My 2nd Batch (with Picture)

[spicyjem]

So I just cut my second batch from the mold, and I'm a little concerned! There is a red (not orange) ring around the perimeter of it. I didn't use anything red inside of the recipe, so the only thing I can think of is that it may be the fragrance oil that settled?

Before I poured it into the mold, it was well mixed. I left it in the mold for 48 hours, and then froze it for a few hours to help me pull it out of the PVC mold.

As you can see from the pics, the color was really pronounced on the BOTTOM of the mold, and when I cut it, each piece had the color around the perimeter of the bars.

I think it may mellow a bit with time, but any ideas what could have caused it? My ingredients were all the same as my last batch, except for a different FO and different proportions of the same oils.

Pic of the mixing (I guess you CAN see a little of the color in there from the FO):



Pic of the mold (notice color more prominent near the bottom):



Finally, here it is cut, with the color around the edges:



Smells pretty good, so that's a plus!

 

[Finchen]

I don't know why you have that red ring there but it looks really cool. :shock:

 

[cp chick]

Even if that isn't intentional, I really like the look. Would love to be able to re-create that! It's likely your FO, if it's not a residue from a previous colored batch in that mold. Looks good.

 

[LadyM]

Wow! I have no idea but it looks so awesome!!

 

[JackiK]

Betcha can't do another batch just like it :twisted:

I think it's cool, too. Try another one with a different FO. See if it makes any difference. Let us know how it comes out.

 

[spicyjem]

LOL I'm glad to see all the positive feedback for something that was completely unintentional! I do think it looks cool too, but not too sure why it happened!

I did use the same mold as my previous batch, but I always line the mold in new freezer paper before I pour a new batch, so I don't think it's leftover residue. I honestly think it may be the FO.

What's trippy is that I can understand why it would SETTLE on the BOTTOM of the mold, but how in the world did it work it's way out to the outer side of the mold and nowhere else? Weird!

Anyway, it's super soft right now so I have to wait my 4 week period before I can try it out! I will let you know how it goes after May 28th!

 

[MizzBee]

Great look! Like JackiK said, bet it can't be done again

 

[TJ]

Could it be some kind of weird partial gel??? Those leave rings in soap, but usually around the same shade as your soap...

It looks so cool though!!!

 

[Dragonkaz]

I have absolutely no idea about what made this happen ... but I reckon if you work it out you could sell the 'how to'!

 

[calico21]

Could it be some kind of weird partial gel??? Those leave rings in soap, but usually around the same shade as your soap...

It looks so cool though!!!

Could be,I hear pvc molds can be prone to overheating too so it could have pushed the F.O. out to the cooler areas. (the sides and bottom) I agree with everyone else though the look is so cool!

 

[spicyjem]

Now I'm wondering if it might be gelling or something. Here is a pic of what it looks like now. Notice it's a lot DARKER in the middle, and not just around the perimeter like my previous pictures.

The picture below is what it looks like now, which is 4 days after making it, and two days out of the PVC mold:

 

[cp chick]

Huh, wouldn't have figured it would change again. But it still looks cool. 8) What was the FO, BTW?

 

[JackiK]

Sell it as an "evolutionary" soap

 

[Elly]

It is really weird but cool your soap seems to be morphing while finishing gel.

 

[spicyjem]

@cp chick - I used a Cool Water FO from WSP.

I think this is the weirdest thing. It HAS to be gelling, because if it were unsettled fragrance oil, then I wouldn't expect it to spread over time like it's doing.

From my reading, a soap will gell as part of the saponification process, since the gel is a biproduct of the heating chemical reaction. My first batch didn't look like this though, so perhaps one of two things happened:

1. I could have thrown it into the PVC mold too soon (not at a thick enough trace)?

2. It could be that the ambient temperature is warmer on this batch (in May) than my first batch I did (in late March), thus allowing it to stay warmer in the mold much longer.

I just hope it lathers the way I'm looking for it to do! This is always the hardest part for me: waiting the 4 weeks before testing!

 

[chibilightangel]

That's a really interesting evolution in soap color starting with the red ring. I'll be curious to see more updated pics if it keeps changing color.

As to waiting 4 weeks to check lather, you could easily test it out after 2 weeks to see how it's doing. Your message last week actually encouraged me to try my shaving soap out for lather after just over 2 weeks since you seemed very unhappy with your recipe and I was just as much in suspense as mine. Turns out it lathers beautifully and I also found myself an activity equivalent to watching paint dry: whip up a shaving lather and then put it on the back of your hand and watch it for more than 10 minutes to ensure the bubbles stayed. One of my testing friends has been using it for a week and loves it.

 

[Elly]

I can never wait that long to test my soaps, usually within a few days my soap has been tried and tested for lather and texture, once the soap does not zap it is ok to use but it isn't as mild as a 4 week old soap.