Liquid Soap Questions

Stacy · Oct 27, 2014

Ok, I'm going to try this again now that I understand what I'm doing a little better

I'm going to try making Liquid Soap for the first time.

When making liquid soap you are making a HP type soap so all the lye is cooked out. This means that the product is safe to use immediately (or at least with minimal aging in which the soap may improve).

Neutralizing is not necessary if you're using a lye calculator that accounts for a 90% pure KOH and minor superfat amount (1%-2%). You see a lot of this online because it was an older technique. (I got that from on here somewhere!)

The big question is diluting. I watched the Soaping101 Tutorial where she dilutes the finished soap 3:1 by weight, but she also mentions that because it's an OO based soap the dilution is higher than a CO soap. Do you always dilute 3:1 and the weight varies by the density of the oils or is there a scale? Is there an accurate resource where I can learn more about his?

Am I correct in my understanding of these facts about making LS? Once again many thanks for all of your patience and guidance.

new12soap · Oct 27, 2014

Good for you for decided to try LS!

Yes, you do use a hot process to make the soap, but your process doesn't mean that the lye will be "cooked out". In any soap, HP CP NaOH or KOH, whether a soap is lye heavy or not has to do with using the correct amount of lye with the correct amount and type of oils. HP just makes it all turn into soap a little faster than CP (that refers primarily to bar soap).

Yes, after your soap is all done and diluted, it is safe to use.

Yes, there are 2 main methods of making LS, one is the older technique of using a lye excess then neutralizing, and the other is to account for KOH impurities and add a small superfat up front. Just be aware that depending on your oils and your superfat, this method may yield a less-than-crystal-clear soap if that is a concern.

As for diluting... Well, good luck with that! Diluting depends on so many things, your oils, your method, etc that unfortunately it really is just trial and error. I know some LS made with the glycerin method is diluted at 1 part paste to 0.75 parts water! So start with a small amount of paste and dilute a very little bit at a time (and keep notes!) until you get a good consistency.

Good luck and let us know how you do!

SplendorSoaps · Oct 27, 2014

Great question, and great answer! I've been thinking about trying a liquid castile soap myself, but haven't ordered the KoH yet. Let us know how it turns out!

IrishLass · Oct 27, 2014

Ditto everything new12soap said.

Like she said, dilution is definitely a tricky bugger for sure, and involves lots of trial and error. How much dilution water to use is dependent on so many things, not the least of which is how thick or thin you prefer your finished liquid soap to be, so you'll need to take other's dilution rates with a grain of salt. My advice would be the same as new12soap- experiment by diluting small amounts of your paste at a time, making sure to add just a little water to it at a time at first (less water than paste at first), and then work your way up from there until you reach the consistency you like.

I myself use the glycerin method of liquid soap-making, and with my favorite OO formula, which contains 65% OO, I use a ratio of 1 part paste to .75 parts water. It produces a thick, honey-like consistency, which is my favorite kind of consistency in liquid soap.

IrishLass

dosco · Oct 31, 2014

Are there some tutorials here or elsewhere that explain the process? As well as an example recipe?

I'm interested but am not totally clear on how to do it.

-Dave

Susie · Oct 31, 2014

This is a gold mine of information on making liquid soaps:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=46114

And if you have any questions after that, just ask. Lots of folks here more than willing to help.