Overheating Oatmeal and Honey?

[MorpheusPA]

I made my first oatmeal and honey soap yesterday, 22g PPO oatmeal, 1 tsp PPO oils. The recipe was:

80% Tallow
15% Coconut
5% Castor

This thing overheated like a...but I probably shouldn't use that language here. :twisted:

I almost always use honey at that rate and don't have a problem; the only change was adding oatmeal.

Is that normal for oatmeal, which I understand is quite starchy, or just a one-off due to the fragrance oil or happenstance?

 

[jcandleattic]

What was the scent? I don't find my oatmeal overheats when I use it by itself, but honey always warms up pretty fast, and I only use 1tsp per 3lbs oils. Anymore than that and I would most likely have a volcano, even though I soap at RT.

I also only use 1tsp finely ground oatmeal to 3lbs of oils, and don't find it scratchy, just a light (very light) exfoliate. I triple grind my oatmeal in a grinder though, so it's super super fine. Almost like a dust.

 

[lathered_up]

What temp did you soap at? I always soap as cool as possible to prevent overheating when I add honey. You have a high amount of solid fats in your recipe. It can be tempting to soap at a higher temperature so that they stay clear and liquid, but that can mean trouble when you add honey or other sugar containing additives. Just a thought.

 

[MorpheusPA]

I was around 110, and the fragrance was mixed lavender and ginger--which has never given me a problem before.

I'm gonna assume I was hotter than I thought I was and it simply went faster than expected, I guess!

 

[jcandleattic]

I was around 110, and the fragrance was mixed lavender and ginger--which has never given me a problem before.

I'm gonna assume I was hotter than I thought I was and it simply went faster than expected, I guess!

I do know that when I mix scents, even ones that typically don't cause me problems when separate, they do tend to accelerate when mixed, however, they don't generally overheat.

Hmm. Yeah, maybe just soaped a bit warmer than you thought. ?? IDK - it's a mystery to me.

 

[lathered_up]

Could be the temps. The first time I made a beer and honey soap, I was only at 80 degrees. No overheating. Just watch out for false trace. Working at lower temps with a lot of solid fats can be tricky.

 

[SunRiseArts]

did you add real honey at all? because honey can do that.

 

[MorpheusPA]

did you add real honey at all? because honey can do that.

Yep, but for me that's a standard additive at 1 tsp PPO. I like the lather and the label appeal when giving soap as gifts. "Oh, this has honey in it!"

Yeah, yeah it does.

I'm used to the heating from the honey, but this was a cracked and swollen top that looked like it might theoretically volcano on me...

 

[shunt2011]

I've used honey and oatmeal together and it does seem to heat up a bit more for me. If I insulate at all it cracks my soap. So maybe it is a combination. I generally use 1 tsp PPO honey and 2-3 tsp. of finely ground oatmeal PPO. And may have started warmer than usual.

 

[MorpheusPA]

I've used honey and oatmeal together and it does seem to heat up a bit more for me. If I insulate at all it cracks my soap. So maybe it is a combination. I generally use 1 tsp PPO honey and 2-3 tsp. of finely ground oatmeal PPO. And may have started warmer than usual.

Well, at least I no longer feel like a mutant.

I'll try cutting it down next time--the five percent oatmeal was probably a bit much. At least it's currently curing beautifully, smells amazing, and has a great texture. I'm anxious to try this in late January!