CP gelled in ~ 4 to 6 minutes

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

I haven't made soap in a while and usually my method is fool proof.
25.25 oz rendered LARD
3.5 oz LYE
8.05 oz distilled water
Heat LARD to 170
Pour 3.5 oz of LYE into water
When both products drop in temperature to 120 degrees F, mix
Stir for a couple of minutes then use mixer every 5 minutes for 3 or 4 burst ~ 4 times
After 3 minutes in the mixer I checked it and it suddenly was gelling up. I barely got it into the molds.
The only thing that I did different was add a half of an ounce of christmas tree scent.
Maybe it's a reaction to the cheap scent that I bought?

 

[jcandleattic]

The only thing that I did different was add a half of an ounce of christmas tree scent.

Is the scent skin safe and pH stable? It might have had some alcohol in it if it started seizing. Where was the scent from? When you say cheap scent, not sure what that means... To me, (and I could be wrong) when I hear "cheap scent" I think scents from like Michael's or somewhere that aren't necessarily made for soap. Again, I could be wrong, which is why I'm asking.

 

[Obsidian]

I have to agree, I bet your cheap scent was made for melt and pour.
It doesn't play well with lye soap. I used it once, just to see what would happen and it heated up super fast. Soap turned out though

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Cheap, financial speaking. I'll rephrase that. Budget brand.
I wanted to add a tad or touch of scent so that my wife will
use the soap. She knows that it is made from rendered bacon
grease, LARD, so her brain is telling her that it smells like
bacon. I boil my grease 3 separate times and each time that I
remove the solidified "cake" I scrape the bottom of it, Clean
the pan and use fresh water. It does not smell like bacon.

Since I always experiment with different things, next time I will make my plain soap and at the very end right before I pour, I will add .25 oz. I know the .5 oz was a little much because before I left home for work, I opened the soap refrigerator and I could definitely smell the scent.

 

[AliOop]

I just looked up this company and that fragrance on their site. There are no testing notes, reviews, or usage rates shown. That's kinda sketchy right there. Did they give you any documentation with the shipment, that indicates a skin-safe usage rate?

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

No documentation whatsoever. That does concern me because I may have just made a hands only batch. I wouldn't want to use it on "super sensitive" skin areas, if you know what I mean. The product feels oily when you rub it between your fingers and it doesn't burn them or make them itch.
I have some McCormick food grade orange scent for baking that I picked up at Wal-Mart Grocery. I assume that if you can eat it, you can bathe in it. Of course just a few drops per batch. Do you think that it is worth a try?

And it's Gluten free, LoL

I found a FaceBook site with multiple feedbacks.
Facebook-The Plant Guru

 

[AliOop]

Don't use the food flavorings - almost all of them contain alcohol, which can cause your soap to accelerate or even seize.

I'm not on FB but I was able to use the link you gave to see some of the reviews. There are a lot of complaints, including lack of safe usage rates, soap seizing, and poor customer service.

You'd be better off buying some inexpensive sample FOs from a site that offers that, or some destash FOs from a member here. @TheGecko had a listing here for many sample FOs that may still be available.

 

[Obsidian]

In a pinch, you can buy essential oils from the grocery store. You generally want to use 1/2 ounce for each pound of oil in your recipe.
Spice EO like clove or cinnamon have to be used at small amounts and are prone to cause seizing and overheating. Citrus EO doesn't stick long

If you haven't yet, take a look at natures garden, their FOs are affordable and they do testing so you know how its likely to behave.

 

[cmzaha]

I just looked up this company and that fragrance on their site. There are no testing notes, reviews, or usage rates shown. That's kinda sketchy right there. Did they give you any documentation with the shipment, that indicates a skin-safe usage rate?

I used to buy fo's from a company that has budget prices and has the best Sugared Cranberry I could find which always soaped beautifully. They even have a terrible site, with no reviews, etc. It is probably just the fo, not the supplier. I have run across many Christmas-type fo's that do not soap nice. Please do not judge a company because of one cranky fo.

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Thanks @AliOop . I don't make soap often and it has always been plain except the time I made CocoaSwirl. Half the batch had cocoa powder and right before the batch set up I stired them together. Adding FOs is/are new to me. Thanks for the advice. I have to get back to my paying job now. Thanks

 

[AliOop]

I used to buy fo's from a company that has budget prices and has the best Sugared Cranberry I could find which always soaped beautifully. They even have a terrible site, with no reviews, etc. It is probably just the fo, not the supplier. I have run across many Christmas-type fo's that do not soap nice. Please do not judge a company because of one cranky fo.

If you get a chance, click the link that KISS provided above to see all the negative reports on their FB page. This is not a nice company nor do they seem to have good products overall.

 

[cmzaha]

If you get a chance, click the link that KISS provided above to see all the negative reports on their FB page. This is not a nice company nor do they seem to have good products overall.

I will. Maybe I am just lucky with the company I buy from. All companies can get bad reviews. I Hate Wsp and have since I started soaping, the same with BB.

ETA: I just read through some of the reviews. They are pretty mixed. As for not going by IFRA, it is not mandatory and I do not put it on my top criteria for purchasing fo's. I do my own testing. Of course, soapmakers forget that when it comes to IFRA usage and soap the percentage is based on full batch not % of oils, so usage would be much higher than my actual usage.

ETA: This is the company I mentioned, they have some really nice fo's at good prices Welcome To The Candle Source

 

[AliOop]

You are less cynical/suspicious than I am... with that many negative reviews, I always figure the positive ones are fake.

 

[cmzaha]

You are less cynical/suspicious than I am... with that many negative reviews, I always figure the positive ones are fake.

LOL, that is your profession. You are just programmed to be suspicious.

 

[AliOop]

LOL, that is your profession. You are just programmed to be suspicious.

I think I was born that way! I remember as a kid, looking at people and wondering what they were hiding or not being honest about. It's a blessing and a curse.

EDIT: total rabbit trail but I like the new avatar, @cmzaha - although I miss the iconic giraffes, too.

 

[TheGecko]

You'd be better off buying some inexpensive sample FOs from a site that offers that, or some destash FOs from a member here. @TheGecko had a listing here for many sample FOs that may still be available.

Speaking of me...I've got a small priority box filled with 10 FOs...2-2oz, 7-1oz and an odd trial size. Except for the odd one, they are all from Rustic Escentuals and you can have it for the cost of shipping.

 

[AliOop]

@KeepItSimpleSoap that is quite an offer from Gecko… may want to jump on that so the wife can stop smelling bacon.

 

[Hope Ann]

Christmas tree scents often have cinnamon or clove in them, which are known accelerants.

That is not a brand I'd use. Best to stick with reputable companies that have testing notes and consumer reviews so you know what to expect.

Since it's 100% lard I know the soap will still be marvelous. Yup, I'm one of those lard lovers.

Hope

 

[KeepItSimpleSoap]

Gecko? I may have missed where that you said that I could find the information.

 

[AliOop]

Speaking of me...I've got a small priority box filled with 10 FOs...2-2oz, 7-1oz and an odd trial size. Except for the odd one, they are all from Rustic Escentuals and you can have it for the cost of shipping.

@KeepItSimpleSoap here is the offer she made you. You can PM her if you want to take her up on it.