Titanium Dioxide for Soap

by S. vinoth kumar
(chennai, tamil nadu, india)

What is titanium dioxide and why is it mostly used in the soap industry?

Answer:

Titanium Dioxide is a white mineral pigment that is found in nature in the form of minerals. It is also synthetically produced and used in a wide variety of industries.

Soap is not it's only application. It is used in cosmetics, sunscreen, paint and food to name a few of it's uses.

The reason it is used in soap is because of it's ability to lighten the colour of the soap. It makes colours much more crisp and solid looking. In general it gives the soap a look that is more appealing to most people.

It's usage is usually suggested at approximately 1 teaspoon per pound of base oils and comes in the forms of water soluble and oil disbursable.

To use Titanium Dioxide in soap making, simply mix it with a small amount of liquid oil or water from your recipe.

Be sure to blend it very well and make sure that all lumps are gone before mixing it into the soap batter. I find a milk frother to be quite helpful with this. You can also use the back of a spoon to mash the lumps.

I have found that using white mica along with titanium dioxide can really help to break up any clumps, too.

Cathy