Vanilla Fragrance

[Bathbum]

Hi Guys,

Recently had my first go at making CP soap, and used Vanilla fragrance.
I read that vanilla fragrance can sometimes discolour the soap and make it brown.
Well, I used some water based colouring (liquid), but it didn't seem to take to the soap at all (added at trace) and the soap has turned like browny/yellow, as the colouring was mixed in, it just vanished!

Would this be down to the vanilla that the colouring didn't take?
I also added shea butter, which may have been the culprit, but I'm interested to find out if any of you have any ideas as to why the colouring didn't take?

Thanks

 

[rubyslippers]

Never used vanilla because it is known to discolor. Others have suggested to use a vanilla stabilizer to help with the discoloration. I don't think you can use enough colorant to counteract this natural occurance. Maybe other more experienced soapers will soon respond.

 

[AshleyR]

You won't have great success using regular liquid colourants (I assume you used the kind you buy at the craft store - those are for M&P soap, or regular food colouring - doesn't work!) You need to use high pH colours in CP soap. Check out Lab Colours or Select Shades.

 

[IrishLass]

No amount of coloring, even if it is specially formulated for CP, will take if you are using a vanilla fragrance. It's truly an excercise in futility. Don't even try because it'll eventually go dark brown no matter what you do. The only thing that will be of any real help is using a vanilla stabilizer. Brambleberry sells one, I think, but I don't know if it's for CP or MP.

IrishLass

 

[Guest]

Bittercreek North has a CP vanilla stabilizer too .I love it , at first it seems that it is not working , it morphs darker and then morphs back , in my last 2 soap anyway .I have had no sharp shards in the soap as someone reported was happening with vanilla stabilizers . There are many many more FO's that have vanilla than you would think . I always research the FO I am going to use first .


Kitn