# Why add sugar and/or salt to water before adding lye?



## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

I've seen recipes where sugar and salt are added to the water before the lye is added. Can someone tell me why you would do this?


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

My opinion, from what I've tested:

Granulated sugar seems to increase lather. I use about 1 T ppo.
but have used as much as 2 T ppo and it still makes a hard
bar of soap. It makes soap stay softer longer in the mold,
but that soap eventually hardens as hard as soap made
without it.  I haven't experimented to see how high to go with it.

Salt is a water softener (seems to help lather)
and it also makes the soap get harder sooner.
I use about 1/2 t. ppo, but you can go as high as 1 t. ppo.
Go too high with salt and it makes soap crumbly when
you try to cut it.


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

Thanks so much! OK, so we have soft water here so maybe I won't worry about adding the salt. 

Great info - thank you!


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## Saltysteele (Sep 13, 2009)

JB-

in case your inquiring as to the timing, and not the reasoning of adding them, if you add sugar after the lye is in the water, the sugar will NOT mix.  period.  i've tried.  I've made 6 batches so far, and NEVER remember the sugar.  I added the silk with the last 2, which you would think would remind me to add the sugar.  nope.  still not sugar.  

anyway, i added the sugar after the lye was added with the 2nd batch i made, and it basically clumped together at the bottom and got sticky.  i mixed and mixed and mixed and mi...............nd mixed and mixed, and nothing.  that stuff would NOT mix in.  It did, however, come out easily


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

juicybath said:
			
		

> we have soft water here so maybe I won't worry about adding the salt.



Forgot to mention -- that salt gives a great "skin feel" afterward.
Sorta like a tiny bit of epsom salts in your bath.

I use it in all  my soap.


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

I too use sugar (brown sugar) in every batch. I use 1 tbl per POUND of oils. I also use sodium lactate in my soaps, 1% per POUND of oils. The sugar gives the soap really great lather and the SL makes my cphp soap smoother and harder and it does seem to last longer.

***edited by muah*****


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

bconrade884 said:
			
		

> I use 1 tbl per ounce of oils. I also use sodium lactate in my soaps,



Think you mean per pound oils --- don't want a newbie adding that much! LOL

Yes, on the sodium lactate! I also love it. It gives that "milk soap" feel
to skin without having to use browning milk. I add 1 T ppo to all my 
soap too! Good stuff.


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## Sunkawakan (Sep 13, 2009)

So... can you add BOTH salt and sugar at 1tbs ppo - yes, per pound of oil?  I did my first batch with sugar last night and LOVE it, won't ever make a batch without it again.  I disolved it with the water before I added the lye, making absolutely sure it was disolved (bored while waiting for the oils to melt so I stirred) But I also like the hardening properties of salt and am wondering if you can use them together?


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## rubyslippers (Sep 13, 2009)

Sunkawakan said:
			
		

> . . . I also like the hardening properties of salt and am wondering if you can use them together?



Yep, sure can!


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

I like to use icing or confectioners sugar it seems  easier to dissolve .

Kitn


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## Saltysteele (Sep 13, 2009)

i don't remember who, but someone here makes a sugar syrup, keeps it in a bottle, and uses it that way


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## tincanac (Sep 13, 2009)

I just wrote about this yesterday to someone and I cant remember who - but I add castor/icing/confectioners sugar to the lye flakes and then dissolve that into water - it works really well, no sticky clumps ever.  I sort of sprinkle the sugar on top of the flakes and give it a good stir and then drop the lot into the water and start stirring that right away.


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## Sunkawakan (Sep 13, 2009)

tincanac said:
			
		

> drop the lot



tincanac - I do hope, for safety sake, you pour the mixture gently into the water, not just plop it in all at one time and thereby risking splash??  Goggles and long gloves are great, but lye burns HURT (don't ask me how I know - write it off to being a blonde thing, lol).

Thanks for the info, I'll try both on my next batch.  Currently out of lye and lazy today so it will be later in the week before I can get more.  Never thought about using powdered sugar... hmmmmm.... I'll have to give that a try.


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## tincanac (Sep 13, 2009)

well not actually drop the lot, but gently tip the mix through a wide mouthed funnel (like the kind for cars) that sits over the top of the wide mouthed (but narrower than the funnel cone) tall type of jar (a very handy tempered glass jar) and the funnel has a super cool long but-wide-enough-to-allow-the-flakes-to-glide-on-down spout that almost reaches the water level.  That way it is all nicely contained and splashes are minimal, any runaway splashes - (never had any though cos the jar is relatively tall-ish) hit the cone that sits in the bottle mouth and gently run back down and yes all of this is done in almost full gear, labcoat, goggles - but no dust mask cos I swapped to lye flakes and they're heavier so I dont really get too much dustcloud anymore.  Sorry about the alarm factor in the unfortunate choice of expression.    I do keep a big 25litre tank of vinegar right above where I soap, which is in a sink and it has a little tap (those water tanks you take when you go camping), so if at anytime there is a little spill/splash - the vinegar literally pours, and this is cool because, when I'm done with the lye stuff, including the leftover raw soap mix and the rawsoap laden SB. I merely plug the sink and let the vinegar pour in.  
I do what I can, when I can, I do....   :wink:  
All these cool items DID NOT COME from a soaping supplier but from a mechanic - go figure, (including the labcoat and goggles -except the lye flakes - those came from the plumbing supplies section in a hardware store)


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## tincanac (Sep 13, 2009)

P.S  That is the cleanest most sparkliest sink in my house too!!


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

CastorFan said:
			
		

> bconrade884 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Oh my, thank you castorfan.


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## amanda131 (Sep 13, 2009)

Is there anywhere in the soapcalc to add the sugar or you don't really factor it in to your recipe??  Just add it to your notes on the bottome???


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

amanda131 said:
			
		

> Is there anywhere in the soapcalc to add the sugar or you don't really factor it in to your recipe??  Just add it to your notes on the bottome???



Yes, just add it to notes.


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

Sunkawakan said:
			
		

> So... can you add BOTH salt and sugar at 1tbs ppo - yes, per pound of oil?



No -- At least I think no. 1 tablespoon salt ppo is too much.
You might get crumbly soap -- With salt use more like 1 teaspoon ppo.

Sugar -- yes 1 tablespoon ppo


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## heartsong (Sep 13, 2009)

*x*



			
				Sunkawakan said:
			
		

> So... can you add BOTH salt and sugar at 1tbs ppo - yes, per pound of oil?  I did my first batch with sugar last night and LOVE it, won't ever make a batch without it again.  I disolved it with the water before I added the lye, making absolutely sure it was disolved (bored while waiting for the oils to melt so I stirred) But I also like the hardening properties of salt and am wondering if you can use them together?



just a gentle correction, dear 

1 tablespoon sugar,

1/2 to 1 TEASPOON salt.

t=teaspoon (tsp)
T=tablespoon (tbsp)


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## rubyslippers (Sep 13, 2009)

Sunkawakan said:
			
		

> So... can you add BOTH salt and sugar at 1tbs ppo - yes, per pound of oil?  I did my first batch with sugar last night and LOVE it, won't ever make a batch without it again.  I disolved it with the water before I added the lye, making absolutely sure it was disolved (bored while waiting for the oils to melt so I stirred) But I also like the hardening properties of salt and am wondering if you can use them together?



My bad!  Just reread your post and realized I answered too soon with a resounding yes.  Should have caught that you were asking if both could be added at 1 TBS ppo.  I stand corrected!     I add both in these amounts:  1 Tbl sugar & 1/2 tsp salt ppo.


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

Oops, I just used 1 tsp EACH of icing sugar and salt in my batch today. I didn't notice any difference while I was making it, but it's cooling in the mold now. I did this one HP in the crock pot-- so much fun! 
Hopefully it will be cool enough to cut later this evening.

I love making soap!


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## Bnky (Sep 13, 2009)

Kitn:  Do you add the powdered sugar to the lye or do you add it at trace?  Does the powdered work better or is it easier to dissolve?


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## Guest (Sep 13, 2009)

juicybath said:
			
		

> Oops, I just used 1 tsp EACH of icing sugar and salt in my batch today. I didn't notice any difference while I was making it, but it's cooling in the mold now.



That's good. You can up the sugar to 1 T. next time and still use the salt (maybe 1/2 t. salt). See if you notice the difference in use. More lather?
Different skin feel after leaving the bath?


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## Sunkawakan (Sep 13, 2009)

tincanac said:
			
		

> I do keep a big 25litre tank of vinegar right above where I soap, which is in a sink and it has a little tap (those water tanks you take when you go camping), so if at anytime there is a little spill/splash - the vinegar literally pours, and this is cool because, when I'm done with the lye stuff, including the leftover raw soap mix and the rawsoap laden SB. I merely plug the sink and let the vinegar pour in.



_*BRILLIANT*_ What a wonderful idea.  I only 1/2 batches at a time but this would be very helpful at other times as well.  I seem to go through vinegar by the gallon anyway - use it in the fabric softner part when I wash my clothes, much better than store bought softeners and, because I have long hair and baby it I use it as a hair rinse 2X/month to get any shampoo/conditioner out, along with dozens of other uses around the house.  Having it right by the sink would make it so much easier.  Thank you, thank you, thank you for the great tip!

I'm off to the shed to get my water jug, have a great evening everyone.


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## heartsong (Sep 13, 2009)

*x*



			
				Bnky said:
			
		

> Kitn:  Do you add the powdered sugar to the lye or do you add it at trace?  Does the powdered work better or is it easier to dissolve?



i get the best results if i add the sugar to the water, making sure it's completely dissovled, and then add the lye.

you would do the same with the salt.


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## Galavanting Gifts (Sep 13, 2009)

I use Glucose syrup in my hotpress, adding it to the stages of the final cook. I couldn't believe how much nicer the bars came out. I'm get to try sugar.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 14, 2009)

amanda131 said:
			
		

> Is there anywhere in the soapcalc to add the sugar or you don't really factor it in to your recipe??  Just add it to your notes on the bottome???



amanda,

when you're done figuring your recipe, click on the "view/print recipe" button, and on that page you can add notes, etc.


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## amanda131 (Sep 14, 2009)

Thanks Salty. I will do that. i just wondered if it figured the "chemical make-up" of the sugar into the recipe but I guess not, so into the "notes" section it goes!! Thanks!!


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2009)

amanda131 said:
			
		

> i just wondered if it figured the "chemical make-up" of the sugar into the recipe



And that's a good question of any additive. Does it affect the lye?

I don't think sugar and salt affect the recipe lye/wise.

Sodium lactate is an acid. When you add that to your regular
recipe, you'll see that the bar ends up more superfatted than before.
You'll have to lower your SF in the recipe (to get more lye to make up for the lye that SL "eats").


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