# Shaving down a bar of soap to make liquid soap



## shshimo (Dec 5, 2012)

Hi!  I'm new to soap making.  I just finished making my 3rd batch and am loving it so far!  I have a bunch of soap now (too much!) and since my first couple batches turned out just so-so, I'd like to shave some of these bars down and dilute to make liquid soap.  I've googled this and most sites specify to mix the shavings with distilled water and add some glycerin.  Do I really need to add glycerin?  

Also, I added turmeric to my last batch of soap last night to give it some natural color.  It looks great so far, however, when my husband heard that I added it, he kind of freaked out that it might start bleeding out of the bar.  My hope was to give these as Christmas gifts, but I don't want to unknowingly give my friends self-tanning soap bars as well.  Has anyone used turmeric?  Is the color stable?

Thanks so much!!


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## AlchemyandAshes (Dec 5, 2012)

shshimo said:
			
		

> I'd like to shave some of these bars down and dilute to make liquid soap.  I've googled this and most sites specify to mix the shavings with distilled water and add some glycerin.  Do I really need to add glycerin?


I haven't had much luck with this method...it usually turn out the consistency of jelly...not as fluid as "liquid soap". The glycerin may make it a bit more fluid...it's worth a try!


			
				shshimo said:
			
		

> Also, I added turmeric to my last batch of soap last night to give it some natural color.  It looks great so far, however, when my husband heard that I added it, he kind of freaked out that it might start bleeding out of the bar.  My hope was to give these as Christmas gifts, but I don't want to unknowingly give my friends self-tanning soap bars as well.  Has anyone used turmeric?  Is the color stable?


How much Turmeric did you add?


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## shshimo (Dec 5, 2012)

You were right Alchemy&Ashes, it turned into jelly.  I didn't try with glycerin though, so I'll give that a shot next.  I'd eventually like to make liquid soap with KOH, but I really want to try and find it locally.

I used about 1-1.5 tsp of Turmeric for a 3 lb batch.


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## AlchemyandAshes (Dec 5, 2012)

That much Turmeric should be fine...it shouldn't bleed or discolor the lather.


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## Hina Charania (Dec 6, 2012)

Hi,

In my experience that never works. The soap always congeals and turns into a half solid mass that cannot pass through one of those press bottles for liquid soap (Don't know what they are actually called).

U can still keep adding water to it when that happens, that is what I did as the soap was too wet to be a hard bar again and I didn't want to waste it.

Hope that helps

Cheers
HC


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