# Arrowroot powder for thickening?



## jazminhannah (Jul 12, 2017)

Hi everyone. I am still a beginner soap maker, but I have come up with a product that I really like unfortunately with one big problem - texture! It's super liquidy and too thin for my liking. I tried thickening the actual base (castile soap) with a salt mixture, but then soon after I add all my other oils it goes right back to being very thin. :headbanging: I read about arrowroot powder (I am sticking to natural ingredients) for thickening, I picked some up but am unsure how to actually use it. Or any other way to thicken. Thanks everyone for your help!

For info for clarification! I am trying to make a shampoo. My base is castile paste that I diluted (at 3.5) to liquid castile. Then I thickened the base using a 20% salt mixture to my desired thickness. Then after, I add fractionated coconut oil, witch hazel, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerin, and essential oil. After I add those ingredients, soon after my soap reverts back to it's original thin texture which I hate! I just want to create a thicker texture for the shampoo.
jazminhannah is online now  Report Post


----------



## shunt2011 (Jul 12, 2017)

What exactly are you trying to make?   Are you using liquid castille or bar castille?  What are you trying to add?   More information will help us try to help you!

Welcome to the forum!


----------



## jazminhannah (Jul 12, 2017)

Sorry, more info for clarification! I am trying to make a shampoo. My base is castile paste that I diluted (at 3.5) to liquid castile. Then I thickened the base using a 20% salt mixture to my desired thickness. Then after, I add fractionated coconut oil, witch hazel, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerin, and essential oil. After I add those ingredients, soon after my soap reverts back to it's original thin texture which I hate! I just want to create a thicker texture for the shampoo.


----------



## DeeAnna (Jul 12, 2017)

When you say castile, do you mean 100% olive oil soap or are you using some other mix of fats? "Castile" doesn't have a consistent meaning anymore, so it's better to just give the recipe. 

If you are adding a bunch of other liquids -- the fractionated coconut oil, witch hazel, jojoba oil, vegetable glycerin, and essential oil -- wouldn't it reasonable to expect some thinning of the texture? 

Also are you aware that some essential oils and fragrance oils can thin out a liquid soap? And others may thicken the soap or make it lumpy. You may need to test your soap with your scent (and without the other additives) and verify what the result is.

Why are you adding glycerin? Hand crafted soap has a lot of natural glycerin as a result of saponification, so unless you're making a liquid soap paste with the glycerin method, there's not a lot of benefit to adding glycerin otherwise. It tends to reduce lather and if your soap is high in olive, you've already got a low sudsing soap to begin with.

And that brings me to the oils -- why not add them to a conditioner and let the soap do its job? Again, oils cut the lather and cleansing ability of a soap. I don't know that a high or 100% olive oil soap really needs that kind of help.

Arrowroot powder ... I have no experience or other info about using this for thickening a soap. You may simply have to experiment. 

Most people who use a separate thickener for liquid soap are using HEC, HPMC, or xanthan gum. Faith of Alainya B Bath and Body (http://alaiynab.blogspot.com/) has written some good tutorials and articles about using such thickeners in liquid soap.


----------

