Beginner Questions

[Screamapiller]

Hi,

I have a couple batches finished, and they smell like the oils used to make them. The very first batch I made doesn't, but I think it's really lye heavy. The other two seem fine, but smell like (1) coconut oil, and (2) hazelnut oil.

They don't smell bad, (especially the coconut one - it also has cinnamon added to it and smells like breakfast), but does the smell of the oils go away with time and saponification? I've smelled other handmade soaps and I don;t remember them smelling like any particular oils.

Second question: I made a batch of soap using powdered milk, and honey. The instructions I was following said to add the powdered milk to the honey, and then to a little bit of the melted fat. I don't think it fully homogenized, as there seem to be little bits of darker spots in my soap. Is this normal for powdered milk soap, or should it be smoother?

 

[lsg]

You have probably heard this before, but I will say it again, always run a new recipe through SoapCalc or another lye calculator to make sure the amounts are right. Did you melt the coconut oil in with the hazelnut oil? If so, maybe you heated them too hot. I would wait a couple of weeks to see if the scent changes. You can always rebatch the soap and add fragrance.

 

[judymoody]

I think it would be tough to dissolve milk into honey. I set aside some of the water from my recipe, make a slurry with the milk powder, and then blend it into my oils. No grains. There are many methods for incorporating honey. Do a search and you will find them. I add honey to my cooled off lye water. It heats up again and then once it's cool, I make my soap.