# Thickening Apple Cider Vinegar to make into body wash please



## Purrin

Hello. I read on ehow home how Apple cider vinegar makes one of the best all round body washes (restores Ph balance, cleanses etc).. Trouble is it's thin, and dribbles everywhere plus goes to waste. I want to thicken it.

I have some liquid glycerin and some lux pure soap flakes. I am Thinking along the lines of using those. I"m not sure if I want to use the lux flakes as I don't know if they will irritate my soap allergy or not. (Do you know if it does)? 

I love using the apple cider vinegar but want to make it into a gel, lol hopefully without exploding anything. But cannot find a recipe anywhere. Your help is appreciated, thanks

Purr.

PS, I do not want to use tons of anything if at all possible, my little bottle of glycerin wasn't cheap. Ta.


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## lsg

I don't think I would want to use soap flakes on anything for my skin.  You might try Crothix liquid to thicken the vinegar.  I am wondering if a body wash made of vinegar would make one smell like a pickle. LOL
There are many salt and sugar scrub recipes on the internet that do not include soap, if you have a soap allergy.


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## Genny

I'm not sure about the soap flakes, I think that would make a nast snot-like consistency.  As for the soap allergy, that would matter what ingredient(s) you're allergic to.

If you have dry skin, you need something with a higher ph than apple cider vinegar, which if I rememer correctly has a ph of about 4.5.
If you don't have dry skin, it should be okay.

I know that salt is commonly used to thicken body washes and salt doesn't react with vinegar, so it might work.


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## Purrin

*Thanks fo that.*

Great it sounds good so I ordered some crothix. I feel the vinegar is very refreshing, I guess the smell washes away, besides I have my own homemade lavender scented body pray. Thanks again,

Purr.


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## Purrin

Is that so Genny, no I don't have exceptionally dry skin although a bit of eczema in winter months. So yes I might be looking that up, and maybe adding something to it to moisturise, do you have any suggestions to go in it along with the crothix,?


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## ToniD

I wonder if crothix will work in that application. Isn't it specifically to thicken surfactants?    I like extraordinary XG from the herbarie, but not sure it would work either with the ph of ACV being fairly low.


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## Genny

Crothix is only for surfactant based applications.

But, Xantham Gum does actually work with vinegar.  It doesn't do too well with things that have a high ph, but low ph's are just fine.  You usually use Xantham Gum at a rate of 0.1-0.3%  If you go too much over, you get this yucky gummy balling going on, and it's just not appealing.

I personally wouldn't add anything to the vinegar to make it moisturizing, because it won't work.  Oil & vinegar do not mix.  I mean you can get them mixed if you stir enough, but they will eventually separate again.

If you're looking for something to add moisture to your skin, I'd go for something to use after the bathing.  Like a lotion bar, body butter or just plain lotion.


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## Genny

*Re: Thanks fo that.*



			
				Purrin said:
			
		

> Great it sounds good so I ordered some crothix. I feel the vinegar is very refreshing, I guess the smell washes away, besides I have my own homemade lavender scented body pray. Thanks again,
> 
> Purr.



Sorry I didn't see this before, otherwise I would have told you to save your money.  Crothix won't work for this 

You can get xantham gum in most grocery stores that carry Bob's Red Mill products.


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## Purrin

Oh well I guess I'll be making some bathroom cleanser out of the crothix. Can you use the crothix in your dishwashing liquid mix? Probably not huh. Well btw I don't live in the States, I"m in Australia so these brand names are different. But I found some xantham gum reasonably priced. Was thinking maybe one a dash of oil was added it would stay interspersed for the fact of the matter that it is thickened. Yeah otherwise I will just have to use lotion, get a bit lazy about that in the colder months mind. Yeah I don't know I'm new at this. So thanks for all your help. I'll try the Xantham gum then.


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## ToniD

I've never been able to find info on if you can add crothix, or any other ingredients for that matter, to a dishwashing liquid.  (assuming you are thinking of toxins in case dishes retain a trace of material on them)I just based my formula off of what seventh generation has on their ingredient list.   I don't need a thickener.    


I would think the oil would still separate, just perhaps not as fast with a thickened product.   You could use polysorbate 80 if you want them to stay emulsified.


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## Purrin

yes so it looks like my body wash will just be ACV, xantham gum and lavender, just to let you know what triggered this here is the entry for ACV as body wash in ehow. Thanks for your help, no worries about the crothix I'll use some to make cream cleanser for my bathroom

http://www.ehow.com/way_5824344_homemad ... aners.html


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## Purrin

You know what I'm suddenly thinking, that I could have just mixed it with some liquid castile soap and got a nice lathering body wash. What's your thoughts. (I don't know what soap or what in soap I am allergic to, but I get a fire like itch from ANY commercial soap or body wash that does not say PH Balanced on the label, be really good to know why!) At this stage trying the castile soap out might have to wait until next month lol. Although there's lots of that on ebay if I do buy some. Actually I just red the spiel about some castile goats milk soap and it says: "Unlike many soap subsitutes on the market, based on chemicals and detergents, our soaps are non allergenic, (perfect for people that are chemically sensitive), and 100% biodegradable and is suitable to use as a shampoo or hand and body wash" It's going to cost me about $30.00 with shipping though. Incidentally do you think it will mix with the ACV?


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## ToniD

I tried a series of experiments trying to lower the ph of soap to make shampoo.   Mixing soap with an acid turns it into goo eventually, or at least I always got goo--no lather.   Sometimes it works for a week or so.


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## Purrin

Oh right, good well you saved me $30.00 on the castile soap then. Am considering the polysorbate 80 to emulsify some oil into it, or otherwise just using some oil separately in the shower afterwards. Hmmm. Decisions, decisions. I'm going to feel a lot like a nice fried chip after my oil and vinegar body wash eh?


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## aldo18567

The information is very interesting. Now I'm interested in the properties of vinegar.


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## birdcharm

Perhaps rather than thinking of adding something to the ACV, you could see if you could switch it around to adding the ACV to an existing wash recipe.  

No, it will not mix with liquid castile ... it will mix initially, but let it sit for several days and you'll find that the soap separates.  And, if you are concerned with things being natural, by all means, stay away from the Polysorbate 80, from what I have read, this is not considered a really safe substance.  I know this isn't what some people want to hear, but while it's being discussed, I think I should mention it.  Polysorbates can be laced with 1,4-dioxane ... where Poly20 is the weakest, with the lowest risk, Poly80 is at a greater risk ... the higher the number (i.e., 20 versus 80), the more it has been treated with ethylene oxide.

This is something I have read:  1,4-dioxane is a by-product of a petrochemical process called ethoxylation, which involves using ethylene oxide to process other chemicals. Also, this ingredient is considered a hormonal or endocrine disruptor, as well as a probable human carcinogen.

Anyway, why don't you try making some washes and in the liquid portion, try adding a bit of ACV?  

Kathy


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## Purrin

*K, K.*

Ya know what, I think I'm going back to using shower oil, stuff the ACV.


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## ToniD

or put it in a spray bottle and use it as a toner


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## WildcraftWorkshop

This is an interesting thread!

I'm a frequent bather and like to add a variety of things to the tub.  Mainly epsom and magnesium salts, colloidal oatmeal, powdered herbs  and some EOs.  I use ACV as a hair rinse so recently started adding a splash to the tub and I loved the results!

I haven't tried this, but one thing I often do for the tub is make a bath poof of sorts with either a muslin bag or a wash cloth, tying the edges closed with string.  I fill it with colloidal oatmeal and powdered herbs, dunk that in the tub, squeeze it onto my body and scrub as I bathe.  What I would like to try is moistening the colloidal oatmeal with ACV prior to adding it to my poof, adding water from the shower or tub then using it to scrub.  

I know this isn't exactly what you were looking for in terms of a body wash, but figured I'd mention it!


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## Purrin

Thanks sounds nice.

Well winter is definitely upon us in Sydney and with it my eczema, Woe is me.


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## WildcraftWorkshop

I tried it yesterday for my shower using a muslin bag.  Mixed together colloidal oatmeal, herbs and ACV in a ramekin, spooned it into the bag, pulled the ties snug and went off to scrub!  

I didn't use any soap in the shower or moisturizer afterwards and my skin felt soft and clean.  Yesterday was around 92 degrees out and I have an amazing lack of BO the next day.  lol

Thanks again for your thread.  It took a bit of prep work, but I think I've found my preferred way to shower!


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## alabama49

What is collidal oatmeal?


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## juliet

Why not put the ACV in a spray bottle.  I use ACV mixed with water for a hair rinse and sprayed some on my body the other day and it was quite refreshing.

Re the eczema, my 4 year old son suffers from it and I can't use any kind of soap on his body at all, not even my mild olive oil soap.  We wash him with a fatty ointment called Epizone E. That keeps his skin nice and moisturised and my husband (he baths the kids) said his hands and feet have never been so soft!


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## birdcharm

(Alabama49 ... colloidal oatmeal is very finely-ground oatmeal that can be used to soothe the skin.) 

Just a note here, just to share ... awhile back, I mixed some polysorbate 20 (which I have now decided not to use), with a green apple scent and added some ACV ... and it worked.  I have some green apple scented ACV almost a year later and all is still looking and smelling okay ... the ACV is masked a bit by the green apple scent. 

Kathy


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## Mildreds.naturals

Genny said:


> I'm not sure about the soap flakes, I think that would make a nast snot-like consistency.  As for the soap allergy, that would matter what ingredient(s) you're allergic to.
> 
> If you have dry skin, you need something with a higher ph than apple cider vinegar, which if I rememer correctly has a ph of about 4.5.
> If you don't have dry skin, it should be okay.
> 
> I know that salt is commonly used to thicken body washes and salt doesn't react with vinegar, so it might work.



I may be mistaken, but the reason salt thickens liquid soap is because it gives it some properties like NaOH and thus crystalizes some of the soap on a microscopic level and that is what makes it thicker. Vinegar is an acid and I know if you put soap in vinegar it actually reverse saponifies the soap and turns it back into a disgusting oily mess. I wanted to thicken Vinegar to make a gel to use as a way to remove calcium/lime deposits on faucets and showers but couldn't find a way to do it except mixing some with cornstarch.


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## Mildreds.naturals

Purrin said:


> You know what I'm suddenly thinking, that I could have just mixed it with some liquid castile soap and got a nice lathering body wash. What's your thoughts. (I don't know what soap or what in soap I am allergic to, but I get a fire like itch from ANY commercial soap or body wash that does not say PH Balanced on the label, be really good to know why!) At this stage trying the castile soap out might have to wait until next month lol. Although there's lots of that on ebay if I do buy some. Actually I just red the spiel about some castile goats milk soap and it says: "Unlike many soap subsitutes on the market, based on chemicals and detergents, our soaps are non allergenic, (perfect for people that are chemically sensitive), and 100% biodegradable and is suitable to use as a shampoo or hand and body wash" It's going to cost me about $30.00 with shipping though. Incidentally do you think it will mix with the ACV?



again, correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe vegetable based soap has a ph of around 8.5-9.5 which is a long way from a skin neutral ph of about 5.5. If you lower the ph of soap lower than 8 (like using citric acid) doesn't it ruin the soap? It seems to me that if you are having a bad itch form commercial products there is an ingredient that you are allergic to. Remember, nearly all commercially available products ARE NOT SOAP. Even if they say "hand soap" etc on things, look at the ingredients. unless it says "saponified XX oil" or something it is not soap, but rather foaming ingredients that make a "soap like" feel. Sodium Laurel Sulfate is a great example. Sodium coco sulfate is a greener alternative being used these days.  

$30.00 for castile soap? i hope it's a gallon! that's expensive here in the USA. You can get dr bronners almost anywhere for about $16 at 32ounces.


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## flavapor

Mildreds.naturals said:


> again, correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe vegetable based soap has a ph of around 8.5-9.5 which is a long way from a skin neutral ph of about 5.5. If you lower the ph of soap lower than 8 (like using citric acid) doesn't it ruin the soap? It seems to me that if you are having a bad itch form commercial products there is an ingredient that you are allergic to. Remember, nearly all commercially available products ARE NOT SOAP. Even if they say "hand soap" etc on things, look at the ingredients. unless it says "saponified XX oil" or something it is not soap, but rather foaming ingredients that make a "soap like" feel. Sodium Laurel Sulfate is a great example. Sodium coco sulfate is a greener alternative being used these days.
> 
> $30.00 for castile soap? i hope it's a gallon! that's expensive here in the USA. You can get dr bronners almost anywhere for about $16 at 32ounces.


 
You are correct, you get slime with zero bubbles.  Looks like" the blob " in a bottle


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