Why oh why are my soaps doing this???

[Sinny]

Really hope someone can help me coz I'm just about to tear my hair out!!!'I can't figure out why my soaps are looking like this...see attached picture. I haven't been soaping long and I started by gelling and have continued this way. I'm combining oils (OO, CO, PO and sometimes Rice Bran and Castor) at around 98 degrees F. I add my fragrance oils to the oils and if I'm using Titanium Dioxide I've found adding it to the lye helps considerably. After I've poured into my wooden mould lined with freezer paper (can't tell you how hard that was to find in Australia...ended up getting it on eBay) I spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to stop ashing and insulate with several towels. What on earth am I doing wrong???

 

[CaliChan]

Im having trouble seeing the attached image can you reload it?

 

[deirdreanne]

I can't see the photo either

 

[Sinny]

Hiya Cali, dunno what's going on with the pic, I'll try again

 

[Sinny]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8663035@N04/8406593093/in/photostream

 

[CaliChan]

You might want to stop adding your titanium dioxide to the lye solution to start. I add a small amount of water to it before i add it in to the portion i want and it mixes in very well, or you might be adding in to much. how did you add in your red colorant it looks like that one is spotty as well.
It still looks really cool though. reminds me of Halloween

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

That's probably from your Titanium Dioxide not getting fully incorporated into your oils. It's possibly a little Stearic streaking too...are you stirring your palm before you melt it? It could be overheating a little too.

 

[Sinny]

Thanks guys. I was just mixing the TD with a little water then adding it to the mix but it never turned out right. I read someone else put the TD in the lye and when I tried it, it mixed in really well and it turned out great. The red dye is an oxide! Never had trouble with them before! The red dye in the other picture is a new liquid one and it's just bleeding all over the place! Umm, I didn't know you had to stir the palm before melting it.....seems like a messy task if it's a bit solidified, but I'll give that a go.
I don't understand why there are clear like bits in both the colours....too much lye? I use mms lye calculator. Not fully gelling? I dunno. Here are a couple more I've just done that have done the same thing.....although the green one I did last night is the one I mixed the TD in the lye. The green is awful, all crackly and crap!! They're bloody awful!!! Awww, maybe I wasn't meant to be a soap maker :sad: I'll try all your suggestions though, and thank you all so much you're ever so helpful!

 

[Sinny]

Oh and thanks Cali you're very kind

 

[Relle]

Really hope someone can help me coz I'm just about to tear my hair out!!!'I can't figure out why my soaps are looking like this...see attached picture. I haven't been soaping long and I started by gelling and have continued this way. I'm combining oils (OO, CO, PO and sometimes Rice Bran and Castor) at around 98 degrees F. I add my fragrance oils to the oils and if I'm using Titanium Dioxide I've found adding it to the lye helps considerably. After I've poured into my wooden mould lined with freezer paper (can't tell you how hard that was to find in Australia...ended up getting it on eBay) I spray with Isopropyl Alcohol to stop ashing and insulate with several towels. What on earth am I doing wrong???

In Oz we line the moulds with baking paper, its so easy and easier to get than freezer paper. Go to Woolies or its cheaper in Aldi. Where are you getting your TD and red liquid colour from? Your TD might need to be mixed with oil and not water before adding, I mix mine in at trace, just put oil in it and make into a slurry,leave a while and then mix again,make sure there are no lumps. I melt my palm and give it a good stir before adding to the other oils and then give it another good stir to make sure its mixed in.

 

[RocknRoll]

I think its overheating. :?: the red black & white one is cool all crackly like that!

 

[Sinny]

Hi Relle, I tried baking paper but I was all thumbs and I found it hard to get out of the mould. I LOVE freezer paper and I've learned to fold it so it's just like a paper box inside the mould. Expensive but worth it. I got my TD from a supplier in the UK but I've got some from Heirloom that I might try next. The TD I'm using dissolves immediately in the water with no clumps at all. I was just adding all the oils together and heating at the same time so I'll try doing them separately. The red dye was from am aussie supplier and it's now in the bloody bin!!! I'm absolutely gutted that they're looking so awful! BTW I'm in Oz too. Thanks so much for helping. I'll let you all know how it goes.
deirdreanne ----- was in Vancouver for a few days last year on our way to Alaska. Loved Vancouver and we'll definitely go back there again....you have a beautiful city and you are all so friendly.

 

[tkine]

I can tell you aren't happy with the crackling look, but I reallyyyyy, did I say REALLY...love the look of your soaps.

I hope you figure out what is going on, but I also hope you remember how you did it, because they really look good!

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Umm, I didn't know you had to stir the palm before melting it.....seems like a messy task if it's a bit solidified, but I'll give that a go.

I should have been more clear:
Stearic will settle out and fall to the bottom of the container/bucket that your Palm Oil is stored in. In order to avoid Stearic Streaking/Bumps, you melt the entire container down, stir stir stir, then pour into smaller containers. I have used Palm that I did not do this to (because it can be quite an undertaking with bulk purchases) and got crackling similar to yours (I don't use TD). It's mostly an aesthetic issue, in my opinion. I kind of like it, but I can see why you would get frustrated.

Is this happening only in soap you use TD in? That seems to be a common problem. Have you tried adding it to the oils and stick blending before adding your lye solution?

 

[new12soap]

How much TD are you using? You said it dissolved fine in water, so I am guessing it is water soluble TD, but it may be worth it to check. I use TD that is both water and oil dispersible, so I stick blend it into my oils before I add the lye. Try cutting the amount of TD in half, or maybe make a small batch with none and see if that helps. As Shawnee said, you need to stir up all of your palm oil before you measure it out or you will get inconsistent results. Your recipe itself may be very high in stearic content which can cause that kind of crackling. My guess is it is most likely a combination of stearic, TD, and heat, but it is going to take a little trial and error to work it out. I do also agree that they are very pretty soaps.

As for your red bleeding, lab colors or anything water based will bleed. Make sure you check that your colorants are stable in high pH CP soap, the supplier should be able to tell you that.

 

[RioGrandeSoap]

LIKE! I hope you can figure this one out and then Do it intentionally for a marbled soap. I know you didn't mean to but it looks neat like this. Like stone. Once you know for sure what caused it, can you do a tutorial on marbled soap? The green looks kind of like turquoise.

 

[DWinMadison]

Don't know, but I'm sensing a 10% price increase for the "crackle effect."

 

[2lilboots]

I think it looks awesome and you should continue doing what you are doing!

 

[TeriDk]

I mix my TD with a bit of glycerin before adding to the soap and it seems to work ok. Hope you get it figured out.

 

[deg195]

I get this sometimes- I think its over heating issues. I started not to gel and I have not had this issue since. Try to prevent gelling and see it it happens. Thats what I did and so far so good- Hopefully I didn't just jinks myself because the soap gremlins have been visiting me lately...Barb