how to make sparkling white soap

[CareBear]

I want to make a soap that's white with a good hit of gold. If I use Titanium Dioxide with mica will that work?

How much TD? How much mica?

TIA!

[Scent Cellar]

You could use a lard/tallow recipe for a really sparkling white bar. I don't have good luck with TD, just don't like the feel of it in soap.

[CareBear]

Jan I have made lard bars - mostly lard anyway, but never got a very white bar except my castiles. I get "almost white" and "creamy white". Do you have an actual recipe you can share?

Don't have easy access to tallow.

[Carrie]

Use white oils. Lard, tallow, coconut, PKO, castor. All white in, all white out.

Keep away from anything even off white.

Even my castille isn't white, just off white.

[Meridith]

And be careful how much TD you use as it can make your soap feel chalky.

[thecandlespastore]

Rice Bran Oil also makes a white bar.

[CareBear]

Is it my imaginaion or does RBO make the bar a bit translucent, kinda?

[Carrie]

RBO is the only thing in my soap that isn't white. My bars come out off white. I use RBO at 40%. IMO, it isn't a white oil.

[Sherie]

Hydrogenated Soybean will promote white as well.

[michelleB]

I just cut into a batch of white, white soaps yesterday. This recipe was for laundry/poison ivy rashes...so it's got the following:

Coconut Oil = 92%

Castor Oil = 5%

Stearic Acid = 3%

If you're looking for a recipe that's much milder, I would suggest subbing out a high percentage of lard or hydrog soybean for most of the coconut oil. I've had really good results so far with those oils turning out a pristine white bar (except on my milk bars).

Here's a pic of what I ended up with, using the percentages above:

[ATTACH]7505[/ATTACH]

The pic really doesn't do them justice, as they are "ivory soap" white. I really need to brush up on my photography/lighting skills.

[gloworm]

Michelle ,

Interesting recipe. You say for poison ivy?? My little boys hands are covered right now-good thing he's not a complainer. This soap is good for the rash? How about with crushed jewelweed as partial liquid?? Is it the high coconut that is the good part???

Glo

[CareBear]

I believe the coconut oils helps to strip the poison ivy oils off the skin and then to dry out the blisters/rash.

From what I've read, the jewelweed "activity" doesn't survive the lye, so it's best to apply it directly. Plus you wash off the soap...

[michelleB]

Yep! Exactly!

This soap is what I'd consider "harsh" compared to my normal body bars, but it's that harshness that makes it effective for things like poison ivy & the like. Strips the oils right off....but that includes body oils, so always follow up with a good moisturizer. Or in your little boys' case, calamine lotion or your poison ivy ointment of choice. Poison ivy/oak is very tough on little kids, sorry to hear he's got it on his hands. How miserable!

The way I've always used this soap is to lather it up really good and spread the lather all over the rash. Then you let it dry (feels a little sticky as it dries) and you rinse it off. I did this a few times a day when I was covered from head to toe, and it truly helped. Just be prepared for the possibility of dry, scaly skin for a day or so afterwards, lol. To me, it was worth it. :-)

In a pinch if you don't have anything like this handy, I believe some people have had success using a harsh store-bought soap called "Octagon" (sp?) or something like that. Never tried it myself though. Ok, I'll stop hi-jacking this thread now, lol. Just thought I'd give you a little info since you mentioned the poison ivy problem with your son. Good luck with it and I hope he gets over it quickly & without it spreading!

[gloworm]

Thanks guys. Hmm, first I heard that about the jewelweed. I had read some good things about it. I think this was even talked about at the Ohio convention. Or somewhere I was in the last couple of months.

GLO