide? I did in my batch. First week the colors were ok looking but each week thereafter the soap started looking chalky and now the colors are very light and muted just like yours. Very weird.

No, I used a white mica. I haven't had that happen with TD yet, though I have had colors get a lot paler after saponification. Once I made one and it just was like a peach flesh tone and I forgot to add the FO. Then I shredded it to rebatch and it looked like I was melting skin and then rebatched with some color it looked like meatloaf. LOL

 

[KiwiMoose]

I've 'washed' my soap in the past when it had bad soda ash. But, as @AliOop says, wait until it's about 6 weeks or more.

 

[AliOop]

I have soap that same thing happened to. Did you use Titanium Dioxide? I did in my batch. First week the colors were ok looking but each week thereafter the soap started looking chalky and now the colors are very light and muted just like yours. Very weird.

It is probably soda ash for your soap, as well. Very common, and can often be reduced by doing some or all of the following: reducing your water, spraying with 90% or higher rubbing alcohol, covering immediately after pouring and keep covered for 24-48 hours, soaping a little hotter, CPOPing, and gelling.

I do find that TD, AC, and some colors (purples, greens) tend to ash more easily with my recipes, even with low water, covering, and gelling. I either embrace the ash, or wash it off like @KiwiMoose suggested. Steamers work fine but mine is an older one that isn't user friendly, so I rarely use it.

 

[penelopejane]

You can prevent soda ash by soaping warmer - about 110*F and ensuring gel by covering it and wrapping the soap in the mold until it is ready to unmold. Wait until it is like firm cheddar cheese before cutting it. If it is still soft when you do unmold it put it on a plastic rack or tray and wrap it in plastic wrap or put it in a plastic box with a lid and keep it protected away from the air like this for a week.
Then open it up and let it cure with good air circulation.