Question on Sodium Lactate

BakingNana · Jan 21, 2012

I used SL for the first time yesterday and I have to say it was a great experience. I used it at 1% of total recipe weight and cut chocolate goat's milk soap this morning a full 24 hours or more before I would have been able to otherwise.

My question is for those who use it, do you notice any difference in the quality of the fully cured soap? Does it have any affect at all on mildness or lather, or anything else for that matter? I don't want to compromise my recipe, so I wanted to pick some more SL-experienced brains before I kept using it.

Fragola · Jan 21, 2012

Was that CP or HP ?

paillo · Jan 21, 2012

i use it in every batch of cp and hp, find it really helps with the hardness of the cured bar.

i add it to my distilled water, beer, wine, whatever, along with tussah silk and clay before adding the lye. i do this both for cp and hp.

with hp, i add more after the cook -- about 1 TBSP ppo. i find it really helps make the soap more liquid and easier to pour/glop into the molds.

it's a natural salt, and also acts as a humectant and is anti-microbial.

i'm a true believe in sl

BakingNana · Jan 21, 2012

Thank you, paillo! I do believe I am a convert. 8)

Do you use it at 1%? I think I read the range for use is 1 to 3 percent. I had such good results I don't think I'll increase it, but I am curious as to what you find works the best for you.

Stinkydancer · Jan 21, 2012

I use .07oz PPO- CP or HP soap. I add it after the lye but it's so forgiving I have added it to my oils after the lye without issue when I forgot it which is once in a blue moon.
I won't soap without it.

I absolutely notice a difference in non cured and cured soap.

Non-cured- hardens up faster in the short term.
It add's IMO to your lather thickness and stability as well.

I soaped the same recipe- with and without- there was a marked difference in both of the above things.

Cured- very very hard and very smooth even HP. HP will almost have the texture of CP before getting it wet.

I know everyone says that SL keeps HP batter fluid. Honestly I haven't found that especially if I use water instead of the Aloe Juice. But Aloe Juice keeps my batter fluid every time.
Keep in mind- I do a light discount with HP. Not by much...instead of soaping at 38% which is full water- I soap at 36% when it's HP.

Oh I also haven't had anyone say that it bugs their skin. My daughter's skin is uber sensitive and it has not been an issue- just in case you were wondering.

I'm a firm believer in it especially for non gelled CP and HP!
It's definitely worth the extra cash.

paillo · Jan 21, 2012

BakingNana said:
Thank you, paillo! I do believe I am a convert. 8)

Do you use it at 1%? I think I read the range for use is 1 to 3 percent. I had such good results I don't think I'll increase it, but I am curious as to what you find works the best for you.

i flunk measuring ;( i use it at about 1-2 tsp ppo for cp and no problems ever. sorry, the measuring idiot said 1 TBSP earlier. i use the same amount in the lye water and only about 1 tsp ppo after the cook in hp. hth! :roll:

IrishLass · Jan 21, 2012

I use it at 3%, which works out to be 1 tbsp ppo. I add the same amount to my CP and to my HP. I also add it to my lye solution for both as well.

I've done HP with and without it, and I definitely have a much smoother pour with it.

I also notice a definite difference in my finished CP soap. There's more of an 'oomph' or body to the lather, much like the 'oomph' or body that milks add, but without any diminishing of my bubbly lather quotient.

Also- it boosts hardness and makes unmolding a breeze if you use those individulal, decorative-type molds.

IrishLass

Stinkydancer · Jan 21, 2012

IrishLass said:
I use it at 3%, which works out to be 1 tbsp ppo. I add the same amount to my CP and to my HP. I also add it to my lye solution for both as well.

I've done HP with and without it, and I definitely have a much smoother pour with it.

I also notice a definite difference in my finished CP soap. There's more of an 'oomph' or body to the lather, much like the 'oomph' or body that milks add, but without any diminishing of my bubbly lather quotient.

Also- it boosts hardness and makes unmolding a breeze if you use those individulal, decorative-type molds.

!IrishLass

Well said- Well said- OOOMMPH is right!

BakingNana · Jan 22, 2012

WooHoo! Doin' the happy dance!! According to SM3, at 1% it only added 23 cents to the cost of a 5-lb. batch. I double checked my supply order entry to be sure I didn't screw it up. Been known to happen, don't you know. :wink:

Thanks everyone!!

dOttY · Jan 22, 2012

Very interesting thread. I think I might give SL a try too...

Dragonkaz · Jan 22, 2012

Agree ... very interesting!

Where do you buy SL?

Stinkydancer · Jan 22, 2012

I buy mine by the gallon at Soapers Choice. (liquid)
It's local for me so no shipping.

You can buy the powder that you make the solution out of at Lotioncrafter.

WSP has it but it's too expensive there now.

Check around though- many places do sell the liquid in smaller amounts like 16 oz.
The gallon lasts a long time though so it might be worth it to you, if you use it in every batch.

paillo · Jan 22, 2012

i buy the liquid in the 7-lb bottle at soapers choice. have also bought, in smaller quantities, at lotioncrafter and camden grey -- just depends where i have an order in progress and where shipping is cheapest at the time

BakingNana · Jan 23, 2012

I bought mine at Soaper's Choice, too. 7# bottle.

Fragola · Jan 23, 2012

Does anybody have a comparison to simple salt ?

Trying to figure out if it's worth the effort digging out a SL supplier.

BakingNana · Jan 23, 2012

Fragola said:
Does anybody have a comparison to simple salt ?

Trying to figure out if it's worth the effort digging out a SL supplier.

I'm not sure what you mean. Do you mean that if you dissolve salt (sodium chloride) in the lye water, does it have the same affect as adding SL? I think that would be comparing apples to oranges, as SL is the sodium salt of lactic acid, and simple salt is sodium chloride. Very different. You don't need SL to make great soap, but if you make a lot of it, it's a tremendous help. Wish I'd tried it sooner.

Fragola · Jan 23, 2012

Yes, I am talking about comparing soap made with a little SL versus sodium chloride.

That's not apples and oranges, but soap and soap.

From my understanding, your first post was about consistency/hardness. Salt does that same thing for a soap bar. It also adds some consistency to the lather.

BakingNana · Jan 23, 2012

Fragola said:
Yes, I am talking about comparing soap made with a little SL versus sodium chloride.

That's not apples and oranges, but soap and soap.

From my understanding, your first post was about consistency/hardness. Salt does that same thing for a soap bar. It also adds some consistency to the lather.

I find that adding enough salt to harden a bar makes it a bit on the brittle side. SL did not. JMO.

edited to delete an off-subject comment

KD · Jan 23, 2012

I use it at 3% in every batch of my GM CP soap. In HP, I think the end result is similar to CP - smooth and pourable. I am a big believer in it and highly recommend it to anyone wishing to use individual, detailed molds.

FOhoarder · Jan 23, 2012

KD said:
I use it at 3% in every batch of my GM CP soap. In HP, I think the end result is similar to CP - smooth and pourable. I am a big believer in it and highly recommend it to anyone wishing to use individual, detailed molds.

I'm interested in when you add it for HP. In the lye solution or after cook?

Question on Sodium Lactate

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