meena.shah
Well-Known Member
My lavender essential oil soaps always get DOS in two to three months. I don’t face that problem with any other essential oil soaps.
DOS
- Thread starter meena.shah
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Join the crowd! To prevent that I add a tiny bit (2 - 3g) of ROE to each 5 lb batch of any soap with Lavender EO in it. Peppermint the same.
My experience has been the same as Soapmaker's. Lavender EO caused all-over rancidity quicker than the mint for me -- maybe 1-2 months difference between the two. I stopped using lavender EO quite soon after realizing how very fast the soap became rancid with this EO, but I used mint EO several more times before I wised up to it. I didn't know at that time about ROE, or I probably would have tried that. Instead, I switched to only using FOs in soap partly due to this problem and partly due to cost.
I don't know the chemistry reasons behind this problem. I do remember reading an article by Robert Tisserand about oxidized lavender EO being a skin irritant. Lavender is normally thought to be pretty safe on skin, but once it become oxidized it can be an irritant.
I reasoned the oxidation might also be the reason why some soap scented with lavender does okay and some does not -- it might be the degree of oxidation of the EO that makes the difference. I don't know of any way outside a well equipped chem lab that we can tell the difference, unfortunately.
I now use ROE and a chelator in my soap and seldom have problems with rancidity, but I know these ingredients can only do so much. I still try to avoid things I know are troublemakers, and lavender and mint EOs are on my troublemaker list.
I don't know the chemistry reasons behind this problem. I do remember reading an article by Robert Tisserand about oxidized lavender EO being a skin irritant. Lavender is normally thought to be pretty safe on skin, but once it become oxidized it can be an irritant.
I reasoned the oxidation might also be the reason why some soap scented with lavender does okay and some does not -- it might be the degree of oxidation of the EO that makes the difference. I don't know of any way outside a well equipped chem lab that we can tell the difference, unfortunately.
I now use ROE and a chelator in my soap and seldom have problems with rancidity, but I know these ingredients can only do so much. I still try to avoid things I know are troublemakers, and lavender and mint EOs are on my troublemaker list.
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I have never had a problem with the lavender 40/42 I purchase from Camden Grey and sometimes my soaps will be up to 2 yrs old.
Likewise. I've never had an issue with lavender or peppermint.
Yep, some people do and some don't.
Kind of the same thing with lard, Carolyn. You've had really bad luck using it, and I don't.
Hard to say why there's a difference. Just that there is.
Kind of the same thing with lard, Carolyn. You've had really bad luck using it, and I don't.
Hard to say why there's a difference. Just that there is.
Kamahido
Paladin of Soap
Nor have I. Most irregular...
I use lavandin EO - do you think there would be much difference? I've not had a problem with that so far.
I have soap that is over 4 years old now, made with Lavender EO that never did get DOS, so it doesn't always happen. I wasn't even using ROE yet when I made that soap. Just lucky, I guess.
