Teach Soap

Okay, I made a small batch last Wednesday. When I unmolded the soap on Friday, there were small yellow spots in some of the bars. The spots almost look semi-transparent.

I've used this recipe, from SQ, three times now with no adverse affects. I take notes each time and follow it precisely. So, my only thoughts are that the spots have something to do with my essential oils. (I used some half-empty bottles of essential oils for this batch, and I think they may be the culprit as everything else is the same.)

Maybe someone else has some ideas? I will post a picture later if I can get a decent one. I'm not very good with a camera.

The soap has olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and castor oil in it. Plus lye and water.

How old are your oils? Did the soap gel? Did you use a stick blender? Which essential oils did you use? Did you pour at thin or thick trace?

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

Okay, my base oils I purchased within the last 30 days. All but the olive oil came from BB.

My essential oils may be as old as 6 months for ones that I don't use often. I've started keeping a notebook of when I buy and open them so that I hopefully can use them before they go bad.

This particular batch had eucalyptus and spearmint. The spearmint was new, purchased within 30 days, the eucalyptus was older, because my new notebook has the date I purchased my essential oils, and that one wasn't in there. In hindsight, I probably should have thrown it away....

Poured at a fairly thick trace. Yes the soap gelled, but I didn't insulate with a towel because the last batch overheated and cracked on the surface.

Oops, I forgot one question- yes I used a stick blender and added my essential oils at a light trace.

Ok, that's not it.
How hot were your oils and lye when you combined them?

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

I added my melted oils (110* F) to my room temp oils, which brought them down to about 100* F. My lye was close to 100* F as well. I remember checking it and it reading 102* F at some point right before I began adding it to the oils.

I'm pretty good with following directions, which is why this has me stumped. I use the same directions each time just to make sure I'm doing it all in the right order and using the proper amounts.

Hmmmmm...... How old is your lye?

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

I purchased my lye the same week I purchased the soaping oils from BB, so about 30 days.

It has to be the essential oils then. Do the yellow spots zap?

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

I'm not sure. How would I test that?

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

It does have a little zap- not as strong as a 9v though... hahaha

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

Thanks, I'll keep an eye (or taste) on it.. Haha!

Ok, so I made my 3rd batch yesterday. It was a 1 lb. peppermint batch. When I went to let it out of the mold, and there were two little spots that were whitish/yellow. Could this be lye? I put it in the mold at a medium trace.

I don't want to throw the batch out, it smells too good!!! I don't know if I have the fixin's for rebatching. Do I need a special base for that? Can I just cut out the spots?

Thanks for your thoughts!

Amy