Need help finding out if something is wrong with my coffee soap

[em_england17]

So this is my first time using coffee essential oil in my coffee soap recipe. I used it just as I would an essential oil to add a nice scent to my soap. I noticed it was very soft so I waited two days to unmold and cut. When I cut, I noticed there were these lighter lines all throughout and have no clue what they are and was wondering if somebody could help. What went wrong??
Thanks!!

 

[Ekuzo]

My suggestion would have been that you poured at a very thick trace, when the batter was starting to set. BUT then I zoomed the photo in - and it looks like there's more to these lines than meets the eye. They look more like webs, actually. Could they be glycerin rivers? I'm curious what the others have to say. What colorant did you use?

 

[ackosel]

I don't pretend to know all about essential oils, but I went to EOcalc and couldn't find any option for coffee essential oil. Are you sure what you used was an essential oil? If it was a fragrance oil, was it formulated for use in cold process soap? When did you add the coffee oil to the batter, and are you sure you mixed it in thoroughly?

 

[em_england17]

My suggestion would have been that you poured at a very thick trace, when the batter was starting to set. BUT then I zoomed the photo in - and it looks like there's more to these lines than meets the eye. They look more like webs, actually. Could they be glycerin rivers? I'm curious what the others have to say. What colorant did you use?

I'm very new to soap making and I looked up glycerin rivers and it does seems very similar. I did pour at a thicker trace, but it wasn't soap on a stick. I didn't use any colorants. I used frozen coffee cubes to replace my water which gives it the color.

I don't pretend to know all about essential oils, but I went to EOcalc and couldn't find any option for coffee essential oil. Are you sure what you used was an essential oil? If it was a fragrance oil, was it formulated for use in cold process soap? When did you add the coffee oil to the batter, and are you sure you mixed it in thoroughly?

This is what I used and it said it was okay for soap. Could you confirm? I added it in right before before I poured my batter. My oils and butters and lye were all mixed, and then I added the coffee essential oil in. I mixed it for awhile because I could tell it was having a hard time mixing in.

 

[ackosel]

This is what I used and it said it was okay for soap. Could you confirm? I added it in right before before I poured my batter. My oils and butters and lye were all mixed, and then I added the coffee essential oil in. I mixed it for awhile because I could tell it was having a hard time mixing in.

I am sorry, I am not experienced enough to tell you whether that fragrance is the culprit or not. I do know from my own limited experience and from other very experienced soapers here that ingredients purchased from Amazon are less likely to be the quality we are looking for in soap.

My best guess is that, since you said you had a hard time mixing the fragrance in, maybe it separated out as it sat in the mold. How big was your batch of soap, and how much fragrance did you use?

 

[Ekuzo]

I second that. You mentioned your batter was getting thick when you added the EO, so probably it was not mixed properly.

Also, even if FO or EO says it can be used in soap on the label, look for ones that are okay for CP in particular and that info can be confirmed with the manufacturer/distributor. Otherwise it can give you trouble when working with it and/or morph significantly during saponification.

Observe the bars, see how they turn out after some cure

 

[em_england17]

I am sorry, I am not experienced enough to tell you whether that fragrance is the culprit or not. I do know from my own limited experience and from other very experienced soapers here that ingredients purchased from Amazon are less likely to be the quality we are looking for in soap.

My best guess is that, since you said you had a hard time mixing the fragrance in, maybe it separated out as it sat in the mold. How big was your batch of soap, and how much fragrance did you use?

I appreciate all your help!

Attached is my recipe:

I second that. You mentioned your batter was getting thick when you added the EO, so probably it was not mixed properly.

Also, even if FO or EO says it can be used in soap on the label, look for ones that are okay for CP in particular and that info can be confirmed with the manufacturer/distributor. Otherwise it can give you trouble when working with it and/or morph significantly during saponification

Thank you!!!

 

[Ekuzo]

Hey, no worries! The recipe seems fine to me. If the only problem is that it didn't mix well with the batter, most of it will evaporate during cure. But the soap should be okay, IMHO

 

[ackosel]

I really haven't been any help. Just feel like a beginner playing big kid!
Your soap really is beautiful. Those light colored streaks look like they are part of a design. I hope someone who knows more than I do about such things gives you more definite answers!

 

[Ekuzo]

I really haven't been any help. Just feel like a beginner playing big kid!
Your soap really is beautiful. Those light colored streaks look like they are part of a design. I hope someone who knows more than I do about such things gives you more definite answers!

Hush, don't say that - not after the great first impression we made Keep it cool until the end, let it seem as if we have some authority, it feels good Let's pretend we ARE the big kids here while no one's around lol

 

[paradisi]

I would guess from the price and vendor, that it's not pure coffee essential oil, which is quite pricey from reputable sellers. Could be coffee bean oil (not eo but fixed oil), which is somewhat scented, or fragrance oil, or coffee eo diluted in a carrier oil (which could explain the softness of the soap).

Eden's Garden and Shay are sellers I would trust for coffee eo.

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

That is actually a beautiful soap! Wait it out and see how it cures. But I will say, as someone who uses exclusively essential oils that I would be positive that is not essential oil. Way, way too cheap! Amazon has a lot of fake essential oil sellers, and you cannot rely on them for good essential oils. If you plan on selling those you probably need to put fragrance in your ingredient list.