Rice Soap

[SPowers]

So I cut my rice soap today and the inside is a different colour. Any ideas why this happened. The outside is a creamy colour but the inside is quite greenish. I used rice water in my lye/water solution; rice slurry in the batter; there's a bit of neem oil in it as well.

 

[AliOop]

At least it looks pretty! Did you use any FO? That type of "rind" discoloration is usually FO-related, IME, and most often from fragrances with vanillin. I've never used neem in a light soap, so perhaps someone else can comment about whether neem also creates that appearance of a rind on the soap.

The good news is that it is usually temporary, and eventually the whole soap turns the same color.

PS - I'm a bit jelly that you got to the rice soap already! I really, really want to try it, but it will be a miracle if I even get the marble soap done this month. We shall see...

 

[SPowers]

Good to know that it may change over time. I used EO's... wanted the bar to be more 'natural' so used patchouli, grapefruit & orange.

It's funny, I was shutting down for the night & when I went into the kitchen I thought 'why not make some rice water' - took literally seconds. So it made my choice easy the next day. I'm not usually so quick off the mark but the idea of the rice soap really intrigued me.
I don't think I got the slurry as smooth as I should have... it was quite a small amount and my blender is big so it was hardly managing to blend much. I think that's what the white spots are? Perhaps I needed more water.

 

[Dawni]

Interesting to see if the rind increases and you eventually get an even colored soap.

For my rice slurry/puree I use the same SB I use for soap, since it'll be used for the soap too, in a very narrow container. My blender is too big as well. I think I did 2:1 water to rice.

My neem oil almost always makes soap in some shade of brown depending on how much I use. My neem oil is quite thick(ish) and darker than peanut butter.

Can't comment on FO rinds in CP as I don't use FOs and I haven't CPed my rice soap hehe maybe @Misschief will have ideas to share.

 

[SPowers]

Thanks for the tips... will try the SB next time and use a bit more water. Will keep you posted on the colour.

 

[Misschief]

For the rice slurry, I used my Magic Bullet; there was too little to pull out the big blender but the MB was the perfect size. As for the rind, I've had that happen before and the colour did even out with time.

 

[SPowers]

For some reason I thought I read the MB didn't pulverize it enough... should have gone back and re-read the post. But it makes perfect sense. Live and learn. Thanks!

 

[Misschief]

For some reason I thought I read the MB didn't pulverize it enough... should have gone back and re-read the post. But it makes perfect sense. Live and learn. Thanks!

My rice was very well cooked, almost mushy before I blitzed it. The MB worked great! And I froze the left overs for a later batch.

 

[SPowers]

How much rice did you use... I think I used a couple of tablespoons.

 

[Misschief]

I cooked up 1/4 cup of jasmine rice. First, I soaked it overnight in about 2 cups of water; I drained that water and kept it for dissolving the lye. Then, I cooked the soaked rice in another 2 cups of water (I wanted extra water in case I needed it and for mixing the slurry) until it was well cooked, drained it, then blitzed it with some of the cooking water until it was a pourable slurry.

When making the soap, my recipe called for 275 grams of liquid so I used 250 grams of the rice water and added 25ish grams of the slurry to the oils. I added another 10 grams of fine rice flour to the batter, as well.

 

[Garden Gives Me Joy]

Is it possible that the difference in colour is also related to relative temperatures and consequent water content in different regions of the soap? After all, the FO, etc are not concentrated in only one or the other of the colour regions.

I am inspired to think about this after having seen a YouTuber who proposed 'Ghost Swirling'. She created these very colour variations in her soap, but intentionally and with swirls that were subtly visible. To do this; she divided the batter into 2 and applied a little more water to one of the sub-batches. Then she swirled the 2 when she poured and or with a stick. Fascinating must-do, I thought!

I figure though there must still be some consideration for the pouring temperature but can not remember or missed that bit. Would be happy for a crash course (because I am less versed on CP soaping).

 

[Misschief]

Is it possible that the difference in colour is also related to relative temperatures and consequent water content in different regions of the soap? After all, the FO, etc are not concentrated in only one or the other of the colour regions.

I am inspired to think about this after having seen a YouTuber who proposed 'Ghost Swirling'. She created these very colour variations in her soap, but intentionally and with swirls that were subtly visible. To do this; she divided the batter into 2 and applied a little more water to one of the sub-batches. Then she swirled the 2 when she poured and or with a stick. Fascinating must-do, I thought!

That would be Aunti Clara. She did an interesting experiment with water levels, creating Ghost Swirls.

I don't think what @SPowers experienced is related to water levels creating the ghost swirl technique. I've had the same thing happen with one or two of my soaps. Eventually, they even out. I think it has more to do with the FO/EO and, perhaps, exposure to the mold/air.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I cooked up 1/4 cup of jasmine rice. First, I soaked it overnight in about 2 cups of water; I drained that water and kept it for dissolving the lye. Then, I cooked the soaked rice in another 2 cups of water (I wanted extra water in case I needed it and for mixing the slurry) until it was well cooked, drained it, then blitzed it with some of the cooking water until it was a pourable slurry.

When making the soap, my recipe called for 275 grams of liquid so I used 250 grams of the rice water and added 25ish grams of the slurry to the oils. I added another 10 grams of fine rice flour to the batter, as well.

@Misschief , what does the rice slurry bring to the soap? Is it totally smooth or are there small pieces of rice in it? Really curious about this additive.

 

[Misschief]

@Misschief , what does the rice slurry bring to the soap? Is it totally smooth or are there small pieces of rice in it? Really curious about this additive.

It's quite smooth, actually. I, and @Dawni, call our soaps Triple Rice - rice water, rice flour, and cooked rice. Rice has, apparently, been used in Asian skin care for centuries. This is my first time making a rice soap so, perhaps @Dawni could speak to that better than I.

 

[Dawni]

I guess it all depends on how well you've cooked and blended the rice?

We cook rice daily, like most Asian households so I just take some and added water and overcooked the rice more. At the end of it the rice is sticky, thick, almost like a porridge consistency.. Then I stick blend it. It becomes smoother, not less sticky lol but not so much porridge-y, but maybe similar to a thick custard?

There are discernable bits of rice - not grains, because the rice is double cooked by now - but they're soft enough to squish with my finger, so I always assume the lye and the SB will take care of those lol. I add this slurry to my oils by the way and blend well before the lye goes in. In the final soap, at least for me, there aren't any rice bits left.

I've said it several times that there's something in the rice (my guess is the starch) that makes it my hardest, least soluble bar of soap after an 8wk cure. Also, since I HP, it's my most fluid. My recipe is in the photo gallery, and I've made it without the rice additives too. While alone it makes a hard, long lasting bar as well, I feel with the rice additives it just goes up a notch or two.

The other thing it brings is label appeal lol the story behind my soap is here if you're interested hehe

Please note that all my experience is with unscented and uncoloured (except TD for a few swirls) HP. I don't know yet if the same stuff applies to scented, and colored CP.. But I should eventually haha

BTW, while I make my rice soap any of this slurry left in the bowl I scoop with my fingers and put on my face and I wash it off when it's dry, usually towards the end of my cook lol

 

[Jersey Girl]

I guess it all depends on how well you've cooked and blended the rice?

We cook rice daily, like most Asian households so I just take some and added water and overcooked the rice more. At the end of it the rice is sticky, thick, almost like a porridge consistency.. Then I stick blend it. It becomes smoother, not less sticky lol but not so much porridge-y, but maybe similar to a thick custard?

There are discernable bits of rice - not grains, because the rice is double cooked by now - but they're soft enough to squish with my finger, so I always assume the lye and the SB will take care of those lol. I add this slurry to my oils by the way and blend well before the lye goes in. In the final soap, at least for me, there aren't any rice bits left.

I've said it several times that there's something in the rice (my guess is the starch) that makes it my hardest, least soluble bar of soap after an 8wk cure. Also, since I HP, it's my most fluid. My recipe is in the photo gallery, and I've made it without the rice additives too. While alone it makes a hard, long lasting bar as well, I feel with the rice additives it just goes up a notch or two.

The other thing it brings is label appeal lol the story behind my soap is here if you're interested hehe

Please note that all my experience is with unscented and uncoloured (except TD for a few swirls) HP. I don't know yet if the same stuff applies to scented, and colored CP.. But I should eventually haha

BTW, while I make my rice soap any of this slurry left in the bowl I scoop with my fingers and put on my face and I wash it off when it's dry, usually towards the end of my cook lol

Thank you for the Informative answer. I think I’ll have to try a batch. It sounds like an awesome soap!

 

[Quilter99755]

So I cut my rice soap today and the inside is a different colour. Any ideas why this happened. The outside is a creamy colour but the inside is quite greenish. I used rice water in my lye/water solution; rice slurry in the batter; there's a bit of neem oil in it as well.
View attachment 49204

I made some soap with ground up lavender buds and it was a nice tan on the outside and gray on the inside. The longer it was exposed to the air, the more even it got. Eventually, it all went to an even tan.

 

[SPowers]

I appreciate all your comments... today I looked at the soap and it has evened out so all is well in soapland. I think my rice soap may have and exfoliant quality to it because of inadequate blending - next time will be better.

 

[Paulainsc]

I guess it all depends on how well you've cooked and blended the rice?

We cook rice daily, like most Asian households so I just take some and added water and overcooked the rice more. At the end of it the rice is sticky, thick, almost like a porridge consistency.. Then I stick blend it. It becomes smoother, not less sticky lol but not so much porridge-y, but maybe similar to a thick custard?

There are discernable bits of rice - not grains, because the rice is double cooked by now - but they're soft enough to squish with my finger, so I always assume the lye and the SB will take care of those lol. I add this slurry to my oils by the way and blend well before the lye goes in. In the final soap, at least for me, there aren't any rice bits left.

I've said it several times that there's something in the rice (my guess is the starch) that makes it my hardest, least soluble bar of soap after an 8wk cure. Also, since I HP, it's my most fluid. My recipe is in the photo gallery, and I've made it without the rice additives too. While alone it makes a hard, long lasting bar as well, I feel with the rice additives it just goes up a notch or two.

The other thing it brings is label appeal lol the story behind my soap is here if you're interested hehe

Please note that all my experience is with unscented and uncoloured (except TD for a few swirls) HP. I don't know yet if the same stuff applies to scented, and colored CP.. But I should eventually haha

BTW, while I make my rice soap any of this slurry left in the bowl I scoop with my fingers and put on my face and I wash it off when it's dry, usually towards the end of my cook lol

How cool! Do you also use rice bran oil? I’ll have to try adding rice pudding for hardness in my HP soaps. I’ve found most all of my soaps are so soft even when I use 40% or more hard oils. I’m in a really humid area and I do 38%. What % water do you usually use in your HP soaps? I’ve been soaping for about 3 months so I’m a newbie, but I try to make small batches of soap at least twice/week.

 

[Misschief]

BTW, while I make my rice soap any of this slurry left in the bowl I scoop with my fingers and put on my face and I wash it off when it's dry, usually towards the end of my cook lol

LOL, I did that too. My face felt really nice afterwards.