Soaps are very soft after unmold even after 3 days

[earlene]

The previous batch i made that was without palm oil was not like this. It was bit yellowish. Had a clean look.

However these soaps looks rough and not very clean. They contained palm oil..
As for the refrigeration part, they were in the mold for 2-3 days and I unmolded them today. This is how they look after so they did gel i believe since it very hot here too.
As for the fragnance, im using rose oil and geranium at around 3 % of oil in weight. They are within dermal limits tho

Also not expecting them to be translucent. They should look either whitish or yellowish.but the design should also look clean.its very rough. Do you know why?
Is this due to the salt added?

Yes, it's the oils in your recipe that gave you white soap.
I have no experience with rose oil & geranium fragrances, neither FOs nor EOs for either, so cannot say if they are responsible for the yellow spots I see. Maybe they are.

When the detail of a mold is intricate and I want the soap to come out 'clean' or more specifically clearly showing the fine detail rather than 'rough' (is that what you mean by crumbly?), I put a release agent on the inside surface of the mold.

Regarding the salt question let me ask you this: Was the salt completely dissolved and in solution without any salty residue when you mixed it into the batter (or added they lye to the salt solution)? If so, I would not expect that to cause the roughness in the amount you used. HOWEVER, when adding dry salt to soap batter, I do get roughness throughout the soap, including on the outer surface.

I have attached 4 images. Check out the link too. Its a closeup of the soap for better insights

Well, it may be my eyes, or my monitor. They are blurry to me and I cannot really see the crumblyness. But if I can see that the design detail is not what one might expect of a fine detail mold. But maybe that's why it looks blurry to me. My brain my just be translating what my eyes see as blurry when it is not.

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Yes, it's the oils in your recipe that gave you white soap.
I have no experience with rose oil & geranium fragrances, neither FOs nor EOs for either, so cannot say if they are responsible for the yellow spots I see. Maybe they are.

When the detail of a mold is intricate and I want the soap to come out 'clean' or more specifically clearly showing the fine detail rather than 'rough' (is that what you mean by crumbly?), I put a release agent on the inside surface of the mold.

Regarding the salt question let me ask you this: Was the salt completely dissolved and in solution without any salty residue when you mixed it into the batter (or added they lye to the salt solution)? If so, I would not expect that to cause the roughness in the amount you used. HOWEVER, when adding dry salt to soap batter, I do get roughness throughout the soap, including on the outer surface.

Well, it may be my eyes, or my monitor. They are blurry to me and I cannot really see the crumblyness. But if I can see that the design detail is not what one might expect of a fine detail mold. But maybe that's why it looks blurry to me. My brain my just be translating what my eyes see as blurry when it is not.

The soap itself looks a bit blurry(not very crisp and have clear details). This is what im asking. Do you any reason why is that given the recipe i shared above.

Can the salt I added do that?
And yes salt is completely dissolved into the lye solution

 

[earlene]

Okay, so then it's not my old eyes or my monitor. I would not expect it to be the result of the salt, but perhaps try it again without salt and see if the result is different. And try waiting a few days before removing from the mold just to be sure the soap has sufficiently firmed up.

@beautifulsoaper, I just thought of something else that could be a difference in our understanding of your recipe. US teaspoons (the measuring ones, not the ones used as an eating utensil) hold a different amount (be it dry, or liquid volume) that teaspoons in some other countries, so it could be that the teaspoon you are using in Pakistan does not hold the same amount of salt as my US Standard teaspoon. And did you measure a level or heaping spoonful?

Maybe it would be worth our while to compare such different measurements as 'teaspoons' from different countries and use metric weights instead.

One level US teaspoon of table salt weighs 5.9 grams. How much does a level teaspoon of salt weigh when you measure it?

Can the salt I added do that?
And yes salt is completely dissolved into the lye solution

Prior to adding the lye to the dissolved salt solution?

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Yes prior to adding the lye in the solution. I completely dissolved the salt.

Also according to google, 1 tea spoon is 4.92 grams and since i weigh everything in grams i take 4.92 grams of salt

Prior to adding the lye to the dissolved salt solution?

Is there any issue in the recipe?
This time i even added palm oil which is supposed to make it hard but it is still not hard. Pls help

 

[earlene]

Is there any issue in the recipe?
This time i even added palm oil which is supposed to make it hard but it is still not hard. Pls help

Is it this recipe below?

So I made the batch with the recipe shared above along with adding 28% palm oil. However, its been 2 days now and I tried to unmold it but the soap design came out bit wrong since it was still soft. can you please tell any particular reason for that?

2:1 Liquid to lye ratio
1 teaspoon per pound of oil

lye	49.93​
water	99.86​

castor oil	21​	6.00%​
sesame	35​	10.00%​
coconut oil	87.5​	25.00%​
olive oil	42​	12.00%​
shea butter	66.5​	19.00%​
palm oil	98​	28%​

can you please tell me how to speed up this process and reduce cure time?

What was your superfat set at? Which lye soap calculator did you use? Did the calculator assume a specific lye purity, and if so, what was it?

When I reverse engineer your recipe in the soapmakingfriend soap calculator, it appears that if you (or your lye calculator) assumed 98% lye purity, that your superfat is set at 4%, and that you chose the oils in the calculator based on the oils you actually used, I can only surmise there are some other factors at play that we do not know about.

See the results I get using your recipe in the attached pdf below.

These are my notes as I try to figure out what may be going on:

For these calculations: Assumptions: 98% lye purity, 4% SF, 350 grams of oils, No added Fragrance or other additives except table salt @ 1 tsp salt dissolved in hot water prior to dissolving the lye for lye solution. Assumption: User made no errors listing the exact oils used. (Saponification numbers change with other types of palm and other types of coconut oil.)
Assumption: User made no weights & measure errors. Assumption: scale is accurate.
Assumption: Trace was reached prior to pouring into mold. Assumption: Batter was fully emulsified and did not separate. Assumption: Batter heated up sufficiently to continue thickening & to gel.
Assumption: Date soap was made is May 13 (?) 2 days prior to post on SMF, which stated it was made 2 days previously.

Unknown factors: Did the batter truly emulsify? Were the oils & lye solution warm, hot or cold when mixed together? Did the batter reach true trace? Did the soap gel? What kind of mold is the soap in: loaf, or individual molds, plastic, wood, silicone? Was the molded soap insulated to facilitate gel? What does the soap look like? (Photos can be helpful in determining the answers to some of these questions.)

Question: Why is this soap still not hard on May 18 (5 days later)?

Possible answers: Weighing error (Is the scale accurate?) User error is possible, but what exactly is hard to pin down. Possibly the soap did not gel and will take several more days or weeks to harden. Possibly the lye purity is not as high as 98%. Possibly one of the oils chosen in the calculator is not what was actually used and the saponification numbers are wrong leading to an incorrect calculation for amount of NaOH used. Possibly the wrong lye was purchased (vendor error re: labeling the product).

So, perhaps you can show a photo of the soap in question that you made on May 13 (if I have the date right) with the recipe included in this post (if I have the right recipe) and answer the questions in my notes, perhaps we can narrow it down to what's wrong here. There are so many possibilities, it takes a bit of digging to figure out which factors may be contributing.

 

[dibbles]

Are you using Dead Sea salt by any chance?

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Are you using Dead Sea salt by any chance?

I believe the salt wasn't helping me as such.(even if it did the high temperature here made it look like it wasn't). Thats what my guess is.

So now I made a new batch without salt and this time before unmolding it, i put it in freezer to lower down the temperature. Before this unmolding it was in the mold for 1 day and it did went through gel. It is in silicon mold tho.

So after taking it out of freezer and I unmolded it, it came out perfectly. The design is fine and has a good finish.

You were great at troubleshooting. And thank you so so much for helping me through out this process and taking out time for writing such long answers so that I could understand. God Bless you!

Will try to make another batch just to confirm my process again

Is it this recipe below?

What was your superfat set at? Which lye soap calculator did you use? Did the calculator assume a specific lye purity, and if so, what was it?

When I reverse engineer your recipe in the soapmakingfriend soap calculator, it appears that if you (or your lye calculator) assumed 98% lye purity, that your superfat is set at 4%, and that you chose the oils in the calculator based on the oils you actually used, I can only surmise there are some other factors at play that we do not know about.

See the results I get using your recipe in the attached pdf below.

These are my notes as I try to figure out what may be going on:

For these calculations: Assumptions: 98% lye purity, 4% SF, 350 grams of oils, No added Fragrance or other additives except table salt @ 1 tsp salt dissolved in hot water prior to dissolving the lye for lye solution. Assumption: User made no errors listing the exact oils used. (Saponification numbers change with other types of palm and other types of coconut oil.)
Assumption: User made no weights & measure errors. Assumption: scale is accurate.
Assumption: Trace was reached prior to pouring into mold. Assumption: Batter was fully emulsified and did not separate. Assumption: Batter heated up sufficiently to continue thickening & to gel.
Assumption: Date soap was made is May 13 (?) 2 days prior to post on SMF, which stated it was made 2 days previously.

Unknown factors: Did the batter truly emulsify? Were the oils & lye solution warm, hot or cold when mixed together? Did the batter reach true trace? Did the soap gel? What kind of mold is the soap in: loaf, or individual molds, plastic, wood, silicone? Was the molded soap insulated to facilitate gel? What does the soap look like? (Photos can be helpful in determining the answers to some of these questions.)

Question: Why is this soap still not hard on May 18 (5 days later)?

Possible answers: Weighing error (Is the scale accurate?) User error is possible, but what exactly is hard to pin down. Possibly the soap did not gel and will take several more days or weeks to harden. Possibly the lye purity is not as high as 98%. Possibly one of the oils chosen in the calculator is not what was actually used and the saponification numbers are wrong leading to an incorrect calculation for amount of NaOH used. Possibly the wrong lye was purchased (vendor error re: labeling the product).

So, perhaps you can show a photo of the soap in question that you made on May 13 (if I have the date right) with the recipe included in this post (if I have the right recipe) and answer the questions in my notes, perhaps we can narrow it down to what's wrong here. There are so many possibilities, it takes a bit of digging to figure out which factors may be contributing.

Thanks for the long answer. Clicked on the wrong reply above

I was just using normal salt that is white in color and is usually used in food. That's it. No complexity in that

Also you mentioned above regarding releasing agent. Could you tell what are they?

 

[dibbles]

Regular table salt is fine to use. Dead Sea salt can cause problems, which is why I asked. @earlene is the one who mentioned a release agent, so I'll leave that question to her to answer. I'm happy to hear you've had a successful batch!

 

[earlene]

As a 'release agent' I use Vaseline, or lanolin or mineral oil, rubbing a very fine thin coating on the inner surface of the intricately designed silicone mold (using my fingers to apply). I do this before even starting to mix the soap batter so that when it's ready to pour I don't have to wait (or forget). You can also buy 'release agents' in a spray can for a fee (see this link), but I use what I have on hand, which are the 3 things I mentioned. The very thin layer makes the soap come out of the mold more uniformly when it is one of those silicone or even older plastic molds (Milky Way is one brand where I have to use a release agent).

Putting the soap in the freezer for a few minutes helps as well because the cold causes it to contract a bit and it comes out more easily. But even then, I prefer to use a release agent for all of my individual molds that have an intricate design built into them.

Using a release agent also works nicely with soap stamps and silicone mats (used to add an intricate design to the surface of the soap, then later removed once the soap has firmed up).

 

[beautifulsoaper]

As a 'release agent' I use Vaseline, or lanolin or mineral oil, rubbing a very fine thin coating on the inner surface of the intricately designed silicone mold (using my fingers to apply). I do this before even starting to mix the soap batter so that when it's ready to pour I don't have to wait (or forget). You can also buy 'release agents' in a spray can for a fee (see this link), but I use what I have on hand, which are the 3 things I mentioned. The very thin layer makes the soap come out of the mold more uniformly when it is one of those silicone or even older plastic molds (Milky Way is one brand where I have to use a release agent).

Putting the soap in the freezer for a few minutes helps as well because the cold causes it to contract a bit and it comes out more easily. But even then, I prefer to use a release agent for all of my individual molds that have an intricate design built into them.

Using a release agent also works nicely with soap stamps and silicone mats (used to add an intricate design to the surface of the soap, then later removed once the soap has firmed up).

Ok. Thanks for telling me the agents name. I will note them down.

Also, which kind of fragnance is best to use? I mean i use rose oil and geranium but its not very high. I want something really nice and luxurious.I like synthetic perfumes very much.
Is there a blend we can make with essential oils or some other natural way

 

[earlene]

Ok. Thanks for telling me the agents name. I will note them down.

Also, which kind of fragnance is best to use? I mean i use rose oil and geranium but its not very high. I want something really nice and luxurious.I like synthetic perfumes very much.
Is there a blend we can make with essential oils or some other natural way

Scents are such a personal thing! I also love the scent of roses, but there are some really different opinions on rose fragrances, that the only way to know if you are going to like it is to try it yourself. Take a look at the Fragrance Oils/Fragrance reviews forum and possibly this thread: What is the BEST rose fragrance???

As far as what is the best kind or fragrance, I suspect you are asking EO vs FO. I know many soapmakers only use Essential Oils, some only use Fragrance Oils, while many will use both or either one, and then again there are soapmakers who use no added fragrance.

I have never tried mixing EO's together to come up with a rose fragrance, but if it can be done, someone here may be able to steer you in the right direction. But that's a question for the Fragrance Oils/Fragrance reviews forum.

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Thanks for the info. Will check it out.

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Scents are such a personal thing! I also love the scent of roses, but there are some really different opinions on rose fragrances, that the only way to know if you are going to like it is to try it yourself. Take a look at the Fragrance Oils/Fragrance reviews forum and possibly this thread: What is the BEST rose fragrance???

As far as what is the best kind or fragrance, I suspect you are asking EO vs FO. I know many soapmakers only use Essential Oils, some only use Fragrance Oils, while many will use both or either one, and then again there are soapmakers who use no added fragrance.

I have never tried mixing EO's together to come up with a rose fragrance, but if it can be done, someone here may be able to steer you in the right direction. But that's a question for the Fragrance Oils/Fragrance reviews forum.

So this is how my new recipe looks. Does it looks okay to you?
When i rub it it seems a bit crumbly however this is only present on the back. The front is hard
But why the back is fading away as I rub it?

 

[earlene]

That looks like soda ash on the surface of the soap that was exposed to the air, while still in the mold. The parts not exposed to the air don't do that, right? Does it go away once you have washed with the soap two or three times? It looks like soda ash.

More about soda ash here: Ash | Soapy Stuff
That is DeeAnna's Soapy Stuff educational area of her website, which contains valuable information.

The 'back' of the soap is the top exposed to air when sitting in the individual molds. When batter is in individual molds it cools off very quickly, which equates to not gelling. Unless you insulated them in addition to adding extra heat, these soaps did not gel, even in a very warm climate. Plus the high humidity you have in your climate allows for additional moisture to be drawn toward the exposed surface when the soap is not covered, if you did not cover them.

My suggestion would be to encourage gel, by adding heat & insulating the soap for a few hours right after pouring. You can place the molds on a tray on top of a heated surface and cover them with an inverted cardboard box to hold in the heat. There are many options for doing this, heating pads, top of a warm appliance, inside a preheated oven, inside insulated containers (such as for food delivery service), blankets, towels, etc.

Also, given your climate, perhaps your next try should be an even lower water amount. I'd go to 35% Lye Concentration next. That is less water still. The combination of lye and water interacting with the environment as the molecules inside the soap interact, produces this ash, which appears on the surface of the soap. I have soaped as high as 40% Lye Concentration, and no soda ash. But I would not start there, particularly when new to soapmaking.

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Ok so I replied you through my phone but Idk why it didn't get posted. I waited for your notification .

I do cover them to force the gel phase and I don't want to wash them since it will ruin the design on the front. any other way to do it? I will try this new 35% lye concentration and will update you.

I need help with this new recipe that I was trying:

Coconut Oil	26%​
Shea Butter	19%​
coco butter	8%​
palm oil	12%​
olive oil	22%​
almond oil	5%​
castor oil	6%​
rosehip	2%​

lye		90.32​
water		243.2​

That is 38 percent % Liquid as a percent of oils. Using 5% superfat and fragrance at 3.5%
The issue is it traces very quickly such that I'm unable to pour it to the last individual mold. Im using silicone mold and again cold process soap process.
Also it is leaking some oil after pouring into the mold. it gets collected on top of each soap and during pouring I can see some of it solidifies like part of it is liquid part is turning solid.
Due to this the soap isn't very smooth and I don't know what to do now. So please help me
I mix them around 45-50 degrees and at low to medium trace.(it traces very quickly - I mean within 30-60 second I think. So don't have much time to mix. I have also tried to add 6% extra water to it and it did helped to slow down the trace but when it reaches trace, same thing happens. I am unable to pour it and it feels crumbly and oil comes at top.
What to do?

 

[earlene]

Two things regarding ash: Prevention and Cleaning it off.

For the soap you have right now, if you don't want to test one bar by washing it off to see if the ash comes off, then you can plane it off. Using a soap planer or just a mandolin if you have one of those in your kitchen. You can also steam it off, but you have to be more careful not to burn your hands when steaming.

Prevention, I already covered, higher lye concentration = less water. But here's more: Covering the exposed surface of the soap to prevent air exchange with the batter while it is solidifying (you can used plastic wrap such as what food is wrapped in to keep it fresh, or waxed paper.) Spraying the exposed surface with alcohol is another method some folks use to prevent ash, but it can leave pock-marks on the surface, so some folks don't like using this method.

But I can add that when you added even more water to the batter your batter became even less stable. It was already separating and although adding more water seemed like a good idea at the time, in order to make it more fluid so you could pour, it just increased the opportunity for separation and for ash development.

Regarding the fast trace, a couple of possibilities come to mind as to how this can be happening and why. First, look at your fragrance. Some fragrances speed trace rapidly; some can also cause ricing; some can cause separation; there are even some that can slow trace.

My suggestion is to make this recipe without any added fragrance and see if you get the same fast trace. If not, then you have at least one part of the puzzle figured out.

But not only fragrances can speed trace, so can other factors.

Another possibility: are you using pomace olive oil? Even at 22% I would see a speeding up of trace with pomace olive oil, especially when in a recipe including hard oils. I don't even need to use a stick blender/emulsion blender when I use 50% pomace olive oil in a all olive oil soap (regular OO + 50% pomace); I hand stir only.

OR, are you using a stick blender? As a beginner, it is very common to over-stick-blend. I would try hand stirring only and see if you get the same result of super fast trace. If not, then the problem is most likely stick blending to vigorously. Try only 2-3 second bursts of using the SB, then only hand stir for several minutes. Alternate with the short bursts (2-3 seconds) with the longer time hand stirring, and you should see a slow down in the superfast trace, IF no other factors are at play to speed trace (such as the fragrance or other additives.)

Have you taken the temperature of the batter when it is at this thick trace? Is it possible it cooled down too much and gave you false trace? When you added the extra water was it (the water) cold, lukewarm, hot?

You see, there are multiple factors that can lead to fast trace, or false trace, or separation of oils from the batter.

Just as a reminder, when we ask for a complete recipe, listing the specific fragrance is part of that, including the supplier (name of the company who makes it or sells it.) Everything put into the batter is part of the recipe. Process includes more than 'cold process' or 'hot process' or 'CPOP', but also includes things like stick blending or hand stirring only, etc. All these sorts of things play a part in how the batter behaves.

Even some colorants thicken the soap batter more than others, but you did not mention using a colorant, so that's information to keep in mind if and when you start using colorants.

Ok so I replied you through my phone but Idk why it didn't get posted. I waited for your notification .

I do cover them to force the gel phase and I don't want to wash them since it will ruin the design on the front. any other way to do it? I will try this new 35% lye concentration and will update you.

I need help with this new recipe that I was trying:

Coconut Oil	26%​
Shea Butter	19%​
coco butter	8%​
palm oil	12%​
olive oil	22%​
almond oil	5%​
castor oil	6%​
rosehip	2%​

lye		90.32​
water		243.2​

That is 38 percent % Liquid as a percent of oils. Using 5% superfat and fragrance at 3.5%
The issue is it traces very quickly such that I'm unable to pour it to the last individual mold. Im using silicone mold and again cold process soap process.
Also it is leaking some oil after pouring into the mold. it gets collected on top of each soap and during pouring I can see some of it solidifies like part of it is liquid part is turning solid.
Due to this the soap isn't very smooth and I don't know what to do now. So please help me
I mix them around 45-50 degrees and at low to medium trace.(it traces very quickly - I mean within 30-60 second I think. So don't have much time to mix. I have also tried to add 6% extra water to it and it did helped to slow down the trace but when it reaches trace, same thing happens. I am unable to pour it and it feels crumbly and oil comes at top.
What to do?

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Will covering it with a plastic wrap cause issues? Like since it has to evaporate, will it be a problem. I'll try that tho.

Regarding the other recipe,the thing is it was okay before. Not like this. I tried this recipe before like two or three weeks ago but it wasnt seperating. It was okay and at that time too it traced up quickly but wasn't an issue. Now the most important issue is, it solidifies quickly, i mean im still able to pour it in the mold but dont get the smooth finish on top and some oil starts to remain on top.

I used a stick blender and only short bursts and then i pour it since it traces quickly(which really isnt a big problem - just that i dont get smooth finish and also get oil on top now).
I already took extra water and made the lye solution so all of it was hot.

I always take temperature and it was 45 degree before i poured. Its not possible to take temperature afterwards due to fast trace.

Is too much water an issue here? Please tell me what to do. Im very confused now like since it was ok before and now its not the same even though i did not change anything?

 

[beautifulsoaper]

Two things regarding ash: Prevention and Cleaning it off.

For the soap you have right now, if you don't want to test one bar by washing it off to see if the ash comes off, then you can plane it off. Using a soap planer or just a mandolin if you have one of those in your kitchen. You can also steam it off, but you have to be more careful not to burn your hands when steaming.

Prevention, I already covered, higher lye concentration = less water. But here's more: Covering the exposed surface of the soap to prevent air exchange with the batter while it is solidifying (you can used plastic wrap such as what food is wrapped in to keep it fresh, or waxed paper.) Spraying the exposed surface with alcohol is another method some folks use to prevent ash, but it can leave pock-marks on the surface, so some folks don't like using this method.

But I can add that when you added even more water to the batter your batter became even less stable. It was already separating and although adding more water seemed like a good idea at the time, in order to make it more fluid so you could pour, it just increased the opportunity for separation and for ash development.

Regarding the fast trace, a couple of possibilities come to mind as to how this can be happening and why. First, look at your fragrance. Some fragrances speed trace rapidly; some can also cause ricing; some can cause separation; there are even some that can slow trace.

My suggestion is to make this recipe without any added fragrance and see if you get the same fast trace. If not, then you have at least one part of the puzzle figured out.

But not only fragrances can speed trace, so can other factors.

Another possibility: are you using pomace olive oil? Even at 22% I would see a speeding up of trace with pomace olive oil, especially when in a recipe including hard oils. I don't even need to use a stick blender/emulsion blender when I use 50% pomace olive oil in a all olive oil soap (regular OO + 50% pomace); I hand stir only.

OR, are you using a stick blender? As a beginner, it is very common to over-stick-blend. I would try hand stirring only and see if you get the same result of super fast trace. If not, then the problem is most likely stick blending to vigorously. Try only 2-3 second bursts of using the SB, then only hand stir for several minutes. Alternate with the short bursts (2-3 seconds) with the longer time hand stirring, and you should see a slow down in the superfast trace, IF no other factors are at play to speed trace (such as the fragrance or other additives.)

Have you taken the temperature of the batter when it is at this thick trace? Is it possible it cooled down too much and gave you false trace? When you added the extra water was it (the water) cold, lukewarm, hot?

You see, there are multiple factors that can lead to fast trace, or false trace, or separation of oils from the batter.

Just as a reminder, when we ask for a complete recipe, listing the specific fragrance is part of that, including the supplier (name of the company who makes it or sells it.) Everything put into the batter is part of the recipe. Process includes more than 'cold process' or 'hot process' or 'CPOP', but also includes things like stick blending or hand stirring only, etc. All these sorts of things play a part in how the batter behaves.

Even some colorants thicken the soap batter more than others, but you did not mention using a colorant, so that's information to keep in mind if and when you start using colorants.

Hey Earlene! My first recipe which made oval shaped soaps now have brown spots in the first batch i made. Can you please tell what is the issue? Oils are fresh, everything seems okay, it also looks great but its still making dreaded orange spots. Please help me.

Also, regarding previous answer, hand blending was the key. Maybe even 5-7 seconds of stick blending was too rough for the batch. Thank you so so so much! You are just GREAT!

Now please help me with this dreaded orange spots issue. Idk whats happening

 

[earlene]

Hey Earlene! My first recipe which made oval shaped soaps now have brown spots in the first batch i made. Can you please tell what is the issue? Oils are fresh, everything seems okay, it also looks great but its still making dreaded orange spots. Please help me.

Also, regarding previous answer, hand blending was the key. Maybe even 5-7 seconds of stick blending was too rough for the batch. Thank you so so so much! You are just GREAT!

Now please help me with this dreaded orange spots issue. Idk whats happening

The recipe in post #1 of this thread? With the rose & geranium essential oils as fragrance? Can you attach a photo of the soap(s) in question with the spots? How old exactly are these soaps with the spots? Do they smell like rancid oil? Were your soaping oils newly purchased at the time of making the soap? Or were any of the oils old, having sat around a kitchen or pantry for a long time? How were your soaping oils stored if they were not fresh? (In a hot environment, or refrigerated, etc.?) What was the superfat setting of that particular soap? (I don't recall & did not re-read all the posts subsequent to post #1, so not sure you indicated SF.)

DOS is caused by some contaminant(s) that speed up oxidation of the oils, turning them rancid. Using antioxidants in the oils can inhibit the oxidation process. Using chelators in soap also helps prevent DOS. Many soapmakers use a combination of a chelator with an antioxidant. The two link below go into some of the scientific reasons for DOS, and give specifics about some of the additives that can be used for DOS prevention. My suggestion is to read through these links below and decide on DOS preventive additives for your future soaps. There are also several threads on DOS identification & prevention here at SMF, easily found via the search function, where you can find a multitude of experience and effective solutions from our members.

Here are some useful links and research on DOS:

Dr. Kevin Dunn, chemistry professor (written for the Soapmaking Guild): Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild

Deanna's DOS article (causes & prevention tips): Rancidity and DOS | Soapy Stuff

Causes & Some practical use tips on soaps with DOS: 8 Causes of Orange Spots in Homemade Soap and What To Do About It »

Soap Queen: Dealing with Dreaded Orange Spots - Soap Queen

Reading those articles can help you with prevention in the future. Incidentally, the soap is still safe to use with DOS, although once it starts smelling off, you may choose to toss it rather than tolerating the odor. I find the smell of rancid oils quite offensive to my nose, but not all DOS spots smell bad when you first notice them visually.