Teach Soap

Hi everyone , my name is Kathleen and I've just joined the forum. I came seeking knowledge! Lots and lots of knowledge! I've been making soap for a few months and am in love. When I'm not making soap I'm planning making soap! I have had good luck , finding good recipes and have found that suppers are so generous helpful. It's very rewarding.
Now to my question. My sister has a fishing friend that has requested a lemon soap ( he heard that lemonhelps get rid of that fishy smell. I have a gardners hand soap that is very cleansing so I'm going to replace the EOs I that with lemon oil. I also wanted to add some lemon juice in place of some of the water but have since learned that the citric acid will mess the soap up. Is it possible to adjust the lye to allow a few ounces of lemon juice or is it not feasible at all?

Regardless of the soap issue I'm glad to be part of the group now, I am reading like crazy and I should be sleeping but you know how it is!
Thank you all,
Kathleen

I'm pretty new as well, but chemically that won't work. Adding acid increases superfat. Compensating for the acid with more lye will just give you a citric salt, which is a weak base so the soap will actually end up with a higher pH/more alkaline.

Thank you, guess I should just stick to the lemon eo. The chemical part of it is all so confusing, but citrus does help to alkalize me so I guess it would soap too. Lemon juice sounds so fresh and clean though! . I"ve been thinking about adding some coffee grounds to the lemon soap, I think they will look nice and also may help with the fish smell and add some scrubbyness to the soap too. Thanks again for your info

I would stick with the Lemon EO.

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

Lemon EO may not be as effective in a soap for fish odor as you hope. Try withe Anise EO (smells like licorice). It is extremely popular with fisherman in my area (and I live on an island) for removing and disguising fish smells.

Oh thank you, I have never heard about anise oil for removing odors. I will have to check it out..

Not sure if this has any benefit or not but I make a kitchen hand soap that's made with strong black coffee in lieu of lye water. Then I put about 2 tablespoons of spent coffee grounds in at a medium trace to get good suspension as a mild exfoiant. I scent with tea tree essential oil and spearmint.....about 75% x 25% light on the spearmint. Most odors, like from armpits after a good sweat (hate using this as example but it's accurate), comes from bacteria. Tea Tree essential oil is a natural antibacterial agent that kills bacteria. Not sure how much of the TT oil remains when the soap cures but it's enough to scent the soap so some is still there.

I have a good following with this soap selling to mostly hairdressers. It's mild on their hands which mostly smell from dyeing hair. They swear it works on the ammonia odor on their hands and it doesn't dry them out. Couple wives buy for their husbands who are auto mechanics b/c it's milder than lava or similar brands. Gardeners like it also.

Iterating, making it out of coffee may be a moot point and of little to no benefit but ppl who buy it, keep buying it so it must work somewhat.

I have heard about coffee soap getting rid of a lot of odors and I am getting ready to make a batch now. Looks like I have a lot of things to mull over and lots of soap to try for my sisters fishing friend.
Thanks to all, Kathleen

Hi I made a Cold Process Soap, I been making soap for abt 22 days now.
Weird things are happening to some of my soaps.
They are turning Green-ish to Gray-ish with dark spots.
I use:
75% Coconut Oil
25% Grape seed oil
Titanium Dioxide ( 1 tsp)
Sodium lacate ( 2 tsp)
Dragon Blood Fragrance 3 oz
Distill water

all ingredient ares bought from brambly berry
water is bought from walmart

some batches are fine white color just like i want them but some for weird reason turning greenish then grayish as they cure.

Oythip, is there a particular reason why you are using so much coconut oil? I don't go above 20%.
Where did your lye come from? BrambleBerry as well?
You said that you used 3 ozs. of Dragon's Blood. How big is your batch?
Did you use distilled water?
Are you using fresh oils? Did you reach a true trace? Did you mix the fragrance in well?
Are you using a stick blender? At what temp do you combine your oils and lye?
My Dragon's Blood discolors, so I just let it.

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

I really like coconut oil.
My Lye came from Ebay (reputable seller from VA) now I switched to Brambleberry
I used 3 ozs in 2 lbs of batch
Yes I used Distill water from Wal-mart (only place I have been able to find it.)
Yes I'm using fresh Oils, all the oils used were purchased in the last 30 days,
I believe I did reached trace, because every time I each false trace, I would run the stick blender all over the bowel and the trace disappears so kept blending until everything was nicely mixed.
I think I mixed fragrance well becasue my trace disappeared when I added the fragrance oil
Yes I'm using a stick blender, I mix everything at 115 F

The soap has turn from Green-ish to fully Black now.
I wondering if I use it or just throw it out.

Ok, here is a thought. If the stick blender blade is not a true stainless steel, it reacts with lye and can turn it black. What is the brand of your stick blender?

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

I bought cheaper hand blender of Amazon, Continental Electrics CE22841 150 Watts Hand Blender

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

Thank you I will upgrade the blender,
what should I do with the black soap bars that have now
should I throw it away?