I don't know whats wrong with this

[Natalie]

Or if there's a problem, I just don't know.

This is the recipe:
5oz coconut oil
10 oz olive pomace oil
5 oz palm kernal oil
1oz shea
3oz hemp
4oz lard
10 oz water
4oz lye


I added Dark Tanning Oil FO, which smelled fabulous in the bottle, on the soap no smell at all. The oils were around 100 degrees and the lye was, close to that, I think, this was thursday night so I forgot now. No color was used in this.

After putting it in the mold I wrapped it up and unwrapped the next day, it was not hot, infact, I don't remember this generating any or much heat after it was molded. It was warm in the house and I had a ceiling on, would that have ruined the soap?

Today I took it out of the mold, it's a got a layer of a darker (and oily) color on top and the whole thing is soft, not real soft but softer than other soaps I've made, but it could harden, others have.

I do love making soap (I do a lot of MP on the side and have a ball with that) but the cold process is frustrating, it's either the soap doesn't come out right, or the color isn't right, or the fragrance is lost. I have yet to make a batch where everything is right.

This looks like fudge. I wish it was, chocolate would be nice right now.

 

[Laurie]

Everything seems to compute okay with soapcalc. Maybe it is your FO. How much FO or maybe it wasn't incorporated well enough. Or something I did once is I got one of my oils the wrong amount and didn't realize until later.

Your soap looks right on just below that top layer. Hope you figure it out. We really do learn best by our mistakes. Keep trying.

 

[CiCi]

It looks like your soap gelled. I had one come out just like that. Evevtually, the whole soap turned dark, but after a couple months, it turned light again. Really strange reaction.

 

[crazyk]

I have the same issue with loosing the fragrance when I use Lard.

I don't like lard and now just stick to the basics, Palm and coconut.

I did a couple of batches with Lard and it tends to absorb the fragrance. Why I know it's the lard is becuase I have done the same recipes without the lard and they are fine.

Anyone else had that issue?

 

[Lane]

I have the same issue with loosing the fragrance when I use Lard.

I don't like lard and now just stick to the basics, Palm and coconut.

I did a couple of batches with Lard and it tends to absorb the fragrance. Why I know it's the lard is becuase I have done the same recipes without the lard and they are fine.

Anyone else had that issue?

SAME ISSUE!!! I bought a bunch of lard REALLLLY cheap (25 cents for four pounds) to test some FO's and swirls in and it KILLED my scent...

 

[Godiva]

Didn't know lard did that. I've been using vegetable shortening and works good with the FO's I have used so far. Does tallow do the same as lard?

 

[Guest]

Hi!
Have you tried this FO before? It could just be the FO. Some FO's just don't do well in soap ever and then there are others where the scent will disappear and reappear later. Fos will also discolor your soap.

Since the weather has turned hotter and more humid here - it takes a little longer for my soaps to harden and cut.

I've never had issues with Lard killing the scent of my soap - but each scent is a different animal.

 

[Chay]

I've never had issues with Lard killing the scent of my soap - but each scent is a different animal.

I have never had this issue either.

 

[reallyrita]

I don't know what is wrong with this

This discussion has taken an interesting turn. I have been using lard in all my soaps for the last couple of months. I have PO but I just like the way the lard soaps feel to me in the shower. The only issue I have with the lard is that it takes longer to trace. Buy good quality lard. It is so cheap anyway that you should buy the best one you can find...it will be well deodorized.
The one thing I have noticed about lard and scents is this: the piggy smell will come through and mess with your fragrance IF YOU MELT THE LARD AT TOO HIGH A TEMPERATURE OR LET IT SIT IN HOT MELTED OILS TOO LONG. I melt it in a double boiler on low, watch it carefully and as soon as it is melted I add my room temperature soft oils (like OO) to it to bring the temp down. I do soap at RT now so that is also good for the lard. The heat brings out the lardy smell and even though the finished soap does not smell bad when I unmold....IF I have overheated it, sooner or later that soap is going to smell like the lard bucket!!! Lard is so nice and now-drying to my skin, that I take the extra precaution of standing over the double boiler when melting to make sure I take it off the heat just as soon as I can. Maybe that is why the lard overtakes the scent...got to hot and reverted to the barnyard!!