Teach Soap

Hello, I'm relatively new here. I 've just been lurking. I have done 10 batches so far. No two have been the same recipe. All of them have gone through full gel. All of the soaps except the lavender soap I made have turned some version of brown.
What I have so far is:
~Coffee soap-knew it would be brown
~Almond soap-sorta figured it would be brown
~Honey/oatmeal/lemongrass-hoped it would be yellow naturally or light tan-it's dark brown.
~Soap for men with cedar and saffron FO and green tea powder as well as bentonite clay-hoped it would be light green, it's brown.
~Peppermint soap-used Peppermint FO and about 10 drops of Peppermint EO-brown again.
~~~~ALL my soaps are BROWN except the lavender, and it stayed white amazingly--don't know why.

Soaps are working, foaming, drying/curing fine, some of the scents are dissapating rapidly, that makes me sad
I would LOVE to make some white or whitish soaps. Any oil or scent or processing suggestions? Is it the FO's I have been using?

On a side note, I have so enjoyed reading all the posts and have learned a whole lot! Thanks to everyone for all your info and input.

Stephany

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Stephany

mmbbb.webs.com

MMBathBodyBoutique.etsy.com

The lighter your oils or butters the lighter the soap. Most herbal powders and bentonite clay (including green tea) will make for brown soap. So will some fragrances.

What oils or butters are you using now?

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

_________________
Stephany

mmbbb.webs.com

MMBathBodyBoutique.etsy.com

Yup. I don't fight the brown. I just let the fragrances do what they will. Sometimes I will make something a color (pink, blue, green) but other than that? Natural, lol!

I know that Rose, Gardenia Lily for sure did not discolor. Cool Water didn't. Hmmm...I can't think of all of them right now, but yeah...what soap buddy says. The oils and butters make a difference, too. I've had soy and olive and sunflower soaps turn out white....using coconut and palm too.

I would leave out the lanolin, almond and grapeseed oil. Is you beeswax natural or refined? That could have something to do with it as well.

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

Beeswax is natural- I think. Purchased in little octagon shaped bar, tan in color from local herbalist.

Thank you for your help!!! Please suggest FO's that wont turn color. Actually any color would be great except, brown, tan, gray. I'm sure you get the idea.

_________________
Stephany

mmbbb.webs.com

MMBathBodyBoutique.etsy.com

Well, anything with vanilla in it FOR SURE will have some element of brown.

Plumeria turned yellow for me...
Nag Champa is kinda brown/grey...when I did it it was a recipe heavy in EVOO
Strawberry(?) I think turned brown....
Elements of Bamboo turned a lil yellow...but I used colorant this time around to make it green/yellow...
Bay Rum = Brown
Cinnamon Bun = Brown...lol, see a pattern?

Will Titanium Dioxide help with browning?

If you go to the BrambleBerry's web site, it will tell you which FO's discolor. http://www.brambleberry.com/fragrance.aspx

If your beeswax has any color, that color will trasfer to your soap. You could use refined beeswax, which is white, or leave it out and reformulate your recipe.

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