My CP liquid Castile soap has a "soapy smell"

[Sarah82]

Hi Everyone I'm new to soap making and I recently made my first batch of CP liquid Castile soap and it turned out great. However, although I have added orange essential oil to it, it has a "soapy" after smell I don't know exactly how to describe it. I want to ask it is natural or my essential oil hasn't dissolved properly?

 

[shunt2011]

It's soap, it's going to have a soapy smell. I'm guessing you didn't add enough EO.

 

[IrishLass]

All the liquid soap I've made to date has a naturally distinct 'soapy' smell in its unscented state (which incidentally is very different from the smell of unscented CP bar soap....at least to my nose anyway).

It's hard for me to describe the smell, but I rather enjoy it because it takes me back to my grade-school days (late '60's to mid '70's) when the liquid soap dispensers in my school's bathrooms were always filled with unscented, uncolored, liquid olive oil soap. In the mid to late '70's they changed over to using a different kind of liquid soap that was pink and perfumed, and it wasn't long before I completely forgot all about the smell of the former soap.......until I started making my own liquid soap, that is. Wow, it's amazing how much of our memories are attached to the sense of smell. Upon making my first ever batch of liquid soap I was immediately transported back to kindergarten and washing my hands after recess.

I find that using about 2% FO in my finished liquid soap is usually enough to cover over the natural scent sufficiently, unless it's one of those lite FOs, and then I'll add just a tad bit more.


IrishLass

 

[DeeAnna]

I too have childhood memories of that soapy smell. It's just one of those things.

While I like the occasional whiff of this odor because of the memories, I don't care to actually use soap that has that smell. I use fragrance oil to cover it up -- anywhere from 1% to 2% by weight of diluted soap is usually plenty for my nose.

 

[amd]

I was in the pink perfumed school soap generation. I can't even tell you how many times I said "I just went to the bathroom - smell my hands!"

 

[IrishLass]

IrishLass

 

[Sarah82]

All the liquid soap I've made to date has a naturally distinct 'soapy' smell in its unscented state (which incidentally is very different from the smell of unscented CP bar soap....at least to my nose anyway).

It's hard for me to describe the smell, but I rather enjoy it because it takes me back to my grade-school days (late '60's to mid '70's) when the liquid soap dispensers in my school's bathrooms were always filled with unscented, uncolored, liquid olive oil soap. In the mid to late '70's they changed over to using a different kind of liquid soap that was pink and perfumed, and it wasn't long before I completely forgot all about the smell of the former soap.......until I started making my own liquid soap, that is. Wow, it's amazing how much of our memories are attached to the sense of smell. Upon making my first ever batch of liquid soap I was immediately transported back to kindergarten and washing my hands after recess.

I find that using about 2% FO in my finished liquid soap is usually enough to cover over the natural scent sufficiently, unless it's one of those lite FOs, and then I'll add just a tad bit more.


IrishLass

Thanks IrishLass. Is fragrance oil the same as essential oils? I added essential oil more than 2% of the soap's weight.

 

[DeeAnna]

No, essential oils (EOs) are not the same as fragrance oils (FOs). EOs are steam distilled from plant material. FOs may contain EOs but they are partly or wholly created from synthetic fragrance chemicals. Not all EOs and FOs do well in soap, so you have to learn what works and what doesn't. Some scents are faint to begin with or may fade quickly over time. Others are strong and "stick".

 

[Anita32]

Hi Everyone I'm new to soap making and I recently made my first batch of CP liquid Castile soap and it turned out great. However, although I have added orange essential oil to it, it has a "soapy" after smell I don't know exactly how to describe it. I want to ask it is natural or my essential oil hasn't dissolved properly?

Hi Sarah,
I am new to soap making as well, what recipe did you use. Was KOH at 90% purity or full? How much did you superfat the recipe at?

 

[OrganicSoapGuy]

Hi Everyone I'm new to soap making and I recently made my first batch of CP liquid Castile soap and it turned out great. However, although I have added orange essential oil to it, it has a "soapy" after smell I don't know exactly how to describe it. I want to ask it is natural or my essential oil hasn't dissolved properly?

Sarah, do you know how much essential oil you put in? With orange, you should be fine using 1-2% of your liquid soap weight. (Note, though, that orange essential oil will cloud the liquid soap you worked so hard to get clear...) Orange EO is super affordable. Try 2% and let us know how it goes.

Irish Lass has it right. Unscented liquid soap definitely has its own smell, which is different from unscented CP bar soap. Chances are, the first formulation didn't have enough EO to start with.

 

[DeeAnna]

...what recipe did you use.

Most experienced soap makers usually mean 100% olive oil soap when they say they made "castile." When used by regular consumers, the word castile is often used to mean a 100% vegetable oil soap.

The OP is new to soaping, so perhaps she will chime in with what she actually meant by "castile."

Was KOH at 90% purity or full?

To be honest, it makes no difference what another person's KOH purity is. KOH varies so much. Many suppliers will have the purity info on their website or will give that to you if you contact them. Set the purity for your recipe at whatever purity your KOH happens to be.

How much did you superfat the recipe at?

The rule of thumb is 3% superfat or lower to reduce the chance of excess fat that will separate from the soap.

 

[Sarah82]

Hi Sarah,
I am new to soap making as well, what recipe did you use. Was KOH at 90% purity or full? How much did you superfat the recipe at?

Hi Anita,
I used 90% KOH. I used a recipe which had 60% olive oil and 40% coconut oil.

 

[Sarah82]

Most experienced soap makers usually mean 100% olive oil soap when they say they made "castile." When used by regular consumers, the word castile is often used to mean a 100% vegetable oil soap.

The OP is new to soaping, so perhaps she will chime in with what she actually meant by "castile."

Was KOH at 90% purity or full?

To be honest, it makes no difference what another person's KOH purity is. KOH varies so much. Many suppliers will have the purity info on their website or will give that to you if you contact them. Set the purity for your recipe at whatever purity your KOH happens to be.

How much did you superfat the recipe at?

The rule of thumb is 3% superfat or lower to reduce the chance of excess fat that will separate from the soap.

Hi DeeAnna,
I used this recipe https://nwedible.com/how-to-make-diy-liquid-castile-soap/.