Teach Soap

I used titanium dioxide for the first time to get a white soap. This is the first soap I have made that did not gel, so roughly 24 hours later, its out of the mold but still a little soft. However, I am concerned that I used too much TD - I used 1 level teaspoon for about 1.5 lbs of oil give or take a few ounces - that's an 'eyeball' guess at the amount. I swear, the spots where I squished the softish soap look a little...cakey.

Maybe its because I've never seen a non-gelling soap - but is there any chance I used too much and that's why the soap is still softish? If so, why isn't the soap with the TD WHITE? Right now, its pretty yellow. The FO used (Fresh Ginger) has no vanilla, and testers note no discoloration.

The recipe is:
70% Olive oil (Costco extra virgin)
7% Castor oil
23% Coconut oil (92 degree)

Trying to reconcile "did I use too much TD?" with "but the soap isn't WHITE" is making my head hurt so I am beseeching you to help me out!

Too much TD can make your soap "cakey" or like chalk, or crumbly. The lighter the oils and butters, the lighter the soap will be. I normally use about half that.

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

Oh grrrrrrrr!!!


Good to know. Next time... 1/2 a teaspoon per 1.5 lbs. I must have gotten the 1 teaspoon per lb of oil from a source less reputable than TeachSoap.

The optimist in me hopes it will still come out ok! Wasting materials makes me cranky.

You're not in a boat by yourself! A LOT of people have TD issues - myself included! I bought a big bag of TD figuring I'd need it for lots of batches. Blech. I had chalky spots and didn't use that much.

Some here have suggested super pearly white mica instead or also adding the TD to the lye water mixture to help it dissolve better. And lighter colored oils will help with lighter colors soap outcome - I made a whole new recipe so I could skip the TD.

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~*~ Jennifer ~*~

LOL Yeah mine had white streaks when I first cut it and a few "powdery pockets" but since I'm still in the "experimental just for me & family soap" stage, it wasn't too bad after a few weeks of curing and once it was wet it's still usable.

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~*~ Jennifer ~*~

I prefer the water soluble TD, it dissolves SO easily and I've not has a streak with it yet. I get it from BB.

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

I want to add 2 things from my experience:
1. My TD is not water soluble but when I pre-mix it in the glycerin, using just stainless steel teaspoon and then put this mixture in the pot of soap - it still looks chunky, but after I work it with stick blender into the soap chunks go away and the soap becomes whiter ot white (as girls said, dpending on the color of the oil you use.
2. I found out that when I use recipes rich in olive oil soap still comes out witish. But after curing for 4 weeks and more it becomes whiter and whiter. However, not that snow white, but ivory ot lighter.
Hope it helps.

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I am Lora

With a 70% olive oil recipe that soap will be soft and just have to cure longer,if your sop is not white you didn't use enough TD not too little,get you TD ready way in advance and dissolve it and mix the crap out of it,with CP you should be able to remove some of your batch and stick blend the TD right in ther until smooth then add it to the rest of you batch,the little spots are just from it not being fully dissolved and I've found that preparing it before you even start your batch helps and allows you to keep going back to it to work out the clumps.

What are fiber dyes, and before you answer......is this going to turn into another addiction/obsession cause I don't think I can take much more!!!!

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Just call me "Apo"

WOW girl you are amazing,that sounds just really cool,do you do this for living / do you make clothing out of the yarn?