# Liquid soap cloudy after adding salt water



## froggybean37 (Jul 19, 2014)

Hello!

I made my first batch of liquid castile soap which came out wonderful and clear, however after adding salt water to thicken, I notice a fine precipitate floating throughout it now a few days later, compared to the part of the batch I left separate as a comparison. 

Any ideas? Will this clear with time? Is it just a reaction of the salt with the KOH?

Thanks!


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## Kyra (Jul 25, 2014)

*same here*

I have used Borax with great success, but I can't add it in products I sell in the EU. I tried the saline solution, it worked great, the soap was crystal clear, but the second day the entire batch went cloudy. I have no separation, no precipitation, perfect soap, just cloudy. There is very little info out there coming from people that regularly use salt solution to thicken their liquid soap if cloudiness is something you need to accept and live with, or the cloudiness will disappear after a while. Bumping this, maybe somebody out there can help with some input.


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## froggybean37 (Jul 26, 2014)

Hi, Kyra! Just as an update - 2 weeks after adding the salt water, the cloudiness/ precipitate has gone away. Lather isn't yet back to what it was pre-salt water, but still quite nice. Let me know what yours does!


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## Kyra (Jul 26, 2014)

*good news*

Oh, that is good news froggybean37. Is it crystal clear? The soaps in which I used Borax were a gorgeous perfectly clear amber color. Is it getting to back to that kind of clarity? Mine is almost one week old, still cloudy. I will try to take some pics and post them later on.


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## Kyra (Aug 8, 2014)

*still cloudy*

It's been more than 2 weeks and my soap looks the same: a bit cloudy, not the crystal clear soap I usually get when using borax.


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## FGOriold (Aug 8, 2014)

Too much salt will turn your soap cloudy.


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## Susie (Aug 8, 2014)

I have never used salt water as a thickener.  Is there a "safe" proportion that I could keep in mind if I tried this?


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## FGOriold (Aug 8, 2014)

I don't know if there is a "safe" proportion to avoid the cloudiness, but there is a "salt curve" and if you go over that curve, you will end up back with a thin product.  Add salt solution slowly and give the soap plenty of time to thicken (at least an hour) between additions.


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## Kyra (Aug 8, 2014)

Faith, it sounds like I might have added a bit too much salt. My soap is not thicker than before adding the salt (maybe a tiny bit thicker), it still has a rich lather, but it remained fuzzy in appearance, not clear.


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## Kyra (Aug 11, 2014)

Here is the pic of my soaps. The fuzzy one is thickened with salt, the darker clear one with borax. Almost three weeks sequestering, it looks like the slight cloudiness is clearing up, but not stark clear like the one thickened with borax.  I am patient LOOOL


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## Kyra (Aug 14, 2014)

Happy to report that after a bit over 3 weeks of sequestering, my salt thickened soap cleared up to perfection. It is now just as clear as the one I thickened with Borax. In the meantime, my order of HEC came in and I tried it on a 7 liter batch of castile soap . It worked beautifully! I might stick with the HEC, I love the way the soap looks and I love the thickness of it.


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## Alimah Oloko (Jul 19, 2020)

FGOriold said:


> Too much salt will turn your soap cloudy.


Please what is the solution.  I am currently facing the same challenge


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## shunt2011 (Jul 19, 2020)

Alimah Oloko said:


> Please what is the solution.  I am currently facing the same challenge


Again, this another really old thread and the poster hasn’t been here in years.


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## Alimah Oloko (Jul 19, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> Again, this another really old thread and the poster hasn’t been here in years.


Hi dear,  do you have any solution for me


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## shunt2011 (Jul 19, 2020)

Alimah Oloko said:


> Hi dear,  do you have any solution for me


Start a new thread asking what you want to know.  Post your recipe and process.  There are quite a lot  of KS soap makers to help.


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## Alimah Oloko (Jul 22, 2020)

I make use of salt 350g
Urea 200g, LABSA 1litre
SlS 125g, caustic 50g,
Texapon 1500g

Maybe my recipe  is wrong. I will be needing  help for the right recipe I can use to get a standard  soap.  I just started the soap business. I will be need your help.


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## shunt2011 (Jul 22, 2020)

Alimah Oloko said:


> I make use of salt 350g
> Urea 200g, LABSA 1litre
> SlS 125g, caustic 50g,
> Texapon 1500g
> ...


Please start a new thread. This post is old.  The members aren't even here any longer to see your response.  Thank you!!   Also, be sure to go to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself.


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## Alimah Oloko (Jul 23, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> Please start a new thread. This post is old.  The members aren't even here any longer to see your response.  Thank you!!   Also, be sure to go to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself.


Thank your.  I will do as stated


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## Alimah Oloko (Jul 23, 2020)

shunt2011 said:


> Please start a new thread. This post is old.  The members aren't even here any longer to see your response.  Thank you!!   Also, be sure to go to the introduction section and tell us a bit about yourself.


I couldn't  locate the introduction  section on the tab.


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## camie (Dec 1, 2022)

FGOriold said:


> I don't know if there is a "safe" proportion to avoid the cloudiness, but there is a "salt curve" and if you go over that curve, you will end up back with a thin product.  Add salt solution slowly and give the soap plenty of time to thicken (at least an hour) between additions.


I added way to much salt in my solution and it becomes thinner than ever. How to fix this problem? Help anyone


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## DeeAnna (Dec 2, 2022)

camie said:


> I added way to much salt in my solution and it becomes thinner than ever. How to fix this problem? Help anyone



FGOriold answered your question in her answers (see above) so you may want to re-read this thread. The short answer is since you've already added too much salt, you will not be able to make it thicker again. The problem is permanent. 

If you want further help, please start a NEW THREAD with a useful subject title - you are having problems with salt thickening and this very old thread is about problems with cloudy soap. Also be sure to post your entire recipe, ALL ingredients, ALL in weights (don't mix percentages and weights).

edited for clarity


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