Apple cider soap and a question about oats

[atiz]

I soaped today again! (Too much soaping.) For some weird reason in the last few days it really felt like fall will be coming (maybe the weather, maybe the fact that I'm only usually at home this much during summer). Fall means apples, so ended up making some apple cider soap that I have been planning to do for a while.

It turned out okay, but here is a question.
I have only used colloidal oatmeal twice, and both times the batter got to thick trace in less than 10 seconds. Is colloidal oatmeal known to accelerate? I tried to do some research here but all I found was various ways to grind oats etc.
I could have been other factors as well -- I used vinegar + apple cider syrup (not the alcoholic one but the real one) for liquid, which almost ended up in a volcano but it didn't. I soaped as cool as I could, but had 63% of hard fats, including beeswax, so couldn't do it very cool. I didn't take temp but it was probably around 100F.

Anyway, the soap is fine, I wasn't planning to do any swirls and such. Unmolded very fast like all my other beeswax soaps. It's scented with NG's Apple Jack Peel, which I used at the max 5% but seems a bit weak; maybe it will improve.

 

[Kcryss]

Wow, they look and it sounds wonderful! I would never have thought to use apple cider in soap. Apples and Cinnamon are my favorite scents.

 

[atiz]

Wow, they look and it sounds wonderful! I would never have thought to use apple cider in soap. Apples and Cinnamon are my favorite scents.

Thank you! This was my first time too, I had just read about it and it sounded fun. I love apple scent too

 

[penelopejane]

How much colloidal oatmeal are you using? I use oat milk and colloidal oatmeal with no acceleration using 31% lye concentration and 1TBSP colloidal oatmeal ppo.

 

[DeeAnna]

You might want to reconsider using this FO in soap. I've noticed apple scented FOs tend to have very low usage rates in soap. NGs Apple Jack Peel is no exception -- the IFRA guideline is 1% max.

 

[atiz]

How much colloidal oatmeal are you using? I use oat milk and colloidal oatmeal with no acceleration using 31% lye concentration and 1TBSP colloidal oatmeal ppo.

I used 1 tbsp for my 1 lb batch. But was working with 33% lye concentration -- could that possibly make a difference?

 

[atiz]

You might want to reconsider using this FO in soap. I've noticed apple scented FOs tend to have very low usage rates in soap. NGs Apple Jack Peel is no exception -- the IFRA guideline is 1% max.

Oh shoot, I just checked, and you're right. When I got this FO I was hesitating between a few different apple fragrances, and the other ones I was looking at -- I did check them -- had 5% usage rate. Apparently I did not check this one.
I'm obviously not going to give this soap to anyone, but if it doesn't irritate me, can I still use it? (I would only be using it as a hand soap.)

ETA: To be real precise it was a bit less than 5%, more like 3.5 (17g for the 500g oils). As with so many it was a bit sweet to me so I just mixed in some bergamot EO for the total 5%. But anyway, I really should've been more careful, all my "alternatives" (just checked again) had 5% max, should've gotten something else.

 

[DeeAnna]

My guess is it's the cinnamon-based chemicals that are the problem here. To give you some idea -- Cinnamon bark EO carries a high risk of skin sensitization, and cinnamon leaf EO carries a moderate risk of skin sensitization. (Essential Oil Safety, Tisserand and Young, 2nd ed). That's info about the EOs of course, not this particular FO.

You'll have to make your own call on whether to use it or not. I really can't give that advice.

If it makes you feel better, I just about made the same mistake. I wish these apple FOs were skin safe -- they smell heavenly.

 

[atiz]

My guess is it's the cinnamon-based chemicals that are the problem here. To give you some idea -- Cinnamon bark EO carries a high risk of skin sensitization, and cinnamon leaf EO carries a moderate risk of skin sensitization. (Essential Oil Safety, Tisserand and Young, 2nd ed). That's info about the EOs of course, not this particular FO.

You'll have to make your own call on whether to use it or not. I really can't give that advice.

If it makes you feel better, I just about made the same mistake. I wish these apple FOs were skin safe -- they smell heavenly.

Thank you, this makes sense.
I think I'll just wait and see. I don't think I'm sensitive to cinnamon; my very first soap (before I knew anything...) had quite a bit of cinnamon leaf EO and I could use it fine. But I do know now that it's an irritant and one has to be careful with it.

 

[penelopejane]

The only review on NG website for Apple Jack Peel says that it seized.
I never use FO's with bad reviews.

 

[atiz]

The only review on NG website for Apple Jack Peel says that it seized.
I never use FO's with bad reviews.

Not sure which one you're looking at, but no, it has 85 reviews and almost all are positive. There are more candles than soaps, but the soaping ones are positive too, some managed to do an ITP swirl, etc. I don't use FOs with bad reviews either.
I doubt the acceleration was due to the FO since it was the very same as the last time, when my FO was different.

 

[atiz]

The acceleration may have been a factor of a few different things. Vinegar probably accelerates a bit; I was also using 8% castor, which doesn't help; probably the oatmeal & aloe powder & apple cider syrup & hot temp didn't help it either.
Anyway, I can live with it, it's a lovely soap btw., tried it this morning. No irritation so far.

 

[Elizabeth Driver]

I soaped today again! (Too much soaping.) For some weird reason in the last few days it really felt like fall will be coming (maybe the weather, maybe the fact that I'm only usually at home this much during summer). Fall means apples, so ended up making some apple cider soap that I have been planning to do for a while.

It turned out okay, but here is a question.
I have only used colloidal oatmeal twice, and both times the batter got to thick trace in less than 10 seconds. Is colloidal oatmeal known to accelerate? I tried to do some research here but all I found was various ways to grind oats etc.
I could have been other factors as well -- I used vinegar + apple cider syrup (not the alcoholic one but the real one) for liquid, which almost ended up in a volcano but it didn't. I soaped as cool as I could, but had 63% of hard fats, including beeswax, so couldn't do it very cool. I didn't take temp but it was probably around 100F.

Anyway, the soap is fine, I wasn't planning to do any swirls and such. Unmolded very fast like all my other beeswax soaps. It's scented with NG's Apple Jack Peel, which I used at the max 5% but seems a bit weak; maybe it will improve.

View attachment 44829

“Too much soaping “
Is that a thing? I wonder if sugars in the apple cider would also accelerate things.....I love the allle stamp I. The soap!

 

[atiz]

“Too much soaping “
Is that a thing? I wonder if sugars in the apple cider would also accelerate things.....I love the allle stamp I. The soap!

Thanks Yes, there was probably too much sugar in this recipe (apple cider vinegar, apple cider), and then the oats, + I may have been soaping hotter than ideal.
Oh it's not even a stamp, I have a little 6'' slab mold in which I have been struggling to keep to soap batter level, so I put little square silicone mats on it and made some apple-shaped cut-outs! Super easy