kellistarr
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2008
- Messages
- 201
- Reaction score
- 26
Hello,
I would just like observation on my "bad oil" experience. I purchased a 50 lb bucket of coconut oil. It wasn't being advertised as pure, virgin, unrefined, or organic. Just "coconut oil 76F, for soapmaking." It was quite cheap. I received it on an extremely cold day and when I looked at it, it was quite white and didn't have a scent. Days later, when it had become soft enough for me to take a small piece and meassage it into my skin, I discovered a scent.
Nothing funky or rancid, but just more "chemical". A smell that made me decide that I wouldn't use this on my body like I do when I purchase virgin oil. The scent lingered. Even if I mixed with other oils, I decided that scent would overpower and come through. Later, I decided to make soap with it and that's when my nightmare began.
Instant seize!!!!!! I could feel it as soon as the first few drops of lye solution were poured into the oils. Right away, I knew it was the coconut oil, as my recipe was a tried one, many times. Still, I needed to be sure.
So I tested by using process of elimination, until I was just down to nothing but the coconut oil, itself. I tried my lye solution with milk and with water. I tried a 4lb batch (my largest) down to just 4 ounces of oil.
Most of the batches that couldn't be stirred at all, where I had cement on a SB, or mashed potatoes on a whisk, I Hot Processed. That worked and saved my soaps. I was able to add scent and additives because the opportunity to do so before the seize, wasn't there. On the batches, where it seemed that I could manipulate the soap a bit, I continued to stir in case I was experiencing a false trace, (which I was not). I added some fragrance oil and to my amazement, some fragrance oils actually loosened the mixture up a bit. Those batches I left as CP, though I certainly had to spoon into the mold with a LOT of slamming going on. These soaps look acceptable as far as soap goes, but moving forward, I think I'll just HP with every batch that I use this oil in.
On one of the last batches that I tested (when I was still under suspicion about this oil), once the seize happened in nano seconds, I continued to beat it with my whisk and when I had a "whisk cone" I decided to add some salt. Incredibly, the salt freed my whisk and my soap mixture resembled course meal. Pie crust mixture, if you will. There was no heat or anything. This mess that I created was doing nothing. The only thing that happened was that the volume had increased. I put the crumbly mxture in a small tofu container and another round plastic container.
Next day, nothing. Mixture was exactly as I left it. I put it into the crockpot and let it melt. I wasn't sure that it would melt, because it looked like a crumbly powder. But, sure enough, it did melt and quite smoothly and prettily. I added a little bit of sweet almond oil ( wasn't thinking castor :roll
and scented, then put back in tofu container. (Volume was reduced). An hour later, I cut what are now these cool salt bars. Again, this oil will be used for HP and Hp salt bars until it is out of my life and with 50 lbs, that'll be awhile. I just wonder if anyone else has gone through this? I saw that someone had recently went through a similar experience with some (we diagnosed) badly rendered tallow.
I wrote the chemical company to let them know what was happening, in case they didn't. I just wanted them to know that their coconut oil is not suitable for Cp soap, and wanted to know how it was processed, what was the scent? What did they (if they did it) cut this oil with?
The lesson? It seems, that in most cases, you get what you pay for. As I said, I knew I wasn't getting any premium oil but I never thought of coconut oil being cut with something else? I'm not willing to take a chance on bargains, again, unless the company is highly reputable. I've done business with this company before but won't call them out because they haven't had a chance to respond to my letter and I have been satisfied with the few other products that I've purchased from them.
However, I may be updating, depending on their response. Before I posted them a letter, I went to their site to see if the coconut oil was still being advertized and I saw two listings in two different sizes. One was labeled "food grade" and neither item had a list price. Sold out or what?
Don't know what it means. Maybe this is a new shipment.
I thank you for reading this long post of regret. What do y'all think?
I would just like observation on my "bad oil" experience. I purchased a 50 lb bucket of coconut oil. It wasn't being advertised as pure, virgin, unrefined, or organic. Just "coconut oil 76F, for soapmaking." It was quite cheap. I received it on an extremely cold day and when I looked at it, it was quite white and didn't have a scent. Days later, when it had become soft enough for me to take a small piece and meassage it into my skin, I discovered a scent.
Nothing funky or rancid, but just more "chemical". A smell that made me decide that I wouldn't use this on my body like I do when I purchase virgin oil. The scent lingered. Even if I mixed with other oils, I decided that scent would overpower and come through. Later, I decided to make soap with it and that's when my nightmare began.
Instant seize!!!!!! I could feel it as soon as the first few drops of lye solution were poured into the oils. Right away, I knew it was the coconut oil, as my recipe was a tried one, many times. Still, I needed to be sure.
So I tested by using process of elimination, until I was just down to nothing but the coconut oil, itself. I tried my lye solution with milk and with water. I tried a 4lb batch (my largest) down to just 4 ounces of oil.
Most of the batches that couldn't be stirred at all, where I had cement on a SB, or mashed potatoes on a whisk, I Hot Processed. That worked and saved my soaps. I was able to add scent and additives because the opportunity to do so before the seize, wasn't there. On the batches, where it seemed that I could manipulate the soap a bit, I continued to stir in case I was experiencing a false trace, (which I was not). I added some fragrance oil and to my amazement, some fragrance oils actually loosened the mixture up a bit. Those batches I left as CP, though I certainly had to spoon into the mold with a LOT of slamming going on. These soaps look acceptable as far as soap goes, but moving forward, I think I'll just HP with every batch that I use this oil in.
On one of the last batches that I tested (when I was still under suspicion about this oil), once the seize happened in nano seconds, I continued to beat it with my whisk and when I had a "whisk cone" I decided to add some salt. Incredibly, the salt freed my whisk and my soap mixture resembled course meal. Pie crust mixture, if you will. There was no heat or anything. This mess that I created was doing nothing. The only thing that happened was that the volume had increased. I put the crumbly mxture in a small tofu container and another round plastic container.
Next day, nothing. Mixture was exactly as I left it. I put it into the crockpot and let it melt. I wasn't sure that it would melt, because it looked like a crumbly powder. But, sure enough, it did melt and quite smoothly and prettily. I added a little bit of sweet almond oil ( wasn't thinking castor :roll
and scented, then put back in tofu container. (Volume was reduced). An hour later, I cut what are now these cool salt bars. Again, this oil will be used for HP and Hp salt bars until it is out of my life and with 50 lbs, that'll be awhile. I just wonder if anyone else has gone through this? I saw that someone had recently went through a similar experience with some (we diagnosed) badly rendered tallow. I wrote the chemical company to let them know what was happening, in case they didn't. I just wanted them to know that their coconut oil is not suitable for Cp soap, and wanted to know how it was processed, what was the scent? What did they (if they did it) cut this oil with?
The lesson? It seems, that in most cases, you get what you pay for. As I said, I knew I wasn't getting any premium oil but I never thought of coconut oil being cut with something else? I'm not willing to take a chance on bargains, again, unless the company is highly reputable. I've done business with this company before but won't call them out because they haven't had a chance to respond to my letter and I have been satisfied with the few other products that I've purchased from them.
However, I may be updating, depending on their response. Before I posted them a letter, I went to their site to see if the coconut oil was still being advertized and I saw two listings in two different sizes. One was labeled "food grade" and neither item had a list price. Sold out or what?
Don't know what it means. Maybe this is a new shipment.
I thank you for reading this long post of regret. What do y'all think?
