Learned something new about adding real raw honey to soap.

[James Handley]

Hello everyone.

So in my first successful batch of soap I noticed that it was brown. Like a can a refried beans kind of brown. Brown is not the most appealing color for soap. So I wanted to start removing variables and figure out why it turned such a color.

As others on this forum did, I as well thought my oils were too hot and/or the honey added too early and the honey may have caramelized. I also used some rubber coated utensils that I thought the lye leached the color out of.

I switched to all stainless steel and monitored the temperatures more closely at a lower degree. I also paid more attention to each step.

What I found is that after the lye starts to react with my distilled water. When it comes into contact with my honey, it turned blood red. Pretty freaky!

I have not tested this with store bought or more highly processed honeys, so your millage may vary. I raise bees and harvest my honey by crushing the honey comb into a coarse nylon strainer.

So previous batch to this one was the same. 490 grams of oils, 10 grams of bees wax, 70 grams of lye 442 grams of distilled water and 38 grams of wild honey. Seems to make refried bean soap.

I thought it was a fun discovery and wanted to share. My next batch; probably early next week, will try the exact same recipe but minus the honey.

 

[KristaY]

I know what you mean about the color! Yes, very freaky when you aren't expecting it. Mine doesn't go blood red, more dark pumpkin orange. I'm sure it's just the difference in the honey from our different locations. But the good news is, mine always cures to a lovely golden honey color. So don't give up on the brown soap! The color should calm down with time.

 

[shunt2011]

I use raw honey and yes, it can be quite the surprise how it reacts with lye I add my honey to my oils before adding my cooled lye mixture. I warm my honey a bit too. Generally, it turns more an orange color like KristaY. Mine generally cures out to a lovely honey color or lighter if I add some TD. I even gel mine but watch to make sure it doesn't overheat. Also, the more honey you add the more likely it is to burn/scortch and overheat. Especially with beeswax in the mix.

 

[DeeAnna]

Study up on reducing sugars to learn why honey causes soap to change color.

 

[msunnerstood]

I add my raw honey at Trace but then I do hot process. It turns my soap a deep dark brown.

 

[IrishLass]

I add my honey to my room temp lye solution, which turns the solution such a deeply burnt-orange color that it looks black from a distance, but my soap always ends up with a lovely golden honey color, even in spite of being completely gelled. Here's a pic of the fully gelled honey/beeswax soap I make with 5% honey and 3% beeswax (the fake 'honey' filling the holes and dripping down the sides of the soap is WSP's Honey melt & pour soap):

IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

IL -- You've shared this pic before ... and I love it every time I see it!

 

[Ellacho]

Oh my, that's a great idea - the fake honey!!! [emoji3]

 

[James Handley]

I add my honey to my room temp lye solution, which turns the solution such a deeply burnt-orange color that it looks black from a distance, but my soap always ends up with a lovely golden honey color, even in spite of being completely gelled. Here's a pic of the fully gelled honey/beeswax soap I make with 5% honey and 3% beeswax (the fake 'honey' filling the holes and dripping down the sides of the soap is WSP's Honey melt & pour soap):

View attachment 30191


IrishLass

Amazing. Did you buy a mold for that? If so, where?

 

[DeeAnna]

To get a faux honeycomb texture, you press bubble wrap -- the kind with small bubbles -- into the soap before it gets really firm.

 

[IrishLass]

Yep...what DeeAnna said^^^^....bubblewrap.


IrishLass