Why so much DOS? Help please!

[Hermanam]

I know there are a ton of threads on DOS, but I am so puzzled because I just discovered SEVERAL of my soaps have DOS. For the life of me, I a cannot figure out the culprit. Most of the recipes are Soap Queen's Lots of Lather recipe...different colorants and fragrances. My oils are fresh...all purchased within the last few months, stored in a cool dry place. The only common denominator is that is seems to be happening on the parts of the soap that I have used titanium dioxide (or...I can only see the DOS on the light parts of the soap...not sure which is the case?). My soaps all cure on a freezer paper lined bakery pan (on a tall bakery cart).

I dismissed the first one that I noticed as an unfortunate mishap. Then I noticed another...and another...and another. What is going on??? So puzzled...thanks for the help!

Ann

 

[meeplesoap]

The Lots of Lather recipe uses Canola oil... very prone to DOS from my experience. I don't use it at all for that reason. I believe she uses it as a beginner friendly soap oil that is easy on the pocketbook, rather than a recipe for someone who wants to cure and sell. Others may have more feedback for you, but that's what jumped out at me first.

 

[heartsong]

hi there! can you post a pic of the spots? I have found that high soybean or veggie shortening can create DOS...also humidity and lack of air circulation during cure...can you link the recipe? how old are your soaps?

 

[Nightlilly]

Here is Soap Queen's Lots of Lather recipe:

16 oz. Coconut
16 oz. Palm
16 oz. Olive Oil
2 oz. Castor Oil


13 – 19 oz. water
7.4 oz. lye

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-b...cess-soap/my-favorite-cold-process-recipes-2/

I googled it because my favorite recipe I've used so far has 20% canola and now I'm paranoid I'll get DOS...lol

 

[la-rene]

I have found with canola oil recipes, if you gel and use an antioxident like ROE, you run less of a chance of DOS. I've got some that are over a year and just fine. I've had some ungelled canola soap be ok, but others I experienced DOS within 2 weeks. Could it be that one of your oils is compromised/old?

 

[heartsong]

my favorite bars (and they've never had DOS) are gelled...I avoid regular sunflower, safflower, soybean and canola...never used ROE in 16 years of soaping, but when I open a bottle of any liquid oil I mix in 1/2 tsp T-50 vitamin-e and store all fats & oils in fridge. here in Alabama we have a lot of heat and humidity...proper curing & air circulation is an important factor, too.

 

[Hermanam]

Here is a pic of three different soaps of different color and fragrances. With the lavender one, I cut back on the castor oil and added Shea butter. Still got DOS. The only common denominator I can find is the recipe, and the fact that it tend to appear where I used TD. The soaps are probably 8-12 weeks old. Would this small of an amount of castor oil cause thus much DOS? And Soapqueen touts this as one of her favorite tried and true recipes...I can't imagine it would be this prone to DOS. I know it is a basic recipe for beginners, but DH and kids like it because it has, well...lots of lather!

As I know everyone understands, this is so frustrating to make a beautiful soap that soon turns orange spotted! Not sure what to change?

 

[Hermanam]

I am reporting with larger pics...hope everyone can see the spots!

 

[la-rene]

Are you using distilled water? Are your soap pots stainless steel for sure? Do you clean everything really good? Got animals with a lot of floating fur in the air? I'm just throwing stuff out, but to make sure it's not your oils, smell them. You could have a bad batch. You never know where they have sat before you got them. Especially if they come from the groc. I've seen too many cartons of milk left in the cereal isle and fully melted ice cream in the freezer section to believe they just throw that stuff away after someone left it.

It is harder to see DOS on dark soap. But, eventually, it will show.

@ Heartsong, I add ROE to the new oils and then again before adding lye. Seems to be doing really good. Kevin Dunn tested ROE to be more effective than others, so that's why I use it. But, heck, if Vit E is working... nice!

 

[Obsidian]

I can't help at all with the DOS and I hope you get it sorted out soon. I have to say that I love that lavender and white bar, it looks like fluffy clouds.
You might try emailing soapqueen and see if she has any ideas what is going on.

 

[soapsydaisy]

Those are some beautiful soaps! So sorry about the DOS.

 

[ocean_soul]

Hmm, I've also read that canola oil can be prone to DOS so I try not to soap with it. Even so I have a bar or two of a canola oil soap that's over a year old now and they're completely DOS free. But that could just be me.

Hermanam, I am wondering what oil you've been dispersing the Titanium Dioxide in? Maybe that's the culprit. In any case it's quite a shame, your soaps are so pretty.

 

[Hermanam]

Thanks for the kind words about my soaps. I think they turned out pretty too, which makes this all the more frustrating! I typically disperse my TD and other colorants in sweet almond oil, if that makes any difference.

Thanks to everyone for all he ideas...I will try to go over everything with a fine tooth comb, checking my oils, tools, etc. I hope this stops happening soon...it's really been a bummer :-(

 

[paillo]

Soapqueen's Lots of Lather was my favorite recipe when I was a beginner. I still have some that are 4-5 years old, and no DOS. I always use distilled water, but plastic pots, spotlessly cleaned and run through the dishwasher between batches. I did get DOS on some where I used hempseed, grapeseed, flaxseed oils. Those went in the trash years ago. I still occasionally use these iffy oils, but add ROE to the entire large bottles shortly after receiving them. I don't ever use canola or soybean, and only high oleic sunflower. I don't use TD. I almost always gel.

Sad about those otherwise beautiful soaps

 

[sistrum]

Do you have your TD premixed or do you do it up fresh for every batch?

 

[Chookie2]

It could be possible that your TD is contaminated with iron oxide ....that would cause DOS.....it would only need the tiniest bit to contaminate a batch . They are both floury fine powders so float in the air when manufactured. Just a thought. Test a small batch with everything the same except the TD and see if it happens, by a process of elimination in small batches you could identify the culprit. Some oils will go rancid faster than others so check that one too. I think i read that almond oil has a short shelf life as does grapeseed. Some info here.

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/MailbagMonday/f/Keep-Soapmaking-Oils-Fresh.htm

 

[Saswede]

It's a real shame about the DOS - your soaps are lovely!I'm no expert on this, but I once read that DOS can be caused by a fungus and that it can spread from bar to bar. So if you're making any new soap, cure it well away from the affected bars and see whether it stays DOS free. And if that doesn't work, perhaps the problem lies either with one if the oils or with the batch of TD you're using .....
I've used canola a fair amount and kept a few bars from each batch to see whether they did get DOS or go rancid more quickly than the other soaps - but so far, after almost 2 years, the canola bars are just fine. Perhaps it's just luck??! (My fingers are crossed, and I'm touching wood as I write this!!)

 

[Chookie2]

Here is a troubleshooting list that may contain some help.
http://www.soap-body-and-spa.com/Cold-Process-Soap-Troubleshooting.html

This is an unknown site to me so i cannot vouch for the information, though it seems helpful in some areas.

 

[ocean_soul]

Maybe the Sweet Almond oil is the culprit? I know I've had problems in the past with Sweet Almond Oil going rancid on me...but I was using 20 some percent SWO in my recipe, not just a tablespoon or two.

I second Chookie2's idea of specifically testing the TD. You could probably make a small batch and divide it into two, leaving half uncolored and adding TD to the other half. Hopefully that would provide you with some conclusive data.

 

[Hermanam]

Thanks to everyone for all the good ideas (and kind words about my soaps!). The TD test batch is a great idea, so I think I will try splitting a batch into thirds....one with TD dispersed in sweet almond oil, one with TD dispersed in another carrier oil (to see if the sweet almond oil is the culprit), and another with no TD at all. Stay tuned...I will post the results of my little experiment

I disperse my TD fresh with every batch of soap, so it's definitely not an issue of old dispersed TD.

I do have all these soaps in close proximity to each other, on a tall bakery cart. I do wonder if there is anything to the idea of DOS spreading? I think I will clear off all the affected soaps just to be on the safe side.