Lotion bar is crackly after 1 day

[DebbieA]

HI, this has become very frustrating for me. I've tried different methods and colors for months, different melts, and the same result. The bars come out beautiful but the next day they look all crackly. All the tutorials say use mica, so I have, I have even dissolved mica into hot sunflower oil.
Please give me some ideas.
Thank you

 

[Megan]

It's not the colorant, it's the butters. You are getting bloom from the butters. Depending on the environment, you may not be able to avoid this completely or at all.

An additive like cera bellina might help but I didn't have much luck with it as eventually bloom started forming even with this ingredient.

 

[Zing]

Hmm, never heard of blooming before! That's why I like this forum.

It has never occurred to me to use mica in a leave on product. I'm not judging, I just never thought about it. My recipe is 1/3 each of beeswax, hard butter, liquid oil. I don't know the reason for this but I heard that hard butters should get melted on low. I've never had this crackling/blooming thing happen to me. Good luck!