Lemongrass EO

[Shannon Dillman]

Hi this is my first post here
I make a lemongrass soap, I had notable trouble with my 2 last batches so looked back at my notes from my previous 4-5 batches. Each batch had notes like seized, saved fail (ricing), it appears that each batch I made had acceleration issues. I guess my inexperience plus persistence equals knowledge? Because:
Yesterday I tried 2 batches of the exact same recipe using 2 different methods. One counter top fluid HP and one CP. I added lemongrass at 2.7% and benzoin pourable at 1.7% to both methods.
CP method: I added at light trace, and not to the 2 colour pots I poured off. I soaped at 85:89F lyeils (beef tallow, coconut, olive, avocado) Oh man, she set up like play-doe instantly. I glopped it into my molds and tried to fill the holes with the unscented colour batter.
The fluid HP behaved beautifully. I ended up pouring it over the whole mess in hopes that it would bang down into the holes. I have no idea how that will play out.
Is mixing an HP with a CP even legal? So my experience with lemongrass is that something is misbehaving. Every time. Is 85 still too warm? Last batch - 2 weeks ago my CP temp was about 95, it set very fast as well! Is it the benzoin? I don’t want to live without this soap in my life but something has to change! Thanks in advance for any suggestions

 

[Andrew]

I use a lot of cedarwood and lemongrass. neither have accelerated trace for me. among the number of ingredients that have seized my soap, fragrance oil has been a constant culprit.

 

[Susie]

I have used lemongrass from multiple manufacturers and over 5 years of soaping, it has been the one I make over and over. I have never, not even once, had any problem with it seizing or misbehaving in any way. I often recommend new soapers use it just because it is so utterly reliable, and everyone seems to love it. So, whatever is going wrong, you need to look somewhere other than the Lemongrass EO.

 

[Obsidian]

Try leaving out the benzoin, see if that helps. The lemongrass shouldn't be giving you any issues.

 

[Andrew]

I use a lot of lemongrass and have never had a seizing issue with it. My myrrh accelerates trace super quick, but I have not seen the same issue with my benzoin. How much tallow are you using?

If I were to guess, I would say you are soaping too cold. The stearic acid (the first fatty acid one to saponify) is solidifying first and making that ricing issue. I have had that issue before. Stearic acid also makes a super hard soap but when soaped cool seizes. I would bump the next batch up to 100˚ at least and you should be able to pour right at trace and be fine.

I cold process my shaving soap at 130˚ so you should be fine at 100˚. If your next batch seizes as well, you can just toss it into a crock pot and hot process it.