# How much sodium lactate should I use?



## SoapAddict415 (Jul 8, 2012)

Hello everyone. I'm a newbie & I need help with a recipe I created. My recipe consists of only oils, no hard butters, shortening or lard, so by itself it creates a very soft bar. I added sodium lactate at 5% ppo. After curing in the mold for 1 1/2 weeks, the bars were still soft, almost like play doh & they stuck to the mold. I had to pry them out. That was just over 2 weeks ago. They are a little firmer but I can still leave a finger indent in a bar if I press on it. Any suggestions as to how much S.L. I should use? Can I add stearic acid to it too to help harden my next batch? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! I used castor oil, coconut oil, olive oil pomace, rice bran oil & soybean oil if that helps.


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## Hazel (Jul 8, 2012)

Two weeks is a long time for a batch to be soft unless you used a high percentage of olive and added too much water. It would help to post percentages for troubleshooting. I originally used SL at 2% but wasn't happy with it so I took IrishLass' recommendation to switch to 3% which did seem better, IMO.


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## judymoody (Jul 8, 2012)

I use SL at 1% and it seems to work fine.

I agree with Hazel, there is probably something else going on with your soap.  A complete recipe will help us to trouble shoot.


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## new12soap (Jul 8, 2012)

I use between 1 and 2%, my bars are very hard in about a week...  You list castor as your first ingredient, how high was your castor percentage? that will make a very soft, sticky soap, as will a high OO and full water.

yes, stearic acid helps make a harder bar, too, but ditto that a recipe will help narrow down the problem to troubleshoot


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 8, 2012)

Thanks! I'm trying to find my original recipe now. I've tweaked it several times on soapcalc trying to find the perfect combo.  I'll post it as soon as I locate it.


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 8, 2012)

Found it. Glad I write everything down. My original recipe was for a 2 lb batch using 30% coconut oil, 15% soybean oil, 15% castor oil, 20% olive oil pomace, 20% rice bran oil & 3% (not 5%) sodium lactate. My water came out to 12.16 oz & lye was 4.5 oz. I also used WSP's black tie FO, 1.6 oz & I swirled part of the batter with black matte pigment. Thanks again for your help!


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## Hazel (Jul 8, 2012)

I'm not an expert but I think it might be that you've got 3 soft oils (meaning they don't really contribute anything to hardness) which equal 45% of your batch. It should harden but it's going to take slightly longer than a normal cure time. I did a batch like this where I used soft oils and it wasn't hard after 2 months but by 6 months it had hardened enough to use. It might have been ready before this but I had set it aside (in disgust  :roll: ) and didn't check it again for several months.

new12soap already mentioned the castor which is probably the main cause but rice bran and soybean are also considered soft oils. It will get a little harder but will probably never be super hard. However, it looks like it's going to be very nice once it does cure.  I'd be interested in hearing what you think of it when you start using it.


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone! Lol, looks like that first batch will be ready in time to give to my sons, hunny & male relatives for Christmas!  I'm going to try a sample sized batch & add shea butter or maybe shea butter & stearic acid. I'll post my results. Thanks again!


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## new12soap (Jul 8, 2012)

try lowering your castor to around 5% or so, no more than 10%, that should help too.


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 8, 2012)

Sounds like a good plan. Thanks!


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 25, 2012)

Hazel said:
			
		

> I'm not an expert but I think it might be that you've got 3 soft oils (meaning they don't really contribute anything to hardness) which equal 45% of your batch. It should harden but it's going to take slightly longer than a normal cure time. I did a batch like this where I used soft oils and it wasn't hard after 2 months but by 6 months it had hardened enough to use. It might have been ready before this but I had set it aside (in disgust  :roll: ) and didn't check it again for several months.



I did the same thing, I put it aside and forgot about it until recently. I even posted a recent question about which colorants are best because I forgot I attempted working with color in this batch. I feel like the absent minded soap maker   , but I got alot of great links to resources I wouldnt have know about otherwise.  Here are my picts of that batch. The 1st pict shows the soap in my box mold & the other shows the cut bars (in the center) & some of my other experiments. The grey/purple one was colored with crayons  :roll:  Lol, it was before I bought the black pigment. I was bored that day & feeling experimental!


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## Hazel (Jul 25, 2012)

Great looking soap! Your swirls are wonderful! Was this an ITM swirl?

I know what you mean about being absent minded.


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## SoapAddict415 (Jul 26, 2012)

Thanks   ! ITM is in the mold? Im still learning the lingo  . Yes, I alternated my globs of colored batter in the mold and then swirled them with a plastic knife.


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