Soap Issue

[Mphan85]

Hi Everyone!!

I am new to soap making - trying to make palm-free soap. there's not many recipes online..

I tried one using coconut, olive, shea and avocado.. I may have taken it out an hour too early or so. but the outside was hard and it was a nice color. but the inside looked like this..

any ideas/advice??

THANK YOU! :cry:

 

[Susie]

Are you talking about the white dots? I don't see any other issues. The white dots are either caused by air bubbles in the batter, or just by the drag of whatever you cut it with. Either way, it really is not a big issue. If there is another issue, please correct me.

 

[ngian]

Hello and well done to your new soap!

What did you expect to see in a soap bar? What do you thing is wrong with the inside?

Are there any additives (salt) in the recipe?

 

[Mphan85]

the inside is a pink/orange or tanish color? I've seen other people try this recipe and the color is the top picture throughout.. All ivory. Am I doing something wrong? or will the color change over time?

No there is no salt additives.. as I am new I don't even know what that involves.. lol

 

[Misschief]

What's your recipe? What liquid did you use?

 

[dixiedragon]

What else did you use in it? Any fragrance? I think that color is fine, I get that color with some fragrance oils.

 

[Mphan85]

I did not use any fragrance this time.. was going to test later...

 

[galaxyMLP]

How did you cut your loaf/what what your mold?

 

[Mphan85]

I used a wood mold.. maybe it wasn't insulated enough? and I used a cake scraper to cut

 

[dixiedragon]

What percentage was olive oil? I think that might be natural from the olive oil. My high olive oil soaps are an off-white/yellowish color?

 

[cmzaha]

You really cannot go by what a color is going to be by someone else's soap. Shea butter can vary widely in color as can olive and avocado producing different colored soap. Also keep in mind the inside is still wet, once the soap cures out the color will even out. The specks are either bubbles or stearic specks from the shea butter.

 

[Arimara]

I'm of a mind that you should wait at least another 6-8 weeks and cut another bar in half. It's too early to tell what color the end product will be if you just made those/

 

[regansoap]

I had those white dots when I made soap using real cucumber and avocado - I thought it was because I used steric acid

 

[IrishLass]

A lesson that every soap-maker eventually learns is to never judge a soap right out of the mold. You'll be amazed at the changes soap goes through over the weeks of cure.

To me, it looks like your soap gelled for the most part, but the gel did not reach to the very outer edges, which would at least provide one explaination as to why they are lighter in color than the inner parts of the soap. If you feel the outer edges and compare how they feel with the inner parts, they should feel somewhat like soft cream cheese in comparison if they are not gelled....... which makes me wonder whether or not the others who also made the recipe gelled their soap or not.

The dots that you see look like tiny air bubbles to me. That happens when too much air is whipped into the batter. When you cut through the soap (and consequently, cut through the bubbles), a little bit of soap flakes off where the bubbles are, which get smeared over the surface of the soap by your cutting device as it slices down. It's only an aesthetic problem, though, and nothing to worry about.

As for the color, as Carolyn said, the soap's coloring will even out over cure, but one can't predict that it will be all-ivory. The quality of the oils/butters figure into the picture, as well as the gel stage.


IrishLass

 

[LoveOscar]

I only use palm free recipes. My first batch was fairly creamy color, cured a lighter, off white, but never went ivory. And I had the lighter rim around the edge. I've heard it's because the outside cools to fast compared to the inside.