One of the questions we get most is, “Why did my soap turn brown?” If you’ve made a few batches of soap, you’ve likely encountered discoloration. This post talks about what causes the color change and how to work with it in soap.

What causes discoloration
It’s often caused by vanilla, which is a flavor derived from orchids. Vanilla pods start out very green and then darken to brown as they age and ripen. The darkening is caused by various reactions in some of the components. One of those is vanillin, which is the organic compound that gives vanilla its flavor.

Vanillin discoloration is a 100% natural process. Depending on the percentage in the fragrance, the soap can discolor anywhere from off-white to dark brown. It usually takes a few days to appear, although certain scents may not discolor for a few weeks. It shows up first on the part of soap that’s exposed to air. That means the sides discolor, but once you cut into the bars the middle is still white. Eventually, the whole bar will darken.

The soap above is scented with Vanilla Sandalwood Fragrance Oil, which discolors dark brown. It’s 1 day old and the discoloration hasn’t fully developed. The tan color will continue to darken over time. You can also see that the soap went through partial gel phase in the center, and the discoloration developed faster there.

Above is the same batch after 3 days. The brown bars are from the first photo – they have been fully exposed to air and the vanilla discoloration has made its way through the bar. The soap in the center is freshly cut, which is why the center is still a creamy color. After a few hours, the discoloration will develop in the center as well.

Other aroma chemicals may cause discoloration as well. We include performance notes and finished photos of the fragrances in soap, so make sure to read those before use.

How to prevent or work with discoloration
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. It may not prevent the discoloration at all, or it may only work for a few months.

If the fragrance has a low vanilla content, you can use titanium dioxide. It lightens tan or light brown discoloration. Start by mixing 2 teaspoons of titanium dioxide into 2 tablespoons of a lightweight oil. At trace, add 1 dispersed teaspoon at a time. It’s tricky to know exactly how much to use because the soap hasn’t discolored yet. Just keep adding color until the soap is pretty light. We used titanium dioxide in this Creamy Goat Milk Soap, which is made with Oatmeal Milk and Honey Fragrance Oil.

With a lot of titanium dioxide, you can get glycerin rivers. We recommend a 5-10% water discount to prevent those. It also helps to keep the temperatures around 115-120°F and store the soap in a cool place.

If the fragrance has a higher vanilla content, the titanium dioxide can only lighten it so much. In that case, we recommend embracing the discoloration and working it into your design. You can scent some of the soap so only one part discolors, like we did in the Cinnamon Cocoa Soap. You can also scent the whole batch.

These tutorials show you how to work with discoloring fragrances.

• Goat Milk and Oatmeal Soap
• Dragon’s Breath Soap
• Espresso Shot Soap
• Chocolate Peppermint Soap Cupcakes
• Eggnog Soap
• Coffee Soap
• Pumpkin Souffle Soap
• Pumpkin Pie Soap
• Blueberry Soap
• Blueberry Thyme Soap
• Moonstone Soap
  

Vanilla content chart
The following chart includes all the Bramble Berry fragrances that discolor. If a scent has 0% vanilla, it won’t be on this list.

This post was updated in October 2018.

The post How to Work with Vanilla Discoloration appeared first on Soap Queen.

Silicone molds are flexible and durable. The 2-part silicone molds can be used to create embeds, which add a fun and unique look to your soap. To use them, simply snap them together, set them upright and pour your soap in. See how in the How to Use 2-Part Silicone Molds Short on Soap Queen TV.

The rainbow colors look so pretty in the How to Make Rainbow Heart Soap video. Fragrance plays an important role when choosing the colors in your design. Fragrances that contain vanilla can color your soap various shades of brown, as seen in the Why Did My Soap Turn Brown post. See the different phases of discoloration in the Best Selling Bramble Berry Fragrance Oils + Discoloration post.

Some fragrance oils can also accelerate trace. With these fragrance oils, it helps to choose a design that works with the acceleration. The Once Upon a Dream Cold Process Soap uses White Rose Fragrance Oil, which accelerates trace slightly. It adds a fresh floral smell, which accents the blue, white and pink layers. The soap is fit for a princess with plenty of sparkle from Iridescent Glitter. In the mood for more fairy tale inspired projects? Click through the Sweet Sea Dreams Round Up for a collection of mermaid projects.

If all that crafting makes you hungry, you’ll love the Avocado and Dill Deviled Eggs Recipe. The eggs are made with avocado, which adds creaminess and a slight green tint. Pickles are added for crunch and tang, and dill adds freshness. They’re a perfect Easter dish.

This week’s Facebook Photo of the Week by Inna with SopranoLabs has colors that are perfect for Easter. Her purple, yellow and black swirled soap is stunning.

The glittery gold top adds a finishing touch to Inna’s soap. She used a mica swirl technique to get the look. To learn how to get a gold accent on your soap, click through the Black, White and Gold All Over Cold Process. Aqua and purple mica painting tops the Mica Topped Cold Process Tutorial.

Above (clockwise, top left) are Inna’s French Lavender Soap, Patchouli Lemongrass Exfoliating Soap, Oatmeal Soap and Green Apple Soap. Loofah is a great way to add exfoliation to your soap, as seen in the Layered Lilac Loofah Cold Process Tutorial. Add some exfoliation to your melt and pour soap with the Loofah Soap on Soap Queen TV.

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Oatmeal is another way to add exfoliation to your soap. Positive Attraction Soaps, this week’s Instagram Photo of the Week winner, uses oatmeal as a gorgeous decoration on top of the soap. It looks amazing with the honeycomb pattern. Check out more stunning creations on the Positive Attraction Soaps Instagram page.

Post pictures of your crafty creations on the Facebook page each week for a chance to be featured on the Soap Queen blog and receive a sweet soapy package from Bramble Berry. Photos are chosen based on consensus from the Bramble Berry staff, so the best way to increase your chances of winning is to show us lots of photos!

To participate in the Instagram contest, hashtag your pictures with #soapshare. Each Friday, I will pick a photo on Instagram to win a copy of the Soap Crafting book, and share on the Bramble Berry Instagram account. 

The post Facebook and Instagram Photo of the Week (March 21st ~ March 27th) appeared first on Soap Queen.