A soap I bought and just unwrapped...

[soapgeek]

Good morning soapy friends!

I just unwrapped a cp soap that I recently bought (photos attached of each side of the soap). Does anyone know what the markings are please, I presume the soap is absolutely fine to use...

The soap was wrapped in greaseproof paper, with the shiny side to the soap.

The label lists the ingredients as:

Sodium cocoate
Sodium olivate
Sodium hempseedate
Sodium beeswaxate
Patchouli oil
Ground hempseed

Expiry date: 01/2022

Thanks in advance for your input!

 

[shunt2011]

That looks like DOS to me. Does it smell off? Hemp has a short shelf life to start.

 

[soapgeek]

That looks like DOS to me. Does it smell off? Hemp has a short shelf life to start.

Thank you... I don't think it smells off, although I'm not too sure what off would smell like tbh... It doesn't smell strong or anything...

At least I know what DOS looks like now though!

I was thinking of trying to make a soap that has a CO base, that's why I bought this one, but I think it feels a bit 'dry'... I think more OO to CO will be better...

 

[KiwiMoose]

That'll learn ya! Make your own in future

 

[soapgeek]

That'll learn ya! Make your own in future

Lol, I've only just started making my own really, just learning, I thought by buying one I'd not only be supporting a small business but I wouldn't have to wait weeks to find out if I like CO-heavy soap - research objective achieved, I don't!

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm not sure that a CO 'base' is a good idea. Most people never use it over 20% in a regular recipe as it can be too drying. It's hard to know what the percentages are in this soap you purchased but we would assume that the highest is listed first, in which case they may well have used 30% or more. It is possible to make a high CO soap if you use a super-duper large superfat, but we don't know that either. Beeswax is usually only used at about 3 % and hempseed I'm guessing 5% so there is likely a heapin' helpin' of both CO and OO in there.
If you balance your recipe with 20% CO, 20-40% other hard oil for palmitic/stearic (so choose palm oil, lard, tallow, soy wax, cocoa butter or shea butter, or a mix of a few of these, accordingly) and then a few other soft oils like OO, Sweet Almond, High Oleic Sunflower etc for oleic content, and a dash of castor for creamy lather the you should be fine.

 

[moodymama]

kind of looks like it was cured on a metal rack.

 

[shunt2011]

That bar isn't really a well balanced recipe personally. I dislike high OO soaps, I don't care how their made. I keep my CO at 20% or less. I've used hemp oil in soap but kept it at 10% with no issues.

 

[Susie]

kind of looks like it was cured on a metal rack.

My thought exactly.

OP-Don't use a metal rack to cure soap. Also, don't buy soap you can't see. I have bought more than one with DOS that way.

 

[soapgeek]

I'm not sure that a CO 'base' is a good idea. Most people never use it over 20% in a regular recipe as it can be too drying. It's hard to know what the percentages are in this soap you purchased but we would assume that the highest is listed first, in which case they may well have used 30% or more. It is possible to make a high CO soap if you use a super-duper large superfat, but we don't know that either. Beeswax is usually only used at about 3 % and hempseed I'm guessing 5% so there is likely a heapin' helpin' of both CO and OO in there.
If you balance your recipe with 20% CO, 20-40% other hard oil for palmitic/stearic (so choose palm oil, lard, tallow, soy wax, cocoa butter or shea butter, or a mix of a few of these, accordingly) and then a few other soft oils like OO, Sweet Almond, High Oleic Sunflower etc for oleic content, and a dash of castor for creamy lather the you should be fine.

Ah, thank you for the tips! I have some Sweet Almond oil and Castor too, wasn't quite sure what to do with them tbh...

Haha, I needed to clean my oven and racks as they're messy with burnt-on 'husband making food and bread' stuff (he's a chef, but throws ingredients around with a flourish so stuff gets everywhere)... anyway, I thought I'd try to clean it with the soap that's the subject of this post - I've just cleaned them, and flipping heck, my oven racks are sparkling and it's shifted the burnt-on stuff at the bottom of the oven far better than the Fairy Liquid I'd normally use!!! My fingers are a bit dry, but I think I might make some 'household soap'... a fail has turned out to be a win! £4.50 for oven cleaner, I'm happy with that

That bar isn't really a well balanced recipe personally. I dislike high OO soaps, I don't care how their made. I keep my CO at 20% or less. I've used hemp oil in soap but kept it at 10% with no issues.

Is this soap likely to be high in OO as well as CO then? Or did you mean you dislike high CO soaps? Sorry, I'm not sure if I'm reading it right?

kind of looks like it was cured on a metal rack.

Ah, the lines... could be!

My thought exactly.

OP-Don't use a metal rack to cure soap. Also, don't buy soap you can't see. I have bought more than one with DOS that way.

Yes, I bought this one online... would the DOS likely have developed once it had already been wrapped? I'd hope the maker wouldn't wrap it if the marks were already there

Hi, I’ve just cut a batch and to my horror I think I have air bubbles! Attached a photo - this is the first time this has happened, also there was quite a thick trace, just wondering if this is the reason. Although I did ‘drop’ the mould on the table a couple of times it doesn’t seem to have made any difference. Just worried that over time these holes will affect the soap? Thanks

Here they are

 

[shunt2011]

Is this soap likely to be high in OO as well as CO then? Or did you mean you dislike high CO soaps? Sorry, I'm not sure if I'm reading it right?

I dislike high OO soap. I can tolerate 20% Coconut oil soap just fine. I find high OO soap drying ......castile soap I don't like at all.

The DOS probably developed while wrapped. There's no way for you to know how long that soap has been around or stored. I'm also guessing they are probably new at it as well if curing on metal racks unlined.

 

[SeaSuds]

Would you consider giving the vendor some private feedback about his/her soap so that they have a chance to rectify the issue? I'm off to try some of my old soaps to clean the oven!!

 

[DeeAnna]

My initial thought as I looked at the dark lines across the soap and the swaybacked top of the bar, was maybe this was a hot-processed soap and the patchouli hadn't been stirred in well enough after the cook and was bleeding out of the soap.

After reading the thread and looking again at the very straight lines of discoloration and the dark yellow on the right hand side of the soap, I think y'all are right -- it's rancidity.

 

[Jersey Girl]

I would contact the seller and hopefully they will make it right.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

The minute I saw an expiration date I would stay far away from that soap. I have soap that I made over 10 years ago that looks and performs just as well as any of my currently made and cured soaps. Definitely looks rancid.

 

[soapgeek]

Would you consider giving the vendor some private feedback about his/her soap so that they have a chance to rectify the issue? I'm off to try some of my old soaps to clean the oven!!

Yes, I'm going to send an email with the photos...

Let us know how you get on with the oven clean!

 

[soapgeek]

I would contact the seller and hopefully they will make it right.

Yes, I'm going to send an email with the photos

 

[soapgeek]

The minute I saw an expiration date I would stay far away from that soap. I have soap that I made over 10 years ago that looks and performs just as well as any of my currently made and cured soaps. Definitely looks rancid.

Ah, well spotted!

I'm in the UK, I'm not 100% sure, but I think I read somewhere about labelling requirements and use by in the UK... even so, thinking about it, 2022 seems a long way off!

Update: I bought a bar of their aloe vera for my daughter too... She hadn't unwrapped it yet, so I just asked her to, and this also has weird lines on it... I'm going to email and attach the photos and Batch Numbers. The thing is, this company, it was founded by a qualified chemist, two soaps from different batches being sold with 'issues' is not good I think

 

[moodymama]

Yep they are curing them on metal racks. I don't know what kind of place you bought it from but if able to leave a written review on a site, I would.

 

[moodymama]

Ah, thank you for the tips! I have some Sweet Almond oil and Castor too, wasn't quite sure what to do with them tbh...

Haha, I needed to clean my oven and racks as they're messy with burnt-on 'husband making food and bread' stuff (he's a chef, but throws ingredients around with a flourish so stuff gets everywhere)... anyway, I thought I'd try to clean it with the soap that's the subject of this post - I've just cleaned them, and flipping heck, my oven racks are sparkling and it's shifted the burnt-on stuff at the bottom of the oven far better than the Fairy Liquid I'd normally use!!! My fingers are a bit dry, but I think I might make some 'household soap'... a fail has turned out to be a win! £4.50 for oven cleaner, I'm happy with that


Is this soap likely to be high in OO as well as CO then? Or did you mean you dislike high CO soaps? Sorry, I'm not sure if I'm reading it right?


Ah, the lines... could be!


Yes, I bought this one online... would the DOS likely have developed once it had already been wrapped? I'd hope the maker wouldn't wrap it if the marks were already there

Hi, I’ve just cut a batch and to my horror I think I have air bubbles! Attached a photo - this is the first time this has happened, also there was quite a thick trace, just wondering if this is the reason. Although I did ‘drop’ the mould on the table a couple of times it doesn’t seem to have made any difference. Just worried that over time these holes will affect the soap? Thanks

Here they are

Just make sure to bang the mold down good next time you have a batter that thick.