Titanium Dioxide In Skin Products-When To Add Titanium Dioxide To Hot Process Soap

Titanium dioxide is a common ingredient used in soap making to achieve a white color or to opaque the soap. When making hot process soap, you typically add titanium dioxide at the beginning of the process, before you reach full gel phase or before the soap gets too hot.

Here’s a general guideline on when to add titanium dioxide to hot process soap:

1. **After Trace:** Once you have reached a light trace with your soap batter (when the mixture is thick enough to leave a trail when drizzled across the surface), you can add the titanium dioxide.

2. **Before Cooking:** Before you start cooking the soap in the crockpot or on the stove, you should mix in the titanium dioxide. This ensures that it is well-dispersed throughout the soap.

3. **Cooler Temperatures:** It’s often recommended to mix in titanium dioxide when the soap is cooler, as it can clump and be more difficult to disperse when the mixture is too hot.

Here’s how to do it:

– **Premix:** Premix the titanium dioxide with a small amount of liquid oil (like olive oil or any other lightweight oil) or a bit of the soap batter to create a slurry. This helps to prevent clumping and ensures an even distribution.

– **Mix In:** Add the slurry to the soap batter and mix thoroughly. Use a stick blender if necessary to ensure that the titanium dioxide is evenly dispersed.

– **Cook as Usual:** After adding the titanium dioxide, proceed with the hot process soap making steps as usual.

Remember that titanium dioxide is a pigment and can be quite fine and powdery, so you should take care to wear a mask to avoid inhaling the particles. Additionally, it’s important to note that adding too much titanium dioxide can make your soap more opaque but can also lighten the lather and potentially affect the final bar’s quality, so it’s best to use it in moderation. A common usage rate is about 1% of the total weight of your soap recipe.