The Scent of Tallow?

[john parker]

To date my soul experience with a tallow soap has been D.R. Harris Lavender and Mystic Water Mysore. The D.R. Harris Lavender is a hard, milled soap that has a crisp, clean, light scent of lavender and the general smell of "soap". Purchased three Mystic Water soap samples - Mysore, Lilly of the Valley and Lavender. Have only actually used the Mysore so far. It has a nice mysore sandalwood scent, and a background scent of something that to me smells musty. The Lilly of the Valley and Lavender also have that background scent. My specific question is is what I am smelling as a musty background scent tallow in the soft soap? And, would that scent hold true with other more tallowy soaps like Razorock?

 

[VerbaVolant]

Never used Razorock but Vitos has the background scent that you describe as musty. Actually after the almond scent is gone (minutes after the lather is built and before the second pass) that is all you can smell from Vitos. That "musty" scent.

 

[redrako]

Interesting question. I'm not sure that I can answer directly, but can add a little context.

Any fat in a soap becomes saponified, which is a process it bonds on a molecular level with a caustic chemical. The resulting compound is a unique material that is different than simply the sum of the two ingredients, classical soap was lye or soda ash and rendered animal fat.

I'm wondering if what your smelling isn't a part of the aromatic oils added to the soap mixture.