ZNSC: Base Oil Variation

[ResolvableOwl]

Context: For the October 2021 SMF challenge, I've decided to make ZNSC, but use mustard oil as a bulk oil. Following the recommendation of @Zany_in_CO, I start this new thread.

What lye concentration did you use and what SF? Was your Faux Seawater made exactly as directed? And did you soap as warm as directed?

I used [38% Lye] and 0% SF. My Faux Seawater may have been shy or heavy on the salt & the Sodium Bicarb, though, because I did not have a Tablespoon (per se) with me, so had to guestimate. The heat and extra SBing helped speed trace, so I expect gel to be quicker than usual.

The wisdom of the internet helped me out to convert that cavemen's arcane “1 tbsp/quart” nonsense into more handy, internationally negotiable 17 g/L water of each NaCl and NaHCO₃.
No, I didn't make the faux sea water exactly as directed. Things were a bit more complicated since I insisted on sodium citrate (1%TOW citric acid), as well as using lye masterbatch.
I'm deliberately at some positive SF: if only as a self-defence against botanical SAP uncertainties. Plus the oil I used to pre-disperse the colourants.
Temperatures: lye water was still a bit warm from masterbatch dilution & CA neutralisation, oils were just above room temperature from melting the hard oils (17% mango butter, 4% palm oil) in the microwave. Stable emulsion after <1 minute of hand stirring with a spatula. I did give it two short SB pulses only to speed up the batter into trace – I only now noticed that the original recipe mentions “5 - 25 minutes, depending on grade of olive oil.” And that's with assistance by elevated temps already! I'd be way too lazy for that, honestly.

All in all, the mustard oil behaved very well from the design point of view – easy and quick preparation, no elevated temperature/false trace danger, very slow-moving, zero soda ash. Time until unmoulding isn't for the impatient, but I expected this. Another delaying factor is probably its higher PUFA compared to olive oil.

I also have no clue how the lower SAP of the mustard oil (i. e., lower water/lye/salt/carbonate/glycerol concentration relative to the oils/soap) interferes with The ZNSC Effect™. Zany has developed this recipe for C18:1 oils, and stretching it to C22:1 oils is experimental ground in any case. But so far, it's looking alright.

 

[Johnez]

That's quite a project there RO. I'm curious about the erucic acid's feel and performance. I've no experience with mustard seed oil, but have read of it's spiciness. Are planning to work with it, or is the lye monster gonna take it out? Anyway, fun stuff to follow as always.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

It's really a matter how the smell develops. It currently smells like cooked horseradish or very very mild wasabi. No hint of mustard, neither of the acrid taste that unrefined canola or camelina has. I expect a looooong cure, but I can't wait to process the remainders of the tiny bottle as a liquid oil into a balanced recipe (basic trinity-class). On the other hand, I should better make a liquid soap from it as well .

If the smell stays, I actually have no idea how to complement it. Another thing for which LS is well suited, since ad-hoc scent addition is easy.

It might well be that I stay with high-erucic recipes. But 5 times (!) the price premium is not worth abyssinia oil. Mustard oil is much more accessible. Maybe some day I'll get crazy and ask a local rapeseed farmer/processing plant (biodiesel) if they have a few litres of high-erucic rapeseed oil for me to spare (in exchange for gorgeous soaps from their own fields!).

But first things first. The very first thing was to hire a messenger mascot: a butterfly to disseminate the concept of mustard soap! SMF first, then the soapmaking scene, and finally the whole world!!!

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Quick bathroom test of the mustard ZNSC, now nearly 6 weeks old. Not much to report with respect to hardness – the weird, silicone- or hot-gun-stick like, gummy texture has stayed. Still it appears to me as if, especially for a Castile-style soap, it doesn't dissolve overly quickly. Of course 6 weeks is no age for a Castile soap, it'll get as much time as it wants.
Lather is mediocre in comparison to typical coconut/castor posers, but appreciable in the Castile league. Very Castile-ish as well is the slime it gives off . But I have seen worse things. Skin feel is slightly chalky, but also a bit oily-lotiony (overestimated lye discount/SAP?).
The soap itself still has some of its horseradish smell, though I'd say it's mellowing down. Colour is going strong (strong enough that it has stained a light soap that has touched it, to give yellowish specks I better shouldn't mistake for DOS. Heck, red palm oil).