Teach Soap

so this is the soap I made tonight, both bottom and top layer are alkanet root infusions, exactly the same soap with nothing else added apart from the scent, which is identical in both layers. any idea why the colour is so different? I dont mind it, just curious as to what might have caused it.

second question is about the white specs. more bumps in fact. I worry it may be stearic from palm oil, but my oils were definitely completely melted, can it happen even if that was the case? and if it is stearic will the soap be ok to use?

now the slightly bumpy look... my lovely boyfriend decided to surprise me with a tank (needless to say I nearly passed out) I read about it and drooled over it for ages, never thought I would actually own one...and I am in love with it! I've just cut 42 bars in less then 10 minutes! but it does give my bars that slightly bumpy look. any of you ladies with tanks know what I might be doing wrong?

thanks in advance!

While I'm too new to tell you much about your problem, I think those bars are gorgeous! I love the two differing colors too and the white specks. Sometimes "mistakes" are actually a good thing : )

I think the soap looks great, too! Did you use titanium dioxide along with the alkanet? If so, that could cause the white spots. Or it could be stearic-you may have had a batch of palm that was stearic heavy from not being mixed properly by the distributor.

You have a wonderful boyfriend!!!!

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I get those white bumps too now and then, I think they are actually tiny air bubbles. They kind of bulge out a bit when you cut beside them. They disappear once you use the bar once.

As for the colour... maybe one layer got a little warmer? I've read that heat can change the colour a bit with alkanet.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

Looks good! Was it the same recipe for both layers? I find that sometimes natural colors will turn different from batch to batch. It could be your scent. Congrats on the Tank!

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

hmm just posted a reply and it disappeared...anyways I do like this soap and was just wondering what could have caused completely different colour in the two layers. Soapbuddy they are both the same batch, same recipe, identical, nothing but alkanet and FO. Linda only the white line in the middle has TD in it. But I think hestey is onto it, it must have been the temperature...I probably should have gelled it all.

As for the bumps I am now pretty sure its stearic acid, I always soap cool and it was bound to happen eventually, right? oh and the tank, oh my god!! I am in love with it and actually cried when it arrived, I had no idea! my boyfriend was like "I thougt this was a good thing, whats with the tears??"

If everything but the scent was the same, I'd say it was the scent then.

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

Grats, Anais! Great boyfriend, a new Tank, and pretty soap!

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!