# What does undisolved lye look like in soap?



## LynninTX

Trying to figure out what this is. 

It is in 2 separate batches, but they were done one after another. It is soap we made last week. The scents are similar (caramelized pecan and brown sugar & fig)...

There are white flecks in both sets of soap. More so in the pecan. 

No zap when I touch my tongue to it. 

Recipe is the same. We pre-measure multiple batches of fats/oils at the same time. 

Never had undisolved lye, but that was what I wondered. 

One of these riced a bit... another first for us, but seemed to mix well in the end. 

We soaped strawberry kiwi that day too... and had no issues with it. 

Any thoughts?

I'm thinking I have 2 batches of laundry soap here, but want to know what it might be... thanks.


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## LynninTX

Double checking my notes... we soaped these last Thur. And I weighed out the oils that day for these and to restock because we'd used up our stores. 

Soaped 5 batches... 3 turned out perfect.... these 2 did not. 

We normally only soap 2 days a week... Tue & Th, but last week we soaped 3 days... Tue, Wed, & Thur


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## tlcnubians

Is this the first time you've used these two scents, or were they new bottles of scent? Are the flecks throughout the soap or only on the surface? If on the surface only, you may be looking at soda ash. . . Do these two scents turn your soap a dark brown so that you have flecks of white incorporated in a darker colored bar? Do you strain your lye liquid into your oils before mixing it all together? 

Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a picture of what you're talking about . . . Caroline


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## LynninTX

We don't strain our lye anymore. Oh and we mix lye to water for each batch. We never have premixed our lye. 

We have used them before and they were not new bottles, but both bought in the last 3 mos.

Flecks appear to be throughout, but mostly visible on the top & bottom vs the cut sides.

One turns a light beige, the other a darker beige... but neither are brown soaps.. not very dark, but they are more noticeable in the darker beige bar.

My 21yod & I soap together... two heads & 4 hands are better. 

We made 12 batches last week and these are the only 2 with an issue. 

And these are the 2 we did the least to besides the vanilla we did... no colors, no swirls...


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## tlcnubians

Sounds like you've covered everything. . . You could rebatch/hot process these two and if it is excess lye, adding more liquid during the cooking process would take care of the problem. And if the cooked soap still has white flecks in it, then they're being caused by something else . . . I would suggest continuing to strain your lye water as it will keep undissolved lye flakes and any other detritus from getting into your oils. 

Caroline


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## tmfinley

Do you use palm oil? If you don't get palm melted enough before soaping you will get stearic streaks or bumpy white spots.


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## LynninTX

It is lard, coconut oil, olive oil, and safflower oil... 

a soaper friend suggested especially since it has no zap that it might be the coconut oil... 

that is possible...


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## Huminbird

I get this occasionally as well. I am just guessing here but I suspect that some of my milk fats turn into soap as I am mixing in the lye. These bits do not get completely mixed into the oils and are just different looking bits of soap.

That is just a guess but although it leaves the bar a little less attractive I haven't ever had a problem with it. I stickblend my lye mixture after the milk is all mixed in and if I do this for a while before mixing it into my oils I have less if any little white spots.


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## LynninTX

Hmmm maybe... we mix lye & water, then add melted fats & oils, THEN add milk...


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## NubianSoaps.com

When a fragranced oils rices it is accelerating part of the chemical it is made with, faster than the rest of the oil...so you are left with actually BB's of soap....if the fragrances has vanillia in it than your BB's can be brown as they oxidies (a Vanilla I just used to this) if it doesn't contain anything that oxidies than your BB's will be white.

Lye pockets would be zapping your tongue. Vicki


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## LynninTX

OK good not lye... NO hint of zap even...

And you know what I think both of these did rice... we've not had that happen before, but it did with 2-3 batches last week... it seemed we blended it out... but that could be it. 

OK so lots of ideas... but it sounds like it is NOT lye. Whew... that was freaking me out.


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## NubianSoaps.com

One of my scents is about a 50/50 chance of riceing, but it doesn't accelerate so I have time to really beat the snot out of it and make it work, even with a green clay swirl. So I just embrace it since it's such a good scent. Vicki


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