Soda Ash Nightmare!

[Courtney89]

I am having the worst time with soda ash on top of my soaps. I've tried tins of tips I've found online. People say that the alcohol trick is the best but that doesn't work for me either. Every batch of soap I've made. I believe it's 8 loaves now. Has had it. I only use coconut, palm and olive oil in my recipe. I also live in Georgia where the humidity is crazy. Could that be a factor as well? Thanks for any help you can give me.

[TallTayl]

What type of alcohol, and at what point do you apply it? 

 

Some recipes are much much more prone to ash than others.  Keeping tightly covered with plastic wrap during sap can help.

[Jcandleattic]

How high is your water content, are you using full water, or a discount? Are you gelling your soaps? 

High humidity certainly can cause ash, as does full water content, and ungelled soaps. 

 

I use 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, spray generously, then I cover with plastic wrap. Also I gel my soaps. 

[Sarah S]

How much coconut is in your recipe? I find the higher the coconut %, the more ash I get.

Did you use the same FO for all 8 batches? I have a couple FOs that always ash, if not during sap than during the cure.

The alcohol never worked for me either. As stated by the other ladies, gelling helps, wrapping helps, a water discount helps... But sometimes you just have to turn a blind eye to a little ash.

[Candybee]

What worked for me was to cover my soaps for at least 18 hrs overnight. Don't peek. Keep your molds tightly covered. I never get ash anymore, ever. Plus I never use alcohol.

[Paperbackstash]

I also get a bit of ash. I did five small batches last weekend and three of them developed ash. Strangely they were ash free until after about 30 hours cure when I turned the fan to them. The three closest to the fan got ash but the other two did not. They were all the same recipe besides different FOs and Colorants. I do not cover or gel mine. May try that in the future.