How to get my CP soap WHITE

[Shakti]

Hi!

I'm new to cp soap making and have made a variety of recipes including using heavy cream, coconut milk, titanium and micas and have yet to produce the white I want or need. Is there a trick? is it the type of oils I'm using?

Thanks!
shakti

 

[kchaystack]

Sounds like you need to use more Titanium Dioxide, but we would need to see a recipe with exact oils and amounts, including all additives and the process you use when you make it.

What are you using to scent the soap? Some fragrance and essential oils can also discolor.

 

[shunt2011]

Why do you need a white soap specifically? You can get it but using milks generally makes at best a light cream color. And as stated some EO/FO's will color as well. If you post your recipe we can certainly try to help

 

[Misschief]

Try this recipe:

http://www.soaprecipes101.com/homemade-soap-recipes/borax-handmade-soap-recipe/

Borax soap by Ev Skae, on Flickr

It's one of the first soaps I made when I got back into soap making this past summer and it's still my whitest ever. No Titanium Dioxide involved in the making of it.

ETA: yes, I know the recipe is volume rather than weight but it worked beautifully for a beginning soaper (me). Next time I make it, I will be switching it over to percentages because I don't want to be at the mercy of the recipe; I want to make enough to fill my mold with no extra.

 

[lsg]

If you are using milk or cream, try putting the soap mold in the freezer after the pour. I usually leave mine overnight. This prevents gel. Coconut oil and light-colored oils should help also.

 

[cmzaha]

Try this recipe:

http://www.soaprecipes101.com/homemade-soap-recipes/borax-handmade-soap-recipe/

Borax soap by Ev Skae, on Flickr

It's one of the first soaps I made when I got back into soap making this past summer and it's still my whitest ever. No Titanium Dioxide involved in the making of it.

ETA: yes, I know the recipe is volume rather than weight but it worked beautifully for a beginning soaper (me). Next time I make it, I will be switching it over to percentages because I don't want to be at the mercy of the recipe; I want to make enough to fill my mold with no extra.

Now that is a pretty white soap. We see the borax when riding through Boran CA on the way to Laughlin. After measuring the ingredients by volume weigh each ingredient, then you will have the weight and can run it through a calculator and change the amount.

 

[lenarenee]

Try this recipe:

http://www.soaprecipes101.com/homemade-soap-recipes/borax-handmade-soap-recipe/

Borax soap by Ev Skae, on Flickr

It's one of the first soaps I made when I got back into soap making this past summer and it's still my whitest ever. No Titanium Dioxide involved in the making of it.

ETA: yes, I know the recipe is volume rather than weight but it worked beautifully for a beginning soaper (me). Next time I make it, I will be switching it over to percentages because I don't want to be at the mercy of the recipe; I want to make enough to fill my mold with no extra.

Interesting recipe - what is a borax soap like?

 

[dixiedragon]

When using milk (vegetable or dairy) you are going to have a hard time getting WHITE soap b/c there are sugars in the milk that are going to turn brown or tan. Another factor is the oils - if an oil is not white, it's going to contribute a certain amount of discoloration. Lard and coconut are good for producing white soap.

 

[Misschief]

After measuring the ingredients by volume weigh each ingredient, then you will have the weight and can run it through a calculator and change the amount.

Or I can take the entire weight of the oils, then figure out the percentage of the individual oils. I've done that with other recipes.

Interesting recipe - what is a borax soap like?

It's a lovely mild soap, with nice lather, creamy, bubbly. I really like it. My batch has just finished curing and I haven't used it a lot but so far, I'm really happy with it.

 

[pamielynn]

A little off topic - but what does Borax bring to the party?

 

[Misschief]

From the linked web site:

Borax is a natural occurring boron compound, a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water. It’s widely used as a flux or cleansing agent, as well as an antiseptic, preservative, cleanser and as a water softener.

It has a similar effect on hair, thus it’s common appearance in the ingredients list of homemade shampoos and hair conditioners. It can also be used both in laundry soaps and body soaps. The recipe below produces a very white and extra mild soap, perfect for delicate skin.

 

[annalee2003]

For my very first batch, I made an OO, soybean oil, and CO recipe (no fragrance or color added), that came out a nice white color.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My 80% lard bars are really white!

 

[Arthur Dent]

I made a test batch of 100% saflower oil bars a couple of weeks ago, they are the whitest bars I have ever made. They aren't ready for testing yet, so I can't comment on the quality of the soap.

 

[penelopejane]

I made a test batch of 100% saflower oil bars a couple of weeks ago, they are the whitest bars I have ever made. They aren't ready for testing yet, so I can't comment on the quality of the soap.

Have you seen this experiment with 100% of lots of different oils? It is broken up into phase 1, 2 and 3.

http://alchemyandashes.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/single-oil-soap-experiment-phase-one.html

http://alchemyandashes.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/hey-remember-me-i-baaaccckkk-single-oil.html

http://alchemyandashes.blogspot.com.au/2014/03/single-oil-soap-experiment-phase-3-one.html

 

[Arimara]

I made an 100% coconut oil soap today (it gelled) and a soap with beef tallow (50%). The beef tallow soap is whiter than the coconut soap and in both soaps, I used 50/50 coconut milk and water.

 

[Dharlee]

Funny you said that. I was just going to add that the whitest soap I have made other than using TD was with beef tallow.

 

[Arthur Dent]

Have you seen this experiment with 100% of lots of different oils? It is broken up into phase 1, 2 and 3.

Yes, I read through that before making my batch. Of course I had to try it anyway.
I used an HO safflower oil by the way. I tried a bar in the shower this morning... it's still very white and quite hard. Not a bubbler, and not much in the lather department, but it lathered better than the photos showed. I'll give it another month or so and try it again.

 

[kumudini]

I don't use tallow but my pure olive oil bar is the whitest white of all. The bigger bar is 85% OO, smaller, the super lye Castile. Aside from single oil soaps, if someone wants a very white bar from a balanced recipe, I think it's important to use TD but skip any milks and sugars/honey. Also, if you are using TD, it's better to use a higher lye concentration so you don't run into overheating and glycerine rivers.

 

[luebella]

I just made a full coconut soap with 20 percent super fat. It is stark white. Will take pics later