# Attempting snail-extract soap



## Tochie (Mar 20, 2018)

Hello dear amazing soapers!.
I have a customized soap order, and the client requested to have the soap bars infused with snail-extracts (snail slime). Apparently I haven’t worked with a recipe like that previously ,and clearly not sure if the lye can dissolve in the snail slime since it’s already 90% water.
Need ideas guys, would really appreciate [emoji1431]


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## Saffron (Mar 20, 2018)

Responded in the other thread - but here's the link again:
https://auntieclaras.com/2016/10/snail-soap/

Edit: OK, looks like the other thread you started has been deleted. What I'd said was that Auntie Clara gives a detailed account of how she made her snail soap, from catching the snails and massaging them to release the slime, to stamping and packaging the final product (link above). Hope you like snails as it looks very messy!


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## SoapAddict415 (Mar 20, 2018)

My first thought is eeeewww! Why? Then my brain wants to know the benefits of snail slime lol.


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## soapmaker (Mar 20, 2018)

What's the idea?


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 21, 2018)

Thanks for that link, Saffron. Interesting. So it looks like ya hafta collect a kilo of snails. Feed them a special diet for 3 weeks, then water only for a few days. Then wash them. Then massage them to get them to release slime, and once you have enough, add it to the lye solution to make soap, just as you would tussah silk maybe? Easy peasy. NOT! LOL 

Tochie, if t'were me I'd ask the client to collect the slime for you! I'm just sayin'... in the immortal words of adrianna, "eeeewww!"


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## BattleGnome (Mar 21, 2018)

SoapAddict415 said:


> My first thought is eeeewww! Why? Then my brain wants to know the benefits of snail slime lol.



I think it’s the Asian beauty trend of the moment, just like every new product in the US has charcoal in it now


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## Saponificarian (Mar 21, 2018)

I am guessing Tochie is from my part of the world and we have snails aplenty. Plus it's a source of protein here. Hate it with a passion though. Can't pay me enough to touch the thing.

 I heard the soap is nice and that you are meant to add the slime at trace which we all know is not true. Might as well add it at the beginning. For the 'benefits' though, I personally would do melt and pour to preserve the 'benefits' because with HP, high temperature might or might not affect the benefits.

ETA: Reading Auntie Clara's blog it seems snail slime is better added to the lye solution.


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## lenarenee (Mar 21, 2018)

BattleGnome said:


> I think it’s the Asian beauty trend of the moment, just like every new product in the US has charcoal in it now



And here in San Diego it's also in the snack food!  There's a smoothie place that sells charcoal vanilla ice cream because it will "clean your body of toxins".  Except that it doesn't - unless you drink a toxin less than 1 hour before eating the charcoal ice cream!


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 21, 2018)

lenarenee said:


> And here in San Diego it's also in the snack food!


I gasped at first because I thought you were talking about snails!


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## Tochie (Mar 21, 2018)

Saffron said:


> Responded in the other thread - but here's the link again:
> https://auntieclaras.com/2016/10/snail-soap/
> 
> Edit: OK, looks like the other thread you started has been deleted. What I'd said was that Auntie Clara gives a detailed account of how she made her snail soap, from catching the snails and massaging them to release the slime, to stamping and packaging the final product (link above). Hope you like snails as it looks very messy!



Oh thank you so much for the link....
I hope to do a happy dance with an exciting news if it works [emoji4]



SoapAddict415 said:


> My first thought is eeeewww! Why? Then my brain wants to know the benefits of snail slime lol.



Had exact same reaction lol...but well it’s fun to try new things,that’s how we learn[emoji4]



Zany_in_CO said:


> Thanks for that link, Saffron. Interesting. So it looks like ya hafta collect a kilo of snails. Feed them a special diet for 3 weeks, then water only for a few days. Then wash them. Then massage them to get them to release slime, and once you have enough, add it to the lye solution to make soap, just as you would tussah silk maybe? Easy peasy. NOT! LOL
> 
> Tochie, if t'were me I'd ask the client to collect the slime for you! I'm just sayin'... in the immortal words of adrianna, "eeeewww!"



She already has them...apparently she’s a snail farmer.. So the snail extracts are already available...problem is how to work with it considering the texture (thickness)



BattleGnome said:


> I think it’s the Asian beauty trend of the moment, just like every new product in the US has charcoal in it now



Exactly!



Saponificarian said:


> I am guessing Tochie is from my part of the world and we have snails aplenty. Plus it's a source of protein here. Hate it with a passion though. Can't pay me enough to touch the thing.
> 
> I heard the soap is nice and that you are meant to add the slime at trace which we all know is not true. Might as well add it at the beginning. For the 'benefits' though, I personally would do melt and pour to preserve the 'benefits' because with HP, high temperature might or might not affect the benefits.
> 
> ETA: Reading Auntie Clara's blog it seems snail slime is better added to the lye solution.



Thanks for your input!...  Will have to work with anty Clara’s method of adding the slime at the beginning. But I fear the lye may not dissolve in the slime , the slime is already 90% water... Not sure how to go about it...



Zany_in_CO said:


> I gasped at first because I thought you were talking about snails!   View attachment 29420



Lol


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## Zany_in_CO (Mar 21, 2018)

Tochie said:


> But I fear the lye may not dissolve in the slime , the slime is already 90% water... Not sure how to go about it...


I've been thinking about that too... I think you'll figure it out... I'm wondering if it might be like adding tussah silk? Weigh water; add silk fibers; add NaOH. Stir briefly. Allow to hydrate 5 minutes or so -- I leave my spoon in to weight down the fibers to the bottom; stir and wait some more if necessary until the lye solution is clear. For the slime, I would pour the lye into the oils through a fine strainer to keep any hard bits out.

ETA: Oh, the slime is 90% water! Hmmm. (Shrugs shoulders and runs away.  )


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## Saponificarian (Mar 21, 2018)

Tochie said:


> Thanks for your input!...  Will have to work with anty Clara’s method of adding the slime at the beginning. But I fear the lye may not dissolve in the slime , the slime is already 90% water... Not sure how to go about it...



I think it will dissolve but you could use 50/50 Water and slime. So dissolve your NaOH in equal amount of water from your recipe and make up the rest of your Water Phase with the slime.

ETA: Make sure the lye Water is clear befor adding the slime just to be sure you don’t have undissolved lye.


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## Saffron (Mar 21, 2018)

Tochie said:


> Thanks for your input!...  Will have to work with anty Clara’s method of adding the slime at the beginning. But I fear the lye may not dissolve in the slime , the slime is already 90% water... Not sure how to go about it...



According to Auntie C the lye dissolved easily in the slime and green tea blend. Strain it before adding to the oils. Any NaOH pieces left in the strainer can be dissolved in a little water and added to the oils.


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## earlene (Mar 22, 2018)

My first thought was UC Santa Cruz. I can see someone connected to UCSC asking for snail soap, for sure.

Here is my snail soap, but it was the swirl and not the ingedient:






I gave some of these to my grandson since he lives in the Santa Cruz area.


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## Nao (Mar 22, 2018)

For what its worth, I have used my own soap to wash snail slime off my hands and usually nothing works to get rid off the slime, but real soap washes it away like it wasn’t even there. So I can't imagine there would be any problem.


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## Tochie (Apr 13, 2018)

A sneak-peek of my attempt at snail soap guys [emoji4]


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## Tochie (Apr 13, 2018)




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## Tochie (Apr 13, 2018)




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## earlene (Apr 13, 2018)

It's very pretty, *Tochie*.


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## Dean (Apr 13, 2018)

Snail slime soap?! OMG, I thought this was a joke.

Actually my liqiud soap has the disturbing consistency of snail slime.


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## lenarenee (Apr 13, 2018)

That is gorgeous soap Tochie!

But...it does remind me of patio pavers....where one would naturally find snails and their slime!


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