Sides and bottom of soap turned orange! Why?

[lyschelw]

Hi Everyone,
I am pretty new to soap making. I have only made about a dozen batches of soap and I have now had my soap turn orange on the sides and bottom (where it touches the mold) twice!

The first time I was making a lot of mini color testers. I ran out of molds and used a red silicone mini muffin mold. I thought maybe it was the mold that leached color so I didn't really think much about it. The other ones that I had made from that batch of soap in white silicone were fine. It was only the ones made in the red mold that had an issue. (They were the last ones I made from the soap batter) That was several months ago. The orange was only on the sides and bottom of the soap. Not in the middle and it did not spread in the last 4 months.

It wasn't until I made soap last night that it has me wondering. I used a totally different mold. (clear silicone). I am testing colors again. And I got this weird orange layer that is only on the sides and bottom of the soap where it touched the mold.

Here is what I did and used.
Recipe -

• Coconut Oil - 5oz
• Refined Olive Oil - 8oz
• Shea butter - 3oz
• Castor Oil - 5oz
• Lye - 2.28oz
• Water - 5oz
• Allium Purple Mica (in half of batter) - 3g

The water was distilled. Since I was only testing for color I mixed the lye water, let it dissolve and very quickly mixed it into the oils. I mixed to a medium trace. Only took about 30 seconds. I added the Allium Purple Mica to half of the recipe and blended it in with a spatula. Mold was clean. Never made lye based soap in it. I scooped the batter into the mold as it did not pour easily. I pounded it on the table to release air. I unmolded 24hours later and the sides were orange.

I have been looking at "Dreaded Orange Spot" information all over the place and I just don't think that is what this is. All of my oils are brand new. I used distilled water. The soap does not smell weird or rancid. And the orange is only on the outside that touched the mold. Not on the top. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Anstarx]

The exact same thing happened to me when I just started lol.
I made a batch of soap using a kind of fruit tea as liquid and it was a bright orange color on the bottoms and the sides, just like yours. The mold I used with a red-brown disk mold. I thought it was because of the tea but nah, it's the mold staining. I made the recipe again and it was a normal beige color all over.
Switching to other colored silicone molds and I never had problem like this again. It was the red-brown silicone specifically had this staining problem. I avoid mold in that color at all cost now.

 

[artemis]

Allium Purple Mica (in half of batter) -

I would blame the red mold, too, except it sounds like you used a different mold this time?

Where did you get this mica? If you got it through Amazon, it might not be appropriate for CP soap.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Yes, red mold staining the soap. Only happens with my red silicone mold and not with any other colour.

 

[lyschelw]

I would blame the red mold, too, except it sounds like you used a different mold this time?

Where did you get this mica? If you got it through Amazon, it might not be appropriate for CP soap.

Yes, it is a different mold. The Mica is ours. We sell it and it is soap safe Thank you for trying to help

 

[lyschelw]

Yes, red mold staining the soap. Only happens with my red silicone mold and not with any other colour.

This one was made in a clear mold. This is just crazy. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[lyschelw]

The exact same thing happened to me when I just started lol.
I made a batch of soap using a kind of fruit tea as liquid and it was a bright orange color on the bottoms and the sides, just like yours. The mold I used with a red-brown disk mold. I thought it was because of the tea but nah, it's the mold staining. I made the recipe again and it was a normal beige color all over.
Switching to other colored silicone molds and I never had problem like this again. It was the red-brown silicone specifically had this staining problem. I avoid mold in that color at all cost now.

So strange. This one is a clear mold. I am pretty stumped.

 

[Misschief]

I have been looking at "Dreaded Orange Spot" information all over the place and I just don't think that is what this is. All of my oils are brand new. I used distilled water. The soap does not smell weird or rancid. And the orange is only on the outside that touched the mold. Not on the top. Any help would be appreciated!

It definitely isn't DOS; your soap is too fresh for that. My first thought is that your soap is reacting to something in, or on, the silicone mold, especially if you hadn't made soap in that particular mold before. I have a lot of silicone molds and have never had that happen with any of them.

 

[cmzaha]

Don't you just love it when soap decides to just be soap and do what it wants to try and stump us, which at times it can be very good at doing? Sometimes I find you just know the answer.

 

[lyschelw]

Don't you just love it when soap decides to just be soap and do what it wants to try and stump us, which at times it can be very good at doing? Sometimes I find you just know the answer.

It definitely makes life interesting!

 

[lyschelw]

It definitely isn't DOS; your soap is too fresh for that. My first thought is that your soap is reacting to something in, or on, the silicone mold, especially if you hadn't made soap in that particular mold before. I have a lot of silicone molds and have never had that happen with any of them.

It does seem like that doesn't it.....Now what could it be....My kids have used these for melt and pour soap. But we had washed them out. I know my daughter had been making soaps that look like lemon and using citrus stuff prior (like a year ago). I am totally flummoxed.

 

[Arimara]

Were the silicone molds from the same supplier? Were they used for another craft aside from making soap?

 

[Becky1024]

Were the silicone molds made for cold process soap? Since both clear and red did it, I’m wondering if there is a compound in the silicone other than the red coloring that is reacting with your soap.

 

[lyschelw]

Were the silicone molds from the same supplier? Were they used for another craft aside from making soap?

Nope, the molds were from totally different places. As for other crafts......Always a possibility around here....But I don't think so.

 

[lyschelw]

Were the silicone molds made for cold process soap? Since both clear and red did it, I’m wondering if there is a compound in the silicone other than the red coloring that is reacting with your soap.

The red mold was not made for soap. It was a mini muffin pan. The clear/white was made for soap. Thanks for trying to help! Hope I can figure it out some day!!!

 

[lyschelw]

It definitely isn't DOS; your soap is too fresh for that. My first thought is that your soap is reacting to something in, or on, the silicone mold, especially if you hadn't made soap in that particular mold before. I have a lot of silicone molds and have never had that happen with any of them.

And I am VERY glad that you agree that it can't be DOS. We just got these oils in and that would have been very disturbing!

 

[Arimara]

This may sound odd but was a fragrance used, more over, the same type? If not and two different fragrances were used, did you use the same techniques for adding it? Did you happen to cut a bar in half? I'd love to see the cross section if possible.

 

[lyschelw]

This may sound odd but was a fragrance used, more over, the same type? If not and two different fragrances were used, did you use the same techniques for adding it? Did you happen to cut a bar in half? I'd love to see the cross section if possible.

Nope, no scent in this one. I was trying to figure out a unique way to do a migration/color test. I will try to cut it in half when I get a moment.

 

[Becky1024]

The red mold was not made for soap. It was a mini muffin pan. The clear/white was made for soap. Thanks for trying to help! Hope I can figure it out some day!!!

I would go back and talk to the supplier that you bought the clear/white one from. See if they can help you out.

 

[lyschelw]

Here it is cut in half. Not a bit of orange inside. There was a tiny streak but it looked like it was from the knife going through the outside and bringing a bit of orange along with it.