Milk and Sugar

by Debbie
(WV, USA)

I noticed that you have confectioners sugar in a lot of your recipes. Why do you use sugar & why confectioners sugar verses cane sugar?

I have a coconut in my refrigerator just waiting to be cracked :) How would I use the milk in a soap recipe? I'd like to have a white or off white soap and every time that I use milks in the soap making process they seem to take on an orange color.... is this also the case with coconut milk?

Your soaps are BEAUTIFUL!

Answer:

Here's a link to answer your first question...Why use sugar in a soap recipe?

To avoid having your soap turn orange when using milk do the following.

Instead of using milk from the start, add it at trace. To do this you use half the amount of liquid as water to dissolve your lye in and bring the soap to a light trace. At this point you will add the remaining half of liquid as milk that has been fortified with powdered milk to make it double strength. Slowly stir in the milk and continue to bring the soap to a full trace.

This method gives a much whiter bar of soap and contains the full amount of milk.

You don't have to fortify the milk to make it double strength if you don't want too.

Also note that the milk should be either room temperature or slightly warm...not cold from the fridge.

Hope that makes sense,
Cathy