Could FO's be causing DOS?

[Krisduff]

I've been making soap for almost a year now and have been really happy with all my results - until now. Two of my soap batches have developed DOS after 3 months and both are from the same recipe using different FO's (from the same company). Here is my recipe:

Olive Oil 32 oz (46.5%)
Coconut Oil 20 oz (29%)
Palm Oil 15 oz (22%)
Shea Butter 1.8 oz (2.6%)

Water 26oz
Lye 9.6oz
Superfat 7%

I mixed the lye and oils at 100F, added 2 tsp. liquid chlorophyll, .5 tsp powdered sage, and 3.25 oz margarita FO to one batch. For the other batch I added 1.5 oz Acai FO.


I brought both batches to a full gel, unmolded after 24 hours, set to cure on resin dry rack with excellent ventilation for 4 weeks and stored in plastic bins open at least a couple of inches for air flow. I use stainless steel pots to mix ingredients, plastic or glass measuring cups, plastic spoons, stainless steel soap cutters, and a lined Nizzy mold. Is it my recipe? I added the shea to the other oils I melted down. I haven't had any problems with any other recipes I've used therefore I don't think it's my oils. So far, 4 bars of the Margarita batch have developed orange spots and 1 bar of the Acai batch. What could it be? So frustrating!

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Your oil percentages are fine but I haven't run it through a soap calc because ounces do my head in.

What is a resin dry rack? I would put paper between soap and rack and see if that makes a difference. Adulterated olive oil? Old oils?

Make up a small, test batch of soap using those same oils and don't use FO's. I hardly ever get Dos and I only get it in older soap that contains oils with short shelf life, but I did get yellow spots like yours when I put soap directly on metal rack.

 

[Soaplady22]

I asked this very thing a while back and the answer was yes by some; after all .... the fragrances have to go in something.

 

[Guest]

"2 tsp. liquid chlorophyll, .5 tsp powdered sage"

This is most likely what is causing it, because it is plant matter and it may spoil more quickly. FO could cause discoloration though, but I think more likely the plant matter is what is causing it....

 

[carebear]

"2 tsp. liquid chlorophyll, .5 tsp powdered sage"

This is most likely what is causing it, because it is plant matter and it may spoil more quickly. FO could cause discoloration though, but I think more likely the plant matter is what is causing it....

I'd think that chlorophyll would be more likely to retard oxidation.

 

[Guest]

"2 tsp. liquid chlorophyll, .5 tsp powdered sage"

This is most likely what is causing it, because it is plant matter and it may spoil more quickly. FO could cause discoloration though, but I think more likely the plant matter is what is causing it....

I'd think that chlorophyll would be more likely to retard oxidation.

It depends. For one thing there are several different forms of chlorophyl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyl ... _structure

Depending on which form you have, the molecule may bind diferently to the oils.

This article says chlorophyl may inhibit oxidaiton if it is used with methyl linoleate as the substrate:

http://www.springerlink.com/content/u4675457wq646152/

But in general I would not specifically assume so, especially since most people will not be adding methyl linoleate to their soaps. Also something in the sage may be counteracting the protective nature of the chlorophyl.

However, if the plant material is added when the pH or the temperature is too high it can cause oxidation of the plant material itself, which would lead to defects and discolorations in the soap, which is what I was implying was potentially going on.