Black spot in soap

[kfd518]

I had forgotten about a soap long stashed in the bathroom cabinet. When I pulled it out it was rather dusty from being uncovered for years on the counter before being placed in the cabinet once I resigned myself to the fact that a newborn was not conducive to straight shaving in a household with parents working opposite schedules. I rinsed it off and after rinsing noted a black spot in the edge about the size of a nickel. It smells and lathers the same as it always has. There was nothing on top of the spot indicating mold. It just appears to be discolored. It also appears to have been made in a muffin tin by the shape. I cannot for the life of me remember the origins of this soap either. I’m wondering if it could just be iron discoloration from said muffin tin if it was formed in a muffin tin.

Any thoughts?

 

[Toothpick]

Just speaking on what I would do….

If you can’t recall who makes it I would just toss it out. Good soaps are a plenty out there. Get another. If you really want to use it just cut the black spots out. Probably wouldn’t hurt ya but why take a chance.

 

[lasta]

Maybe the wife thought it was a muffin and browned it in the oven.

 

[FarmerTan]

Maybe the wife thought it was a muffin and browned it in the oven.

Entirely possible in this household.....

Just speaking on what I would do….

If you can’t recall who makes it I would just toss it out. Good soaps are a plenty out there. Get another. If you really want to use it just cut the black spots out. Probably wouldn’t hurt ya but why take a chance.

Probably the smartest thing.....but I think I'd just have to whittle off the discolored parts and keep it. Of course, I have a hard time throwing away moldy bread... Scottish blood is hard to overcome!

 

[nav]

If it's not mould, then you can likely still use it.
The spot is likely some oils in the soap that have oxidized.
This happens more often with unsaturated fatty acids in soaps.

 

[Hu3ir0 Hu3Hu3]

 

[brucered]

My rule is, if you have to ask if something looks moldy or smells funny, it's.not worth keeping. No second opinion needed. As soon as that thought enters my head or someone is my house asks me, it gets thrown out.

Toss it.

 

[deafficianado]

When it doubt, throw it out.

 

[kfd518]

I figured it out. If you look in the photo you can see lots of TINY brown specs. I now remember after speaking with my sister and my mother concerning this. It was a very early attempt on my part at making soap with an old recipe from three generations back in the family that uses spices in the soap vs essential oils or infusion.
When I cut them out I found small unbroken clumps of ground clove in the black spots. Had this never set for as long as it had this probably would never have been noticed as when water and brush bristles ran across the clumps of spice it would have moved it around re distributing it.