Cold process ls for beginners

Zany_in_CO · Mar 12, 2017

ZANY’S LIQUID SOAP - COLD PROCESS FOR BEGINNERS

This is a fun, easy way to experience making liquid soap. It makes 16 oz. of soap base (using 12 oz. oils), and 36-48 oz. of Liquid Soap (depending on the amount of water added at dilution). Plenty for a first attempt.

Making LS is a 3-step process. (1) Make the base (aka “paste”); (2) Dilute the base; (3) Sequester for 2 weeks. You can use any recipe you like but here’s one to get you started.

PART 1 - MAKE THE SOAP BASE (30 minutes)

SoapCalc: (1) KOH (2) Ounces (3) Water:Lye Ratio 2:1 (4) 0% SF

CATHERINE FAILOR’S HIGH-FOAMING COLD CREAM SOAP

8.5 oz. coconut oil 69.4%
2.75 oz. castor oil 22.4%
1 oz. palm or tallow or lard 8.2%
12.25 oz. TOTAL

2.9 oz. (81 grams) KOH (0%)
5.75 oz. distilled water (2 X KOH)

Using normal technique, combine when oils are 160°F (71°C) and lye solution is 140°F (60°C). Stir by hand, then SB (on and off) to trace 10 - 15 minutes, over low to medium-low heat. Maintain temp at 160°F (71°C) until trace occurs. Let sit 5 minutes off heat to make sure it doesn’t separate. If it starts to puff up, that’s a good sign! But don’t hesitate! Take it off heat. Put it in the sink and stir it down. Cover and CURE 1-2 WEEKS.

NOTE: The soap base is opaque at first but becomes translucent and soft, similar in color and texture to vaseline, one week later. I then put it in a ZipLoc and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to dilute. Soap base may be stored in fridge for up to 12 weeks.

OPTION: Add 2% Potassium Carbonate to your lye solution to make the soap base easier to stir during the first stage and easier to dilute later. If you choose this option, you will need to add 1.7% Borax or Citric Acid to your dilution water to neutralize the Potassium Carbonate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART 2 - DILUTION (3-4 hours)

24 - 36 oz. distilled water (i.e., 2-3 times weight of oils. Use less water with high % of coconut oil. Use more water with high % of liquid oil.)
2 tsp. Borax or Calgon (sodium carbonate)
16 oz. soap base (chunked up)

Bring water to boil in a stainless steel pot on range top. Add Borax. Stir to dissolve completely. Add chunked-up soap base. Turn heat to medium low (slow simmer). Cover and cook slowly 3-4 hours, until temp reaches 160°F (71°C) and soap is completely melted. Turn to low if necessary to prevent bubbling. The idea is to get the base to absorb all the water it can with minimal water loss to evaporation. No need to stir, but you may want to break up soap pieces with a spoon (not SB) as needed.

Once the base is completely melted, take it off heat, weigh, and add 2 oz. alcohol* (optional) and enough water to reach your target of 36-48 oz. liquid soap if needed. Cool to 120°F (49°C). You can add fragrance now if you wish. Pour into clear container. Sequester 2 weeks. (*Alcohol helps to clarify and keep nasties at bay, and is not drying at all.)

OPTION: Divide 16 oz. of base into four 4 oz. portions to experiment with different amounts of dilution water and additives of your choice. Each 4 oz. portion requires 6-9 oz. dilution water and makes 10-13 oz. LS. KEEP GOOD NOTES!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
PART 3 - SEQUESTER
After 2 weeks, depending on the oils/fats/butters/waxes used, you may see “unsaponifiables” settle to the bottom or floating on top. Skim these off the top and remove the clear soap, leaving any sediment on the bottom. Warm LS to 140°F (60°C) add fragrance (1 tsp. per 16 oz.) and color (1-2 drops of food coloring).

I LUV seeing bottles of trial batches lined up in a row in the laundry room -- waiting for their turn at the kitchen sink!

HAPPY LIQUID SOAPING!
Zany in CO, May 23, 2007

The Efficacious Gentleman · Mar 12, 2017

Have you read the other, more recent, liquid soap guides on here? They make it seem a lot easier (for example, no need for borax or sequester times).

I think that calling this "cold process" is a bit misleading when you have to heat it until trace, too.

shunt2011 · Mar 12, 2017

There is much easier ways to make LS that doesn't require borax for neutrality nor being sequestered. This seem so antiquated to make it this way. And takes way more time.

Zany_in_CO · Mar 12, 2017

The Efficacious Gentleman said:
Have you read the other, more recent, liquid soap guides on here? They make it seem a lot easier (for example, no need for borax or sequester times). I think that calling this "cold process" is a bit misleading when you have to heat it until trace, too.

Dear Sir, please try to understand the purpose of this post. It really is a good way for CP'ers to transition comfortably into making LS. (Some LS'ers still do it this way, altho it was posted in another group waaaay back in 2007. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I say. LOL) While I agree that there are easier ways to make LS, my intent is to get LS Newbies off to a good start, one they can relate to. As for heating until trace, I've found that if you're not using a crockpot, temps are important. Keeping the batch warm while SB'ing gets you to trace in a shorter time than if you don't keep it warm until you get there. How do I know this? I'll save that Short Story for another time.

shunt2011 said:
There is much easier ways to make LS that doesn't require borax for neutrality nor being sequestered. This seem so antiquated to make it this way. And takes way more time.

Yup! It's Old School, for sure, but it does serve the purpose. Have you tried it? How can you be so sure that it isn't easy, eh? Part 1 takes all of 30 minutes and then you can get on with your life for 2 weeks while the soap does its thing, all by itself. Imagine that!

Part 2 takes 3-4 hours, BUT you can do something else while, once again, the soap does it's thing. I clean my kitchen, wash the floor, do a bit of laundry, whatever keeps me from messing with it! LOL It's a good idea to check on it every hour or so to break up the chunks, but other than that, as long as it stays on a low simmer, and the lid is tipped, it's not likely to bubble over... I guess I should have mentioned to use a large pot, with plenty of room for expansion... should it misbehave.

You are correct. Borax isn't necessary. Neutralizing isn't necessary. And "Guess Who" got the ball rolling in that direction? Hee hee.

SHORT STORY: I believe the Liquid Soapers Yahoo Group started around 2000 -- shortly after Catherine Failor's book was first published. At that time, it was a "by invitation only" group. I was invited to join around 2004-2005? Not sure. There were many innovators and participants well-known in the soapmaking community. We shared "seat-of-the-pants" experiments, exchanged information, and most importantly, learned from each other in a highly cooperative environment. It was enormous fun. I'd hafta go back and slog through the archives to check when it was, but I still remember the Ah-Ha moment I had when I realized if you discounted the KOH and soaped at 1-3%, instead of 0%, which was standard at that time, you wouldn't have to neutralize the excess KOH at the end. I also calculated all of Failor's formulas and discovered the water to KOH ratio was calculated at a ratio of 3:1. Then I noticed that 3:1 worked well for some oils but for others you could reduce the 3:1 to 2:1 and get to trace faster.

As for the sequester, it's important, to my mind at least, to wait the 2 weeks while, once again, the soap does its thing. Anything gone wrong will show up in that amount of time and it's just easier (for me) to correct at that stage.

And it should be noted that I'm not a fan of Borax since it is banned in Europe, Japan, and I believe Canada. Not sure. But beyond that, Borax (or Calgon) is a water softener. Adding it to the dilution water helps to get it all melted faster. It also brings the pH down a bit so this soap, when finished, should be around pH 8.5. I can only hope! LOL

I'm not braggin', I'm just sayin'... all of us soapers tend to build on what has gone before us, and we LS'ers should be grateful to the early LS'ers for all their hard work which is largely responsible for all the progress that's been made to date. It's a different world. And a better world for all that, me thinks.

Thank you both for your comments. Normally, I wouldn't have the time for such a lengthy response, and I apologize for prattling on. I hope I've put your minds somewhat at ease. I don't know everything; but I do know some things. Take it or leave it, makes me no nevermind. (ah, now i'm getting silly.)

Okaybye

Candybee · Mar 23, 2017

Zany I just want to know how the soap felt when you used it and also how it looked. At some point I want to make an opaque creamy like ls. I read some of the notes about what to expect from some oils and it mentions that lard gives a nice pearlescence to the soap. Which did you use, palm, tallow, or lard? Just wanted to know if the fat you used created the creamy or pearl like qualities? Thanks.

Zany_in_CO · Mar 23, 2017

Candybee said:
Zany I just want to know how the soap felt when you used it and also how it looked. At some point I want to make an opaque creamy like ls. I read some of the notes about what to expect from some oils and it mentions that lard gives a nice pearlescence to the soap. Which did you use, palm, tallow, or lard? Just wanted to know if the fat you used created the creamy or pearl like qualities? Thanks.

Hiya Candy. Good question! All 3 of those fats, palm, tallow & lard, tend to produce opaque soap when soaped at a higher %. That particular recipe should finish clear -- due to the minimal amount of those fats in it.

That being said, 100% Lard does have a pearlescent quality. Pretty cool. But here's the thing, it also clears in about 6 months. I know this because I've used 100% lard to make laundry soap. A gallon of the stuff lasts a long time in our house. Imagine my surprise one day when my laundry soap went clear... all on its own! On the other hand, one LS-er I know, kept cooking the paste, on and off, for a few days and her lard soap came out clear after dilution. Interesting.

BTW, there is a "pearliser" that you can add if you want -- not sure who carries it.

As far as the high % of coconut oil is concerned, it isn't drying at all (speaking just for me) as long as there's at least 20% liquid oil in the batch. I count on it for dense, creamy, long-lasting lather -- esp. for foamers where the diluted paste is diluted even further with the addition of more water -- 1 part diluted LS to 3 parts water in my case. I also use 100% coconut oil LS to make an Orange Spray Cleaner -- 1 tablespoon in 32 oz. water -- spritz, spritz, spritz, wipe with a paper towel and my black range top shines! YAY!

Okaybye.

SaltedFig · Mar 23, 2017

A quick note on this method (specifically applicable to Australian law) -

Boron (and Borax) are restricted by the Australian Governments Department of Health, specifically the Theraputic Goods Administration (or TGA). Details can be found in the Poisons Standard February 2017, specifically Schedules 4 (for theraputic goods) and Schedule 5.

To cut it short, for dermal use in a theraputic good, the legislated maximum is 0.35% of the forumulation, and in schedule 5 (if it isn't a theraputic good), the maximum is 1% for anything other than a hand-cleaner.

This means that your recipe could not be sold or given away in Australia (being a cold-cream and the percentage of borax being around 4% in this recipe, if it was followed using the borax options given).

It becomes relevant here, and also in parts of Europe and other countries where cosmetic use of borax is restricted or banned. Not meaning to be rude, but I think this is worth noting.

Zany_in_CO · Mar 23, 2017

SaltedFig said:
It becomes relevant here, and also in parts of Europe and other countries where cosmetic use of borax is restricted or banned. Not meaning to be rude, but I think this is worth noting.

Thanks, Fig. Not rude at all. Good to know! I think I mentioned in another thread that I personally don't use Borax any more because it's banned in Europe, Japan, and I believe Canada ??? I'll add AU to that list. That being said, it isn't banned in the US (as far as I know). It's mined in Death Valley, California and the FDA would put a whole industry out of work if they ever did ban it. Its main purpose here is as a laundry booster, water softener. My grandmother, mother, and I used 20-Mule Team Borax for years before I started making soap. Now I use Oxy Clean for the same purpose.

(HIJACK ALERT -- heh heh, I can do that cuz it's my thread, donchaknow?)

But now that you mention it, I remember an old-timey recipe where you used Borax and beeswax to make cold cream emulsifier. Very tricky to pull off. Tried it. Failed. Went out and bought some Ponds. <wink>

ETA this link:

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-make-a-beeswax-emulsifier/

Candybee · Mar 24, 2017

Zany-- thanks for the tips on those fats in ls. I know WSP has a pearlizer, I've used it before but it tends to 'settle' so was looking for an alternative pearlizer. Perhaps a combo of one of the 3 fats with the pearlizer and a good solubilizer? might work.

Sorry about the hijack... you just got my brain cranking and whirling..

Spice · Mar 29, 2017

Zany_in_CO said:
Dear Sir, please try to understand the purpose of this post. It really is a good way for CP'ers to transition comfortably into making LS. (Some LS'ers still do it this way, altho it was posted in another group waaaay back in 2007. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, I say. LOL) While I agree that there are easier ways to make LS, my intent is to get LS Newbies off to a good start, one they can relate to. As for heating until trace, I've found that if you're not using a crockpot, temps are important. Keeping the batch warm while SB'ing gets you to trace in a shorter time than if you don't keep it warm until you get there. How do I know this? I'll save that Short Story for another time.

Yup! It's Old School, for sure, but it does serve the purpose. Have you tried it? How can you be so sure that it isn't easy, eh? Part 1 takes all of 30 minutes and then you can get on with your life for 2 weeks while the soap does its thing, all by itself. Imagine that!

Part 2 takes 3-4 hours, BUT you can do something else while, once again, the soap does it's thing. I clean my kitchen, wash the floor, do a bit of laundry, whatever keeps me from messing with it! LOL It's a good idea to check on it every hour or so to break up the chunks, but other than that, as long as it stays on a low simmer, and the lid is tipped, it's not likely to bubble over... I guess I should have mentioned to use a large pot, with plenty of room for expansion... should it misbehave.

You are correct. Borax isn't necessary. Neutralizing isn't necessary. And "Guess Who" got the ball rolling in that direction? Hee hee.

SHORT STORY: I believe the Liquid Soapers Yahoo Group started around 2000 -- shortly after Catherine Failor's book was first published. At that time, it was a "by invitation only" group. I was invited to join around 2004-2005? Not sure. There were many innovators and participants well-known in the soapmaking community. We shared "seat-of-the-pants" experiments, exchanged information, and most importantly, learned from each other in a highly cooperative environment. It was enormous fun. I'd hafta go back and slog through the archives to check when it was, but I still remember the Ah-Ha moment I had when I realized if you discounted the KOH and soaped at 1-3%, instead of 0%, which was standard at that time, you wouldn't have to neutralize the excess KOH at the end. I also calculated all of Failor's formulas and discovered the water to KOH ratio was calculated at a ratio of 3:1. Then I noticed that 3:1 worked well for some oils but for others you could reduce the 3:1 to 2:1 and get to trace faster.

As for the sequester, it's important, to my mind at least, to wait the 2 weeks while, once again, the soap does its thing. Anything gone wrong will show up in that amount of time and it's just easier (for me) to correct at that stage.

And it should be noted that I'm not a fan of Borax since it is banned in Europe, Japan, and I believe Canada. Not sure. But beyond that, Borax (or Calgon) is a water softener. Adding it to the dilution water helps to get it all melted faster. It also brings the pH down a bit so this soap, when finished, should be around pH 8.5. I can only hope! LOL

I'm not braggin', I'm just sayin'... all of us soapers tend to build on what has gone before us, and we LS'ers should be grateful to the early LS'ers for all their hard work which is largely responsible for all the progress that's been made to date. It's a different world. And a better world for all that, me thinks.

Thank you both for your comments. Normally, I wouldn't have the time for such a lengthy response, and I apologize for prattling on. I hope I've put your minds somewhat at ease. I don't know everything; but I do know some things. Take it or leave it, makes me no nevermind. (ah, now i'm getting silly.)

Okaybye

I am getting into making LS your post will be helpful. Thank you. I have made only one batch, from that batch, I am hook!

Zany_in_CO · Mar 29, 2017

You're welcome.

Zany_in_CO · May 24, 2022

Reviving this thread to add a YouTube video.

COLD PROCESS LS - 100% COCONUT OIL

NOTE: She takes a long time getting to trace. If she had used Failor's recommendation for temps, in my experience, that speeds up trace considerably (See Post #1).
I love that she "rests" the batch for 15 minutes between using the SB.

Cold process ls for beginners

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