Why did my soap turn orange?

Many handmade soap artisans superfat their recipes to produce a more moisturizing bar of soap. Superfatting is an industry term for adding more oils to the soap than is necessary to create the soap. This leaves free floating oils in the soap that can eventually age faster than the soap itself, causing orange spots.

Why did my soap change color?

The change in color is an inherent property of the vanilla. The more vanilla, the more likely the soap will eventually turn to a very dark brown color. The color can progressively change days, weeks or months after curing. It is most often associated with the vanilla level in the fragrance oil.

How can you tell if soap is rancid?

Rancid soap, whether liquid or bar, will smell "off" or musty. Rancid bars may have a wet-feeling, slick surface. The bar may be entirely orange or rust colored or may have just scattered rusty orange blotches and spots. These spots are often called "DOS" or "Dreaded Orange Spots" by soapers.

How do you stop soap from discoloring?

If you're making melt and pour soap, you can use Vanilla Color Stabilizer to prevent discoloration. We recommend a 1:1 ratio with the fragrance.

Why did my goat milk soap turn orange?

The main challenge in using fresh goat's milk in place of water in your lye solution is that as the lye heats up, it caramelizes the sugars in the milk, turning it a bright orange color. The soap ends up being a light orange-amber color.

Common Soap Making Mistakes & How to Avoid Them | Bramble Berry

What is the orange stuff on soap?

Dreaded orange spots are exactly what they sound like… orange spots on your soap! The most common cause of DOS is rancid oils, but there are several factors that can contribute to dreaded orange spots. Dreaded orange spots can appear on cold process soap while curing, or months after it has been made.

What color should goat milk soap be?

All our Goat Milk Soap will be a rich 'Ocher' color (well, okay, beige or tan), because of the way goat milk fats and protein combines with the lye in the soapmaking process.

How can you tell if homemade soap is bad?

How do you keep homemade soap white?

What happens if you use soap too early?

If you use your soap before it has fully cured it will dissolve more quickly not just because it has a higher water content but because not all of the longer chain fatty acids have formed soap crystals at that point and it is the crystalline component of soap that is predominantly made up of longer chain soaps which ...

What does expired soap look like?

To determine if your soap bar has expired, look for signs such as fading color, loss of scent, or orange spots. If your soap bar has a stale or acrid smell, or shows signs of mold, it's best to discard it.

What are the orange spots in goat milk soap?

The use of a rancid oil is why soaps develop the dreaded oxidative “orange spots”. Orange spots don't smell good, but they are not dangerous. Rancidity is the deterioration of oils and fats.

How long does homemade soap last?

There's no set shelf life for handmade soap. A lot depends on the oils used and how it's stored. Like a fine wine or cheese, soap that is stored in a cool, dark place gets better with a little aging. Time mellows the soap and allows it to get harder, helping it to last longer in the shower.

Why did my soap turn yellow?

If exposed to sunlight they can change color. The soap will turn yellowish, and some color pigments can bleach out. Thus an originally blue soap can turn green or a white soap will become yellow. Often titanium oxide white is added to stabilize the color.

How do you prevent oxidation in soap?

To help prevent it, make sure your lye and oils are 100°F or higher. We like to soap around 115-120°F. Then, pour the soap when it's closer to medium trace. Spray the top with 99% isopropyl alcohol right away, then again in 10-15 minutes.

What temperature should I soap at?

For most soapers, the preferred temperature of soaping lye and oils are 120-130 ° F. In addition, many soapers and books believe it is helpful to have the lye and oil within 10 degrees of each other. The temperature range of 120-130 ° F is popular for several reasons.

What not to do when making soap?

What ingredient makes soap last longer?

Use Sodium Lactate/Salt

Sodium lactate is the liquid salt of lactic acid. It's generally added to cooled lye water at a rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of oils. It does wonders for hardening up your bar, and really helps extend the life in the shower.

Does homemade soap need a preservative?

Preservatives are an important part of DIY bath and body products. They help prevent mold and bacteria growth, which extends the shelf life of products and makes them safe to use.

What happens if you use too much lye in soap?

When soap is made with too much lye, it is called “lye-heavy.” This means there is extra, free floating lye that was not made into soap during the saponification process. Lye heavy soap can be irritating when applied to the skin and should not be used or sold. Lye heavy soap is often crumbly or dry feeling.

Can homemade soap get moldy?

Most pure oil-based soap recipes and Melt & Pour Bases have a pH balance between 8 and 10, meaning they are far too alkaline to sustain mold. Mold needs an acidic pH environment to thrive, and most soap recipes don't contain this.

Does handmade soap actually clean?

Both surfactants perform the same function to lift and wash dirt and germs down the drain. Although that grocery store bar will clean well, it also means that your lovely, handmade soap is as effective as a commercial bar and will function just as well at washing thoroughly.

Why is goat milk soap better?

Goat milk soap is less allergenic than synthetically loaded commercial soaps and detergents. It is known that goats milk can reduce skin inflammation, and soothes dry and damaged skin. Goats milk soap can reduce wrinkles and delay signs of skin aging. Its natural emollients and triglycerides moisturise skin.

How long does goat milk last in soap?

Properly made goat milk soap can be kept indefinitely without going bad. Soap, much like wine, gets better with age. Simply store out of direct sunlight, in a place that is neither too hot, too cold nor too humid.