Adding sodium lactate and sugar.

[KiwiMoose]

Hello - I'm about to embark on my Feb soap challenge, and I'm going to use sodium lactate for the first time. I have a bottle of 60% solution.
I was going to use a teaspoon PPO of both sodium lactate and sugar. Is it ok if I dissolve each of these into my lye water before adding to oils? In which case do I add it before or after dissolving the lye?
If not, how do you recommend doing it?
Cheers

 

[dibbles]

I dissolve my sugar before adding the lye. I add SL after the lye water has cooled.

 

[SaltedFig]

The sugar is better dissolved in your lye water before you add the hydroxide, otherwise it can just sink to the bottom and just sit there

The sodium lactate liquid can be added to the lye before or after, or just added directly to the oils and blended in (when you add the lye solution).

 

[KiwiMoose]

The sugar is better dissolved in your lye water before you add the hydroxide, otherwise it can just sink to the bottom and just sit there

Funny you should say that...that's what happened last time : )

 

[IrishLass]

Ditto^^^^. I add my 60% sodium lactate solution to my cooled lye solution.


IrishLass

 

[penelopejane]

Are you using sodium lactate because you are not using Soy Wax in this batch?
If so, it would be interesting to see how the soaps compare after cure.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Are you using sodium lactate because you are not using Soy Wax in this batch?
If so, it would be interesting to see how the soaps compare after cure.

I'm using less soy wax, so yes, I wanted to increase hardness.

 

[midnightsoaper]

I add confectioners sugar, citric acid and sodium lactate all at once to my cooled lye solution. I pour off a little of my water into a cup before I mix my lye, barely warm it, add my additives & hit it with a frother. It always dissolves just fine.

 

[Terri E]

I add sorbitol (sugar alcohol) and silk to hot lye water and sodium lactate when lye water is below 100 degrees

 

[shunt2011]

I add SL to my lye. I add silk to my water and let it soak before adding lye.

 

[cmzaha]

I do not add anything to my lye solution. I dissolve my Tetrasodium EDTA and Sorbitol in my additional required liquid or vinegar if I am soaping 50/50 masterbatch lye. If soaping full vinegar I just separate out enough to dissolve my additives. My adding anything to my lye solution never seems to work out well for me. All powdered milks are mixed directly in my warm oils. Since I do not use salt or SL I do not have to worry about it.

 

[Dean]

Hello - I'm about to embark on my Feb soap challenge, and I'm going to use sodium lactate for the first time. I have a bottle of 60% solution.
I was going to use a teaspoon PPO of both sodium lactate and sugar. Is it ok if I dissolve each of these into my lye water before adding to oils? In which case do I add it before or after dissolving the lye?
If not, how do you recommend doing it?
Cheers

Let us kno how the SL works out for u. I used it with HP with not great results. Been contemplating trying it with CP for clean unmolding.

 

[Dawni]

I haven't noticed any difference in my HP bars as well. There probably is, just I can't tell yet lol Maybe I'll have to test the same recipe in two batches, one with and the other without.

Not very helpful with fluidity too fyi, the yogurt and hot water at the end of cooking works way batter. Also it's easier to forget adding it haha.

The sugar is noticeable though. I'm contemplating not buying anymore castor once my bottle is finished.

 

[Lin19687]

I add Powdered sugar and salt to my water (dissolved) before adding the Lye.

 

[KiwiMoose]

So I unmolded ‘the beast’ that will become my Feb Soap challenge entry this morning. I cut the ends off and they were very soft! So much for SL. I’ve left it a bit longer before cutting it into bars.

 

[Dawni]

I don't think sodium lactate helps harden a soap per se, more like helping you unmold it without stuff sticking to the sides of your mold, is the way I understood how it works.

How soft is soft? Is this a recipe you've tried before without the sodium lactate? Did you unmold now after roughly the same amount of time as the last one? No difference at all? Did it slide out the mold easier than last time? Those are some questions for you I guess, to know if you need sodium lactate in your life or not lol

 

[KiwiMoose]

I don't think sodium lactate helps harden a soap per se, more like helping you unmold it without stuff sticking to the sides of your mold, is the way I understood how it works.

How soft is soft? Is this a recipe you've tried before without the sodium lactate? Did you unmold now after roughly the same amount of time as the last one? No difference at all? Did it slide out the mold easier than last time? Those are some questions for you I guess, to know if you need sodium lactate in your life or not lol

So many questions @Dawni! It is a fairly ‘usual recipe, and I waited the usual amount of time. I think I just expected it to be harder, like it was some miracle or something. It didn’t need any help getting out of the mould because it a very easy mould to get soap out of. Maybe I don’t need it in my life then?

 

[Dawni]

So many questions @Dawni! It is a fairly ‘usual recipe, and I waited the usual amount of time. I think I just expected it to be harder, like it was some miracle or something. It didn’t need any help getting out of the mould because it a very easy mould to get soap out of. Maybe I don’t need it in my life then?

I can't say with my little experience of CP but in my HP adventures it just seems like added expense, especially since salt also gives me a fairly easy time to unmold (depending on recipe of course). I only bought mine to see if it does help with fluidity, and so far, hot sugar water and yogurt have given me better results.

Maybe now that it's out of the mold, you can compare it to the others? Maybe we need time for it to work its magic? Hehehe

Btw, I'm excited to see your challenge entry