Least discoloring dairy/milk?

[jblaney]

I love milks and other dairy products in my soap, but was curious what others found to be the least discoloring.

I usually add them to my oils and soap cool. This helps immensely, but they always cause some kind of discoloration. I'm going to test some tomorrow.

I have: buttermilk, cream, fresh goats milk, powdered goat milk, canned coconut milk and powdered and yoghurt.

I really like the creamy feel of yoghurt, it may be my favorite.

I believe it's the sugars carmelizing that causes the discoloration, so it may be unavoidable. Just thought I would ask.

 

[Relle]

What I do is freeze the milk then add the lye slowly stirring all the time until the lye is dissolved, then add that to your RT oils. Mine don't discolour by doing it that way. I also put mine in the frig to prevent gel. Try it that way and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Lynnz]

Great question I shall watch with interest and I have some powdered buttermilk here to use, as hard as I have tried I never get lovely white goatsmilk soap without the use of a good dose of TD so will watch this thread with interest

 

[shunt2011]

I too add a good amount of TD to my milk soaps. However, I don't freeze my milks so that probably plays a big part.

 

[xraygrl]

Freezing the milk really does help prevent discoloration. That's the way I do it when I'm doing CP.

When I HP though (which is most of the time ), I use powdered GM. I make a thick slurry of it with a small amount of water, and stir it in after the cook. No discoloration whatsoever.

 

[lsg]

You can also use water for part of the liquid and dissolve the lye in that, then use cream as the rest of the liquid and add it at thin trace. I pop my milk soaps in the freezer to prevent gel and discoloration.

 

[Yooper]

I freeze my milk (even the powdered stuff I mix water to reconstitute) and use that to mix in the lye. The key is to do the mixing in a pitcher in a bowl of ice, and to stir with your stick blender when stirring the oils and lye together over ice as well. It really makes a nice white milk soap!

I made a hot process tallow soap last week where I didn't do that- I stirred some of the powdered goat's milk into a little oil and added it after the cook before pouring. It did turn an unappetizing shade of brown :thumbdown: so it'll be back to cold process with frozen dairy products for me again, along with my bowl of ice under the soaping bowl.

 

[Jstar]

I freeze my milk as well, and I keep my lye pitcher in a ice bath as well..soap cool, and I pop it in the fridge..sometimes I add TD, sometimes I don't..depends on colors I add. I really prefer coconut milk

 

[Ruthie]

I also freeze my GM and soap at room temp. And put it in the refrigerator to prevent gel. I leave it there for 48 hrs. I get a nice, white soap using this method.