What is this?

[user 60220]

I have just unmolded but haven't cut yet. But there are some white specs in the soap, undisolved lye maybe?

CP
30% OO
30% CO
20% PO
20% Shea

7% SF

33% lye con
Cows milk in place of water. Added lye to frozen milk and kept cool over ice.

.8 oz Coconut paradise FO from BB
Blue mica
Cocnut Shell powder

FO shell powder and mica added at light trace

 

[Jorah]

Can you tell us how you prepped the lye? Did you stir it well as you mixed it into the milk?

If the lye wasn't ancient, I doubt that this is un-dissolved lye, but I'll defer to those here with much (much!) more experience!

I've started straining my lye water through a fine-mesh screen when adding it to the oils, but I've rarely seen much other than the occasional cat hair in the strainer.

Edit to add: how fine a powder was the shell powder? I'm not familiar with whatever that is.

 

[lsg]

I can see specks of mica. Have you tried the zap test on the soap?

 

[user 60220]

Theres something that looks like salt in the soap, its not the mica as it was blue and much finer.
The shell powder is brwon, its ground coconut sheel I believe.

I added the lye over frozen mix and continually stirred until it was all melted and I thought the lye was mixed in well.

I havent tryed the zap, its a new batch so I was really sure howmuch that would tell me.

 

[Jorah]

I haven't tried soaping with milk yet, so this is a total guess, but I wonder if it's some component of the milk, separated out? I like the look, actually, so if it passes the zap test, I think you have a winner there.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Could be stearic spots or air bubbles?

 

[Jorah]

Could be stearic spots or air bubbles?

I was wondering about stearic spots. I've seen them mentioned here on the forum, but haven't researched to learn what they are. One more thing to learn about!

 

[user 60220]

So if I understand right, stearic spots happen when the oils are not warm enough to fully melt?

That may be it, as I keep the lye cold and the batter wasnt very warm in the mold either.

 

[user 60220]

So can I zap test now, because this is only be sitting for 24 ish hours.

 

[Ford]

hi, once you cut and get a look at the inside. Might answer a lot of questions. Might give it another day before zap test.
Give stuff time to really get to know each other. Can you post more pics? after you cut it into bars??

 

[Shelley D]

hi, once you cut and get a look at the inside. Might answer a lot of questions. Might give it another day before zap test.
Give stuff time to really get to know each other. Can you post more pics? after you cut it into bars??

@Ford I like your choice of words ~ "give stuff time to really get to know each other" (before you zap test) I'm trying not to laugh too loud so I don't wake up my husband! I was drinking tea too! Thanks for that!

 

[user 60220]

I cut into bars but forgot to take pictures. Looks mostly the same except the middle of the bars are darker. Scorched the milk maybe?

I did a zap, the bars dont zap but the little specs I was concerned about do. Soooo, undisolved lye? Also it doesnt really lather.

Can I rebatch this or save it in some way?

 

[The_Phoenix]

It's possible your liquid/milk was kept too cold and the lye did not properly dissolve.

 

[user 60220]

Thats what I think, what I had read about it was to use frozen milk and keep it cold so it doesnt scorch the sugars.

 

[Ford]

Hi, yes, freezing the milk helps. Just have to add lye slowly. Keep an eye on temp. Maybe keep ice bath on the side. Set solution in while prepping everything else. Darker inside? Sounds like you got a partial gell. Milk soaps heat up pretty well on there own.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Others have talked about speckled goats soap on here recently.
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/goat-milk-soap-white-spots.90498/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/white-spots-in-goat-milk-soap.91217/https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/can-stearic-spots-appear-after-cutting-bars.90861/

 

[Zing]

I don't think they are stearic spots. They look like this:

 

[user 60220]

I agree they are more like grains of salt, and the lye I use is granular not flakes.