My first attempt ... soda ash got me. What to do?

[Jamielynn]

Sometimes, I have had luck spraying the soap with water, waiting 5 minutes and then spraying again with rubbing alcohol 70%. I read this trick in Making Soap Magazine last year. It will improve the ash in some cases. And of course as stated above, water discount helps and gelling. When I use castor oil in soaps the ash seems less visible to me - does this happen for anyone else.

 

[catandravendesigns]

Actually, soda ash is sodium carbonate, which is an alkali as well. While not as strong as sodium hydroxide, it forms when NaOH reacts with CO2 in the air, and can be used all by its lonesome to make soap! It takes a lot more time and heat, though.

When you hear someone talk about potash and straining water through wood ash to make lye solution for old world-style soap, that's potassium carbonate! Sodium carbonate, or soda ash, is simply the sodium salt instead of the potassium salt.

All this is to say that it's not surprising that you might get a little irritation from soda ash since it is an alkali itself.

Gosh I love when people know the science! Thanks for such an easy to understand explanation, I love getting to learn more

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I got mad ash when I used the default setting of "full water". Once I started increasing my lye water strength, almost no ash. I typically use 33-35% lye water concentration and I'm mostly good. I have a few FO's that will create ash no matter what I do so I make sure I pour those in silicone molds then wash the tops off (and let them dry) before I pull the sides away from the mold. Keep in mind I live in a very arid environment so things may different for those who live in high humidity.

When I use AC I mix it in water so that portion of my batter will have a higher water amount than the non AC portion. Since I often get ash when using AC I wonder if that's part of the problem.

@WallyN very pretty soap!

I have to agree about lye concentration. I am in very humid, coastal Virginia and I rarely get ash now that I upped my lye concentration to 33 to 37%.

Thanks for the tip about rinsing the soap while it’s still in the mold. Very clever!

Have you tried the AC in oil? I do it that way and it disperses easily. My AC is from BB and it’s super powdery.

 

[linne1gi]

Sometimes, I have had luck spraying the soap with water, waiting 5 minutes and then spraying again with rubbing alcohol 70%. I read this trick in Making Soap Magazine last year. It will improve the ash in some cases. And of course as stated above, water discount helps and gelling. When I use castor oil in soaps the ash seems less visible to me - does this happen for anyone else.

I don’t get soda ash often, but when I do, I steam the bars with a clothes steamer.

 

[zajanatural]

When I get soda ash, I just rinse the top of the soap while it is still in the mold and then let it dry before I unmold it. I also steam it off.

A good water discount will eliminate soda ash, but not to be attempted until you have more batches under your belt.

 

[Lin19687]

There are MANY "cures' for ash, none scientifically proven. You will have to figure out what works for your location, humidity.
I have tried most of the 'cures' and so far nothing has fixed it.
For me I do notice that some FO's have less and my NO FO has no ash...

 

[steffamarie]

I tried a recipe that Katie from Royalty Soaps uses for her piping and found that it ashes terribly, despite the fact that she claims it never ashes for her. She is in Texas and I’m in Missouri, not sure if the climate is any factor at all, or conditions in our soap studios being different, but it just goes to show that it can vary for inexplicable reasons.