Sherl Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 I'm still new to all this.. made 3 batches with out fo or anything else and got nice bars. So decided to make cucumber melon and add cucumber in place of some of the water. I had pureed the cucumber and frozen it several weeks before. Darn things are just too abundant in the garden. So I pull it out of the freezer, run it in the processor again and get a cool mush. I replaced about 2/3 of the water with the cuke. Can water be switched out by weight or does it need to be volume? I mixed the lye/water, added to the oils when cooled, then at a light trace added the cucumber. Was thinking did not want the lye to effect the green of the cuke. Added the fo, mixed well and put into the mold. Man.. the stuff stinks! It permeated a 2 story house. Now, 3 weeks later, in the basement it is still strong. Did I do something wrong or could it be the fo in the cp soap. I'm hoping the stuff mellows some, but it does not have that nice, fresh, green cucumber smell I was hoping for. Any recomendations for a nice cucumber fo in cp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madd Mikey Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Use a cucumber or cucumber and melon FO only. Don't put food that will rot into soap because in a few days you will have rotten soap.Dried flowers or spices are about as far as it gets. You can substitute milk for water but that is about it when it comes to food products.Anybody got any other advice?mm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca_IA Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 I've never used cucumbers before, but I have added pureed carrots and pumpkin to my soap. Both the carrot and pumpkin soaps are over a year old and there is no rotting or molding taking place. As I said, I have never added the pureed cucumber to soap before, but I have known of other soapers to add it and do so with success.When the soap dish is back up (and if you don't have an answer here) I would do a search over there and/or in their archives. You'll find your answer I am sure with a bit of searching.If you did not use a tried and true FO, it very well may be the FO that is causing the stink. Some FO's morph really bad in CP. If the seller doesn't give you CP results on their website, go to http://scentreviewboard.obisoap.ca/ and do a search there to see if you can find it. Or search here or the soap dish. Unless you are willing to do a test batch all on your own to see how it holds up in CP.Whenever I am testing new FO's in soap that I do not know how they will turn out, I do a small batch, one pound, without any other additives, colorants etc, to see how how it smells after it is soap, to see if it accelerates or discolors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobinInOR Posted September 24, 2005 Share Posted September 24, 2005 Cucumbers are fine in soap - I did a cucumber/buttermilk bar that was nice, but I messed it up with tea tree EO - p-u You can put pureed fruits in there too, you just need a light hand. The natural sugars will help with the lather.For any kind of food, I wouldn't go over 5%, so less than an ounce per pound oils. The peels stay green for awhile but eventually turn dark brown. You don't get any smell from the cucumber really.I've never found a cucumber FO that smells nice - most end up kind of harsh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annareeb Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 I make cucumber soaps, I am not sure on shelf life thus far, I am only on my secind batch of it... I added appx an oz per lb .. my current stock is 3 months old.. no molding, and peel is still green..crossing fingers it stays that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mountainmadness Posted September 26, 2005 Share Posted September 26, 2005 Use a cucumber or cucumber and melon FO only. Don't put food that will rot into soap because in a few days you will have rotten soap.Dried flowers or spices are about as far as it gets. You can substitute milk for water but that is about it when it comes to food products.Anybody got any other advice?mmI have not had this experience. I have used cucumber, strawberries, melon, carrot juice, tomato juice, teas, etc. and have never experienced mold or a rotting smell. Just be careful that you do not over do it. It sounds like you didn't and that you did allow for the water discount.... maybe it was the FO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.