white topped soaps

[drtysoap]

I have soaps drying and the tops of several batches have a white dusting on them any insights????

 

[GreenScene]

It's ash, it's fine, and it plagues us all. You can cut it off once the soap is unmolded, or you can leave it as is. There are lots of ways to try and prevent ash from forming, but none of them seems to be foolproof. One person will say that spritzing the top with high proof alcohol fixes it for them every time, but another person will say it only works for them half the time. Some people say certain recipes, EOs, FOs, soaping temperatures will contribute to ash, but others disagree. I don't think there are any hard and fast rules about it, except that it won't hurt you. I almost always to highly textured tops on my soap, and I've found that I can get some really cool looking results with a vegetable peeler if the soap ashes. Here's an example.



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[BakingNana]

Yep. What GreenScene said. If you aren't texturing your tops, you can press plastic wrap onto the surface of the soap, like you would on pudding to prevent a skin from forming. That seems to prevent it for me.

 

[ChrissyB]

Green scene that soap looks great

 

[Dennis]

Really nice soap. As for the ash, ain't chemistry wonderful? Where is the forum professional chemist that could tell us how this can be prevented? I'll bet it can but the process is probably exacting.

"Better living through chemistry."

Old DuPont advertising motto dates back to the 50s. I think it's obvious why they dropped it as we moved into the 60s. :shock: 8)

 

[krissy]

i have found (for me) that if i soap cooler (110*), i get ash whether or not i spray with alcohol. if i soap hotter and spray with alcohol, i never get ash.
i found out only because i went back and looked at my notes and realized that my ash-issues started when i soaped cooler than i used to. to test, i went and did two batches one cool and one hotter, the cool one ashed, the hot one didnt.

 

[c.a.p.]

i have found (for me) that if i soap cooler (110*), i get ash whether or not i spray with alcohol. if i soap hotter and spray with alcohol, i never get ash.
i found out only because i went back and looked at my notes and realized that my ash-issues started when i soaped cooler than i used to. to test, i went and did two batches one cool and one hotter, the cool one ashed, the hot one didnt.

LOL. And I find that my hotter batches get more ash. :shock:

 

[ikindred]

I normally get ash on my soaps as well. I use the CPRT process so my oils and lye mixture are cooled to room temperature prior to mixing. When I used the regular CP methods, I still had ash as well as an occasional soap volcano!

A little alcohol on a q-tip will take care of it...at least that is how I elimate it.

 

[llineb]

Someone told me to use filtered water instead of tap water but I still got ash. :cry:

But ...now I know how to make it cute with a carrot peeler! Thnx!

 

[ikindred]

carrot peeler...do tell more! I have not heard of this before.

 

[ToniD]

Hey, cool idea greensceen!

I have tried to get rid of ash, and just can't. Lately I have realized that ash is really a tribute to some of histories earliest soapmakers, the people of Pompey, whose lives were tragically ended, and immortalized, by volcanic ash. As such, I can proudly display ash covered soaps, and know that I am giving tribute to early soapmakers everywhere for their part in the development of this fine craft.

Or not.

But in any case I have all but given up in getting rid of the stuff.