# Sodium lactate



## Nivisoaps (Mar 9, 2020)

How many of you use sodium lactate while making a soap
? What type of quality does it add to a soap ?


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## IrishLass (Mar 9, 2020)

I use sodium lactate in most, although not all of my soap formulas. In my CP, I find it lends a creamy depth to the lather....almost as if I had added goat milk or coconut milk as my soaping liquid instead of water. It also lends a bit of extra hardness, which helps soap to unmold easier, especially soap poured into intricate, decorative molds. It helps those to unmold smoothly and easily without incurring damage to the surface.

In my HP, it helps the soap batter to smooth out more, making it more jam-like instead of more dense, mashed potato-like. I can also feel the same creamy depth to the lather that it gives to my CP.

In my liquid soap, it helps to dissolve the soap paste into liquid soap much quicker than normal when I go to dilute.

And I also use it in my lotion, where it acts as a humectant, drawing moisture to the skin.

I use it @ 3% ppo in my soaps and @ 3% in my lotion.


IrishLass


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## Zing (Mar 9, 2020)

I almost always use sodium lactate.  I like it because I can unmold in 48 hours, impatient man that I am.


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## dibbles (Mar 9, 2020)

I have used sodium lactate in every batch, with the only exception being salt bars, almost since I started making soap - @Zing is right, I find that I can unmold usually the next day.


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## Nivisoaps (Mar 10, 2020)

IrishLass said:


> I use sodium lactate in most, although not all of my soap formulas. In my CP, I find it lends a creamy depth to the lather....almost as if I had added goat milk or coconut milk as my soaping liquid instead of water. It also lends a bit of extra hardness, which helps soap to unmold easier, especially soap poured into intricate, decorative molds. It helps those to unmold smoothly and easily without incurring damage to the surface.
> 
> In my HP, it helps the soap batter to smooth out more, making it more jam-like instead of more dense, mashed potato-like. I can also feel the same creamy depth to the lather that it gives to my CP.
> 
> ...




 Wow, thank u so much for explaining it in detail.

Could u also tell me how to determine the amount of sodium lactate  to be used.


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## gloopygloop (Mar 10, 2020)

I also use SL in almost every soap and ditto Irishlass. I think you will find the 3% mentioned just right, if you too much more you risk crumbly soap bars.


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## IrishLass (Mar 11, 2020)

Ditto what gloppygloop says^^^. I've found that if I use much more than 3% my bars get a little crumbly.


IrishLass


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## cmzaha (Mar 11, 2020)

I use SL in my lotions but never in my cp soaps. If I have to do some re-batch I will use it or sugar water to help smooth out the rebatch.


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## Nivisoaps (Mar 12, 2020)

Nivisoaps said:


> Wow, thank u so much for explaining it in detail.
> 
> Could u also tell me how to determine the amount of sodium lactate  to be used.


 PPO means ?


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## Rsapienza (Mar 12, 2020)

I used to use SL. I now do a water discount along with more hard oils and find I don't really need it anymore. I was just using it for unmolding sooner. PPO is per pound of oil. Most people use 1 tsp PPO added to cooled lye solution.


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## IrishLass (Mar 12, 2020)

Nivisoaps said:


> PPO means ?



 Per Pound of Oil


IrishLass


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## Cess (Mar 17, 2020)

Hi guys, I've been having problems unmolding lately... tried a 100% olive oil soap for the first time and was not satisfied with the result. I have like 10 liters of old olive oil and I was wondering if it would make it easier to unmold. Do you discount it from the lye solution?


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## gorio (Mar 18, 2020)

never used sl


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## Todd Ziegler (Mar 22, 2020)

Cess said:


> Hi guys, I've been having problems unmolding lately... tried a 100% olive oil soap for the first time and was not satisfied with the result. I have like 10 liters of old olive oil and I was wondering if it would make it easier to unmold. Do you discount it from the lye solution?


Sodium Lactate will help you unmold but castile soap takes a long time to cure. I use between 3-4% sodium Lactate. That's 3-4% of the total weight. You don't discount it from anything.


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## DeeAnna (Mar 22, 2020)

_"...You don't discount it from anything...."_

If you mean you're using sodium lactate solution, maybe you want to re-think this. Not saying you have to, but the amount of SL you're using will add a significant amount of water to your batch.

Commercial sodium lactate solution is 60% sodium lactate and 40% water. Let's say I used 3% SL solution in my last batch of soap, based on the total paste weight, not including the water in the SL. The added water from the SL solution would reduce my lye concentration from 33% to 30% if I ignore that water in my calculations.

A 3% reduction in lye concentration -- going from 33% to 30% -- can definitely alter how a batch of soap  behaves.


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## JillGat (Jun 30, 2021)

I add sodium lactate to the cooled lye water.  I just saw a recommendation to add it to the oils before adding the lye water.  What is the difference?


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## lonalea (Jul 1, 2021)

I have always added to cooled lye water also.


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## The_Phoenix (Jul 2, 2021)

I have never used SL in my soap and I’m able to unmold after 18-24 hours.


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## AAShillito (Jul 2, 2021)

Every batch except brine/salt bars and 1 tsp ppo


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