Is this discoloration more soda ash?

[zanzalawi]

This weekend I tried a new recipe to try to find something I liked with all this RBO from Lowe’s sale

35% lard
35% RBO
25% CO
5% castor

Sf 5%
28.7% lye concentration

Oils were at 100°F and lye water solution was at about 120°
Colors are 2 purple micas mixed in a little bit of the batch oils at light trace
I mixed WSP’s butterfly orchid into the purple batches and hand stirred them in
I tried to do a drop swirl but it got a bit ploppy.
I didn’t insulate it, I didn’t spray it with alcohol
I unloaded after 24hrs, i think prematurely, it was a little soft. Let it sit for another 24 before cutting

I for sure have ash on the top of it, a discolored weird purple
But is the discoloration in the white ash from it being exposed to the air for the last 24 hrs? Is the yellowish white the true white and the lighter white ash?

Is this a bad recipe for RBO? This is my first soap with both RBO and also my first soap with lard

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, the lighter dull white areas look like ash to me.

I don't see anything amiss with your recipe. I assume you like a higher % of coconut oil than would be my preference, but that's a preference. The only thing I'd do differently is use a higher lye concentration -- 33% is my usual nowadays -- but that's not a guaranteed way to prevent ash. It will help your soap to be harder sooner, so it's easier to unmold and cut.

The weird purple ... yep, that's weird. I've sometimes seen a lavender blush in my lard-based soaps that is sometimes caused by NaOH reacting with a preservative sometimes used in commercial lard. It didn't look like the crisp spots on your soap -- the discoloration I've seen was more of a soft overall lavender.

 

[Lin19687]

1st 2 pics look very odd to me, like something went wrong.
Next pic I have not seen ash like that. It looks like tiny confetti

last look ok but those are some big air holes.. I HATE those little buggers

 

[zanzalawi]

Thank you @DeeAnna
I’ll try that recipe again with a couple tweaks

The white dots on the tops are a mica sprinkle- the lavender color underneath it is ashy though- it started out that darker purple

The air bubbles are totally my fault- I used a chopstick to try to texture the top, spoon would have been a better choice!

Will spritzing alcohol on it help prevent ash or is that a myth?

 

[Lin19687]

AAHHHH, That makes sense (mica sprinkle) I didn't think it was ash

? = are those the end pieces what have that weird coloring? I ask because I see others that look fine and wonder if something in/on the mold had a reaction?

I have put Alc on all my soaps and some ash, some don't. All the same recipe and I can't figure it out

 

[shunt2011]

Thank you @DeeAnna
I’ll try that recipe again with a couple tweaks


Will spritzing alcohol on it help prevent ash or is that a myth?

I spray all my soaps before adding my glitter on top. I then cover them and let them be until they are done doing their thing. I find if I uncover too soon I tend to get a bit of ash due to the exposure to the air.

I have also found that some fragrances are more prone to getting ash for some reason.

 

[DeeAnna]

Ash appears in a variety of shapes and textures. I usually see it as a dull white coating something like paint (first pic in the original post) on the top of my bars, but it can appear anywhere on the bar. It can also be sparkly or fuzzy. In this post -- https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/andalusian-soap.65089/ -- there's a reference to a looooong thread that contains photos of unusual types of soap ash.

 

[zanzalawi]

? = are those the end pieces what have that weird coloring? I ask because I see others that look fine and wonder if something in/on the mold had a reaction?

the mold was brand new from nurture, the first two pics that are primarily white are the bottom of the soap

Ash appears in a variety of shapes and textures. I usually see it as a dull white coating something like paint (first pic in the original post) on the top of my bars, but it can appear anywhere on the bar. It can also be sparkly or fuzzy. In this post -- https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/andalusian-soap.65089/ -- there's a reference to a looooong thread that contains photos of unusual types of soap ash.

35 pages oh my! i'm on it!

I spray all my soaps before adding my glitter on top. I then cover them and let them be until they are done doing their thing. I find if I uncover too soon I tend to get a bit of ash due to the exposure to the air.
I have also found that some fragrances are more prone to getting ash for some reason.

i'm certain i uncovered and unmolded way too soon, these issues are an impatience-tax very interesting about different fragrances being more prone to ash- i hadnt thought them to be a factor in it, thank you

do you think soaping at cooler temps increases ash?

 

[soapmaker]

I have had some orchid/lavender oxides make soap with brownish, tanish areas that ruined the appearance and made it unfit to sell.