What causes orange spots in soap?

What causes orange spots in soap?

The most common cause of DOS is rancid oils, but there are several factors that can contribute to dreaded orange spots. Several factors increase the likelihood of dreaded orange spots, but the most common is oxidative rancidity, or rancid oils. Like food, each soap making oil and butter has a shelf life.

Why does my soap have spots?

Lye Pockets Many new soap makers immediately see white spots and think that it is lye. As long as your lye completely dissolves, this is not usually the case. Mixing issues can cause lye heavy areas in your soap, but it looks something like this. If it does, then it is lye heavy.

How can you tell if soap is rancid?

Rancid soap, whether liquid or bar, will smell “off” or musty. Rancid bars may have a wet-feeling, slick surface. The bar may be entirely orange or rust colored or may have just scattered rusty orange blotches and spots. These spots are often called “DOS” or “Dreaded Orange Spots” by soapers.

Can you still use rancid soap?

While most manufactured brands can last up to two years or longer, some handmade soap makers recommend using their soaps within a year of purchase. That’s because the natural ingredients in some soaps can get rancid or moldy. However, it’s likely that your soap is still effective, even after its expiration date.

What can go wrong in soap making?

Let’s make some soap!

1. Mistake #1 – Not Using Safety Equipment.
2. Mistake #2 – Measuring Ingredients Incorrectly.
3. Mistake #3 – Unsafe or Distracting Work Environment.
4. Mistake #4 – Stop Overcomplicating Things.
5. Mistake #6 – Using the Wrong Tools.
6. Mistake #7 – Handling Lye Incorrectly.
7. Get Making Some Soap!

How do you stop soap from discoloring?

If you’re making melt and pour soap, you can use Vanilla Color Stabilizer to prevent discoloration. We recommend a 1:1 ratio with the fragrance. We don’t recommend vanilla color stabilizer for cold process soap because the results are inconsistent.

What does lye heavy soap look like?

If the soap is lye heavy, the soap will turn green or yellow. If it’s balanced, it will turn blue.

Why did my soap turn yellow?

First, it could be due to adding too much oil. Whether it is fragrance oil or carrier oil, the soap can only hold on to so much before the oil begins to leak out to create beads on the surface. More often, it is due to the soap drawing moisture from the air.

How long does a natural bar of soap last?

Bar soap can last four to six weeks, or even more, as long as you let it dry out between uses.

How do you fix a bad batch of soap?

Process

1. Weigh your soap, then add to the glass baking dish.
2. Add water to the soap.
3. Cover and bake at 200°F for 30 minutes. Stir, then bake another 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven and add any additional ingredients you wish.
5. Spoon into molds.
6. Cool and remove from mold(s).
7. Cure for 3 weeks or so if you used fresh soap.

What happens if you put too much lye in soap?

When soap is made with too much lye, it is called “lye-heavy.” This means there is extra, free floating lye that was not made into soap during the saponification process. Lye heavy soap can be irritating when applied to the skin and should not be used or sold. Lye heavy soap is often crumbly or dry feeling.

Why did my soap change color?

Different fragrances, especially, can have different natural colors that will cause soaps to be darker when combined. Fragrances that have a lot of vanilla, florals, or citrus tend to be the most likely to turn your soap darker and this can happen in melt and pour soaps or cold process soaps.

Why do I have orange spots on my soap bar?

Dreaded orange spots can appear on cold process soap while curing, or months after it has been made. The appearance of DOS can range from a light orange to a deep rust color. DOS may appear in various sizes and places on the soap. Some bars may develop only one spot, while some bars become completely covered.

How can I avoid the dreaded orange spots?

 Luckily, there are simple ways to avoid DOS! Here are a few tips to prevent developing dreaded orange spots: Use only the freshest oils and butters, from a reputable supplier. Research the shelf life of each oil you use, and use them within the shelf life.

How long does it take for soap to turn orange?

Of particular note, there is a rapid increase in color saturation at about 75 hours. The time at which such a rapid increase occurs is referred to as the “induction period.” A soap that turns orange rapidly will have a short induction period; a soap that stays white for a long time will have a long induction period.

How can you tell if soap has gone rancid?

When the oil goes past its shelf life, the chance soap will develop DOS increases. Signs an oil has gone rancid include an unpleasant odor, or change in color. Always use the freshest oils and butters when making soap!