Does EO cause separation?

[mishka]

Hi,

I am made about 10 batches of soap so far and in the last 2 I discovered what separating means :sad:.
On both occasions I added EO (different kinds, Cherry and Ylang Ylang, same brand) at light trace, then the soap started to separate. The 1st separation was a recipe with wine, the second one was very simple, no additives.
Can EO make the soap separate?

 

[not_ally]

I don't use EOs much (except in blends), so not sure if this applies. But occasionally I have used an FO that makes the soap heat up much more than usual (or I've put in too much by mistake). I think the separation comes from the overheating. Seems less likely to happen w/EOs b/c you guys use less, though. Also, I find that adding FO to the oils before putting in the lye seems to help w/r/t acceleration. If you post your recipe and process here people will be happy to offer their thoughts ....

 

[galaxyMLP]

I am pretty certain you can't have cherry essential oil. Are you sure you did not use a fragrance oil?

 

[IrishLass]

I am pretty certain you can't have cherry essential oil. Are you sure you did not use a fragrance oil?

I agree with Galaxy. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a cherry essential oil. What companies did you buy the oils from?


IrishLass

 

[mishka]

Now that you mention there is no Chery EO, it makes sesnse , that is what it said on the bottle, silly me to belive it.I got the oils on Ebay, Biggame is the company.

The recipe:
Water 266 g
Lye, 102 g
Coconut oil, 76 deg, 200 g
Palmolein, 200 g
Mango butter, 100 g
Crisco, 150 g
Almond oil, 50 g

At light trace i added the believed Ylan Ylang EO, and later red food coloring.

Is there an easy way to recognize whether you really have good EO.

Thank you for the help.

 

[Susie]

You order from a trusted soap making supply company, and don't trust super cheap prices unless you come ask us first.

That is a lot of CO in that recipe. CO is a known heater.

 

[galaxyMLP]

Essential oils should evaporate/volatalize readily on thin paper and should not leave a residue.

Try dabbing a filter paper (like a piece of coffee filter) with your "EO" to make a small dot on the paper. It should absorb/disperse readily into a ring. over about 8 hours, the ring should not be oily anymore. It is normal to still see a spot or color (If the EO is originally colored) but it should not feel oily at all. It should feel dry to the touch.

You also should not use food coloring in CP soaps as they will change/morph on contact with the lye.

 

[mishka]

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[skepnic]

helppp

I bought liquid castile and added some eo. Some of them have separation. Question is.. can i reheat my castile soap before adding eo to make them blend in? Or should i add eo to castile when it is not fully cured to avoid separation?

 

[DeeAnna]

You can try warming the soap gently and see if the EO mixes in. It might work -- but you will have to try it to answer that question.

I do not follow what you mean by your second question. Once liquid soap is fully saponified and all lye has been used up, liquid soap is safe to use. It does not require a cure like bar soap does. And you said you bought the soap anyway, so I don't see how this applies to your situation even if LS needed to be cured.