Troubleshooting!

[serenaglynn]

Second batch for me - used a half teaspoon grapefruit seed extract as recommended in Melinda Coss's book to speed up trace time. Used a recipe with coconut oil, rapeseed and sunflower oil. Recipe doesnt call for temp monitoring. Did the figure 8 drizzle and didnt see anything happen, but being as the mixture had changed in appearance and texture, added some dried thyme and sandalwood oil (not essential oil) and poured into moulds. Covered molds with towels.
Checked a few hours later, mixture still nicely warm, and setting fast, but obviously sweating a little, so i used a piece of absorbent kitchen towel to absorb the sweat from it being covered..
This morning, all is good, the soap is well set BUT -
There is no particular smell from any of the ingredients I added - ie it doesnt smell like nice soap should.
Also, the oil I added seems to be seeping out of it. Ive laid the bars on a towel now to air dry and absorb any oil coming out.
What did I do wrong folks?

 

[serenaglynn]

update: laying bars on a towel seemed to resolve the oil seepage issue. guess it was just excess. But why doesnt it smell? I put in 10ml sandalwood fragrance oil and 2tbsp of dried thyme. Does curing over the 4/6 week period change the scent any?

 

[Genny]

How big is your recipe? 10 ml of fragrance oil doesn't seem like very much.

Also, I have found that the scent of most herbs doesn't survive saponification.

 

[serenaglynn]

Ok, i can cross herbs off the list then. do essential oils survive saponification better than fragrance oils?

 

[Hazel]

Some essential oils do survive saponification but tend to fade over time especially citrus ones. I've never tried this but other members said EOs like litsea and patchouli help to anchor other EOs.

eta: Whoops! I just reread your question (need more coffee to open my eyes). FOs do hold up better than EOs but some FOs also fade in soap. I used NG's Kismet in a batch and it faded in about 6 weeks. This is why it's important to test fragrances in soap to find out which ones fade and which ones stick.

If you haven't joined yet, the Soap Scent Review Board is extremely helpful. You do have to join with a paid email addy. http://soapscentreview.obisoap.ca/

You can also check out the Fragrance Oils Chart. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...UVFTXY5M2o4MVRMZm4wdFE&authkey=CMTEtswL#gid=0

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

When you say you used Sandalwood oil, but not the essential oil, are you sure your oil was skin safe, like a fragrance oil? Just wondering if that is what was seeping out? Did you zap test yet?
Yeah, and 10 ml isn't usually even enough for a 1lb batch. Many essential oils survive the saponification process...some may be weakened by it, like citrus oils.

 

[lizflowers42]

When you say you used Sandalwood oil, but not the essential oil, are you sure your oil was skin safe, like a fragrance oil? Just wondering if that is what was seeping out? Did you zap test yet?
Yeah, and 10 ml isn't usually even enough for a 1lb batch. Many essential oils survive the saponification process...some may be weakened by it, like citrus oils.

Can you explain zap testing? I tried searching the forum and I get"too many results try advanced search" but advanced search doesn't work either!

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Here's my very own "visual" tutorial for zap testing right here on the forum :wink: :
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/zap-test-visual-guide-30690/

 

[serenaglynn]

Is there any point in testing this early in the process? Incidentally, there is no zap, so is that a good sign?:neutral:

 

[lizflowers42]

Thanks! Great tutorial! But isn't there a bunch of warnings about lye being dangerous??

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Is there any point in testing this early in the process? Incidentally, there is no zap, so is that a good sign?:neutral:

You can zap test right out of the mold, especially if you gel your soap or HP. You could wait 48 hours from pour, when the bulk of saponification is complete.
No zap = :clap: !

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Thanks! Great tutorial! But isn't there a bunch of warnings about lye being dangerous??

Zap testing has been an accepted method by soap makers for many many years. Yes, lye is dangerous, but I'm not suggesting you drink it :wink:. You could also use pH test strips or phenolphthalein if zap testing scares you :twisted:. It may seem a little barbaric, and maybe it is...but chemist before the 19th century actually used the "taste" method in labs, using their tongue as a chemical sensor (Scientific Soapmaking by Kevin M. Dunn). It is possible to get a lye burn on your tongue (or finger), so proceed with caution...but don't freak out!