100% Unscented Coconut Oil Soap smells like baby puke

[Jayrian]

Hi Guys,

I have been experimenting with making 100% Unscented Coconut Oil Soap.

• Water 150g
• NaOH 92.69g
• Coconut Oil 500g
• Glycerin 50g

Physically the result is a white and hard coconut oil soap with no smell.

However when I start using it and rubbing it on my hand the soap smells like baby puke.

Does anyone has the same experience? or is this the original unscented smell of the coconut oil soap?

Thank you

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I've never heard of this with an oil. Milks, yes, but not oils. I'm trying to think about how my 100% co stain sticks smell, but then they have no superfat so still not a like-for-like comparison.

 

[Jstar]

I've made 100% CO soaps, and never had that happen..as Effy said, only with cows milk {didn't even attempt goats milk after that experience ~lol~} but never with just oil...how old is the CO, and is it 100% CO or is it possibly mixed with another kind of oil in the container?

 

[Jayrian]

I've never heard of this with an oil. Milks, yes, but not oils. I'm trying to think about how my 100% co stain sticks smell, but then they have no superfat so still not a like-for-like comparison.

Hmm.. maybe I shouldn't have superfatted my co?

I've made 100% CO soaps, and never had that happen..as Effy said, only with cows milk {didn't even attempt goats milk after that experience ~lol~} but never with just oil...how old is the CO, and is it 100% CO or is it possibly mixed with another kind of oil in the container?

I just bought the co off the shop its expiry date is about 2 years away and its not mixed with other oils.

 

[Jstar]

I've also never used glycerin..how old is that? Are you doing CP or HP? If CP, how hot are you soaping? How many batches has this happened to?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Mine is for laundry soap - for washing me with, I would take a 20% superfat or so!

 

[Jayrian]

I've also never used glycerin..how old is that? Are you doing CP or HP? If CP, how hot are you soaping? How many batches has this happened to?

i am doing CP at 25 deg celcius. it happen to all my 3 batches

 

[Obsidian]

To me, 100% coconut soap has a distinct scent but I wouldn't say it smells like baby puke. Maybe you are just very sensitive to this smell and should use some kind of fragrance to cover it.

 

[shunt2011]

I too have never noticed a terrible smell from my 100% CO soap, as stated it does have a distinct smell but I don't find it offensive. I also have added additional glycerin (to mix colorants) and haven't noticed an off smell either.

 

[Susie]

I've never added glycerin to bar soaps, so I have no idea what effect that has on the soap, either. But I have made 100% CO soaps for a couple of years now, and no off smells. They just smell like soap. I have a super sensitive nose, so usually I am the one person in the room that smells something "off".

 

[Dorymae]

I'm curious as to whether the soap has a full cure on it. Sometimes when I cut 100% coconut soap it is still fairly hot and the middle is still gel like. (I only use it for laundry soap so pretty isn't a factor. ) this is the only time I've ever gotten an odd smell.

It doesn't happen when I scent the soap, only when it is unscented. I wonder if it only happens when it still has a good amount of water still in it, because once I grate it and dry it out I never smell it again.

I also wouldn't shower with it, so I wonder if it has been sitting in a wet soap dish, if that could trigger an odor? Just thinking out loud.

 

[Seawolfe]

Im curious as to why you are adding glycerin to this recipe? Is it vegetable glycerin?

And what does the oil smell like before you make it into soap? Im guessing like coconut...

 

[galaxyMLP]

The only time soap has smelled like puke to me was when I used a soap bar (my very first ever!!) that then went rancid inside of laundry soap (The whole batch went super rancid). Then my clothes started smelling like puke. Oh, it was soooo gross.

Thats the only thing I can think of when I hear it smells like puke is that maybe the soap is rancid? I know you said its fresh but...

 

[Jstar]

Well, if its not the oils, and its not the glycerin...only one other thing left..the water. Are you using tap water, city water, distilled?

Maybe its something in the water thats reacting with the lye and giving that awful smell...my aunt had the most awful smelling well water I think I have ever smelled..we couldn't drink it..we only used it for laundry and washing dishes.

 

[IrishLass]

I'm a little late to the party, but you are not the only one who smells the vomit smell with high % coconut oil soaps. On another forum some years back, I remember reading a thread about the same issue, but for whatever reason I could not find the thread again, but I did bump up against this more recent one that makes mention of it (read the second half of post #6 where it says 'On another side note): http://www.thedishforum.com/forum/i...ry-at-cphp/?hl=++vomit+++coconut#entry3451864

Apparently, from what the thread says, the smell is from lauric acid, which the poster said is really stinky and which is why coconut oil used to be considered an inferior soaping oil....because of the odor it left on the skin. My theory is that some people's noses are sensitive to that smell, and others are not, and /or maybe their skin's body chemistry just isn't compatible with it, much in the same way that certain perfumes smell horrible on one person, but wonderful on another.

PS- count me in with the others who are curious about the glycerin addition.


IrishLass

 

[Jayrian]

Hi everyone sorry for the late response

@ Dorymae - I cut the soap after 5 hours of molding. It is still hot but the middle part has hardened. I still use it for washing hand and showering.

@ Seawolfe - I added vegetable glycerin because I read that CO causes the skin to be dry and hoping the glycerin will add some moisture to the skin. The end result of the soap is still hard and white but its just the smell that is turning me off.

@ JStar - I used tap water but I also used the same water when making my other soap and they turned up ok, no funny smell like this one. The coconut oil and glycerin are odourless before mixture.

@ Galaxy - is there a method to test if the soap is rancid? by Ph value? or colors?

I read somewhere (I can't find the website anymore) maybe it is due to the excess co that goes rancid because I superfatted my soap? Will that be a possibility?

Thanks everyone for your input

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If I made a 100% co soap for use on me I would superfat it at 20% - many people do with no problems. I also superfat my salt bars at that amount and they are okay still.

This is intriguing

 

[Jstar]

Most def intriguing.....and we do love a good mystery do we not? ~lol~ Time to put on our sleuth hats a little more firmly me thinks :think:

 

[emilyruthus]

I also smell the puke smell of coconut oil soap. I thought I was the only one! When I cook with coconut oil - just heat it up in the pan before adding food to it, I also get a similar scent. I think it's like IrishLass theorized - some people smell it, some people don't.