Hot process = stinky soap

[nickyspaghetti]

Every time I try a hot process I end up with a stinky soap and I don't know if it is the essential oils i used(which do not seem to impart any aroma to the soap at all) or something else. I always use a double boiler so I don't burn it. That is about all I know. So far I am giving up with HP because it doesn't smell good at all. I was using sandal and cedarwood oils but the soap just doesn't smell like them at all. whereas in a cold process soap the EO fragrance always seems to come through. I add the oil just before putting in the mold.
Any ideas?
(also I want to try a lime fragrance next time - do I need benzoin with it? has anybody had success blending it with anything in particular - I'm not sure if I want a pure lime scent or a mix.
Thanks
Nick

 

[Woodi]

That sounds strange to me, Nick....about the no scent with HP. I like HP sometimes, especially if I'm doing small test batches. How much eo did you use? Can you try increasing the amount next time?(don't give up on it yet), and did you put it into the very hot mixture, or did you wait a few minutes, after stirring? Heat burns off scent too.

I have made lime eo soap with: tea tree (trying to disguise the tt, and it does a good job); with cedarwood eo for a mannish smell, with patchouli it gave a soft lime scent to the soap (I love lime scent); and with lavender it's really nice. I also did a lime/rosemary, but didn't use enough lime so it smells more rosemary-ish, with a hint of lime.

and a best-seller I did for a few years was: Lime/rosewood/ylang. about 2 parts lime to 1 part rosewood, 1/3 part ylang ylang.

 

[cdwinsby]

I recently made a batch of lime soap using: Lime 4tsp; Sw.Orange 1tsp; Oakmoss 1/2tsp; Patchouli 1/2tsp; and Clove 1/4tsp. I really like it. Used it to scent 900 grams of oil (about 2 lbs). I didn't use benzoin but I did use orris root powder to help fix the scent. The Oakmoss and Patchouli do that as well.

As for the stinky smell....I've heard some soapers say that lard can have a "piggy" scent if heated too much. Haven't tried it myself yet but I picked up the lard, so soon I will.

Could you be cooking out the scent? I think if it was added too early, you could reduce the effects of the essential oils.

 

[Guest]

I've never had a problem like that with my HP. Are you using lard or tallow? They would cook during the process which might result in odor. Also, I add my EOs at the VERY VERY end of the cook.

 

[SoapyGal]

I didn't use benzoin but I did use orris root powder to help fix the scent. The Oakmoss and Patchouli do that as well.

Pardon my newbie-ness.... but what does this mean? What is "fixing the scent", and why would one need to do this?

Thanks

 

[nickyspaghetti]

Some essential oils do not stay fragrant in the soap very well so sometime you need other ingredients that stop the reaction.
I am using a fair amount of essential oils - about 5/6 tsp per kg of oil.
I am not using lard or tallow at the moment - only olive, castor and coconut - and one batch with goats milk - disaster, this was the worst offender - plus the HP made the soap a terrible brown, which I knew would happen...but not the terrible smell even though when mixing the lye I made sure it was very cold.
I couldn't possibly add the EO any later in the process as the soap would solidify if it were any cooler - so I'm sure it isn't that too.
I'm guessing the most likely is that I have a dodgy essential oil - probably the sandalwood as it was in all the HP soaps I made so far.

 

[Guest]

Did you use canned or powdered milk? Does the soap smell 'goaty' or barn-like'. Sometimes pastuerized goat milk smells terrible. IMHO, its something that can only be enjoyed raw.

 

[cdwinsby]

I didn't use benzoin but I did use orris root powder to help fix the scent. The Oakmoss and Patchouli do that as well.

Pardon my newbie-ness.... but what does this mean? What is "fixing the scent", and why would one need to do this?

Thanks

Essential oils can be divided into three groups: top notes, middle notes and base notes.

Top notes are ones like citrus E/Os that disappear very quickly. Base notes are E/Os that are long lasting and tend to help the top notes last longer. Some of the Base notes are refered to as fixatives because they "fix a scent" to the soap. Some fixatives can come in powdered form like orris root which is the dried ground up tubers of the iris plant.

Hope that helps.

 

[Guest]

There's actually two things going on here with "fixing" the scent.

You have the high, medium and low note scent thing. When you smell a mix of high, medium and low notes your awareness of the high notes fades and disappears much more quickly than the low notes which you continue to perceive for a longer period of time. This happens each time you use your soap bar. When you sniff the mix of the notes the high notes hit you then fade, but the continuing presence of the low notes tricks your nose into thinking you're still smelling a complex mix.

Then you have the preservative effect of fixatives like orris root which protect your scents from decaying over a period of months.