# Preservative In Liquid Soap



## WhackySoaper (Jun 20, 2015)

Hello, I'm making about a gallon of liquid soap and wanted to know if I need to use a preservative? Any help would be much appreciated, Thanks


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## lsg (Jun 20, 2015)

I always use a preservative in my liquid and cream soaps.


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## WhackySoaper (Jun 20, 2015)

Thank you *lsg*


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## Susie (Jun 20, 2015)

I don't ever use preservative, but then again, I don't sell my soap.  If I sold my soap, I would use preservative every single time.


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## boyago (Jun 20, 2015)

lsg said:


> I always use a preservative in my liquid and cream soaps.



Which type and rate?


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## DeeAnna (Jun 20, 2015)

I use 0.5% based on total weight of liquid Germall Plus. It's not officially rated to be effective for products with pH from 8 to 10, but unofficial feedback from cosmetic chemists says otherwise. 

See http://www.makingskincare.com/preservatives/


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## lsg (Jun 20, 2015)

I also use liquid Germall Plus.


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## WhackySoaper (Jun 22, 2015)

I made almost 6 pounds to use as needed so it will be in storage closet and just want to make sure it's safe to use


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## DeeAnna (Jun 22, 2015)

That's what I do too, Whacky, although I make only a quart or two of diluted soap at a time and store the rest as paste. I hope it works well for you!


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## WhackySoaper (Jun 22, 2015)

Thanks DeeAnna, my hubby likes a thick gel and seems to go through it like water I don't understand how he uses it up so fast. I didn't get a full gallon so I'm gonna make about 3lbs. more and hopefully it will last us at least 6 months.


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## DeeAnna (Jun 22, 2015)

Liquid soap is so easy to make, I don't get too fried about using it up fast. Running low just gives me a good excuse to have fun making more.


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## cm4bleenmb (Jun 24, 2015)

DeeAnna said:


> I use 0.5% based on total weight of liquid Germall Plus. It's not officially rated to be effective for products with pH from 8 to 10, but unofficial feedback from cosmetic chemists says otherwise.
> 
> See http://www.makingskincare.com/preservatives/



I thought liquid soap didn't need preservative and made no plans to add any to mine. Do you mean you add 5% based on the weight of the soap after you have diluted it? Should I be worried about my soap paste as well?


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## lsg (Jun 24, 2015)

When I make a big batch of liquid soap paste, I dilute a small part of it and add the preservative to the diluted soap.  I store the paste in my refrigerator until needed.


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## cmzaha (Jun 24, 2015)

I have had about 10 lbs of coconut oil paste stored for a year with no problems. It is in a sealed 5 gallon bucket in a storage room under my house. I preserve all my LS and Cream soap and now my croap shave soap


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## DeeAnna (Jun 24, 2015)

"...I thought liquid soap didn't need preservative and made no plans to add any to mine. Do you mean you add 5% based on the weight of the soap after you have diluted it? Should I be worried about my soap paste as well? ..."

It's your choice whether to add preservative or not. Given the product is diluted quite a bit with water, I don't think it's safe to assume the pH of diluted LS is always a reliable preservative, so my call is to add preservative to my diluted LS.

I personally think it's a no-brainer about adding preservative to LS that's being sold. You can never predict what customers will do with or add to the product, and it's best to err on the side of being overly conservative.

That's 0.5% for liquid Germall Plus, not 5%. Other preservatives have different dosage rates than LGP. Yes, the amount is based on the weight of diluted soap. 

I do not preserve my soap paste, just the diluted soap. Assuming the paste is a well-made soap with little or no added "bug food", I personally think it's fine to store paste w/o preservative since the pH is relatively high. I use sanitary practices to handle and store my paste. Some people refrigerate it to be extra safe. If I want to use some paste for cleaning around the house, I will remove a portion from my storage container to use, and that portion will never go back into the container.


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## Susie (Jun 24, 2015)

I separate my (no preservatives) paste into smallish containers, about 4-8 oz each.  I prevent adding any bad stuff to the paste that way.  I use one tub for everything-stain remover, kitchens, bathrooms, etc til it is gone. Then I grab a new tub next cleaning day.  I started with larger containers, but soon decided that I did not want to use the paste in the kitchen after I had cleaned the bathroom.  Those little Glad plastic containers(4 oz) make dandy soap paste holders.  I can then wash the container, and re-use it next batch.


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## IrishLass (Jun 24, 2015)

Like Susie, I don't use preservatives in mine either, but then again, I don't sell. I make small 1 lb. batches of paste that I store in the fridge, which I dilute a little at a time as needed. Having said that, I do add a little tetrasodium EDTA to each dilution to help with my hard water issues. Although it's not a preservative (bacteria killer), it does help to starve bacteria of their food, which probably helps a little. 


IrishLass


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## jcandleattic (Jun 24, 2015)

As DeeAnna does, I preserve my diluted soap, but not my paste. 

I don't sell my liquid soap either, but we don't use it often, and the first batch I made that I did not preserve, after 3 months of sitting on the shelf, developed mold inside of it. (ewww) ever since that, and preserving, I haven't had a problem.


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## cm4bleenmb (Jun 26, 2015)

Susie said:


> I separate my (no preservatives) paste into smallish containers, about 4-8 oz each.  I prevent adding any bad stuff to the paste that way.  I use one tub for everything-stain remover, kitchens, bathrooms, etc til it is gone. Then I grab a new tub next cleaning day.  I started with larger containers, but soon decided that I did not want to use the paste in the kitchen after I had cleaned the bathroom.  Those little Glad plastic containers(4 oz) make dandy soap paste holders.  I can then wash the container, and re-use it next batch.



That is a great idea, Susie. Hopefully I will remember it--I want to try making a paste for cleaning with. I temporarily put the extra paste into small canning jars and I don't want to give up fridge space for this. 
I planned on diluting it as I went, and probably will be the only person using it so it won't get used up very fast, the preservative is probably a good idea. Better safe than sorry.


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