Teach Soap

I've seen cocoa powder used as a colorant for a little bit of a brown. So when I made my batch of leather a few days ago, in the 1000g batch, I used 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, which gave the batter a nice light milk chocolate color. I didn't gel - I put in the freezer for 24 hours, then let it sit at room temp for 48 hours before cutting it. It had turned a light butterscotch color.

I just cut it and I apparently have a 3 ring circus My friend thinks its cool and I do agree that it is pretty interesting, but just wow I don't think I'll ever be able to duplicate it, either Do you think maybe it was a reaction to the GV shortening (the tallow & palm, not the veggie), or that it kinda tried to do gel in stages? I used my 3lb SMR wood log mold. Its also still very soft but I just realized I use a lot of soft oils 10% castor, 15% avocado, 15% olive, 25% coconut and 35% GV shortening and tried not to gel - not sure it that happened. So I'm hoping it will harden up over the next 2 months - this scent is one that is a request from one of my friends and I'd like to be able for this to be used



The innermost color is the color it was in the bucket before I poured into the mold. Then the rust colored ring, then the outer light butterscotch color is what it looked like after about 8 hours in the freezer.

Sorry about the size but Photobucket gives me an error when I try to save it after resizing. I'll resize it on my own computer later this afternoon and replace it so its not so big.

I'd say it has something to do with oxidation, partial gel is usually a round blob in the middle. It may all turn the outer creamy colour as it oxidizes.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

That's what I thought about the gel, because my second batch did a partial gel and its oval shaped. I don't mind if it doesn't even out the tones. My roommate thinks it looks cool, and my friend who requested the scent thinks it looks awesome So as long as it hardens up, I'm okay with it. Looks kinda like a manly design.

Oh yeah, 10% castor will make your soap a bit softer. 5% is what everyone seems to recommend!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I'm pretty sure its because of all the other soft oils in combination of the castor. The batch that I had partial gel on, I used 10% castor as well, and it was pretty hard. I just sliced up my Autumn Warmth (made Saturday afternoon and forced gel with CPOP) and it was definitely hard enough to cut now, but when I sliced, the interior is very wet. I didn't wear gloves and it didn't sting or burn, perhaps it was the FO or the fact I did a full water amount, but its also horribly humid here right now but not warm enough to turn the a/c on to help combat it. Its only 65 outside but its about 67% humidity in the house with all the windows open. So the AW is going on the curing rack in the garage. The Leather is getting boxed up solo to take to MD with me Thursday. Then I have oodles of Dragon's Blood, Fruit Slices (my partial gel batch) and salt bars to take to her too But yep, mainly because I'm running low and will be using palm oil again, I'm cutting my castor oil back to 5% to 7%.

I would give it a couple of days. Sometimes as the soap cures, the color will even out.

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

Vanessa, My soap that I did with cocoa powder for coloring did that too and it had 7% castor. It's nice and hard now. So just give it time.

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Debbie

Thanks ladies I'm not really worried about it, it does look pretty cool I packed up all the soaps today and after sitting out overnight, it has firmed up. Its just been so humid from the scattered storms here, and I used a 30% lye solution, so it was a decent amount of water in the batch. But my friend knows that we will be setting these up to cure when I get there Friday. I did pack them by themselves just so I could be sure nothing hit it to dent it.

I'm actually excited for her to see them. I did a HP about 2 weeks ago of the same scent so she can use it straight off the bat when I get there.

Vanessa, I like the look of the soap! I am guessing that the color will even out. Cutting the soap is just full of suprises. Do you like the scent?

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I love the scent Its Leather from BCN. My friend is currently obsessed (her words) with the Leather Yankee Candle and she LOVES the way the soap smells. When I showed her the soap on Friday when we got here, the thin rust colored ring in between the inner and outer colors had mostly disappeared. We haven't looked at it since. They like both colors and they love the scent so it seems to be a winner either way. Ungelled and uncolored, the soap turned light pink (I'm assuming from the shortening) but when I forced gel, it turned a nice white. The uncolored did get ashy but I can't remember if it was before or after I forced gel.

Other than the leather stores in the mall, my first experience was a leather candle my DH made for me... I still have a little of it left. Since he makes very few candles.... I have to get my fix thru the soaps. I am thinking for this fall I am going to try a leather lotion bar just for me! Maybe your friend would like that as well???

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Yep, lotion bars are next on my list as soon as I order some wax For her birthday in Oct, I'm hoping to do a body and room spray, lotion bar and maybe some bubble bars for her in Leather. She will die of happiness

So would I !! What a nice friend you are.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!