Orange EO soap issues

[sweetbean]

Can someone please "diagnose" my soap? I soaped at a lower temp this time (around 100 degrees), and stuck the soap in the fridge to try to prevent gel.

I have soda ash that's formed on the top and sides of the soap. I've read soda ash can form within soap, but not entirely sure that's what this is.

Any help or guidance would be great. Passes the zap test.

 

[Saponomancer]

It looks like partial gel to me!

 

[sweetbean]

Yeah, I think it partially gelled too, but I wasn't sure about the white "streaks." Could that be soda ash? Or just a product from partial gel?

 

[kchaystack]

That looks like ash forming on the cut face of the soap.

Since you soaped cool and put it in the refrigerator, you slowed down the saponification. So there was still small amounts of unreacted lye present when you unmolded and cut the soap. This has reacted to the CO2 in the air and formed ash.

 

[sweetbean]

Thank you! Would you recommend leaving it in the fridge longer? Or still taking it out but waiting to cut it? I'd like to try and prevent the partial gel and so much ash from forming.

I didn't think of it behaving slower since it was refrigerated, so I really appreciate it!

 

[lsg]

I put my milk/cream-based soap or soap that tend to heat up in the freezer for a few days. This usually prevents partial gel or full gel. I have had partial gel after using just the refrigerator.

 

[kchaystack]

Well I do not see partial gel myself. preventing ash... that is one of the unicorns of soap making. Gelling soap will help prevent it. Covering tightly to prevent air from getting to it until the soap finished saponification... most of us have just learned to live with it and wash it off before we wrap/gift the soap.