Some hydrogenated oils can turn soap pink on exposure to oxygen.
You possibly could get the same pink colour by adding gamma tocopherol (Vitamin E food additive number E 308 ) to your soap, although I haven't tested this.
Hi
SaltedFig,
Maybe that's it! I used Vitamin E oil contains d-gamma tocopherol. Hmmm:think:
Did you use a new, red silicone mold by chance?
Hi BrewerGeorge,
Thanks for the comment. I actually thought about my silicon liner too. It's not red or pink but I made it by myself using a silicon paste. And it was the first try with the liner. However, I made another one with the same paste and when I used it first time, that pink discoloration didn't happen. I use wooden mold but that never happened to me with the same mold. So the silicon liner and wooded mold are not the cause.
Some antioxidants can turn soap pink under alkaline conditions. But you haven't shared your recipe or method, so this is a complete shot in the dark, pretty much like what everyone else is doing.
"...There is one thing I can think of is water tho. It was snowing and the water could contain some acid..."
What is the connection between snowing and water for soap?
Hi DeeAnna,
Thanks for the reply. Here are some additives for the batch; Vitamin E (d-alpha tocopherol, d-beta tocopherol, d-gamma tocopherol, d-delta tocopherol.), activated bamboo charcoal, EO of Lemongrass and Japanese Pepper Mint.
From someone's comment here, Vitamin E could cause pink coloration.
And I used tap water and it was really cold in that morning so maybe the water pipe frozen and something happened inside. I remember someone in the building said the water was brown a bit and it's gone. So I thought the water contained something like acid or iron...?
I'm gonna use distilled water from now on.
As for the snow comment - I can't speak for OP, but only for myself - to cool my lye water (and mix it in a well-ventilated area), I usually bring it outside. And here in snowy Canada, that means sometimes a bit of snow might get into the container. Just happened to me last weekend actually. I've never thought of the snow affecting the lye water, but now I'm curious.
Hi
toxikon,
Since the it was really cold in that morning, the pipe underground could be frozen and it contains something like acid or iron. So it's not about snow it's coldness. Sorry my explanation was missing the big part.
I was wondering if they used the snow for water.
Hi Arimara,
I didn't use snow, I used tap water. My explanation was horribly short. I think tap water in that day contains something that caused pink coloration such as acid or iron because the pipe underground might have been frozen and cracked. I know I need to use distilled water tho.
Again, another shot in the dark. After reading somewhere that Crisco or other shortening packaged in containers lined with aluminum foil-type of surface, would turn soap pink, I made soap with some once to see if that was true. It was slightly pink, not like in the OP's photo, though. Also not a good soap, either. I think it's one that ended up with DOS and got tossed.
That looks like a huge batch of soap! What is your mold and liner made of? This certainly is interesting.
I know that was 150 bars right there
I use wooden mold with silicon liner. I made the liner by myself using a silicon paste. And it was the first try with the liner so I thought the silicon liner was the problem. However, I made another one with the same paste and when I used it first time, that pink discoloration didn't happen.
Aye - the lye will react with compounds in the water and this will carry over in to the soap. Not often a good thing, unless it's something that you actually want like adding citric acid or acetic acid
Thanks for the reply,
Do you mean those acid cause the discoloration?