What are these white spots on my CP soap?

[JutalakKhort]

Hi

I'm still a newbie and I have a problem with my latest batches. I have found these white spots just only with 2 pieces that I cut from the end of the edge of the loaf (please see on picture Soap A). Others from the middle of the loaf look smooth and gelled nicely (Soap B).

I have scraped the white spots out. It's soft. Since these white spots aren't not scatter all over the loaf, I don't think my soap is lye heavy. I just cut my soap today andI'll try zap test in a week.

I guess they are stearic spots. What do you think?

Thank you for your answers in advance

My recipe
Coconut oil 192 g
Palm oil 240 g
Canola oil 64 g
Rice bran oil 160 g
Olive oil pomace 144 g
Lye 112 g
Water 280 g

Additives
Yellow silk cocoon
Rice milk fo 10 g
Green mica
TD (I added just only for the green batter)

 

[AliOop]

The first picture of the cut face of the bar looks like glycerin rivers to me. The second picture of the side of the bar looks more like soda ash to me, but could also be glycerin rivers. Both are cosmetic only and don't affect the safety or usefulness of your soap.

You can use the search function at the top of the page to search for both of those terms and learn more about how these occur, and what you can do to minimize them.

One quick recommendation to help address both issues would be to change your water setting, which is quite high for cold processed soap. Instead of the default "38% water as percent of oils," you can select "lye concentration" and set it to 33% for a good starting point.

 

[lsg]

If the white streaks wipe off easily, it could be soda ash.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I sometimes get this type of 'stearic swirl' if i don't gel my soap. It can also be very crumbly. It's kind of a cross between soda ash and stearic swirl. I can't explain it. I don't get it if i gel my soap.

 

[Ephemerella]

I've had this happen once. It was soda ash that occurred on the sides of the loaf while inside the mold and swirled into the bar itself. Only on the outer bars, the middle of the loaf was just fine. Surprisingly the ash wasn't heavy on top either. The bars were just fine, it was cosmetic. That batch in particular was when I was experimenting with trace. I soaped very very cool, and just barely reached an emulsion. My FO decelerated too.

I got nervous as it was my first really liquidy batter and was afraid I'd slosh it as I moved it to the oven to CPOP. I remember heating the oven slightly warmer than 170, probably 190°F, as I was fearing it wouldn't generate warmth. The next morning I had the strange swirly ash. The corners were crumbly too.

I didn't have any other indications of overheating like silicone rash or cracking, etc.

The soap itself actually came out really really nice, the fragrance really stuck despite being a delicate FO OOB. It was one of my memorable "favorite" bars and I just used the last bar from that batch a couple of months ago.

 

[JutalakKhort]

The first picture of the cut face of the bar looks like glycerin rivers to me. The second picture of the side of the bar looks more like soda ash to me, but could also be glycerin rivers. Both are cosmetic only and don't affect the safety or usefulness of your soap.

You can use the search function at the top of the page to search for both of those terms and learn more about how these occur, and what you can do to minimize them.

One quick recommendation to help address both issues would be to change your water setting, which is quite high for cold processed soap. Instead of the default "38% water as percent of oils," you can select "lye concentration" and set it to 33% for a good starting point.

Thank you very much. Your suggestion is useful.
I get this recipe from the class that I joined at the community centre for free and never check water as percent of oil of this recipe (never doubt the teacher)

I will use 33% water with this recipe next time.

If the white streaks wipe off easily, it could be soda ash.

Good advice. I just try wipe them off but I can't. It seems like the white streaks aren't on the surface of the bar.

I sometimes get this type of 'stearic swirl' if i don't gel my soap. It can also be very crumbly. It's kind of a cross between soda ash and stearic swirl. I can't explain it. I don't get it if i gel my soap.

Thanks. Mine is very crumbly too.

I've gelled this batch but my situation was similar to @Ephemerella. I soaped when my lye was 36°C and oil was just 28°C and just reached very light trace when I poured the yellow batter to the mold.

I've had this happen once. It was soda ash that occurred on the sides of the loaf while inside the mold and swirled into the bar itself. Only on the outer bars, the middle of the loaf was just fine. Surprisingly the ash wasn't heavy on top either. The bars were just fine, it was cosmetic. That batch in particular was when I was experimenting with trace. I soaped very very cool, and just barely reached an emulsion. My FO decelerated too.

I got nervous as it was my first really liquidy batter and was afraid I'd slosh it as I moved it to the oven to CPOP. I remember heating the oven slightly warmer than 170, probably 190°F, as I was fearing it wouldn't generate warmth. The next morning I had the strange swirly ash. The corners were crumbly too.

I didn't have any other indications of overheating like silicone rash or cracking, etc.

The soap itself actually came out really really nice, the fragrance really stuck despite being a delicate FO OOB. It was one of my memorable "favorite" bars and I just used the last bar from that batch a couple of months ago.

Thanks for your answer. I think I found the problem. It could be the temperture and lye concentration (as @AliOop metioned) I soaped cool too and my batter were liquidy.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Thank you very much. Your suggestion is useful.
I get this recipe from the class that I joined at the community centre for free and never check water as percent of oil of this recipe (never doubt the teacher)

I will use 33% water with this recipe next time.

Just to confirm - 33% lye concentration (not percent of water)

 

[JutalakKhort]

Thank you you guys for your answers. Not only I can identify the problem but I also get good advice to make my next batch better.

Just to confirm - 33% lye concentration (not percent of water)

Thank you

 

[melinda48]

Thank you very much. Your suggestion is useful.
I get this recipe from the class that I joined at the community centre for free and never check water as percent of oil of this recipe (never doubt the teacher)

I will use 33% water with this recipe next time.


Good advice. I just try wipe them off but I can't. It seems like the white streaks aren't on the surface of the bar.


Thanks. Mine is very crumbly too.

I've gelled this batch but my situation was similar to @Ephemerella. I soaped when my lye was 36°C and oil was just 28°C and just reached very light trace when I poured the yellow batter to the mold.


Thanks for your answer. I think I found the problem. It could be the temperture and lye concentration (as @AliOop metioned) I soaped cool too and my batter were liquidy.

Always doubt the teacher. Get into the habit of running every new-to-you recipe through a soap calculator. I’m sure your teacher was very knowledgeable but please get into the habit of verifying. “Trust but verify.”