icecold Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Made a batch of green tea soap-new recipe with added mango butter and new fragrance. It gelled for quite a while. I un-molded it today and there was lye water liquid on the bottom of my soap log and white blotches on the bottom of the soap. What do you think would cause this and do you think it will soak back in? I actually wiped the bars and set them on my curing rack. I should have just stayed with my regular trusty recipe. Just wanted to try something new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovelyLathers Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Are you sure it was Lye solution? Did it zap? Maybe it was false trace. Did you forget am oil? Just wiping them off will not help if it was the lye. You can try to rebatch but I would toss it if it was the lye and zapped. If you can figure out what oil is missing you could add it and rebatch. Can you post your recipe? That may help also to figure it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Did the recipe overheat? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidsngarden Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I would think overheating too. That can cause it to separate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderblueboutique Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 liquid on the bottom of the soap has happened to me before, as well as white spots.When I first started cold process, I had many troubles! When I started adjusting recipes, even more frustrations.With higher amounts of butters, I have found that I need to soap at a higher temp. I am not sure if you use other butters, but if you do they could have caused the spots. The liquid, I have not figured out. It did not happen too often, but when it did happen, I believe there was a problem with the essential/fragrance oil. I found these batches to be "no good". Maybe it was a problem with the recipe in addition to the fragrance?I soap at 130 degrees lye and oil for high butters. I have always had success with this.Now, with a new recipe (from last night), I went down to 115 degrees with a higher olive, and so far, success.Don't give up on mango, try listing your recipe so people can help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecold Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Hi I am thinking it overheated. The liquid did zap so it was definitely lye. Do you think I could rematch or should I just toss? Here is my recipe.Olive Oil 33%Coconut Oil 25%Palm Oil 20%Cocoa Butter 5% Castor Oil 7%Mango Butter 5%Avocado Oil 5% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LovelyLathers Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 It won't hurt to try and rebatch if it doesn't work out then you can toss. I don't usually rebatch something that separates as long as it isn't a big batch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecold Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 So today there is no zap. Do you think its ok? I am thinking what ever seeped out absorbed back in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderblueboutique Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 I think it's ok then! Do you still have the spots? probably just stearic spots and not lye.Give her a good cure and test with ph strips. I didn't run it through lyecalc. But, would assume as long as you didn't do any discounting, it is probably fine.whew! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icecold Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Thanks! Never had to deal with stearic spots. Now I have to look them up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderblueboutique Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 They are white dots that can be all over the soap, but in my case they were on the bottom and sides, and looked like contrails (and larger). This happened with higher percentages of butters, and soaping around 110 degrees. I have not had it happen since. They do not ooze liquid, but squishy.I can post a picture if you like, but I am soaping right now and need to get back....time crunch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderblueboutique Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 Sorry, I should say they are caused by the high amounts of stearic acid in the butters left unsaponified. Usually due to soaping at cooler temperatures.If this is the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NNK Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 (edited) When you unmolded, was your soap still slightly warm?Also, were your blotches somewhat large, random, watercolor looking? First looked like water, but as the soap aired out, "wet" parts were a bit lighter in color, like have a film of something (zappy stuff?)If that's the case, overheating. It is "lye sweat".I have HDPE mold, and stick the soap in the oven to gel. Sometimes I get that lye sweat (usually if I'm impatient and overheat, then unmold too early). I've done two things, either wiped the lye off, and after cutting the bars beveled all the sides that have spots on them (it takes only one stroke and all the spots are gone), or gave the entire log a wash (weird, I know), set in on the shortest side to dry off, then cut. After either the bath or shave the bars were perfect, mild enough for washing the face. Edited March 13, 2012 by NNK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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