Discoloration?

Hi! I have a soap fresh off the cutter and it has unexpectedly come out with swirls! .. When there was no color added.

This was my first time working with Neem but I knew it would accelorate already, and was prepared for that with a whisk, I brought it all together for the thickest trace ever and got it into the mold and well


There are swirls?

Is still zappy overall and I'm not going to be terribly worried unless it still zaps on those stripes a week out, but I'm curious if this is a product of hand whisking it? Could that be uneven incorporation, or possibly stearic?

Castor Oil 5%
Cocoa Butter 10%
Coconut Oil 20%
Neem Seed Oil 30%
Nutmeg Butter 5%
Olive Oil pomace 20%
Shea Butter 10%

Vinegar and Citric acid were added
And an essential oil blend:
1oz tea tree 1 oz cedar 1oz patchouli .5 oz cinnamon leaf .5 oz lemongrass
It was a 70oz (oil) batch and yes I know thats large for a brand new recipe but I was pretty desperate to use up all that neem oil (shudder) and the nutmeg too just because I'm afraid of the nutmeg going bad before I use it all at the small percentages it needs to stay at.

The good news is its firm, theres no weeping, and it doesnt smell half bad

I'm have no advice to offer. I just wanted to comment on how awesome that soap looks.

BattleGnome said:

I'm have no advice to offer. I just wanted to comment on how awesome that soap looks.

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Oh yeah I love how it turned out looks wise! I'm just curious and a little cautious about it

What about a combination of incomplete incorporation and discoloring Fragrance? Sometimes we use discoloring FO's in only a portion of the batter so the other portion can be colored without discoloration.

Pretty!

I've seen a similar thing when I've soaped cool with cocoa - especially if I don't heat the lye mixture.

It's as if the saponification starts with the acceleration, catches on the cocoa (stearic) and bundle up together as you stir.

I like the effect - your colour contrast is lovely.

It is lovely. And I agree about uneven incorporation. But when you give it to non-soapers, you just tell them that it is the result of careful planning and hand whisking (in other words, "I meant to do that!").

Susie said:

It is lovely. And I agree about uneven incorporation. But when you give it to non-soapers, you just tell them that it is the result of careful planning and hand whisking (in other words, "I meant to do that!").

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of course I did, totally on purpose.

I did soap a little cool! I usually only heat the oil to just melting then add in the liquid oils, and of course I made the lye first and let it cool down a bit while I got everything else ready.

Conclusion: Its stearic swirls!

Thank you guys for helping me uncover the mystery