# Liquid Castile Soap



## barnabyblack (Mar 8, 2013)

Hi All,

Wondering if anyone has any experience with making liquid soaps or using pre-made bases and going from there.  Been having issues with separation and i am using emulsifying wax.  It's a funny game...sometimes after EO's are added you get super thin or sometimes superthick.  would love to chat.


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## VanessaP (Mar 8, 2013)

For liquid soaps, you probably need polysorbate 80 to keep the superfat oils and fragrance/essential oils from separating out. To help thicken the soap, make a salt water solution. Add the salt water by the half teaspoon to your soap and stir gently until its the consistency you're looking for.


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## Hazel (Mar 13, 2013)

I'm confused. Why are you using ewax in a liquid soap recipe? All you would need would be olive oil, water, potassium hydroxide and either borax or citric acid (depending on which method you prefer).


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## barnabyblack (Mar 18, 2013)

Hazel said:


> I'm confused. Why are you using ewax in a liquid soap recipe? All you would need would be olive oil, water, potassium hydroxide and either borax or citric acid (depending on which method you prefer).




hey,  thanks for the tips.  i do all natural and organic so i was staying away from borax.  citric acid is a preservative i assume but does it help prevent separation?  its funny bc with some recipes there is separation but not with others.  also depending on the eo it changes consistency and color.


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## green soap (Mar 18, 2013)

barnabyblack said:


> hey,  thanks for the tips.  i do all natural and organic so i was staying away from borax.  citric acid is a preservative i assume but does it help prevent separation?  its funny bc with some recipes there is separation but not with others.  also depending on the eo it changes consistency and color.



Borax is a mineral, which is mined (historically with 20 mule teams...).  Citric acid comes from citrus fruit.  Both are used to neutralize the excess KOH that some liquid soap methods use.  The excess prevents superfatting oils which would cloud the soap.  Borax is a buffer, Citric acid an acid which will neutralize an equivalent amount of unreacted KOH.  

What do you mean by separation?  Sometimes I have separation with liquid soap.  I think I reach trace, I put it on the low cook, look at it 30 minutes later and sometimes I need to stick blend it again.  It sounds like you are talking about a different problem though.


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## barnabyblack (Mar 25, 2013)

green soap said:


> Borax is a mineral, which is mined (historically with 20 mule teams...).  Citric acid comes from citrus fruit.  Both are used to neutralize the excess KOH that some liquid soap methods use.  The excess prevents superfatting oils which would cloud the soap.  Borax is a buffer, Citric acid an acid which will neutralize an equivalent amount of unreacted KOH.
> 
> What do you mean by separation?  Sometimes I have separation with liquid soap.  I think I reach trace, I put it on the low cook, look at it 30 minutes later and sometimes I need to stick blend it again.  It sounds like you are talking about a different problem though.



i actually tested my base with borax and it turned it super thick with just a small amount dissolved in water.  i do think it may be certain things im using in the recipe.  obviously cocoa butter will separate but i have been having separation with certain eo's.  i think its just par for the coarse when doing the all natural thing.


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## lsg (Mar 25, 2013)

I have never used e-wax in my liquid soap.  If you are making liquid soap from scratch and cooking it, there shouldn't be any separations.

http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/liquidsoap/ss/basicliquidsoap.htm


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## Lindy (Mar 25, 2013)

Why would cocoa butter separate??? Sorry I don't quite understand that.


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