First Liquid Soap goes wrong

Trinity · Sep 30, 2013

I posted this on another thread but thought I might get a reply if I started a new thread so I apologize if this is repetitive. But after making my first liquid soap yesterday and thought everything went well and finding this morning that it is just that ........ liquid soap ...... emphasizing the liquid part since it never thickened

It is still in the crock pot and I don't know whether cooking it more will help or what I should add to help it thicken. Although I did have the same problem that someone else had with the glycerin looking like instant mash potatoes it looks pretty clear now. I did 3 to 1 ratio like the Soap making 101 video recommend it did not turn out like hers did in the video.

I don't really want to throw it away so if anyone has any ideas please share.

Thanks, Deborah

lsg · Sep 30, 2013

I really don't know what to tell you unless you can go through your process of making the soap. I am assuming you are referring to glycerin liquid soap. Did you get the thick paste when you stick blended it after adding the lye solution to the oils?

soap_rat · Sep 30, 2013

Yes, please give some more info, including your recipe. Some oils make thick liquid soap, some thin.

Also, when I've done that method I've had to cook it a loooong time to get it to the non-zapping point. I think others mentioned it taking longer than in her video too. Does anyone think jumping into dilution might have been a problem?

lsg · Sep 30, 2013

I think adding more glycerin than her recipe states helps the non-zapping point time shorter.

soap_rat · Sep 30, 2013

Oh, that's good to know for my future batches, thanks--it's not always convenient to tie up that crockpot for so long (and use electricity)

Soaps'n'Bubbles · Oct 1, 2013

I tried using this method and exactly the same thing happened (3 times) - so I went back to using water for the paste. I did subsitute Sunflower Oil for the Olive Oil used in the video - perhaps that's why it did not work for me.

100%Natural · Oct 1, 2013

You can thicken it using a salt solution. Use a 20% salt solution and then start adding 1 tsp of solution until you get the desired thickness.

3:1 dilution I find is too much water for LS. I start with a 1:1 dilution and then go from there. Usually ending up happy with a 2:1 dilution. It really all depends on the recipe you've used as to how much water to add.

FGOriold · Oct 1, 2013

When using the glycerin method I have found that you need at least 3 times the weight of the lye in glycerin to dissolve the lye completely. I have never gotten my lye to fully dissolve in anything less than that. How your paste turns out (color, consistency) depends a lot on the oils that you use. I have never had my glycerin method liquid soaps move as fast as many of the videos I have seen. Mine move much slower and I still cook them for quite a long time. I stop stick blending when the bubbles start to fly out of the pot - then I just continue to cook it. My pastes usually stay very liquid/soft until I turn the crock pot off and the paste fully cools to room temperature - then it looks and feels like soap paste.

Thickening using a salt solution will only work on formulations very, very low in coconut oil (or probably another hard oil too). That method works well in 100% olive oils soaps.

On dilution - you have to keep in mind getting the soap to fully dilute and how concentrated the soap ends up being do not always go together. I find that even though I may be able to dilute at a 1:2 ratio, sometimes the soap is just to concentrated and is then wasteful when used. Better to dilute at a rate that gives the soap concentration you want, then thicken to get the thickening you want.

Trinity · Oct 1, 2013

The recipe was just like she suggested
13 oz Olive
1.5 oz Castor
1.5 oz Coconut
Having never done LS before I didn't know that the glycerin was suppose to be clear and after looking at her video again it looked like hers was white when she added it to her oils. I guess thats were the problem lies and to be honest I forgot to test it for zap before I diluted the paste. I cooked it for and hour and a half then diluted so I guess the best thing to do is just throw this out. At least it was not a large batch

She doesn't say anything in her video about testing it so I didn't. So has anyone had this recipe work successfully ? I have some family members who don't use bar soap and I want to make LS for Christmas gifts for them and I wanted to be able to color like red or green if possible.

Thanks so much, Deborah

FGOriold · Oct 1, 2013

Because that formula is mostly soft oils it is going to move slow. My suggestion is try again, use the glycerin at 3 x the calculated amount of potassium hydroxide making sure the glycerin is very hot and adding the potassium hydroxide very slowly in small amounts and do not add any more until the previous amount has dissolved. Use only stainless steel pot and mixing utensils. Once you add this to your heated oils and stick blend, it will take some time. Switch between the stick blender and a spatula or whisk and watch for the tiny bubbles to fly. Once you see the bubbles flying, let it cook for at least 1.5 hours stirring every 30 minutes. You can cook it longer than this as from my experience the longer the cook, the more you cook out the excess KOH and lower the ph. After your cook, turn off the crock pot and let it sit overnight.

Trinity · Oct 2, 2013

Why are the lye calculators especially when it comes to LS so different

Ugg I am about to scream I am trying to figure out if I can get even 2 to agree on the amount of lye or water. Which one do I use...

Frustrated, Deborah

lsg · Oct 2, 2013

I like the Summer Beed Meadow lye calculator for liquid soap.

https://summerbeemeadow.com/content/advanced-calculator-solid-cream-or-liquid-soaps

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