My first soaping heartbreak

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Balloons

Balloons

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I'm so upset I made my first batch of soap on 4/8/15. It has looked good for the last few weeks. Tonight I went to move it around for the air circulation, just like I do all the time. Well...I think I am seeing DOS on them now. I will have to take a better look in the morning but I am pretty sure there is very faint DOS. What would cause it to show up? Here's the recipe that I used. I used soapcalc. I want to cry
#Oil/Fat% Ounces
1Castor Oil4.5 1.00
2Coconut Oil, 76 deg 7.00
3Cottonseed Oil 7.00
4Palm Oil 7.00
Totals 22.00

IngredientPoundsOuncesGrams
Water0.52 8.36 237.00
Lye - NaOH0.203.20 90.83

Water as percent of oil weight38%
Super Fat/Discount5%

Fragrance Weight (oz) .75 (This was the amount I had on hand and used)

Soap qualitySuggestedYour Recipe
Hardness29 - 54 49.3
Cleansing12 - 22 21.6
Conditioning44 - 69 45.8
Bubbly14 - 46 25.7
Creamy16 - 48 31.8
Iodine41 - 70 58.3
INS136 - 165 160.9
 
Can you post pics? DOS has different causes, it often hard if not impossible to figure out the reason. Storing without air flow, using oils with short shelf life or storing in high humidity can all increase chance of DOS.

Cottonseed might have contributed to it in your case. As long as the soap does smell horrible, you can use it no problem. I generally scoop out the spots with my fingernail and keep using the soap.
 
That seems too soon for DOS to show up. Did you use any additives in your soap? Honey or herbs?
 
I didn't add anything other than what I listed Maybe it was my FO.
I really need to take a good look at it during the day. My house is like living in a cave...always so dark....even during the day
 
It's still pretty early where I am at so I just took this pic under a light. Not the best pic. I am a horrible 'photographer'.
ImageUploadedBySoap Making1430216862.523949.jpg
 
What fragrance did you use? Maybe it just didn't get mixed in well enough. What I would do is dig out a bit and see if it smells rancid or off and is it soft in comparison to the soap itself?
 
I used a brand of FO made by Abbey&Sullivan. I have a feeling it is not meant for cp soap. I just emailed the company to find out. Hopefully they will get back to me today. I really wanted to make some soap today and that is the only brand of FO's I have on hand
 
I checked there website, it looks like their FO's are safe for soap. I hate to say it but it does look like DOS to me. I've had DOS show up quickly before so it can happen. I'd suggest you try a different recipe, see if that helps. This is a nice basic recipe made with stable oils.

50% palm or lard
25% olive oil
20% coconut
5% castor
 
Feeling a little discouraged about soaping but I will definitely give that recipe a try!
 
Don't feel discouraged, we all go through troubles making soap. Some of my early soaps were so bad I had to toss them out. At least yours is still usable.
 
Obsidian...I'm not discouraged enough to give up. At least not yet.

kchaystack...You could be right! Thanks for the links. I took a quick look at them and bookmarked them also.
 
Last edited:
Oh...forgot to add. I received a response from the makers of the FO that I buy. They stated that yes I can use it in cp soap. Yay for that. I get it at a craft store that I shop at quite often. I also have a discount card for that store, which makes it even better.
 
Im leaning towards the cottonseed oil as well..

Next recipe just omit that oil and sub another for it.. {and no worries, we all have been there..even those who have soaped for years}..just think of soaping as an endless experiment and you will be fine :) One day you will land 'your' perfect go-to recipe :)
 
I'm gonna have to surf around the net to see what I can make using this cottonseed oil. I hate to just throw it out. Being new at cup soap making I of course bought plenty of different oils to work with. I really wanted to try some different recipes today but I have been knitting bird nests all day for a Wildlife Center for the injured and orphaned birds. Oh well...I have all of tomorrow afternoon to soap!
 
Good point kchaystack. The recipe I used, I think, had something like 31%
 
Balloons, please don't give up. It is such a creative, fun, good-smelling and feeling thing to do! Kind of utterly engrossing while you are doing it, waiting for Santa feeling while you are waiting to cut (gifts or coals ?:) and If you could see some of my early mistakes you would be very reassured :)
 

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