Soap changes colour to purple!!!

[Pawpaw]

I just made a batch of pure coconut oil soap. I used a new suppliers oil. The oil in container looks normal, smells normal, feels normal, tastes normal. As soon as I added the lye to the coconut it turned purple. As soon as it traced it went lighter pink. Any ideas of how this could've happened? I didn't add any fragrance or additives. Just coconut oil, water and sodium hydroxide. I did use a oaks tic red bowl to stir but I've used it for many batches and never had this problem ; I thought maybe the colour was leaching and the bowls colour looks normal after washing. I'd add a photo but don't know how to reset setting lol. Any ideas anyone?

 

[judymoody]

It may settle down as the soap cures. I used to use Crisco when making test soaps (mostly soy and palm combo) and it turned pink in contact with lye but then reverted to off white.

 

[Pawpaw]

I feel better reading that. I hope so!!!!

 

[Pawpaw]

Just checked three hours later. Still pink. Though they do look a little lighter. Hope they continue to pale

 

[boyago]

Just checked three hours later. Still pink. Though they do look a little lighter. Hope they continue to pale

No advice but that sounds awesome (and a little scary). Was is a grocery brand or a bulk supplier?

 

[shunt2011]

I've never had that happen in my 100% coconut soaps, curious to see what your final results. Sorry that happened. I had it happen with lard before though and it did become pretty white after some time.

 

[Pawpaw]

It was a bulk supplier. Will see what it looks like tomorrow when I unmould.

 

[tryanything]

Wow that's crazy! I hope it ends up going away for you!

 

[Pawpaw]

I experimented this morning to see if perhaps it wasn't the coconut oil. I tried a different water. Nope still pink. Tried a different batch of NAoH. Nope still pink. It's the oil. And I tried colouring it but now it's whatever colour with a pink tinge.

 

[Pawpaw]

I spoke to my supplier, who put me onto their supplier. They are 'saying' it is going pink because it is lye heavy. But it isn't. My recipe is as follows:
Coconut oil 500g
Lye 87.04g
Liquid (water) 175g

I did a small batch at 5% superfat to experiment. Again. Same results. Pink soap. I really don't want pink soap. I want to choose the colours.

 

[Obsidian]

Did you try a different bowl?

 

[Pawpaw]

Yes. It's definitely not the bowl.

 

[kellistarr]

I'm sure it's the coconut oil. I purchased a huge vat of coconut oil from a supplier once and it didn't turn colors but when I soaped I would end up with immediate soap seize as soon as I added the lye. It, too, seemed to be coconut oil. To be sure, I had to go naked like you, eliminating all ingredients and using just the lye and the coconut oil. My supplier said that it must have been a bad batch from their supplier (they also had other complaints ) and refunded my money. I hope that you will get your money back.

 

[Pawpaw]

I found out what the problem is. There is an antioxidant in it called tbhq that reacts to the lye. So... You want pure no anything added.
Or you can specialize in pink soap.

 

[Ancel]

Good to know! Have you unmolded? Is the colour fading?

 

[dagmar88]

I found out what the problem is. There is an antioxidant in it called tbhq that reacts to the lye. So... You want pure no anything added.
Or you can specialize in pink soap.

I'm not one to complain, but in this case, I would. They should have properly stated that instead of coming up with some completely bogus answer.

 

[Obsidian]

I would complain too. I'm not against pink soap but I wouldn't want any oils with chemicals like that in it. I'd love to see your pink bars

 

[Pawpaw]

Yes I have and am waiting for the bureaucratic powers that be to decide what they're going to do to help. I have 180kg of the stuff and can't have all pink soaps. I want to choose what colour it is. It didn't fade on unmould ing unfortunately and as I specialize in completely natural soaps this won't work for me. I don't want to specialize in pink soap! I'll try put up photo. Need to figure out how first

 

[Pawpaw]

the top slab is the plain soap. The ones underneath are an attempt to cover with colouring. As you can see the coloring reacted too.

 

[Obsidian]

Wow, the ones you colored are really pink. It would work good for strawberry scented soap though, maybe you can rebatch what you've made and give it a pink scent so you can at least sell off what you have. Hope they do right and give you a refund so you can get good oil else where.