Significant soap darkening

[LaurensSoapShop]

Hello everyone,

I have been making CP goats milk soap for a few years now, but am new to this forum. I have recently started experimenting with different colors and swirl techniques, with success. I use only natural colorants and avoid vanilla fragrance oils to prevent browning. I have been having an issue with my pretty swirls, they look amazing when first cut but end up dull and dark by the time they have dried for 4 weeks.

Any ideas what could be causing this?

My recipe (goats milk instead of water) and example images (before & after) are attached. I use about 5 drops of ROE, pink clay, dried dill, indigo powder and kaolin for the "white" part.

I use frozen goats milk, and soap at ~100F. I do not insulate and generally do not achieve any gel phase (on purpose). I unmold and cut within 24-48 hours. This particular batch is cranberry fragrance oil.






Thank you for any help!

 

[Obsidian]

There are non vanilla scents that still discolor, could be that. I've also read that ROE can cause discoloring, you might try some bright colors but leave the extract out and see if that helps.

 

[green soap]

It is the goat milk. I have the same issues. Swirls with indigo will not only fade but the color boundaries seem to blur too. Purple from alkanet root infusions stays more within its boundaries, but it darkens too. Paprika will also fade (it fades on non goat milk soaps too unless you use a lot and then it will accelerate trace)

I have resorted to single colors when using indigo, and expecting that I will get green instead of blue.

The best luck I have had with goat milk is using clays (rose) and a tiny bit of activated charcoal. I also embrace the brown when I do vanilla and my customers do not seem to care.

Non goat milk soaps with natural colorants do great, so try omitting the goat milk if you want the colors to stay vivid, or your indigo swirls to stay 'swirly'. I use ROE sometimes, the darkening is not that significant in my soaps.

 

[judymoody]

I think it's your fragrance oil. I use a cranberry marmalade FO that makes my soap turn brown over a period of weeks. I doubt it's the goat's milk because most of the color change is going to happen during the initial saponification.

 

[LaurensSoapShop]

Thank you for all the responses! I have used this same recipe with other fragrances, and didn't have nearly as much darkening so I think I am in agreement that it is the FO. All of my soaps do darken a bit as they dry, this one was just the most dramatic. I wasn't sure if it could be something else.

Has anyone had any success getting a nice yellow with goat milk and natural coloring? I have tried yellow clay, powdered orange peel, annatto powder (though not infused in oil) and saffron powder. Mostly all of them darkened to a tannish color. I was going to try infusing annatto seeds next. Any tips?

 

[cmzaha]

There are non vanilla scents that still discolor, could be that. I've also read that ROE can cause discoloring, you might try some bright colors but leave the extract out and see if that helps.

Interesting about the roe, I use it in most batches and have never had any discoloring from it since it is used in such a tiny amount. Roe is used by drops not ounces

 

[green soap]

Oops, I did not read until the end, so I did not realize you used a FO. Concur on the darkening probably caused mostly by the FO.

I do not get exactly 'yellow', but what I get with infused calendula is very nice. Sometimes I blend in calendula petals, sometimes I use the calendula infused oil.

 

[green soap]

I also wanted to add, your natural colors in that first picture are so lovely. You have inspired me to try rose clay with indigo greens or blues, I have not done that yet.

 

[LaurensSoapShop]

Thank you! I was bummed when they darkened so much. I'll have to try that again with a different FO and see if it holds up with drying. The green from the dill was so pretty.

I was debating if it could be the goat milk or not, but it is still milky white when I mix it with the oils, so I doubt there is any significant sugar burning taking place.

 

[Susie]

I use paprika infused OO to color most soaps I make. You can range from a light lemony yellow all the way to spice cake dark soap depending on how much of it you put in. I melt my hard oils, then add a little of the colored oil at the time until I get the color I want. Then I just add the difference in uncolored OO.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree that it's probably the FO. I have several that don't contain vanilla but still darken anywhere from a light beige to a medium brown. Your's are very pretty!

 

[vuladams]

I used paprika for the first time today in a batch of CP soap, and it's so dark! Please tell me it doesn't stain your skin. I split the batch about 70/30 and put the paprika in the smaller portion so I could layer it in the mold. Hope it comes out nicely. I'll know tomorrow.

 

[cmzaha]

There are non vanilla scents that still discolor, could be that. I've also read that ROE can cause discoloring, you might try some bright colors but leave the extract out and see if that helps.

Roe is used in such minute amounts I have never had any discoloration with it. In a 5lb batch drops are used not ounces. (6-14 drops for my 64 oz of oils) My roe is used at a rate of .02-.05%. This will not cause discoloration. But yep there are lots of fo's with and without vanilla that will discolor

 

[cmzaha]

I used paprika for the first time today in a batch of CP soap, and it's so dark! Please tell me it doesn't stain your skin. I split the batch about 70/30 and put the paprika in the smaller portion so I could layer it in the mold. Hope it comes out nicely. I'll know tomorrow.

Paprika will not stain like tumeric will. I love the color paprika gives but do remember it will leave tiny specks. Plus using it in only a portion will help. I tell customers not to use $20 white washcloths with colored handmade soaps!

 

[vuladams]

@cmzaha - good tip about the wash cloths! I didn't even think about that!