Additives in soapmaking - What do we need to consider?

[SaltedFig]

Over in the Soapmaking Friend forum, there's an enormous amount of work being done to make the FREE soap calculator. A programmer has been hired, and lots of SMF people have joined together to add their collective knowledge to work towards making this calculator the best it can be!

One of the things that collective knowledge would be especially useful is information on additives.

The programmer has the following things they need to add to the calculator, for each additive:

1) Suggested additive amount
2) Does this additive need liquid to moisten it?, and if so, what liquid and how much?
3) When to add it to the recipe?
4) How much water does this ingredient have in it?
5) How much fat does this ingredient have in it? (include fatty acids, if known)
6) What is the Specific Gravity ( for better accuracy when using volume units )
7) Does it have a NaOH or KOH Saponification value? And if so, what is it?
8) Any additional information?

Below is the current list of additives that will be included.

Activated Charcoal
Aloe Powder
Apricot Kernel Seeds
Beeswax
Blueberry Seeds
Buttermilk Powder
Citric Acid
Clay
Cocoa Powder
Coconut Milk Powder
Coffee Grounds
Corn Meal
Cranberry Seeds
Dried Calendula
Dried Lavender
Dried Rose Buds
Goat Milk Powder
Ground Peppermint
Ground Rosemary
Ground Spearmint
Honey
Oatmeal
Orange Peel Powder
Poppy Seeds
Raspberry Seeds
Salt
Silk Fibers
Sodium Lactate
Sugar
Vinegar (Commercial 5% )

*edited to improve the list of information the programmer needs about the additive

 

[cmzaha]

More Additives to consider:
Tomato Powder
Sorbitol I use 1.1% of my total batch weight
Cornsilk
Tumeric Powder

 

[Hendejm]

Kelp is another I am soaping with

 

[Saponificarian]

I just tried rice flour. Very, very nice. Used it at 0.5% of my total batch.

 

[shunt2011]

Pumpkin puree, avocado puree, pumice, oatmeal

 

[OldSoapy]

Almond Flour (use fine ground or put in a coffee grinder to make real fine powder)is an additive I have used. Also Pumice and carrot puree.

 

[SaltedFig]

I just tried rice flour. Very, very nice. Used it at 0.5% of my total batch.

I like rice flour too!

(I haven't really taken a great deal of notice how much I add - it's one ingredient I add by eye and note the weight, but haven't bothered to calculate the usage, so thank-you for including the usage rate suggestion )

That reminds me ...
In general, every detail we give to the programmer will help - please include as much information as possible about the additive you use
If it helps, thinks of the programmer as a non-soaper, so you include details that might seem obvious to you, the soapmaker

Adding extra information to additives that are already on the list is also helpful!

So, for Rice flour (I hope you don't mind me using your example, Saponificarian ) ... I can add a little extra information (on how I use it):

1) 0.5% batch weight
2) Add water to make a loose slurry (about twice the volume of the rice flour)
3) To the soap batter
4) none
5) none
6) don't know
7) none that I know of
8) gives a silky feel to the soap

*Note: I've updated the opening post to have an improved list of the information the programmer needs:
1) Suggested additive amount
2) Does this additive need liquid to moisten it?, and if so, what liquid and how much?
3) When to add it to the recipe?
4) How much water does this ingredient have in it?
5) How much fat does this ingredient have in it? (include fatty acids, if known)
6) What is the Specific Gravity ( for better accuracy when using volume units )
7) Does it have a NaOH or KOH Saponification value? And if so, what is it?
8) Any additional information?

 

[IrishLass]

Beeswax

These are just my own amounts that I like to use:

1) Suggested additive amount: The generally accepted usage rate is anywhere from 1% to 3%, as part of ones formula, i.e., not 'in addition to' the formula, because it has a SAP #. I personally use 3% as part of my formula.

2) Does this additive need liquid to moisten it?, and if so, what liquid and how much? No

3) When to add it to the recipe? I melt it along with the hard fats in my formula before adding my liquid oils, then my lye.

4) How much water does this ingredient have in it? None (that I know of)

5) How much fat does this ingredient have in it? (include fatty acids, if known) Although it contains fatty acids and has a saponification value, I personally do not know which fatty acids or their percentage amounts.

6) What is the Specific Gravity ( for better accuracy when using volume units ) According to Wikipedia: "The specific gravity at 15 °C (59 °F) is from 0.958 to 0.975, that of melted wax at 98 to 99 °C (208.4 to 210.2 °F) compared with water at 15.5 °C (59.9 °F) is 0.822."

7) Does it have a NaOH or KOH Saponification value? And if so, what is it? Yes. NaOH SAP: .067; KOH SAP: .094

8) Any additional information? Yes- Melting point of beeswax is 144F to 147F (62 to 64C). It's best to soap on the warm side with beeswax in order to keep the soap batter fluid and/or to prevent pseudo -trace, i.e., quick, premature thickening of batter, or a 'seize', that makes the batter completely unworkable and leaves solid pieces of beeswax in your soap. Beeswax lends hardness and longevity to soap, but too much can reduce lather, make the soap feel draggy on the skin, and can also make the finished soap crumbly.