Why is this happening

[jskranka]

Does anyone have an idea why this happening? I am using a HDPE mold and the sides and bottom of the soap that are in contact with the mold will create a different color (a line). The top of the soap is not in contact with the mold so it doesn't seem to happen. My guess is that this a temperature related but I am not sure. Any ideas?

 

[KimW]

I don't understand what I'm seeing in your pic. Please explain the pic more?

 

[Zing]

Can you post your recipe? I get the same thin like border when I use rosehips or cocoa powder when I initially unmold. Over the period of hours, the entire soap becomes a uniform color.

 

[jskranka]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I drew a red line around the area of the soap that is experiencing the color change.

 

[jskranka]

The CP recipe is fairly basic. 20% olive oil, 20% coconut oil, 20% sunflower oil, 20% palm oil, 10% cocoa butter, 10% castor oil. Soap at room temp then heat in the at 170F for 20 minutes. Then cool down. The yellow soap is colored with turmeric and the right is colored with Moroccan clay. Interestingly, if I don't add any colorant this line doesn't develop and the line on the Moroccan clay isn't as noticeable. This makes me think that maybe it has something to do with the heating of botanicals for colorants. I am trying to use natural colorants but find them difficult to work with because changes in concentration, temperature, etc will yield a different color outcome.

 

[KimW]

I understand now, thank you. Yes, suggest you post your full recipe, including the exact FOs/EOs used. Some FOs/EOs, as @Zing stated, will discolor a soap temporarily but after some time, the soap will become one uniform color.

 

[jskranka]

20% olive oil, 20% coconut oil, 20% sunflower oil, 20% palm oil, 10% cocoa butter, 10% castor oil. Soap at room temp then heat in the at 170F for 20 minutes. Then cool down. EO is scented at 0.5 ratio (2oz EO for 4 pounds of oil) is orange, bergamot, patchouli. The color is from oil infusion turmeric.

 

[TheGecko]

Looks a bit like your soap gelled on the edges near the edge and center.

 

[jskranka]

My intent was to gel it so I heated it at 170 for 20 minutes then left on the warm oven for 12 hours. You are right that i does seem to have gelled more at the center versus throughout the entire bar. Thanks

 

[GemstonePony]

My intent was to gel it so I heated it at 170 for 20 minutes then left on the warm oven for 12 hours. You are right that i does seem to have gelled more at the center versus throughout the entire bar. Thanks

If they're recent, you can pop them back into the mold, put them back in the oven to gel the rest of the way, and let them cool down again before removing them from the mold.
Otherwise, let the oven stay at 170 longer or maybe soap a little warmer.

 

[jskranka]

Thanks for the advice. I give it a shot.

 

[earlene]

I believe the patchouli is discoloring the soap on the left. See how it looks like a rind around the outer edge, almost perfectly at right angles in the corners? That's what a discoloring Fragrance will do when the soap is new; eventually the color travels inward to discolor the entire soap; it takes time.

And the center oval-shaped discoloration you see in both of those soaps looks like partial gel, as already mentioned.