DOS - Onions?

[Ant]

What exactly does DOS smell like to you other than bad?

I made a batch of soap two months ago using this recipe thats attached. Oils are still good, none smelled bad. Used nature's garden Bite Me FO (love love love it, smells exactly like the Zebra chewing gum) and for ***** and giggles natures garden vanilla stabilizer. First time using VS but wondering if it is whats making it smell off? I used it at a 1:1 ratio with the FO. And I discounted the vanilla stabilizer from the total amount of water because reviews said it would make the soap really watery otherwise.

So no visible DOS and when I smell the soap bar "dry" I can't smell anything bad. When I lather it up with water I can smell this undertone of funk. When I rinse off and smell my hands it smells like I've been chopping onions... ick.

Not sure what to think here. Don't know if its funky oils, bad fo but smelled fine, don't think colorants would be the issue (AC, neon colorants from Mad micas), the vanilla stabilizer?

 

[Obsidian]

DOS doesn't smell like onions at all to me, its more of a old stale oil and rot smell. Kinda musty and sharp at the same time.

If you don't have spots, I wouldn't think its rancid.

I only used VS once, stuff smells something awful but I don't recall if it made the soap stink. Maybe put a couple drops a a carrier oil and apply that to your skin, see if it leaves a scent.

 

[Ant]

DOS doesn't smell like onions at all to me, its more of a old stale oil and rot smell. Kinda musty and sharp at the same time.

If you don't have spots, I wouldn't think its rancid.

I only used VS once, stuff smells something awful but I don't recall if it made the soap stink. Maybe put a couple drops a a carrier oil and apply that to your skin, see if it leaves a scent.

I will have to try it. First time using it. I don’t imagine it being the problem as I would think thats something that would be noticed but no clue at this point. Will try your suggestion when I get my hands back on my soaping materials.

 

[Megan]

So, the vanilla stabilizer could cause this because of the sulfurous component.
Thiosulfate (the stuff that VCS is made of) is in onions and garlic.

 

[shunt2011]

I like NG Bite Me though I never used VS with it and it’s retained its colors perfectly. I have tried their stabilizer and sadly found it didn’t work all that well. It does stink to high heaven but didn’t find it carried over after cure. Rancid soap to me smells like old crayons. Not ever smelled onion. Maybe just give it time and it’ll get better.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

If natures garden VCS is made from sodium thiosulfate, then you will not get a very strong sulfer smell. If it is made with sodium metabisulfate, then it will have a very strong sulfer smell.

I have used VCS from aztec and it is made with metabisulfate. While it has the strong sulfer smell, I have never had the sulfer smell stay around once it was mixed in with the soap.

I don't discount any water when I use it. But I don't think it makes a difference either way.