Teach Soap

Hello from a very cold South Africa.
Today I made my first soap - it was very exciting.
Although I have been studying numerous internet articles and bought 'The Soapmakers Companion' I still am not clear on a few items.
i.e. Will all blends of base oils produce a white or off white soap? My soap which I beat for and hour and a half, was still a lovely pale yellow colour. Will it fade during the curing phase or have I done something wrong? I have now left it wrapped in a duvet and will have a look at it tomorrow. I beat it with a whisk by hand. Will buy a plunger tomorrow to speed things up.
I look forward to some replies.
Carol-Ann

If you've used unrefined palm, you will get a yellow soap. The lighter the color of oils, the lighter the color of soap. I would get a stick blender if you can. Much easier on the hands.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hello again,
Thanks for your reply.
What is also confusing it that if the soap has its own colour i.e. pale yellow and you want it to be white, do you have to add titanium oxide?
And if it is this yellow colour and you actually want it pink, will it take on that exact colour without a mutation of the yellow and pink?
I want to do layered soap, white and pink.
I will definitely get a plunger today.

Thanks for your advise.
Kind regards
CarolAnn

If your soap is yellow, that will be your undertone with whatever other color you are trying to achieve. The lighter the soap, the easier it is to color it. Sometimes titanium dioxide helps, but not always.

Let me give you an example: If your soap is yellow, you add the TD, then try to color it pink, it will give you a pale peach.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hello from S.A.

Thanks for your reply and patient explanation. You can tell I am not all that clued up!!
Please tell me, if I want a white soap, or as white as possible, without adding any colourant, which base oils should I use?
Incidentally, I peeped at my soap I made yesterday, and can you believe it, I am amazecd at my beautiful hard soap!!!! I am so pleased and of course can't wait to make some more.
Thanks for your help.
Carol-Ann

Hello from S.A.

Thanks for your reply and patient explanation. You can tell I am not all that clued up!!
Please tell me, if I want a white soap, or as white as possible, without adding any colourant, which base oils should I use?
Incidentally, I peeped at my soap I made yesterday, and can you believe it, I am amazed at my beautiful hard soap!!!! I am so pleased and of course can't wait to make some more.
Thanks for your help.
Carol-Ann
Hello from S.A.



Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 10:55 am

lard makes a very white soap, if used in place of palm.

what base oils are you using for your current recipes? that might help us figure out the culprit for the pale yellow shade.

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Hello,
I have been using Olive, Castor, Canola, Avocado and Sunflower oils.
I must say it is a very pleasant colour pale yellow, but I am trying to get a white soap that will show actual colour better.

Could you also tell me whether it is possible that after all the buzzing with a stick blender for nearly half an hour, some of the lye beads are not dissolved? I peeped at the soap and noticed this although the curing process is still on the go (I know I should not peep, but I did). Will these tiny beads which look like sugar grains disappear by the end of the curing time? When I mixed the water and lye, I thought the amount of water to the lye crystals very little.
I put this recipe through the lye calculater (BrambleBerry) and it gave me the following 10% superfatted Recommended Lye amount 1.930 oz. Ounces of water recommended = 5.28. I used only Olive oil for this soap - the amount 16 oz.olive oil. It also gave me the very pale yellow at trace.
My new hobby is really opening up a great new world. Great Brain food!!

Kind regards and thanks for your replies.
I am determined to get this right.
Kind regards
Carol-Ann

I would try to see if the grains zap. Wet your finger, then touch it to your soap. Then touch it to your tongue. If it zaps like a 9 volt battery, it's undissolved lye. If you weighed everything correctly, you can try to rebatch.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hello,
Thanks for your reply. I am learning rom my mistakes. The lye solution should be extremely well disolved before adding to the oils. I do not have to rush that at all.
Thank you
Carl-Ann

Stir your lye water for at least a couple of minutes, til the water goes pretty much clear.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.