Clayish/Oil Smell in Soap

[SoapHappyNYC]

Hello. I made a goat milk oatmeal soap, prevented gel, using no scent. When using the soap it smells slightly sharp/oil paint type smell. Does anyone know if this will dissipate with curing or if unscented soap will tend to retain these qualities? Just wondering if I am better off using a FO or EO next time.

 

[Obsidian]

Milk soaps can have a chemical like smell, it should fade with time. I never use any additives if I'm making unscented soap as I can smell any other liquid used and I don't care for it.

 

[SoapHappyNYC]

I guess next time I will add scent. This batch will be for us to enjoy to home and not for gifts! Thanks for the info!

 

[roseb]

Did you use powdered or liquid milk? I use powdered goat milk added to my oils and I don't get any bad odor. Goat milk, honey and oatmeal is my fav. I never scent mine and it has a lovey light oat scent. It should be fine after a good cure.

 

[SoapHappyNYC]

I add powdered goat milk to the water and then add lye but can certainly try adding the powder to the oils instead. Goat milk, oatmeal and honey sounds like a luxurious combination. I also tried preventing gel by putting the soap in my freezer - could that affect odor? While the texture of non-gelled soap is nice, the difference between gel and non-gel doesn't seem to be significant...at least for now.

 

[Lin]

I'd mix the lye with the water and add the powder to the oils, or the water after its cool as opposed to mixing the power with the water before lye. This way you wouldn't have to worry about burning the milk.

I made goats milk soap a couple weeks ago with canned goat milk that I froze. It had a weird chemical odor that I noticed super strong when unmolding, but my bf couldn't smell it. Said it smelled chocolately to him from the cocoa for color! Its gotten much less, and I think is completely gone now but maybe if I sniffed up close I could smell it. Haven't tried the soap yet of course. I can't wait to, its goatsmilk with oatmeal flour.

I bought the powder to use from now on with goatsmilk soap just to simplify things, so I don't have to freeze the goatsmilk a day ahead. And I got a big container of powder for about the same price as 2 cans, but it will make more volume than 2 cans so its cheaper.

Interestingly with your title, I have a soap that smells like modeling clay. It still does now so I wonder if it will go away. Its unscented but used celery to color it green, and a somewhat unusual mix of oils to try to enhance the green color and because I was making embeds so I wasn't as worried about it being a perfect soap on its own. Its embed in the goat milk soap, but I've got a couple extra trees and then a big puck of the scraps smashed together.

 

[SoapHappyNYC]

Yes, the powder is very convenient. I'll try adding the powder to the oils instead. The scent doesn't bother me so much, but it is noticeable and others may not find it so "earthy" lol I haven't tried embedding yet, but it always looks so pretty in the pics I've seen. When you add the scraps do you add at trace or just layer when you are pouring the soap? I am still working on creating layers actually, then hopefully soon a swirl. My only mold is a small silicone mold which makes it tough to swirl. I need more fun supplies! :grin:

 

[roseb]

I haven't tried embeds yet either. It's on my to do list...which is quite long. But with a limited budget I can only do so much. We can all use more toys! LOL

 

[Lin]

I did an easy embedding in a slab mold, using cookie cutter trees soap for christmas. I need to post an updated picture, as since the last one I've squared up the bars, and painted some soap on the top surface of the trees to add some green sugar sprinkles. Helps bring out the trees more since they're a rather pale green, and hey it makes the bar a sugar scrub for the first use

 

[SoapHappyNYC]

Sounds pretty. Definitely post the picture!

 

[Lin]

I posted it here http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=381053#post381053