Bar Soap Turned Liquid -Like (and Slimy?)

[asatish1888]

Hi Everyone! My name is Asha. I hope everyone is well and safe during this time of quarantine! I have a question to pose. Has anyone ever taken bar soap and dissolved it in a small amount water to give it a liquid consistency and then have it gel and turn to slime on you?

Something similar to that effect happened with a few my soap bars. We were running out of dish liquid so my uncle through it would be a good idea to put some of my unsuccessful bars of soap into a bowl. He left quite a bit of water into the bowl and before you knew it the soap absorbed the water and turned the bars into a mushy paste! In my head I was thinking what is going here... it was a mess! Instead of wasting it, I took the mush and put it in a nutri-bullet with a bit more water and blended until it was smooth. The initial result was akin to a fluid whipped soap. So I though, this is great! Now I can use this soap and all my hard work will not have gone to waste! It was a medium sized amount, so I put it in bowl uncovered next to the sink to use instead of dish liquid. It was made up of soaps that were not so pretty and soaps that I forgot to add an oil to. It was a bit lye heavy so it was perfect for washing. A few days of letting sit by the sink caused it to turn gelatinous and slimy like a gel! I don't understand why it gelled like that. I have a feeling the glycerine in the soap is the culprit, but I just don't know. Has anyone experienced something like this before? I have always wanted to try dissolving shredded bar soap in water and making another version of liquid soap. If a big batch of soapy water will gel then I don't see the point. If I can figure out why it happens then this could be a great way to salvage the substantial amount of lye-heavy soaps in my collection (since soap is usually made in loaves).

Thanks,
Asha

P.S:
I also think the amount of unsoaponified oils in some of the bars could be a contributing factor. At least 2 of the bars that got blended were not lye heavy but had high superfat percentages... as high as 10%.

 

[Arimara]

Hello, Asha. In short- it's a waste of a perfectly good bar of soap to try to turn it into a liquid soap. No matter what bar you use, it always turns into a nasty slimey mess. The proper way to get a liquid soap is to make it with KOH or Potassium Hydroxide. If it's a whipped soap you're after- if you're new to soap making, there's no shame in getting a whipped soap base to start you out. You can make a whipped soap from scratch but it is definitely a more intermediate-advanced skill and it takes time as well.

As for your lye heavy bars, if you forgot an oil, you might want to toss those puppies. You can wait for the lye to break down if you want but there is no telling how long you would have to wait for the lye to break down. Better to be safe than sorry and chemically burned...

A good practice is to measure out all your soaping oils individually while checking them off your oil list from your recipe.

 

[cmzaha]

a great way to salvage the substantial amount of lye-heavy soaps in my collection...
I have to question why you would have a substantial amount of lye heavy soaps? Is your scale off, or do you have a habit of mismeasuring or do you have a habit of leaving out oils? It sounds like you need to refine your procedures. It is just too much of a waste of product to make lye heavy soap when it is not necessary.

 

[DeeAnna]

I can't improve on what Arimara and Carolyn have said. Spot-on good advice.

Some of us did some experiments a few years back to decide, once and for all, whether a person can make a stable, nice-feeling liquid soap using NaOH rather than KOH. Here's the thread -- Liquid soap with NaOH??? The conclusion from that long thread is an NaOH soap does not make a stable, nice-feeling liquid soap.

A few people say they can turn bar (NaOH) soap into a stable liquid soap, but other experienced soap makers can't repeat their success, so I'm skeptical about these claims. I'll stick to KOH for making liquid soap.

 

[asatish1888]

a great way to salvage the substantial amount of lye-heavy soaps in my collection...
I have to question why you would have a substantial amount of lye heavy soaps? Is your scale off, or do you have a habit of mismeasuring or do you have a habit of leaving out oils? It sounds like you need to refine your procedures. It is just too much of a waste of product to make lye heavy soap when it is not necessary.

A lot of the failed soaps I have in my collection is from when I was just starting out with soapmaking. I didn't throw anything away... even my failed soaps. I've made more soaps than I have friends and family to give to. The majority of my friends and family don't use bar soap like that anyway. They all prefer liquid soap better, so the soaps I made have been stockpiling I. didn't learn until later the benefit of soaping in small batches! You are right. It is a waste of labor and ingredients... and that is why I am reluctant to throw them away. I heard lye heavy soap can be used for dishwashing or laundry if anything. That's why I left them in the kitchen. I didn't expect for my uncle to let them sit in a bowl of water and let them turn into mush!

Hello, Asha. In short- it's a waste of a perfectly good bar of soap to try to turn it into a liquid soap. No matter what bar you use, it always turns into a nasty slimey mess. The proper way to get a liquid soap is to make it with KOH or Potassium Hydroxide. If it's a whipped soap you're after- if you're new to soap making, there's no shame in getting a whipped soap base to start you out. You can make a whipped soap from scratch but it is definitely a more intermediate-advanced skill and it takes time as well.

As for your lye heavy bars, if you forgot an oil, you might want to toss those puppies. You can wait for the lye to break down if you want but there is no telling how long you would have to wait for the lye to break down. Better to be safe than sorry and chemically burned...

A good practice is to measure out all your soaping oils individually while checking them off your oil list from your recipe.

Thank You for the advice! I have made both whipped bar soap and liquid soap from scratch. I just though I would try to salvage my failed beginnings... rather than throwing them out.

Thank You for all the replies! I love this forum because everyone is so helpful! DeeAnna, thank you for the link. I now know that dissolved bar soap is not a viable product (unless intended for immediate use). I am going to go through my soap collection and throw out the duds. One of the reasons I have slowed down with my soapmaking was the fact that my stash was was overflowing. I will now have more room to make more stable (and prettier) creations!

 

[Mr Soapguy]

Hello if you are new. I'm guessing these ladies had the fire on high like me. Melt your bar of soap on medium fire to keep the slime away. High heat will evaporate the water and slime will have no water to liquidate to. Don't put to much water soap power will weakened. Happy liquid soap making.