# Small almost black spots



## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

I made a batch of soap that developed small black spots. This batch was different from the beginning, the lye milk got hot, which I can usually keep it really cool, and it turned darker, then it seemed to trace fast, but I still got it swirled with different colors. Now it has small black spots in it, any idea what caused this?


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Did you use scent?


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

I did use a FO, could it be that? That would be fine, at least I wouldn't worry about it on my skin. When I made this soap it went fast, I may not have mixed the FO in completely. I was worried about lye pockets, but it is hard like the rest of the soap, I licked it (YUCK by the way) with no reaction....


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Picture?


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

Pretty clear what spots I am talking about here. It looks so much betterin real life...


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

anyone??


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

It's weird. It looks like mold, but that doesn't make sense. Could the milk have just plain burnt?


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Hmm, are there a lot of them? Almost looks like there was something else in the soap that clumped but I cannot imagine what. Is there honey in it? You colors are pretty by the way.....what did you use?


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

I'm thinking burnt milk.


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

No honey, nothing clumpy that should have caused this, I am thinking maybe burnt fragrance, I had trouble getting it mixed in and poured it was tracing so fast. They are not mold and they feel and act like the rest of the soap. The colors are teal liquid colors and some merlot mica and a little TD to whiten up the rest a bit. The spots are in almost every bar. They don't burn me or anything so I will use it, just bummed. It has a spiced mahogany fragrance.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Fragrance doesn't burn like that.


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## a4patch (Oct 7, 2009)

could you post your ingredients. Did you have anything other than oil and lye with your coloring.
what was the brand of the colorant. Did you have lye pockets? Had your used this recipe before with success?


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

Actually I think maybe it was the milk, the more I thought about it, I had milk in ice cube trays in the freezer and I think maybe some of the milk dried out a little on the top... When I mixed the lye my milk went almost instant kind of orange so I do think I may have burnt it some. Thank goodness it smells really good, was kind of worried about that. So I am really not sure what it was but it does not seem to hurt my soap so I will just enjoy it and try to not do that again...what a fun journey this soap making is.


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## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

I can't imagine the soap getting hot enough to turn black....even the milk. If it got that hot you'd think the soap would have cracked. I would suspect something to do with the FO over the milk. Is this the first time you used this fragrance? It's a mystery for sure!


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## lovinglife (Mar 19, 2013)

It is the first time with this fragrance, it did not overheat, to be honest I don't think it completely gelled. I usually keep everything cool because of the milk, and it was frozen but this batch did get warmer than usual for me, but still not HOT. I try to keep my oils cool as well, it is strange for sure, but man does it smell good! I used palm oil, olive oil, sunflower oil shea butter and milk plus fragrance and the BB colors. Could something cause a strange reaction like that? There are a couple darkish areas also. This lye was a different batch and it just reacted different from the get go. Oh well, it is still ok soap.


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