A few ponderings!

[dixiedragon]

Vanilla is generally a good sticker. When did you add it? If you added it before the cook, it's possible that you cooked off a lot of it during the HP process.

I've never used vanilla stabilizer, because a) people say it doesn't prevent discoloration, just slows it down and b) some people say it adds a sour smell. I am wondering if the sour smell is "cancelling" the vanilla to you nose?

Also, try wetting the bar and washing your hands with it. Some scents will really bloom when the bar is wet.

 

[IrishLass]

I've never used vanilla stabilizer, because a) people say it doesn't prevent discoloration, just slows it down and b) some people say it adds a sour smell. I am wondering if the sour smell is "cancelling" the vanilla to you nose?

I've been having really good success with the vanilla stabilizer from BCN for CP soap. I've been using it for over 4 years now.

YMMV, but for what it's worth, it works great to keep the brown away for a very long time in my soaps scented with Santa's Pipe from Sweetcakes, which normally discolors tan-to-brown for me (staves discoloration off for over 3 years), and also with WSP's Sugared Spruce, which normally discolors light-to-medium tan for me (staving discoloration off 1.5 years so far, and still counting).

It smells horrible OOB (be advised- do not smell it straight OOB unless you want a migraine), but it does not leave any smell behind in my finished soap or mess with the scent of my FOs. The FO might smell weird as the batter is being mixed, but it goes back to normal after saponification.

I use an equal amount of the stabilizer as per my FO, but on the advice of some of my trusty soap-maker friends who swear by BCN's stabilizer above all others, I do not mix it with my FO as the directions suggest to do. They told me to mix it in with my melted fats/oils instead before adding in the FO and lye solution, and that's what I do. They say it works better for them that way, and it's been working great that way for me, too.


IrishLass