Fan fail?

[mbranchau]

My first batch of cold process soap came to cure yesterday. I was so excited I grabbed the bar and immediately took it to the bathroom. To my dismay, the soap has absolutely no smell while using it. I have been running a fan in my office to keep the soap from sweating while curing. I had noticed a bit of moisture on the bars after puttingbthem in my conference room to cure. Utilities are rolled into my rent and I do not have control over the temperature in the office on the weekend. Did the fan blow all of the send out of my soap? I followed the soapcalc recipe exactly to make sure that I had enough scent in the soap when I made it. Any ideas?

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome!

We're going to need a bit more info about what scent you used, and where you got it from to really help. But, soap often smells less on the outside of the bars after curing than on the inside. Use it a few times, and see if the scent does not come back before getting disheartened.

 

[JustBeachy]

Air circulation is part of the curing process, albeit I've never used a fan. Still, it would be one heck of a fan to "blow away" all the scent from a soap.

Sounds more like your scent just faded out or didn't take at all, or you used too little. What scent did you use, and how much per pound?

 

[navigator9]

Some FOs are known as "stickers", while others can be "faders". And then there are some that seem to fade, only to reappear again after a full cure. And some that seem to "bloom" when you get them wet in the shower.But I don't know of any that blow away after sitting in front of a fan. You may have just chosen one that doesn't have a particularly strong presence.

You didn't tell us anything about what the soap was like otherwise. Did it have nice lather? How did your skin feel afterwards? Was it amazing? Fragrance isn't everything....how about the rest???

 

[shunt2011]

I'm with the others. What scent did you use and how much. Some require more and some less. I generally shoot for 1 oz ppo for weaker scents and .5-.8 for stronger scents. You also need to check the allowable usage rate recommended by the supplier.

 

[mbranchau]

This batch I used Lavender essential oil. I believe I used 1oz ppo. It was my first batch so I didn't keep good notes. It was a basic soap recipe off the internet. I just wanted to see if I could do it. I can still smell the scent on the part of the bar that was down on the wax paper.

 

[JustBeachy]

This batch I used Lavender essential oil. I believe I used 1oz ppo. It was my first batch so I didn't keep good notes. It was a basic soap recipe off the internet. I just wanted to see if I could do it. I can still smell the scent on the part of the bar that was down on the wax paper.

Hmmmm, well that is strange. Some lavender can fade a little, but not really as fast as you're describing. Certainly not at 1oz PPO. I use lavender at .8 ppo and have no problems.

Does your bottle of EO smell really strong? Was it a reputable brand? Not all EO's are created equal, some are highly diluted.

Could it be, no accusations here, a mistake in measuring the EO? I've done that one before.Once I was cleaning up after the pour and noticed a ramekin with something still in it. Realized at this point it was my EO blend that I just flat out forgot to pour in the batter.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree, I use lavender at .5-.7 and it's mighty strong and doesn't fade much. I too am wondering if the FO was from a reputable company. It's a strange thing going on for sure...

 

[mbranchau]

Since it was my first batch, I picked up a bottle of the Whole Foods brand of Lavender essential oil from their store. My scale ended up dying not long after I made this batch so maybe it was off when I measured. It is highly possible. I was just scared to make any more and put it in the room with the fan. If I leave the fan off, the soap gets dew like droplets on it when I first put it out to cure.

 

[JustBeachy]

Since it was my first batch, I picked up a bottle of the Whole Foods brand of Lavender essential oil from their store. My scale ended up dying not long after I made this batch so maybe it was off when I measured. It is highly possible. I was just scared to make any more and put it in the room with the fan. If I leave the fan off, the soap gets dew like droplets on it when I first put it out to cure.

Some soaps will "sweat" a bit at first, depending on the recipe. Home made soap contains glycerin which is a humectant, which can pull moisture from the air. You'd be surprised how much moisture can get into the house from say a shower, cooking, etc.
Could also be EO', not mixed in well, some of the superfatted oils moving. In any case, let it sit like that for a day or two. Most of the time, it should just absorb back in. I'd bet it'll be fine