Spirulina swirl failure

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Twiggy

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Hi All! Yesterday, I've made a mint soap, just a little batch. For the first time I've used spirulina as a top swirl colorant, and I got rather ugly yellowish bordering... Is that normal? Spirulina does that? Will it go any further, and turn yellow the whole surface of my soap? Do u think it will lead to DOS, like with chlorophyll? I exchanged them because of the possibility of DOS with using Chlorophyll…. I’m rather disappointed :|

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I've not used spirulina, but had parsley do that. With the parsley it just migrated a bit, did not color the whole top. Sorry I can't be more help.

But frankly, I think it looks great!
 
Ruthie, thank you for answer :) I hope it will not go any further :\ I must read the thread about green colorants one again ;)
 
I think the highlight looks really cool twiggy. I hope it doesn't spread. I have only used spirulina to dye whole bars green. I did find the green colour faded to a slightly yellow shade during cure.
 
How did you add the spirulina? Is it mixed with some batter or just oil? It looks really oily to me. I use spirulina and have never gotten a yellow outline like that, I add it directly to the batter.
 
Hi All! Yesterday, I've made a mint soap, just a little batch. For the first time I've used spirulina as a top swirl colorant, and I got rather ugly yellowish bordering... Is that normal? Spirulina does that? Will it go any further, and turn yellow the whole surface of my soap? Do u think it will lead to DOS, like with chlorophyll? I exchanged them because of the possibility of DOS with using Chlorophyll…. I’m rather disappointed :|

I think it looks fantastic personally. Chlorophyll is what gives it the green color though -- I have not had DOS and use a lot of chlorophyll and other natural colors. I think superfat %, using old oil, and climate (hot/humid) has much more to do with it than natural colorants (unless you use things that spoil quickly -- like full chunks of food). Maybe if you used less it might not bleed so much, but I have not used spirulina yet. When I do, if I remember to, i'll swirl and give you some feedback. No promises though, I forget often enough.
 
Thank you Guys! I knew I can count on you! That’s the thing, is not too bed but the plan was bit different ;) Now I pray it will stay like it is, or fade a bit, than hopefully will be less visible.

Obsidian, I add a bit of it to oil. Next time I will think of something else, some other technique.

Earthen_Step – I hear you, I forget things all the time, actually I’m bit tired of that :lol: When I’m making anything I must have check list on side and tick what I already completed…

About the Chlorophyl, I did like it, but even I didn’t overloaded my batter with it, it was still making my soaps brown after some time – and I just could not bear it.

I’ll come to report how does it doing through curing.
 
Hope it turns out for you, once the oil soaks in the outline should fade some Next time, mix it with some batter before doing your swirl. Spirulina fades to a olive green after a couple months but its never went brown on me.
 
Hope it turns out for you, once the oil soaks in the outline should fade some Next time, mix it with some batter before doing your swirl. Spirulina fades to a olive green after a couple months but its never went brown on me.

That's very good news for me! Chlorophyll goes brown a lot, so I'm very curios how spirulina will turn out :)
 
i've used spirulina once or twice, but never experienced the above. i must agree with the others, i think the yellow gives a really nice halo effect.
 
Is it possible that the yellow is just the oil you used separating from the colourant? My olive oil is yellow-green.

Actually I started to think so, as before I haven’t use oil to swill at all, and never had such reaction. My OO is also yellow-green kind of color. Is not possible that soap would go bad just couple of hours after being made. My oils are fresh, so is just impossible…
 
Gorgeous design, gorgeous colors. I agree, it's a bonus! It would be almost impossible to create that perfect of an outline. I hope it grows on you and stays, even if it fades some.
 
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