Browning in Bath Bombs???

[charlottesmom]

I've done a bunch of reading on how vanilla containing FOs can turn solid bubble bars brown, I was wondering if the same thing happens to bath bombs when a FO containing vanilla is used. I want to tweak my FO choices (I want to concentrate on solid bubble bars and bath bombs) if the same thing happens to bath bombs.

Thanks for any help...

Becky

[Lyndsay]

I made Buttercream Frosting bath bombs the other day and they each have 1 brown spot on them. ugh!

[Scented]

Eventually, yes, they will go brown. I had a bunch I could have shown you. Going to try FOs made without the discoloring vanilla and see how that goes. Pretty much found that if the scent discolored that lo and behold that bath bomb eventually did. Total bummer.

[charlottesmom]

I've been doing more reading on this and I MAY have found a solution, WSP carries Vanilla browing neutralizer and Vanilla color stabilizer. You mix them with your FO that contains vanilla (It's mind boggling how many actually have vanilla in them!) and it keeps the browning at bay. From their write up on both products they stink like rotten eggs and must be used in a very well ventalated area, they say the smell disappears within 24 hours and you can't smell it in the finished product. We shall see!!! I'm going the experiment with both.

[Scented]

Geesh! I just ordered from there and would have popped some of the neutralizer in there, but just convinced the stuff works. Please let us know how it goes.

I'm not surprised by how much has vanilla in it, but just wish it didn't turn things brown lol!

[charlottesmom]

It seems like EVERY FO that I love has vanillin (the browning culpret) in it! My next order to WSP is in 2 weeks I'll get it then and let you know....I'm ordering both types of "preventor" to compare how they work side by side, I'm also going to get one of the FO with the highest concentration of vanillin just to make sure it can handle the "big guns"...hehe!

[Scented]

LOL! If you have any bourbon de vanille from southern soapers, use it. It tends to brown quickly.

[charlottesmom]

I may just do that, I've read their scents are great!

I was going to try WSP Warm Vanilla Sugar at 19% vanilla that should be a great test...*snicker*

While I'm picking brains, if I was to make up a bath bomb with a heavy vanilla scent and did a mixed bomb with say Warm Vanilla Sugar (and let it turn brown) on one side of the mold and an unscented but colored (say blue for illustrative purposes) other side of the mold, would the brown migrate to the unscented but colored side and I'd have a half brown half blue with brown blotches bomb?

[Scented]

If you left half unscented, I don't know.

I do know that the brown overcame all the coloring I used and some of it was plenty. I did have a yellow go more to a golden yellow pee color (ack!) and threatened to overtake even that.

[RetroMetroChic]

I never had trouble with the bath bombs turning brown, sometimes they will but it will tend to take some time for them to turn brown and when they do Its not that bad in mine they just spot a little..

Maybe it depends on the recipe too not sure:confused:

I use

Baking Soda

Citric Acid

Shea Butter/ cocoa butter

Corn Starch

Sometimes Salt

and witch hazel to help bind them together

A vanilla stabilizer would help I'm sure though!

but bubble bars go brown fast and look really bad, I'd recommend using scents with no vanilla in the bubble bars!

Juniper Breeze, or Lemon, Lime etc.

[Scented]

Your ingredients are close to what I use. Granted they take time to brown, but wish I kept the ones I had and made comparisons in photos. The bulk turned a drab brown.

[Blossom]

add to the 'oh too bad it browned' list MMS Honey Harvest. I love that scent, but after opening one that was about 3 months old and gazing at the brown and tan dots over it, I decided to drop that fragrance from my lineup.

[coffeebean]

So did you do the experiment??? Does the vanilla stabilizer work for the warm vanilla sugar? I'm real curious, I would like to try to make some lotion in that scent but I'm not sure where to order some vanilla additives that work. Can someone help me out on this please?:undecided

I have been trying three different UV stabilizers for candles and only found one to be worth using. BC worked the best for me, but it's so expensive.

[charlottesmom]

I just got all my ingredience orders in yesterday, I'm going to make bath bombs today but I'm going to use a non-vanilla FO that I've had for a while just to experiment with the recipe (Berry Wine...Brambleberry). I'm saving my vanilla based FO till I'm happy with the bomb recipe I choose (or tweak). I shall post when I do the Pink Sugar bombs.

[Kt444]

Can you still use them if there are brown spots? Is it just not as good aesthetically or is it bad to use?

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, Kt444 said:

Can you still use them if there are brown spots? Is it just not as good aesthetically or is it bad to use?

if it's just a little oxidation they should be just fine. 

[NightLight]

You can use them if they are not too speckled. It’s usually from fragrances in vanilla, but can also be from butter and oils you might use that have gone rancid. Much like DOS in soap. Best to use non vanilla fragrances and stable long lived oils in bath bombs.