Some days the learning curve is steep :/

[SoapEh]

Did a little tidying up/prep work this afternoon and had one of those 'oh for goodness sake' moments when you realize you've been doing something dumb for ages and there's a much, much easier way.

The first batch of soap I made taught me that I couldn't get soap as white as I wanted by using mica. YouTube showed me TD.

I ordered some titanium dioxide from Amazon, waited ages for it to arrive, and when it did I discovered that the tiny bag I'd ordered wasn't going to last very long -- TD just doesn't go as far as I'd assumed it would. I resigned myself; I was going to have to part with some cash if I wanted white soap!

I ordered a larger amount of TD from another supplier, but still through Amazon. Then I discovered that you could make white soap with certain recipes, but I had no regrets -- TD would still prove very useful.

It arrived. Woo! My wonderful vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, organic, etc. etc. etc. TD was here. In a big paper bag, all exploded everywhere in the box. Aye. I found it a container, put it in the cupboard, couldn't wait to try it out.

It sucked.

I had never had an issue before. I would put some TD with a little oil, mixy-mixy, add to the soap, boom. Whiteness. This time, I got white spots a-mundo.

Then.... Today's A-Ha moment happened. I spilled some and wiped it up with a damp sponge and ...wait a minute. Suddenly, the whole counter is painted a uniform white.

Oh *it's WATER SOLUBLE and I'm a dolt*. A dolt who is always, always learning.

Late edit --> guys, sorry for putting in an inappropriate abbreviation :/

 

[penelopejane]

I bought TD from a soap supplier and it says in the label "mix with oil". It doesn't mix with oil at all! It mixes with water!

 

[Kamahido]

Did a little tidying up/prep work this afternoon and had one of those 'oh for goodness sake' moments when you realize you've been doing something dumb for ages and there's a much, much easier way.

The first batch of soap I made taught me that I couldn't get soap as white as I wanted by using mica. YouTube showed me TD.

I ordered some titanium dioxide from Amazon, waited ages for it to arrive, and when it did I discovered that the tiny bag I'd ordered wasn't going to last very long -- TD just doesn't go as far as I'd assumed it would. I resigned myself; I was going to have to part with some cash if I wanted white soap!

I ordered a larger amount of TD from another supplier, but still through Amazon. Then I discovered that you could make white soap with certain recipes, but I had no regrets -- TD would still prove very useful.

It arrived. Woo! My wonderful vegan, non-GMO, cruelty-free, organic, etc. etc. etc. TD was here. In a big paper bag, all exploded everywhere in the box. Aye. I found it a container, put it in the cupboard, couldn't wait to try it out.

It sucked.

I had never had an issue before. I would put some TD with a little oil, mixy-mixy, add to the soap, boom. Whiteness. This time, I got white spots a-mundo.

Then.... Today's A-Ha moment happened. I spilled some and wiped it up with a damp sponge and ...wait a minute. Suddenly, the whole counter is painted a uniform white.

Oh *it's WATER SOLUBLE and I'm a dolt*. A dolt who is always, always learning.

This is why I stay as far away from Amazon as possible (that and I strongly disagree with their seller fee structure). Too many sellers on there who have NO IDEA what they are selling and frankly, don't seem to care. Would rather give Bulk Apothecary my $10 and walk away with a pound of quality Titanium Dioxide.

 

[SoapEh]

This is why I stay as far away from Amazon as possible (that and I strongly disagree with their seller fee structure). Too many sellers on there who have NO IDEA what they are selling and frankly, don't seem to care. Would rather give Bulk Apothecary my $10 and walk away with a pound of quality Titanium Dioxide.

I think next time I buy it (which, in truth, will be far in the future -- I have a LOT) I'll be getting it from a proper soap supplier along with my micas etc.

I got bitten by the 'woah, that's a really good price!' bug.

I'm guessing now if I plan on adding quite a bit of white to a soap I should plan that out when I mix up my lye water, rather than what I did previously which was compensating for the extra oil. Always with the math, this hobby, sheesh!

 

[Obsidian]

TD doesn't take much water at all to dissolve it. I never bother adjusting my lye water when I use it. For 1tsp of TD, you can use roughly 1/2 tsp water. I use this amount for a 2lb batch if I'm whitening the whole batch, even then I don't generally need to use all that I've mixed up. No maths needed.

 

[SoapAddict415]

Does anyone have a favorite supplier for TD? The last batch I bought doesn't seem to whiten like the TD I bought previously. I just can't remember who I bought it from.

 

[IrishLass]

If you're ever uncertain if your TD or any other colorant- be it oxide or mica or ultramarine- is water or oil-soluble, just use glycerin as your mixing medium. It mixes with both oil-soluble and water-soluble colorants. It's my mixing medium of choice.

Does anyone have a favorite supplier for TD? The last batch I bought doesn't seem to whiten like the TD I bought previously. I just can't remember who I bought it from.

I've had very good experiences with the TD from Oregon trails soap.


IrishLass