Love those colors!
What’s with the halo?
- Thread starter KiwiMoose
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It may be the lighting or my early stage cataracts, but I do see a bit of darker shade around the orange-ish squares.
You must have tapped them down really well to prevent air bubbles around the embeds. Even when I soap them in the batter for a good while, I still get too many air bubbles and have to spend some time filling them in with soap spackle.
You must have tapped them down really well to prevent air bubbles around the embeds. Even when I soap them in the batter for a good while, I still get too many air bubbles and have to spend some time filling them in with soap spackle.
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KimW
Well-Known Member
Any idea why you didn't get halos, or is it that waiting 24 hours is longer than a normal cut time?
I'd say that I normally cut at 18-24 hours. I don't think halos around embeds are a given. I don't use a lot of embeds, but I don't experience them every time I do.
I still think that the difference between the cooler embed and the soap batter (even though I tend to soap pretty cool) plays a part in it, and now I wonder if the embed size is also a factor. Although I made a soap a few years ago with tiny soap dough balls and some of those had an indent around them.
I still think that the difference between the cooler embed and the soap batter (even though I tend to soap pretty cool) plays a part in it, and now I wonder if the embed size is also a factor. Although I made a soap a few years ago with tiny soap dough balls and some of those had an indent around them.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
violets2217
Well-Known Member
Well… I just poured and plopped my soap balls space soap. I kinda want to call it space garbage… I used a lot of my soap scraps and practice embeds. Like I said this soap is gonna be extra! Even glittered and textured the top! But I’m thinking since the base is Activated Charcoal black/grey (for the first time I don’t think I used enough AC) I wonder if a halo will show? I have a feeling it’s gonna be ashy too! 
@earlene I think that is just the photo. I can see what you are referring to, but it isn't really noticeable IRL. It might also be that the camera picked up a little of the cube that isn't exposed yet. I cut them as straight as I could, but they aren't perfect. It's more evident around the whiter cubes.
@ResolvableOwl I used mica - no bleeding. Good thought though.
@ResolvableOwl I used mica - no bleeding. Good thought though.
KimW
Well-Known Member
Awe naaaoohhhh - I hope you keep going. I'm sure you can achieve your vision!!Well… I just poured and plopped my soap balls space soap. I kinda want to call it space garbage… I used a lot of my soap scraps and practice embeds. Like I said this soap is gonna be extra! Even glittered and textured the top! But I’m thinking since the base is Activated Charcoal black/grey (for the first time I don’t think I used enough AC) I wonder if a halo will show? I have a feeling it’s gonna be ashy too!
@violets2217 don't give up on it yet - it could surprise you.
violets2217
Well-Known Member
It definitely did surprise me! It’s a pretty awesome soap. The base is not as dark as I’d hope but still works! I thought for a second I saw a halo but then remembered I covered the soap balls with purple mica. Can’t wait to clean the bars up! I’m happy with the results!
And there you go! It is very pretty!
Was the bleeding at a high usage rate?
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
I see this bleeding always. So yes, it happens at high usage rates, but at low usage rates too. It's just in the nature of a soluble, mobile colourant (carotenoid dye) to diffuse through the oil/soap matrix. See how this M&P soap looks 18 days after making:
Note how the colour even migrated into the cling wrap.
Note how the colour even migrated into the cling wrap.
CreativeWeirdo
Assume humorous intentions.
Yikes! Thank you. I only have a pound coming, and have been wanting to try it as a colorant. I guess I'll find out for myself soon enough.
Dibbles what I didn't like about red palm oil was the odor. The second thing was the color bleeding while washing with the soap, and this was not a high percentage of the formula.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
Red palm definitely brings some smell, similar in intensity to unrefined cocoa butter. However, it can vary greatly with source (some are more floral, others have some smoke aroma), and I personally do like it. But the yellow suds issue is indeed real.
Thank you @earlene and @ResolvableOwl - it seems like this may be a one and done test for me. If the smell isn't objectionable that will be fine. It's the colored lather I think might be off-putting for me. I will still try it.
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
There's still Ghanaian/Nigerian cuisine to explore, in case it doesn't work out in your soap. 
ResolvableOwl
Notorious Lyear
Back to topic … HALO
Another accidental discovery … There is a halo hidden in my October challenge (butterfly swirl) soap, that is only visible under blue light. I cluelessly played with my new RGB lamp, just to discover that, only around the regions in this soap that are coloured with iron oxide pigments, there is a rim that appears lighter than the rest of the soap under blue LED light.
Tried UV – nope, it must be visible blue light. Nothing is visible to the naked eye under white lighting. I'm really clueless what this might be. My best bet would be that the iron oxide somehow destroys one of the yellow pigments from the mustard and/or red palm oil, so that they absorb a bit less of the blue light.
Another accidental discovery … There is a halo hidden in my October challenge (butterfly swirl) soap, that is only visible under blue light. I cluelessly played with my new RGB lamp, just to discover that, only around the regions in this soap that are coloured with iron oxide pigments, there is a rim that appears lighter than the rest of the soap under blue LED light.
Tried UV – nope, it must be visible blue light. Nothing is visible to the naked eye under white lighting. I'm really clueless what this might be. My best bet would be that the iron oxide somehow destroys one of the yellow pigments from the mustard and/or red palm oil, so that they absorb a bit less of the blue light.
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