Salves appearance unusual

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Olivia1996

Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2017
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Can anyone help. I have made a few salves but when they set the have darker little round circles showing up like they have some disease!!
 
Also pictures!

It could be as simple as ingredient x solidifying while ingredient y does something different but it might be something as serious as contamination that we would never see with just a recipe.
 
no we do not recipe for salves pic is much better, If you did not use fresh herbs when infusing there should not be mold. Please upload the pic
 
Salves

PHP:
Can anyone help. I have made a few salves but when they set the have darker little round circles showing up like they have some disease!!

Ok I think I have attached photo. Formula 2 different ones and the same result
No 1 formula coconut oil plus beeswax
Herbs 100 grams per litre stepped then strained
No 2 formula coconut oil, olive oil same amount of herbs and beeswax then 40 drops of homeopathic added to 2 litre as mixture cooling

IMG_5843.jpg
 
If it's not condensation as Obsidian suggested, then it appears to me that you are pouring your salve into tins when it's still fully liquid. A thin layer of beeswax is solidifying on the top and making those spots. When I make a wax-based salve, I stir it continuously until the temperature is below the melt temperature of the wax, and then I put it in pots or jars.

"... 40 drops of homeopathic..."

Is this a water-based dilution? If so, it's not going to work in your anhydrous (no water) recipe. The water will evaporate, or it will drop to the bottom of the salve and become moldy, or both. And possibly cause the tin to rust. I really recommend you do not do this.

If you are making 2 liters of this salve at a time, I gather you are selling this product? It may be wiser to test your product for a longer time first until you have a reliable method and you know your product is safe and attractive. Far better for YOU to deal with mold or unappealing spots or rust than to have customers deal with these issues.
 
Sure looks like condensation or something with water. I do know I would Not sell it. I make a lot of balms and have never had this happen. Are you using dried herbs for steeping? If not it could be liquid from the herbs. Also I do not recommend tins for balms/salves, since some eo's and fo's can eat through the coating and cause them to rust.
 
Thanks every one
No I don't use water Homeopathics are alcohol based
I think it's the pouring I'll stir and wait then pour I haven't been doing that . I'll let you know
I tend to pour straight away
Can't see how it could be condensation. I do use very dry herbs
 
Thanks
Homeopathics are only in 100% alcohol. We can't have any water in them
I'm still not sure about the salves with the marks it only happens on my ones with the herb infused oils
I do slow steep them in a crock pot but have an internal lid on the containers inside
I haven't seen any condensation that has formed

Oh I see isn't oil soluble maybe it is the alcohol. Ok so for these ones I might have to add like a cocoa butter to the mix
I could add a solubilises but I just didn't want to add any extras, keep it as pure as I can- thanks!

That is so good. I knew water and alcohol didn't mix and I use a natural solubliser but didn't even think about oil and alcohol DOH
 
Last edited by a moderator:
"...Oh I see isn't oil soluble maybe it is the alcohol. Ok so for these ones I might have to add like a cocoa butter to the mix
I could add a solubilises but I just didn't want to add any extras, keep it as pure as I can- thanks! ..."

No, butters won't make any difference. Butters are fats. Alcohol is insoluble in fats.

"... That is so good. I knew water and alcohol didn't mix and I use a natural solubliser but didn't even think about oil and alcohol DOH ..."

Your previous post says you don't use a solubilizer. In this post, you say you do. I'm confused. Do you, or don't you? If you do, what solubilizer are you using? How do you use it?

We can't give proper advice unless we know the WHOLE story.
 
Hi I have used a solibuliser PS20
I have tried a few different ways of making my salves
If straight herbs infused in oil and then beeswax added I use no solubilised
If I'm making a magnesium salve I do because of the water container sndvi also use a preservative
Msg salve I have no problem with
It's the ones I infuse very dry commercial herbs into and strain then make the salve.. from a couple of other replies I thought oh the homeopathic could be the problem in some with the herbs but that's not the case I have redone. The only difference I get is if I steep the herbs fir s shorter time in the oil before I make the salve . The ring type formations are a lot lighter but still there. I don't want to infuse less than 1 hour as I want thdvherb properties in the oil. ? Maybe I should change to a vase oil like pure olive oil rather than coconut. I'm not sure. I've tried everything else . Your thoughts?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top