Nag Champa

[John Harris]

Does anyone have a good source for a Nag Champa EO or FO that doesn't discolor? Also, if it was a Canadian source would be great! I have found 2 or 3 Canadian sources with high reviews for scent, but they discolor to a dark brown. I used to have a good source in the States, Missy's Candles, but she is out of business now.

 

[cassia]

@John Harris have you ever used Mountain Rose Herbs products? I don't know how their EO's perform in soap making and there are different blends you could use to make up your own scent for Nag Champa. I don't know what the original formula was but quite a few different EO's can be used and they're still calling it Nag Champa, but you probably already know that.

 

[John Harris]

@cassia Hi Cassia! Thanks for the reply. Actually, my experience with soaping is pretty circumscribed. I've made soap on and off for many years, but I simply used variations of a basic recipe and varied the scents. No experience with coloring, swirling, or EO mixing. For EOs and FOs I would just take whatever the supplier sent me and use it as is.

Mountain Rose Herbs is in the USA and I am in Canada (though I am American). I always buy Canadian so as to avoid customs complications.

I just made a 32 bar batch of Nag Champa. I found a bottle of the FO I liked from the now defunct Missy's Candles. I thought I had used that bottle up completely on my last Nag Champa "adventure" 2.5 years ago, so I was surprised when I discovered the remaining amount. This most recent batch looks to be a success.

I have been searching the Canadian suppliers and have found a few Nag Champa sources with rave reviews, but ... they all seem to discolor to a dark brown which I (and people who like my soap) don't want. I know they sell a liquid that is supposed to stop that vanillin discoloration, but it is expensive! $90 for a liter of it!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

If you know for sure that it's (only) the vanillin that drives the discolouration, would ZCS be an option?

 

[John Harris]

Hello, My Dear Owl!

Where on earth would you get
3 ozs sodium metabisulfate (SM)
3 ozs sodium thiosulfate (pentahydrate) (STP) ??

My local WalMart didn't have any!

 

[earlene]

As you are in Canada, you may want to do a search for online suppliers in Canada. But Amazon has it, so if you have an Amazon account, I would suggest looking there.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

3 ozs sodium metabisulfate (SM)
3 ozs sodium thiosulfate (pentahydrate) (STP) ??

My local WalMart didn't have any!

https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/Sodium-Metabisulfite-1-Lb/PRD3RFCFKUYXPY0
https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/PVCS-P...um-Chlorine-Neutralizer-for-Home/49WCWA72LRWX
It's a bit unfortunate that @Todd Ziegler mixed up “metabisulfite” and “metabisulfate” in his recipe wrap-up. You might find it at homebrewing/winemaking suppliers too.

Thiosulfate is an indispensable ingredient in B/W photographic fixers, so you local photo studio might have some in their basement.

ETA:

Gender
Unisex

 

[cmzaha]

I cannot help you with a non-discoloring Nag, but WSP has the best Nag Champa I have ever used. It does not turn dark brown.

 

[John Harris]

I cannot help you with a non-discoloring Nag, but WSP has the best Nag Champa I have ever used. It does not turn dark brown.

Their website says it discolors to a brown. Tan, maybe?

Cold Process Soap Test Results:

We test fragrances with the recipe of 50% olive oil, 20% sunflower oil,
15% coconut 76, 10% shea butter, 5% castor. No water discount.

Acceleration: None		Color After Cure: Brown
Ricing: None		Separation: None

 

[Susie]

@John Harris I know you don't want to hear this, but sometimes you just have to have brown soap in order to get the scent you want.

I just go ahead and use cocoa to darken up some of it and use some gold mica pencil lines to highlight just how beautiful that brown is. I get it to a med-heavy trace stage and plop the dark brown (colored) batter in irregular plops, often at an angle. Then do a mica line, plop the uncolored part, repeat the mica lines, etc.

Oh, and Nag Champa FO mixed with Dragon's Blood FO is phenomenal if you like spicy scents.

 

[earlene]

Champa FO mixed with Dragon's Blood FO is phenomenal if you like spicy scents.

When my WSP Nag Champa FO comes, I will have to try this. Thank you, Susie.

Incidentally, I love what Dragon's Blood does to soap colors. It turns bright colors into jewel colors that to my eye is quite lovely.