And for my next trick...

[John Harris]

Ok, ok ... so my last attempt was a bust ... On to the next one. I've got my eye on an fo called Three Wise Men. The write-up goes like this:
A classic favourite of frankincense, myrrh, patchouli and warm, powdery sandalwood.
Vanilla Content: 3%
I figure a 3 layer soap would be good - one for each Wise Man. For colors, cocoa, paprika, and turmeric.
A possible problem - All I have are big slab molds - 20 bar, 40 bar, and more-than-I-can-count bar. Can a layer design be done on molds so wide?
Also, with a vanilla content at 3%, is the fo going to discolor everything?

 

[lenarenee]

@John Harris Yes. Not that I've done, but I've watched videos which is almost like doing it, right?
Well, I haven't made perfect straight striped soap, like this one:


Yeah, a 3% vanilla is going to turn quite brown. Too many good men's fo's turn very brown. Colored swirls dropped into them will also start to turn brown and eventually become quite discolored. I've tried my best to make a brown soap look good, but the vanilla always wins. Mica oil on top, and mica lines within the soap are the only successes I've had....but the soap only becomes decorated brown!

 

[AliOop]

You can use a vanilla stabilizer to stop the browning. I've used the premade one from Bitter Creek Fragrance; it works very well. I've seen no browning even after six months.

We also have an entire thread on how to make your own vanilla stabilizer: Homemade Vanilla Stabilizer.

 

[lenarenee]

Bitter Creek has the best stabilizer; at least according to SMF word of mouth. But know it doesn't last forever and even the fo's I've had with less than 3% vanillin still ended up brown. The stabilizer also can alter the some of the scent quality of fragrances. I just stopped using because it was unpredictable what I'd end up with. (I don't sell, so some of my soaps are a year or older)

It also seems to work better when mixed in with the oils, rather than the fragrance itself; maybe because I blend my oils before adding lye...?

 

[Cat&Oak]

@John Harris Yes. Not that I've done, but I've watched videos which is almost like doing it, right?
Well, I haven't made perfect straight striped soap, like this one:


Yeah, a 3% vanilla is going to turn quite brown. Too many good men's fo's turn very brown. Colored swirls dropped into them will also start to turn brown and eventually become quite discolored. I've tried my best to make a brown soap look good, but the vanilla always wins. Mica oil on top, and mica lines within the soap are the only successes I've had....but the soap only becomes decorated brown!

Holly is the QUEEN of perfect slab layers ❤

 

[AliOop]

Bitter Creek has the best stabilizer; at least according to SMF word of mouth. But know it doesn't last forever and even the fo's I've had with less than 3% vanillin still ended up brown. The stabilizer also can alter the some of the scent quality of fragrances. I just stopped using because it was unpredictable what I'd end up with. (I don't sell, so some of my soaps are a year or older)

It also seems to work better when mixed in with the oils, rather than the fragrance itself; maybe because I blend my oils before adding lye...?

Others have posted that it does last forever in their soaps. Just checked the date on mine, and it's actually at 8.5 months with zero sign of browning in a soap with white, yellow, and orange. I am guessing that experiences vary depending on recipe, process, FO, etc.

My FO contained 1.8% vanillin, and my usage rate was 6% in a high lard recipe that was gelled on a heating pad. I did add the VCS to the oils, rather than mixing directly with the FO; that was also a suggestion made in one of the threads here.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Ok, ok ... so my last attempt was a bust ... On to the next one. I've got my eye on an fo called Three Wise Men. The write-up goes like this:
A classic favourite of frankincense, myrrh, patchouli and warm, powdery sandalwood.
Vanilla Content: 3%
I figure a 3 layer soap would be good - one for each Wise Man. For colors, cocoa, paprika, and turmeric.
A possible problem - All I have are big slab molds - 20 bar, 40 bar, and more-than-I-can-count bar. Can a layer design be done on molds so wide?
Also, with a vanilla content at 3%, is the fo going to discolor everything?

Ok, ok ... so my last attempt was a bust ... On to the next one. I've got my eye on an fo called Three Wise Men. The write-up goes like this:
A classic favourite of frankincense, myrrh, patchouli and warm, powdery sandalwood.
Vanilla Content: 3%
I figure a 3 layer soap would be good - one for each Wise Man. For colors, cocoa, paprika, and turmeric.
A possible problem - All I have are big slab molds - 20 bar, 40 bar, and more-than-I-can-count bar. Can a layer design be done on molds so wide?
Also, with a vanilla content at 3%, is the fo going to discolor everything?

I would expect it to Brown. I just embrace the brown and use gold Mica lines and swirls. If you have a sparkly mica, The lines and swirls can look very nice. Besides, the gold fits in well with the three wisemen theme!

 

[Susie]

I would go with browns. You can make a beautiful rock design using cocoa powder and gold mica. Start the pour with the mold on a 30 degree angle. Pour the corner. Top with cocoa powder. Pour a bit more, top with gold mica. Flatten out, top with either cocoa or mica. It is tedious, but absolutely stunning when you are done. I wish I had taken pics of mine.

 

[John Harris]

We also have an entire thread on how to make your own vanilla stabilizer: Homemade Vanilla Stabilizer.

Lemme see, now ... Where did I put my sodium metabisulfate?

 

[John Harris]

I would go with browns. You can make a beautiful rock design using cocoa powder and gold mica. Start the pour with the mold on a 30 degree angle. Pour the corner. Top with cocoa powder. Pour a bit more, top with gold mica. Flatten out, top with either cocoa or mica. It is tedious, but absolutely stunning when you are done. I wish I had taken pics of mine.

Wish you had pics!

 

[Susie]

That was before I owned a digital camera, sorry. When I use up my current (over) abundance of soap, I plan to make a couple of batches with FOs that are going to brown, so I will be using that technique. I will take pics.

 

[John Harris]

Seems to me that people poo-poo brown bars ... like they are saying, "As if a brown soap is going to get me clean!". Maybe it's just my imagination.

 

[AliOop]

I like brown bars but also like other colors - some of which don't look good mixed with brown.

 

[MrsZ]

Seems to me that people poo-poo brown bars ... like they are saying, "As if a brown soap is going to get me clean!". Maybe it's just my imagination.

My favorite soaps I bought before I started making soap were mostly brown bars. Pine tar and some ZUM bars. I like brown soap.

 

[John Harris]

I guess it's a matter of BSMT (Brown Soaps Matter Too!)

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I guess it's a matter of BSMT (Brown Soaps Matter Too!)

You’re right. People actually like white soap the best because it looks clean. Even some of the colored soaps, although they are attractive, may not be used as readily as a plain white soap. Just think back to last week when you were asking what happens to the micaAnd whether or not it went down the drain. I showed friends and family that brown soaps still made white bubbles and did not ruin wash cloths as long as I had not added any colors to them. The worst results I had was using activated charcoal, which ruined my white washcloth! With any of the colors, have a bowl of water handy and demonstrate that although the bar is discolored, the soap is not.

 

[lenarenee]

Others have posted that it does last forever in their soaps. Just checked the date on mine, and it's actually at 8.5 months with zero sign of browning in a soap with white, yellow, and orange. I am guessing that experiences vary depending on recipe, process, FO, etc.

My FO contained 1.8% vanillin, and my usage rate was 6% in a high lard recipe that was gelled on a heating pad. I did add the VCS to the oils, rather than mixing directly with the FO; that was also a suggestion made in one of the threads here.

Do you remember if it was the Bittercreek? Although, even Bittercreek told me it wasn't permanent, but have had some last a year-ish.

Here's mine from March 2021: the solid one is NSS caramel coffee which discolored so quickly sespite the stabilizer. The drop swirl is BB cocoa butter cashmere with an unscented white drop swirl, a scented drop swirl with td, and scented uncolored base. All with equal amount of stabilizer.

Notice how mottled the solid one is. I don't know it the stabilizer did that, or if that's a type of glycerin river action.

 

[AliOop]

Yes, the Bittercreek one is the only one I've purchased.

 

[John Harris]

I like brown bars but also like other colors - some of which don't look good mixed with brown.

I'm wondering ... Do you guys try any color or swirl in a soap that you know will discolor? Or do you just allow it to be discolored?

 

[lenarenee]

I'm wondering ... Do you guys try any color or swirl in a soap that you know will discolor? Or do you just allow it to be discolored?

In beige or tan soaps, yes. In brown discoloring soaps, any color I’ve tried, even with vanilla stabilizer, the brown eventually spreads to the colored part.

Now, someone here said that they had success with a mica line stopping the discoloration from spreading (the colored part would have to be unscented). That’s something I haven’t tried.