Activated Charcoal Tea Tree Soap Feedback

[profadecaligrafie]

Hello soap makers! This is my first post, and I'm among the first attempts at making natural soap using the cold process method. I need some clarification: I made this soap 2 days ago and noticed tiny sweat bubbles on its surface. Does anyone know if this is normal? I tested the pH yesterday, but I think I did something wrong because it turned almost violet (I read it was around 14). Today, after 48 hours, the pH is showing 8. However, why does it have this grayish color on top and these small sweat bubbles? Is this normal? I'm sharing the recipe below in attach.
I also added 2 tablespoons of activated charcoal and essential oils of peppermint, pine, and tea tree. Could they have contributed to this?

 

[lsg]

The gray on top may be soda ash. Just wipe it off. The glycerin in the soap may be attracting moisture from the atmosphere.

 

[AliOop]

Agreed, the grey is harmless soda ash - very common for charcoal soap.

I wouldn’t bother with pH-testing your soap. It doesn’t tell you whether there is active lye, which is why most people think they need to test. It’s much better to do the zap test to see if there is active lye.

Also, the strips are very inaccurate, and usually at least 2 points lower than the real pH. If your soap pH was really 8, it wouldn’t be soap anymore, since at that number, it would be breaking down into an oily mess.