Still smells like lye?

[vtpiper]

Hi guys,

newbie here! I need a little guidance....

I've made a couple batches of soap so far (one is still in the mold now from yesterday). The first batch I over mixed, so super lumpy and smells pretty strongly of lye. The second batch I mixed to light trace and poured in the mold - looks fine so far, but also smells like lye a little, though not as strong as the first batch. I used EOs for fragrance in both batches.

My question is: will the lye smell go away as the soap cures, or is this lye smell an indication of something in the soapmaking process that is wrong?

Also, I made them using a blender method.

Any guidance is appreciated!

Jackie

 

[IrishLass]

Depending on the fragrance I've used, certain batches of my soap will smell funky for a week or so (almost like a perm solution for hair). Is that what you mean by 'lye smell'? If so, it goes completely away after a week or so. I don't know why it is, but a few particular F/Os do this to me like clockwork, such as Sun & Sand from WSP and Midsummer's Night from WSP. They all cure out beautifully, though. I would give your finished soap some time. Time is a soap's best friend.


IrishLass

 

[bassgirl]

I'm having a similar problem today. I made a batch yesterday with paprika as a colorant and ylang ylang as the primary fragrance. I'm not a huge fan of ylang ylang but it's pretty stank today. I can't tell if it's the ylang ylang I'm smelling or the paprika, although it seems like the paprika shouldn't really smell. Any chance this will mellow out into something nice in a week or so?

 

[soaper1218]

Lye smell

The mix will have an odor to it during the SAP process. It should go away after a week or so. After it curesm do the tongue test to make sure it is ok to use. All this is assuming the proper amount of lye was used for the recipe.

Steve
www.colebrothers.com/soap

 

[reallyrita]

You have gotten some sound advice here. Most stinky smells cure out. I had a terrible smellling batch...smelt like lye to me...it was a coconut type FO. I was going to throw the batch out but I left it on the cure rack for almost 4 months because I had the room. I hated that soap. Everytime I went near the cure rack I could smell it. Guess what? It smells really nice now and I use a bar everyday at my kitchen sink. Soft coconut fragrance. I would never have believed it six months ago!! Go figure!! My milk soaps, even coconut milk ones, smell like hair permanent chemicals for days!
rita

 

[vtpiper]

Thanks guys, it gives me hope! I'll give them a couple weeks and see what happens.

I'm glad I found this forum!

Jackie

 

[bassgirl]

I'll keep my fingers crosssed for mine and Jackie's!

 

[vtpiper]

BTW, What is the tongue test??

Thanks!

Jackie

 

[vtpiper]

Just an update - the smell of lye is gone out of the soap, but it doesn't look like I put enough EOs in it, because it really doesn't smell like anything else, either. Better than Lye, though!

Thanks for the help!

Jackie

 

[beachgurl]

Hold a sliver of soap to your tongue .. if it burns like hell and you want to swear .. it's lye heavy .. a little tingle or nothing at all means it's good

 

[Lindy]

How soon after you pour your soap would you do this tongue test?

Thanks

 

[beachgurl]

I usually do mine as I'm unmolding and cutting ... like I said .. a little tiny tingle at this point isn't a huge deal .. but you'll know if you get a bite .. there's no mistaking it.

 

[carebear]

I usually do mine as I'm unmolding and cutting ... like I said .. a little tiny tingle at this point isn't a huge deal .. but you'll know if you get a bite .. there's no mistaking it.

it's not a big deal at that point, but it had better be gone within a week or two or it IS a big deal.

 

[IrishLass]

How soon after you pour your soap would you do this tongue test?

Thanks

What Carebear said. One to two weeks is how long I usually wait to do a tongue test, too, since the soap is still going through its paces at that time. Although the paces are quite minor compared to the huge changes that take place during the first 24 hours, they are still significant enough to make a profound difference in the tongue test results when one compares one day old soap to one to two week old soap. Waiting those extra days can mean the difference between getting zapped and not getting zapped.

IrishLass

 

[Lindy]

Thank you ladies!