Why add juice or hydrosol to the oils instead of the lye water?
Short answer
Concentrated lye would react violently with acidic juice and destroy a hydrosol's compounds. In the oils they disperse and are buffered.
Explanation
Juice still uses up a little lye, which the recipe's superfat covers. Use fresh juice, not store-bought (which may contain preservatives and added acids). In the Fresh-Cut Rose bar, damask rose hydrosol replaces part of the liquid and is added to the oils before the lye.
What to do
- Enter acidic additives in your lye calculator.
Source: The Big Book of Homemade Soap — Fresh-Cut Rose Luxury Bar · Coconut Milk & Orange Soap with Chocolate Embed