Teach Soap

Can someone tell me why Pomace olive oil is considered an "exotic"? I mistakenly bought Pomacefor my soaps, thinking I was buying by volume. My soaps never hardened up...are still mushy. I find out later, that Pomace is considered an "exotic"..but I am still confused about it all.
Thanks in advance

Brambleberry olive oil pomace.

Well since pomace oil usually comes from places like Spain, Morocco, Italy, Turkey, I guess it could be "exotic." But "exotic" is more a marketing thing.

As for them being mushy. How long ago did you make them and what was the recipe? Olive oil soaps do tend to take a long time to not be soft anymore.

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Genny

I have to look up the recipes again...but the first soap I made in April, the 2nd one in June. Maybe they will harden after a long time.

I use pomace all the time and don't have an issue with soaps being soft, and I use it for at least 40% of my recipe.
What was your recipe? Maybe you had too many soft oils or too much water?

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

1st batch;

6 oz distilled water
2.25 oz lye
10 oz pomace
6 oz coconut oil
1 oz castor oil

from "The Everything Soapmaking Book" by Alicia Grosso
Page 104

2nd batch;

8 oz solid coconut oil
6 oz canola oil
8 oz olive oil ( I used pomace again)
8 oz safflower oil
4 oz lye
10 oz distilled water

from a friends recipe, who has been making soap for a while.

I use a high percentage of OO in my recipes too and usually don't have a problem. Are you insulating and gelling your soaps?

Adding sodium lactate or a bit of salt water concentrate to your lye solution helps produce a harder soap as well.

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Laura<3

yes, I am insulating them. I am just doing something wrong ...just not sure yet.

Hmmm - I've made the first recipe many times and it's a good recipe.
The second one is fairly soft because of the canola and safflower oils, but shouldn't still be mushy.
Maybe you have a bad batch of lye and it's not saponifying the oils. Does your lye get hot when you mix it with water?

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

At what temp do you combine your oils & lye water?
If you didn't stick blend enough, your oils would most likely separate out after you poured, but that didn't happen, did it?
Are your soaps curing where they have good air circulation?
I'm running out of ideas!

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

I don't think it's the olive oil. You probably reached a false trace. When you make another batch and think you reached trace, let it sit for a few minutes and then check it. If it's reached true trace, it will still be blended, but if it's starting to separate, stick blend it a little more, then let it sit again, until it stays blended.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

My lye gets to over 200*F easily! 140* seems a little low, but should still be fine I think. I agree with Linda; probably false trace

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist