# Scrubbing agents seperating ?



## cleangrip (Feb 13, 2014)

Hello, this is my first post on this forum, but i've done my research and enough experiments to consider myself an intermediate soap creator. my problem is the following:

I am making a liquid soap consisting of mainly coconut oil (75%), and olive oil (25%). Then diluting at a 1:1.3 ratio. Furthermore adding glycerine at 2oz per pound of diluted soap. And finally thickening with a salt solution to a thick gel like solution. 

The soap is great and I have no complaints, but I am trying to add in sand as an added scrubbing agent to tackle tough grease after working in the garage. The solution is thick enough to suspend the sand no problem, but if the soap gets even slightly warm (about 90 degrees or above), it begins to seperate and my sand falls to the bottom. Ive tried adding more salt to make it even thicker, but it still seperates. Does any experienced soap makers have any potential solutions to this problem? Besides obviously keeping it cool. It tends to get hot in the shop out back on sunny days and ruins my wonderful soap. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!


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## lady-of-4 (Feb 17, 2014)

During your cooking phase, or after your done cooking but before it has a chance to cool and stiffen, add the sand then. Kind of like the "orange goop", it's going to need to be a paste to suspend the sand when temps rise and it starts to thin out. So try not to dilute. Or dilute very little, if you want to spread the soap out for more uses.


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## lsg (Feb 17, 2014)

I have noticed that the added ingredient in suspension formula M&P is silica.  I am wondering if adding a little hydrated silica to your liquid soap would help suspend the sand.  Just a thought.

http://www.ingredientstodiefor.com/item.php?item_id=90#


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## cleangrip (Feb 17, 2014)

lady-of-4 said:


> During your cooking phase, or after your done cooking but before it has a chance to cool and stiffen, add the sand then. Kind of like the "orange goop", it's going to need to be a paste to suspend the sand when temps rise and it starts to thin out. So try not to dilute. Or dilute very little, if you want to spread the soap out for more uses.


 
So you are just recommending adding the sand after the cooking phase, and not diluting at all and keeping it a concentrate? How am I able to dilute only very little? I found that the ratio I currently dilute at is as little of water as I can use without it forming a top crust during dillution. I will try keeping it just a paste this week and let you know how it comes out!

And silica gel... I will try the paste method and if that doesnt work for me, i'll give that a shot. Thanks for the replies ive been pulling my hair out trying to figure it out!

-Bryce


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## lady-of-4 (Feb 17, 2014)

Yeah pretty much just keep it as a paste. Mix the sand in before it cools and sets. If it seems way too thick for you, add boiling hot water gradually to loosen it up a bit, without making it too fluid. I wish I could describe better what I see for this. Hope this helps.


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