Do I have a DOS problem?

[MirandaH]

Do I have a DOS problem? - Pics Added

Sorry for the book, but I wanted to give details so that I could get the best help possible. I'm worried and freaking out! I have been terrified of having a DOS problem. When making my first batch, I was very worried that when I unmolded it, there would be DOS. I even dreamed that night that when I took off the liner it was covered in ugly orange spots. I was very pleased that it wasn't and then learned more about DOS and found that this was something that would happen over time and not right away.

Last night I was telling my ex that it was about time that he could use the soap from the recipe that Hazel gave me. Tomorrow it will be six weeks old. So he tells me that he lost the bar that I gave him to try right away because it fell into a full glass of water in the sink over night and blew up to the size of the State Puff Marshmallow Man in GhostBusters by the time he got up the next morning, but he still had the other half to try now (I cut the bar in half so he could use part of it before full cure and the rest after the 6 weeks was up and give me feedback.

I looked at his remaining bar and it had some yellow spots on it. They were oddly shaped, and I am not certain that they actually formed on the soap and were not something else that he had gotten on the bars. When I scratched it lightly with my fingernail, it wasn't very deep, but would it be? He has been keeping the bar in the open kitchen window where wind and snow and rain come in. He also flicks his cigarette ashes out of that window and there was some of that on the soap as well. The window is obviously over the kitchen sink, so who knows what could have splashed on it.

I have checked all of the bars that I have left at home and the bar my mother keeps and won't use because she "can't wash [my] creation down the drain!!!" (Annoying!!) and none of them have any spots on them. Neither does the bar I have been using, which I have been keeping in the shower, but high in a dry place, probably dryer than where he has been keeping it.

Could it just be something he has gotten on the soap, or could it be getting DOS because of the way he is storing it (which I told him was a no no before it was ready)? I am just baffled as to why it is only on his soap. And is 6 weeks too early for DOS??? So confused, but I don't want to give away or eventually sell something that isn't going to be right. I know I measured correctly and being that it was the first batches, the oils and lard were all new. I got the oils at Sams club and the lard from the box that was being put on the shelf at Walmart.

 

[lsg]

I would guess it was the way the bar has been stored. If your soap does not have orange spots, then it must be something in the way his is used or stored. I always add a little Vit. E to every batch. I haven't had trouble with DOS since I started doing that. ROE works too, but it is dark green in color.

 

[Obsidian]

It could be DOS, can't really tell without a picture but if it is, I would think it was caused by the way its been kept. I've only had DOS on one batch, my first castile and putting the rest of the bars in the dark has stopped it from spreading.

There is a good chance he splashed something on it too, maybe some kind or orangy food like spaghetti sauce. I's scrape it off and use it, DOS is harmless and unless it makes the soap smell really bad, its still usable.

 

[MirandaH]

Also, the bar was unscented and no colors added. It is still unscented. No rancid smell on his or mine if that helps.

 

[MirandaH]

The bar has two spots on it. Both were rather large. About the size of a quarter, one a little larger, but it was not deep at all. And the color was sort of a light lemon yellow. I will go over there and take pictures of it, but probably not until tomorrow. We are expecting 10 - 12 inches of snow today and I don't want to take the baby out in this mess or I would go take pictures now, lol. I have been kicking myself for not doing so since I started writing this post, but I was so panicked when I saw it I ran straight home to check my bars, lol. I was just totally shocked when I saw it and asked him if he spilled something on it and he said no, but I don't think he would tell me if he did. He is probably not even going to try it because he doesn't like bar soap (I'm not even going to get into that, because he doesn't listen.).

 

[MirandaH]

I will try adding some vitamin E to my next batch. Also, does this mean, if it is because of the way that he is storing it that all of it will go this way if stored as he has or will keeping it properly stored for the 6 weeks going to help prevent that? Sorry for so many questions, I just know that if I do decide to ever sell, I don't want my product to turn people off on my handmade soap or anyone else's and hurt the craft/business for myself or others.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I will try adding some vitamin E to my next batch. Also, does this mean, if it is because of the way that he is storing it that all of it will go this way if stored as he has or will keeping it properly stored for the 6 weeks going to help prevent that? Sorry for so many questions, I just know that if I do decide to ever sell, I don't want my product to turn people off on my handmade soap or anyone else's and hurt the craft/business for myself or others.

I wouldn't run out to buy Vit E yet - if you're not actually getting DOS or using oils prone to DOS, then why use something to prevent something that you're not actually having to deal with?

 

[MirandaH]

I wouldn't run out to buy Vit E yet - if you're not actually getting DOS or using oils prone to DOS, then why use something to prevent something that you're not actually having to deal with?

You make a good point and I probably won't be going anywhere today or soaping today, but I am freaking out because this was really unexpected. :crazy: I have been using my bar with no problems, but it is washing a layer off of what I have been using every day and the ones that are here are all fine...but I can't control what people do with the soap once it is out of my hands and I am just at a loss at this point. If it is something I did wrong, I want to fix it, but I also don't want to fix something that isn't broken and cause more problems.

I am so frustrated, because I thought it was fine, but now I am doubting that it is okay. I just don't know what to think. If I had found it on my bars here at the house, I would have no doubts, but finding it on someone else's bar that I gave them was such a surprise. I just don't know what to think at this point. I am going to have him bring it by if he goes out anywhere and if not, then I will post pics of it tomorrow if I can get out of my driveway.

 

[Dennis]

Perhaps the bar of soap was placed against or on something that discolored it. Beer cap? Can? Newsprint? Mustard? I've heard of this happening to people who might be less than finicky. Not me! No, not at all.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

You have soaps being used and not being used which are fine. If people are doing anything else with the soap then that's really not something for you to be worried about. If I was selling and someone came up to me and said "I soaked your soap in water for an hour and then wrapped it in mouldy bacon and left it behind a red hot radiator for a month. Now look at the state of it! I want a refund" I think I'd have a hard job bringing myself to feel any pity for them!

As long as it holds up in reasonably normal conditions then it does the job.

 

[MirandaH]

You have soaps being used and not being used which are fine. If people are doing anything else with the soap then that's really not something for you to be worried about. If I was selling and someone came up to me and said "I soaked your soap in water for an hour and then wrapped it in mouldy bacon and left it behind a red hot radiator for a month. Now look at the state of it! I want a refund" I think I'd have a hard job bringing myself to feel any pity for them!

As long as it holds up in reasonably normal conditions then it does the job.

:clap::-D I just spit coffee all over the place. Thank you, I really needed that.

I called him a few minutes ago and explained to him why I need to get to the bottom of this and he said that he would bring it over and told me that it rained on it through the open window. Who knows what landed on it in that case. He has pecan trees and I know they leave yellow stains on the side of the house sometimes and there is pecan tree crap all over his roof, that would certainly be in the rain coming off the roof and blowing in the window. I will post a pic as soon as he gets it to me, but I am starting to feel less and less worried about my soap.

The only other question I have left at this point is the one about the cure time. Will keeping it in a proper place to cure for the full six weeks do anything to help prevent what people do to the soap once it leaves my hands? I know some things (like Efficacious Gentleman's example above) are completely beyond my control and nothing can stop it from being destroyed when one does that, but I am just talking about semi normal conditions, like people who are not used to having handmade soap and may leave it in the window sill in the shower, with no pecan trees. And yes, in this area, there is a window in the actual shower in every place I have ever lived.

ETA: Oh, and also, if you get DOS on the soaps, what is the average time that it would take for it to get DOS? What is the earliest on average? Assume that the oils are all as new as one can possible buy and that nothing is being used out of kitchen cabinets that has been there for ages.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

As to those questions, I can't help. But out of interest, what is the recipe of this particular soap? I'm wondering if it is a likely DOSser..........

 

[MirandaH]

As to those questions, I can't help. But out of interest, what is the recipe of this particular soap? I'm wondering if it is a likely DOSser..........

It was the one I made the thread on that Hazel had given me that I loved so much. This was what she gave me, but I am pretty certain that I did it with a 7% SF instead of 5%.

5% lye discount - nice for the shower because it's mild with good lather. I have dry skin and I've even used this soap on my face.

30% lard
30% olive oil
25% coconut oil
10% sunflower oil
5% castor oil

And the only oil I am not 100% certain was new was the Castor. The man was pulling the lard out of a box and putting it on the shelf and I took my bucket out of the box he had just cut open. All of the other oils came from Sam's Club, off the pallet and having done concessions before and having a friend who works there, I know that our Sams is very busy and they blow through this stuff rather quickly. The Castor I bought from Walmart and it was difficult to find in the store and I got the last couple bottles and I have no idea how long is had been there. The rest I am fairly confident were as new as you can get, taking warehouse time for Walmart and Sam's into consideration.

ETA: I still love it, personally. It feels so nice. I even shaved with it. And the water I used was distilled.

 

[MirandaH]

Okay, so here is it next to one of the bars off of my drying rack. The lighting sucks in my house and there is no sun out because of the storm, so this is the best I can do. The picture does not do the uncut one justice as to just how white it is. It is considerable whiter than the other bar.

As you can see, there is a brown line there on the side of the smaller bar. That was yellow yesterday. Oddly enough, in the next picture you can see that the part that was yellow is now pink. In the last picture you can see the only thing that is still yellow and it is actually a sort of yellow, pink/brown, orange. And I am not entirely certain that this isn't where he set a cigarette and let it burn out. This would not be out of the realm of possibility...happens all the time, but he would never tell me he did it on my soap.

 

[new12soap]

That is a great recipe and will probably be fine. My only suggestion would be to use high oleic sunflower oil if possible.

I wouldn't be too worried about the age of the castor oil, it has a shelf life of roughly a couple days short of forever.

Based on the story of the ex's bar of soap and the rest of the batch, I am going to say that yes it has everything to do with how it has been (mis)handled and nothing to do with your recipe.

DOS will usually show up sometime around 1-2 months, possibly later depending on the shelf life of the oils and how it is stored. I would say next time you are at walmart go ahead and pick up some vitamin e capsules. Maybe you don't need it but it certainly won't hurt and may give you a bit more peace of mind. It's cheap insurance.

 

[MirandaH]

Thank you! As the day went on and learned more and more about what my poor soap had been through...well, you know. And when I saw the mark on the end that looked just like the mark from the cigarette burn on my brand new white laptop 3 years ago, I really sort of hung it up. I am going to try to Vit E tho. I figure at the very least, it will probably just make it a little better if it changes anything at all. At least the initial panic is over. I was so close to finally having a soap that was actually cured and ready and then one day before the 6 week mark I find ugly spots on a bar. I just totally panicked.

 

[Soaplily]

Welcome to the magical, mysterious world of soaping. I hover over my precious bars like a mother to a baby. As for the DOS, I always keep a bar from each batch and I look at them from time to time. What may not DOS at 6 weeks could at 10, at 20 or even 50 weeks. How the batch is stored, the types of oil or environmental (as you discovered) can all affect the outcome. If you are looking at eventually starting a business, my best advice is to practice practice practice to achieve consistent results. Also, watch the practice batches for a year. If no DOS, you will have the peace of mind knowing that your recipe and skills will produce a DOS free bar of soap!

Cheers!

Sarah

 

[Lin]

I add vitamin E to the oils, but not to the soap batter because its already in the oils. I'm more concerned with them going bad prior to be using in the soap to cause DOS later as opposed to going bad in the soap. Especially ones with shorter shelf life.

 

[MirandaH]

I am a long way from selling, if ever and I plan on doing a lot of testing before I make any decisions. I also hover over my little soap babies. I feel like this poor bar has been abused. :thumbdown: