What is this red stuff?

spenny92 · Sep 16, 2015

I've made this exact soap several times now, and have never had this problem occur. I cut it yesterday and moved it upstairs (on a baking paper lined baking tray, as I usually do) and I checked on it today to find this. It's a brown/red liquid on the tops of the soap. There are also little droplets of it that I can wipe off, but the top is still stained brown/red - these parts were an olive green colour yesterday. My immediate reaction was that it must have been a reaction with the baking tray, but I had them sat with only the bottoms touching the tray, and the brown/red substance has only formed on the tops of the soap - which were not touching anything.

I wonder if it could maybe be some EO oozing out? I used a blend of pine, wintergreen, cedarwood, eucalyptus and tea tree. I recall the wintergreen EO being a red colour... But, like I said, I've made this batch several times before with no problems - and no changes to the recipe/method/EOs. Any thoughts?

Susie · Sep 16, 2015

Soak a bit in a tissue, then leave the room with it. Sniff the tissue. What does it smell like? If no scent, zap test.

reinbeau · Sep 16, 2015

That's exactly what that is, essential oils. Let the soap sit and see if it doesn't reabsorb.

snappyllama · Sep 16, 2015

It looks like EO to me too. Check it out using Susie's method.

Is it hotter today? I've had EO/FOs make a run for it when my kitchen was pretty warm.

spenny92 · Sep 16, 2015

Susie said:
Soak a bit in a tissue, then leave the room with it. Sniff the tissue. What does it smell like? If no scent, zap test.

It smells very slightly of wintergreen EO. I zap tested the stained surface and it tasted a little sweet, no zap and no zap on the actual face of the soap, either. I assume it's EO weeping out and will see if it reabsorbs.

Thanks Susie.

snappyllama said:
It looks like EO to me too. Check it out using Susie's method.

Is it hotter today? I've had EO/FOs make a run for it when my kitchen was pretty warm.

It's actually gotten a bit cooler today with rain (maybe that has contributed to it?). I had the soap upstairs, where the windows have been open overnight so it shouldn't have been warm. Interesting, though - thanks snappy.

Susie · Sep 16, 2015

I have had that happen to me twice, and that is the only way I could safely figure out what it was. Once it was EO, once it was lye water.

not_ally · Sep 16, 2015

I had this happen once before, when it didn't zap I just planed off the top. Is there a way to just soak/wipe it so that the texture of the top is preserved w/o making it look melted/messy?

Relle · Sep 17, 2015

Just get a paper towel and pat it dry, it won't effect the top.

spenny92 · Sep 17, 2015

Thanks everyone. I trimmed the top off as I didn't like the way it had discoloured red/brown, and it looks good as new. It turns out it was pretty humid here today, so I think that contributed to the problem.