DOS caused by fragrance!

[TVivian]

A month or so ago, I wanted to test out fragrances from Natures garden so I bought 10 samples. I divided 2 of my silicone molds into 5 sections, mixed up 2, 5 pound batches of soap olive, Palm, coconut (because it was for testing I left out castor or any other specialty butters) I weighed out 16 ounces of lightly traced soap for each section and put one ounce of fragrance into each pound of soap. The soap batter was mixed all at once and not individually for each section here is a picture of how it looked (I added no colorants)

 

[TVivian]

I stamped each group of soaps with letters a-j and set them out to cure with the label sticker from each sample scent bottle.

 

[TVivian]

Now, a month later... One scent has developed DOS on all 4 sample bars and NONE of the other bars have.

 

[TVivian]

I think I've been so focused on "fresh oils" and not using anything that goes rancid quickly that it didn't occur to me that a fragrance could be a culprit.

 

[JustBeachy]

Interesting. Nice test.

 

[Chefmom]

OOhhhh, I love your experiment!! Very nice, organized and lovely soaps too!!

That is the best way to really compare side by side like that!! Good job!

And, can I say that your little separate compartments in the mold are totally way cool. A test after my own mad scientists' heart. <3

 

[goji_fries]

Now, a month later... One scent has developed DOS on all 4 sample bars and NONE of the other bars have.

Hey Tvivian how much PPO did you use? If you get a chance, check out general wax in North Hollywood; they have a bunch of FOs reeadily available and at a good price.

 

[kayjay]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. I've never had a FO turn my soap as dark as 2 of yours did. But I've got one curing now that's 8% vanilla and is pretty dark already. Will you share your final results?

 

[OliveOil2]

Thank you for doing this experiment, but now it makes me even more confused about DOS I have a batch of Baby Bee Buttermilk from Natures garden that is over a year old, and I have been checking it recently since the recipe had an oil with a shorter shelf. The bars are still perfect, as far as DOS, but I wasn't crazy about the fragrance. They are in my donation box and I don't want to give something that gets DOS. In your experiment with the same recipe, and fragrance being the only variable, I would say the FO is to blame. I have a colorant that I am suspect of, but I haven't done an experiment.

 

[newbie]

That is interesting. The DOS issue has been on my mind lately as many people still believe it has, in part, to do with SF. Someone in the SF swap had all their samples develop DOS and one bar was a -40% (NEGATIVE 40 %) SF so there should have been no unsaponified saponifiables in there. Another was 0% Sf. In my set, the +28% SF has no DOS still although one with a lower SF did go rancid. It's hard to find a theory that holds well.

So do the unsaponifiable fats contribute to DOS? What about an FO contributes to it? Could the oils in the FO themselves go rancid or break down in such a way as to contribute?

Just to play devil's advocate to your experiment, where were these bars in relation to the others? Could they have been exposed to less air circulation or to direct light where other bars were not?

 

[new12soap]

Are you certain those are DOS? They look like spots of FO to me, that happens sometimes when you don't the fragrance oil mixed in well. Sniff a spot, if it smells like fragrance, perhaps even a little strong, it's FO. If it smells rancid, or like stale oil, then it's DOS. If they continue to grow then it's DOS, if they stay that size they are FO.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

Very interesting post, thank you!
I had FO cause DOS within a month, it wasn't NG FO though.
I also have DOS on 0% bars that are over a year old.
So many variables with DOS, we can never be safe from them. roblem:
Which FO did you use in those brown soaps, they look so yummy. I love brown soaps but mine never turn that brown.

 

[TVivian]

Hey Tvivian how much PPO did you use? If you get a chance, check out general wax in North Hollywood; they have a bunch of FOs reeadily available and at a good price.

I used 1 ounce of fragrance to each pound of total soap.
I'll check them out, thanks!

 

[TVivian]

Wow. Thanks for sharing. I've never had a FO turn my soap as dark as 2 of yours did. But I've got one curing now that's 8% vanilla and is pretty dark already. Will you share your final results?

Those scents were both high in vanilla and it's been over a month so I think that's about as dark as they will end up.

 

[TVivian]

Thank you for doing this experiment, but now it makes me even more confused about DOS I have a batch of Baby Bee Buttermilk from Natures garden that is over a year old, and I have been checking it recently since the recipe had an oil with a shorter shelf. The bars are still perfect, as far as DOS, but I wasn't crazy about the fragrance. They are in my donation box and I don't want to give something that gets DOS. In your experiment with the same recipe, and fragrance being the only variable, I would say the FO is to blame. I have a colorant that I am suspect of, but I haven't done an experiment.

I think if you've had them for a year and they're DOS free you should be safe! I'm not even sure it's the fragrance itself per se.. Possibly old fragrance oil? Or stored improperly? I read the reviews on the baby bee and no one mentioned DOS as an issue.

 

[TVivian]

That is interesting. The DOS issue has been on my mind lately as many people still believe it has, in part, to do with SF. Someone in the SF swap had all their samples develop DOS and one bar was a -40% (NEGATIVE 40 %) SF so there should have been no unsaponified saponifiables in there. Another was 0% Sf. In my set, the +28% SF has no DOS still although one with a lower SF did go rancid. It's hard to find a theory that holds well.



So do the unsaponifiable fats contribute to DOS? What about an FO contributes to it? Could the oils in the FO themselves go rancid or break down in such a way as to contribute?



Just to play devil's advocate to your experiment, where were these bars in relation to the others? Could they have been exposed to less air circulation or to direct light where other bars were not?

I haven't had enough experience with DOS to say how SF affects the bars as this is really my first encounter with this issue. These bars all had a 5% SF and if you look at the picture of the bars on the shelf they are the bars all the way on the upper right in the picture. This is where they cured with perhaps a bit more space between each bar. No direct sunlight in that closet and the bars right next to them are ok.

 

[TVivian]

Are you certain those are DOS? They look like spots of FO to me, that happens sometimes when you don't the fragrance oil mixed in well. Sniff a spot, if it smells like fragrance, perhaps even a little strong, it's FO. If it smells rancid, or like stale oil, then it's DOS. If they continue to grow then it's DOS, if they stay that size they are FO.

I stick blended each FO in after adding it to the batter.. Mainly because I wanted thick trace before pouring into the mold to avoid seepage past my separators. So I'm very confident it was mixed well. I can't say that the spots smell any stronger or different than the soap itself. I'm pretty positive its DOS since the spot appeared recently within the last week. I'll have to check in another week or two to be sure!

 

[TVivian]

Very interesting post, thank you!

I had FO cause DOS within a month, it wasn't NG FO though.

I also have DOS on 0% bars that are over a year old.

So many variables with DOS, we can never be safe from them. roblem:

Which FO did you use in those brown soaps, they look so yummy. I love brown soaps but mine never turn that brown.

It seems like so many factors with DOS! I'm fascinated. The two dark soaps are "vanilla extract" (which has hardly any scent left) and "French lavender" which has a good amount of scent and smells like a real lavender EO mixed with vanilla.

 

[goji_fries]

It seems like so many factors with DOS! I'm fascinated. The two dark soaps are "vanilla extract" (which has hardly any scent left) and "French lavender" which has a good amount of scent and smells like a real lavender EO mixed with vanilla.

Don't feel bad, I had DOS on a 2 week old M&P! Some said it was the plant material I used.

 

[girlishcharm2004]

I have found that I get "dreaded orange spots" more with soaps that are left out, as in, not stored in a plastic container that prevents air circulation. It makes sense if it's the oils/soap oxidizing. However, I haven't done any "scientific" experiments on it, just general observation.