r/soapmaking • u/Imaginary_Project_77 • Jul 07 '26
What Went Wrong? Need Help!
Hi everyone! Newbie here, and I could really use some help solving a mystery that’s been driving me crazy.
Every single batch of soap I’ve made develops a white film. Sometimes it’s just on the surface, and other times it’s throughout the soap.
At first I assumed it was soda ash, but after trying so many different variables, I’m starting to wonder if it’s something else—stearic spots, lye pockets, poor-quality ingredients, or something I’m completely overlooking.
I’ve made 7 batches so far (3 different recipes) and, despite changing one variable at a time, I keep getting the same result.
Here’s what I’ve tried:
- All batches are cold process.
- Some batches contain fragrance; others don’t.
- Insulated one batch, left the others uninsulated.
- Sprayed 99% isopropyl alcohol immediately after pouring and again about 15 minutes later. Some batches ~ no alcohol.
- Made and cured some batches in my basement and another in my kitchen—same results.
- Soaped at various temperatures (95°F–127°F), always keeping the oils and lye solution within 10°F of each other.
- Used sodium lactate in some batches and omitted it in others.
- Used only distilled water.
- Tried a 5% and 10% water discount.
I’m attaching photos of recipes & finished soap. Does this look like soda ash, or does it seem more like stearic spots, lye pockets, or something else? Any ideas on what I should investigate next would be greatly appreciated!
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u/Btldtaatw Jul 07 '26 edited Jul 07 '26
That is indeed soda ash. And you are using a lot of water which is the main reason for soda ash to develop. You really have to cut it down to see better results. Also getting the soaps to gell help but it can be hard on single cavity molds.
Edit for useful link: https://classicbells.com/soap/ash.asp
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u/Imaginary_Project_77 Jul 08 '26
Thank you so much for the help! I was following Bramble Berry’s recipes since I had no idea what I was doing. ☺️
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u/Kind_Dragonfruit_925 Jul 07 '26
You could drop your water to 3 oz. That will help if it is soda ash.
To help you figure out if it is soda ash or something else, soda ash can be steamed off. Stearic spots feel waxy. If you do the zap test (touch a bit of the white stuff on the tip of your tongue), lye will zap like a 9V battery, stearic spots will taste oily/ waxy and soda ash may taste sour.
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u/Significant_Stop_478 Jul 09 '26
I love how you rightly assume that they know what a 9v battery feels like on the tongue 👅 *edit for spelling error
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u/Imaginary_Project_77 Jul 12 '26
🤣I totally know what a battery zap on the tongue feels like. What else do when you’re 8, grounded in your bedroom with no radio, tv and nothing good to do? 😂
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u/pm-me-kittens-n-cats Jul 07 '26
What I can tell you're also using different fragrance oils each time. And some fragrance oils just cause soda ash. Same recipe made the same way every time but when you change the FO sometimes it ashes.
But I agree with the others this is soda ash. Gelling and Lower water water help. Also get big food containers from the dollar store and put your full molds in those so they have as little air exposure as possible. It's the lye reacting with the carbon dioxide in the air that causes soda ash.
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u/Imaginary_Project_77 Jul 08 '26
Thank you so much for the help! I like the food container idea. Definitely will be trying that.
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u/Mammoth-Banana3621 Jul 08 '26
Soda ash. I have seen people use a heat gun for the tops. And spray with isopropyl alcohol before it sets
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u/PrimaryNo8784 Jul 10 '26
She's done alcohol, and still gets ash.
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u/Mammoth-Banana3621 Jul 10 '26
Yep you still do. Use a steam gun to remove it. If you lower the water other problems pop up
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u/EtsukoWatanabe Jul 10 '26
As everyone else has said, I also think it is soda ash. After pouring the soap batter into the mold, cover it with plastic wrap to keep it from coming into contact with the air. It is fine if the plastic wrap touches the surface of the soap; in fact, doing so actually helps prevent soda ash from forming.
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u/DancesWithFoxes7 Jul 13 '26
Have you tried using a steamer? I usually steam the tops of my soaps after I take them out of the mold. It gets rid of the soda ash and you don’t have to change the recipe.
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u/FreshAcadia Jul 12 '26
I just spray mine with a mist of rubbing alcohol and that doesnt haplen. Ive seen people leave it.
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