Fragrance making soap greasy and soft - help!

[kaseencook]

Hi! I am new to the soapy world, and it sure is addictive!

My first batch of soap I used eucalyptus oil (about a tsp) and the soap would never set (and smelled weird anyway), so I though it must have been first timers error. So with my second batch I just used canola oil (hot process) and it set great, there was nothing wrong with measurements or temperatures. So with my next batch I though I would use the same successful recipe but add a touch of lavender. I cooked to trace, put in the oven as before in hot process, then once the soap was ready for the mold I mixed in the fragrance (about 1/4 tsp) with my blender and put in the molds. Not long after the soap began to sweat clear beads of dilute fragrance (much more than I had originally added, about 1/4 cup) and was soft and would not set. I tried to heat it some more in case it had not completely reacted, but it just seamed to sweat more liquid and would not harden. The measurements of lye water and oil were the same as in the successful batch previous... as I had read that clear beads of lye can leak if there was too much left unreacted

I have deduced that it has something to do with my fragrance - as that was the one varibable difference between success and failure. I think maybe I added too much or at the wrong time or stired it in too much. Does any one have any ideas about what caused this and what is the proper time and method (and amount) to add fragrance in hot process soap?

Thanks for your help!!!!

 

[carebear]

let's start with your exact formula and see where we can go from there.

 

[kaseencook]

I use 920g (= 1 L) of canolia oil, 350g of water and 115.9g of lye. This recipe produced a very successful hot process batch without fragrance, but when I added 1/4 tsp of lavender to the next batch just before pouring I got the weeping result described before. I use SoapCalc 9 WP for my recipe.

What method should I use for adding fragrance, and could it be that I added too much?

Cheers!

 

[cdwinsby]

When you say lavender is what you added do you mean essential oil or a fragrance oil?

If it is essential oil, you should be able to add quite a bit more than 1/4 tsp. Many people use between .5 - .7 ounces per pound of base oils. If you're using fragrance oil, perhaps it's one that isn't meant for CP/HP soapmaking.

You also show a fluid measurement for your canola (the '=1 L." part). Did you measure it as the 920 grams or as 1 L? This can make a difference since the lye is calculated to go with weight and not with fluid measurements.

 

[kaseencook]

I use a lavender oil that is pure oil (no alcohol). It was just an all purpose oil from the store (from the med section). How does special soap fragrance differ from fragrance oil that you can get anywhere (if it does)?

1 L of canolia oil is equivalent to 920g, using an online volume to mass calculator for that specific oil. I have a accurate fluid measuring cup from the university which I use, as my mass scale maxes out at 250g and I have yet to find a cheap electronic scale that can weigh heavier things. Anyway, I used 920g in my lye calc, and it has worked successfully in the preceding batch and the batch I made last night. The fragrance seems to be mucking things up.... I am a bit afraid to waste another batch with fragrance... but lavender is so nice!

I read some where that stick blending the mix after added fragrance oil can cause issues, has any one heard of this? I did stick blend it in, as I though it has to be well mixed before I ran across that tid bit, but I'm not sure how much credibility it has.

What method/stage do you add you fragrance and what type fragrance do you use (alcohol based or pure oil)?

Cheers!