Is it normal for coconut milk soap to be dark brown in colour?....

[answeety]

Hi there, was wondering if anyone could help me? I started making Crock pot HP soap recently and wanted to add coconut milk into my soap. I did a bit of research on how to use milk in soap process and to avoid getting the milk burnt. I used the method of adding the fridge cold coconut milk during the trace ( took out some of the water portion for making the lye).Upon adding it, the batter started to get thick and slowly started to get a shade of chocolate brown.. Does that mean the milk is burning?By the way, i added dissolved sugar and salt to the water for the lye to increase bubbly and hardness to the bar.Could that affect the colour of the soap??

How can i achieve a white bar of coconut milk soap ??The oils i used were olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and castor oil.Thanks

Another question, when im using a homemade cold/hot process soap in the shower, it tend to leave my shower floor oily. Ive also used the soap in my basin and my basin is left with a oily/sticky residue..Is that got to do with the superfat?or my water is hard/soft that is causing it?Thanks.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If making hp, I think milks would tend to cook when added at trace and start to change colour. I'm wondering if hp is not the best idea here, unless you're adding a special superfat after the cook, I think maybe cp might well be the better route to get a lighter colour

 

[PinkCupcake]

I agree that HP is probably not the best choice for your coconut milk soap. When we add cold milk to our CP soap at trace, we keep the sugars in the milk from getting hot enough to turn brown. But with HP, the milk is cooking for a long time, so it will darken.

 

[Stacyspy]

When I use any type of milk in HP, I freeze it solid in cubes. When adding lye, I sprinkle a little bit at a time over the frozen milk and stir, stir, stir. For me, that keeps the milk very light colored. It will darken a bit in the crock pot...the best way I've found to combat that is to cook at a lower temp for a longer period of time. For example, when I make a 1lb. test batch, I'll put my crock pot on low for 8 min., then stir and turn off for 8 min., then stir and on again for 8, until it doesn't zap. I know you're not supposed to stir it during cook, but it seems to help keep the temp more even and not overheat in spots, keeping it a lighter color. Using this process, I usually end up with a honey colored bar.

 

[DeeAnna]

What ~is~ your superfat?

Also are you using real coconut milk -- basically water and pureed coconut meat, sometimes with carageenan (a thickener) or other minor ingredients -- or are you using a drink product with a high % of added sugars? If the latter, they often contain corn syrup, and the sugars in corn syrup can caramelize in soap.

 

[dixiedragon]

Are you using any FO?

Regarding your oiliness problem - how long are you curing the soap before using it?

 

[lenarenee]

I'm also wondering what your superfat level is, and if you have hard water.

 

[nebetmiw]

What is your recipe? We need it to know how to help. HP is not for milk soaps. Room Temp and CP are. To get a white bar you have to be real simple. Watch the FO make sure it has no vanilla in it at all. Lard and tallow will make a real white bar but Olive oil will not, so mixing the two will give you a off white bar. Sugar can burn also with lye in milk and salt will not help with bubbles but will harden the soap faster. Milk soaping is a but tricky so keep it simple till you have it down.

I only make milk soaps but started without many years ago. Each type of milk will have a different effect too. You have animal milks and plant milks. You can mix them any which way but first know how each works on its own.