Teach Soap

Hi all,

Still pretty new to CP, but having fun learning what works and what doesn't. Yesterday I tried the "Break the Rules" soap (http://teachsoap.com/2012/03/26/break-the-rules-soap/) and it came out great EXCEPT that I thought I'd try some dewberry oil I picked up somewhere, and it accelerated trace from very light to like Portland cement in, literally, three seconds. I cannot tell you whether it was EO or just FO. It was the entire contents of a 15 ml bottle...not very much, if you ask me. I did get in under control, and it's curing as we speak.

Is there a list somewhere of EOs and FOs and their relative trace times? Even just a "slow, medium, quick" list would be helpful. I'd rather not have to discover each oil I try empirically, and I'd rather not have to ask about each oil one by one. Thanks in advance.

_________________
Beth

If you buy your fragrance or essential oils from reputable vendors, they should have the soap results on their web page. There is no Dewberry essential oil, so it's safe to presume this was a fragrance. There is no list that I know. There are thousands of fragrances and it would be impossible to test them all. Even a similar fragrance from a different vendor might act different.

Here is what I have learned in my many years of soapmaking. When a fragrance seizes, let it. The let it go to gel right in the pot. Make sure you stir very well, so there are no lye pockets in your soap. Always use a fragrance that has been designated for soapmaking. Some fragrances bought in a retail store have additives in them like DPG. DPG can make your soap seize. So will alcohol.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

There isn't a master list, but there are forums. Soap Making Forum has a Google Document where members can submit their experiences with FOs. There is also the Soap Scent Review Board, but you have to have a paid email account to join. (No gmail, etc.)

FOs that have spice notes (cinnamon, clove, etc) and florals are notorious seizers. It's weird, I have a Mulled Cider FO that siezes very badly, but my favorite Apple Jack and Peel does not. I have a Mulberry that has a note on the bottle "siezes badly" (got it from another soaper's destash).

Thank you both for the useful info. The weird experience with the Dewberry doesn't dissuade me from continuing to experiment. It probably wasn't the best idea to use it with a recipe containing no liquid oils at all, anyway; the recipe creator did warn that the mix hardens quickly, so I should have stuck with a tried-and-true non-accelerating EO. Will post here if I have a better experience with another FO or EO.

Cheers,

_________________
Beth

If you purchase from BrambleBerry or Nature's Garden, they have testing notes and buyer reviews so you can get a feel for the outcome. Seizing is dependent on so many factors, not only the oil used but the oils, the temperatures you soap at and who knows what else. LOL! For example, I was chatting with someone about making Gardena scented soap and she told me to color before I do the fragrance because it would trace immediately. Well, I went simple on the color yet the soap didn't trace. I added more fragrance, and a little more and it stayed nice and liquid. It happened again a few nights ago. I assume its my temperatures.

Brambleberry makes some great, slow moving fragrances, "Energy" is very popular.

_________________
Logansama aka Belinda
Nor Cal

Well, folks, I promised I'd post when I tried other FOs and EOs, so here I am. For the Spring 2016 BB Soap Swap, I used Coconut Cybilla in the "Break the Rules" soap, and it didn't seize nearly as fast. I believe my first experience was a combination of using a random oil + buzzing it too long with the stick blender. From then on I've been cautious to follow Leila's instructions to the letter and stir by hand after three seconds of buzzing. Love that recipe.

Cheers,

_________________
Beth