Best Chelator/anti DOS ingredients

[julie j]

Hi! I am just wondering what everyone prefers to use as additives to prevent DOS, as well as to use in "hard water areas" for better lather and less soap scum? I know that EDTA is commonly used, but are there other choices that you use and prefer? Thanks for any help!

 

[amd]

I don't use chelators in my soaps. I formulated a good recipe that is not prone to DOS.
If I do ever decide to use a chelator, I will probably go with GLDA

 

[AliOop]

My recipe is not prone to DOS, but a lot of my family members, aka primary recipients of my soaps, live in hard water areas. Their feedback is that the chelator makes a big difference in the amount of lather (more) and soap scum (less).

I use either citric acid or sodium citrate as a chelator. I prefer the citrate because it doesn't require any lye adjustments.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I formulated a good recipe that is not prone to DOS.

Good answer. I've been soaping since 2003-4 and have never had DOS. I'm not sure why.

You can also use rosemary oleoresin (ROE) in your oils for added protection.

Good advice. I add ROE and Vitamin E to every batch and have done so since the very beginning.

 

[dibbles]

I use sodium citrate.

 

[julie j]

I don't use chelators in my soaps. I formulated a good recipe that is not prone to DOS.
If I do ever decide to use a chelator, I will probably go with GLDA

Thank you!

My recipe is not prone to DOS, but a lot of my family members, aka primary recipients of my soaps, live in hard water areas. Their feedback is that the chelator makes a big difference in the amount of lather (more) and soap scum (less).

I use either citric acid or sodium citrate as a chelator. I prefer the citrate because it doesn't require any lye adjustments.

Perfect! Thank you...think I will order some right now.

I use sodium citrate.Perfect! Thank you. Have ordered some now to try.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

You can also use rosemary oleoresin (ROE) in your oils for added protection. I add ROE to larger jugs of liquid oils and oils I won’t use quickly and also add sodium citrate when I make soap. Good info on chelators and anti-oxidants can be found at the Soapy Stuff website, here:
https://classicbells.com/soap/soapyStuff.asp

 

[nframe]

How much sodium citrate do you use?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

I usually dissolve about 2% TOM citric acid into the water ahead of lye addition, and raise NaOH by 4 g for each 7 g of citric acid (equal to 2.5% TOM trisodium citrate).

 

[nframe]

Thank you.

 

[julie j]

You can also use rosemary oleoresin (ROE) in your oils for added protection. I add ROE to larger jugs of liquid oils and oils I won’t use quickly and also add sodium citrate when I make soap. Good info on chelators and anti-oxidants can be found at the Soapy Stuff website, here:
https://classicbells.com/soap/soapyStuff.asp

You can also use rosemary oleoresin (ROE) in your oils for added protection. I add ROE to larger jugs of liquid oils and oils I won’t use quickly and also add sodium citrate when I make soap. Good info on chelators and anti-oxidants can be found at the Soapy Stuff website, here:
https://classicbells.com/soap/soapyStuff.asp

Thank you for the info. I cannot find any place in Canada that sells ROE...it is different than Rosemary essential oil, right?

 

[earlene]

Thank you for the info. I cannot find any place in Canada that sells ROE...it is different than Rosemary essential oil, right?

Try this: http://new.saffireblue.ca/antioxidants-preservatives/rosemary-oleoresin-extract-roe

Or this: Rosemary Extract - Liquid

Or this: Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract - Verified by ECOCERT / Cosmos Approved

And yes, ROE and EO are absolutely different and cannot be interchanged for purpose.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Candora has it:
https://candorasoap.ca/additives-ba...s/extract/rosemary-oleoresin-extract-reo.html
New Directions has a CO2 extract that I think serves the same purpose, but I see it has a short shelf life and don’t know why that would be:
https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/products/preservatives/rosemary-antioxidant-co2-extract.html
eta: posting at same time as earlene

 

[dibbles]

@nframe I use sodium citrate at 1.5% of total oil weight. You don't have to adjust the lye if you are using sodium citrate - only for citric acid. I use some of the batch water, warm it and dissolve the SC in that and stick blend it into the oils before adding the lye solution.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I‘ve been using 1% sodium citrate per gram of oil after having problems with crystals forming on the top of my soap when I was using citric acid. I started low with the SC because I was crystal shy, but it’s working fine and it’s probably time to increase to at least 1.5%.

 

[Becky1024]

I use 2% citric acid and have adjusted the amount of lye. I started down that path because I use citric acid in other products so it was one less "new" item to buy.

 

[julie j]

Try this: http://new.saffireblue.ca/antioxidants-preservatives/rosemary-oleoresin-extract-roe

Or this: Rosemary Extract - Liquid

Or this: Rosemary Antioxidant CO2 Extract - Verified by ECOCERT / Cosmos Approved

And yes, ROE and EO are absolutely different and cannot be interchanged for purpose.

Thank you so much!

 

[nframe]

@nframe I use sodium citrate at 1.5% of total oil weight. You don't have to adjust the lye if you are using sodium citrate - only for citric acid. I use some of the batch water, warm it and dissolve the SC in that and stick blend it into the oils before adding the lye solution.

Thank you. Not having to adjust the lye is what appeals to me.

I use 2% citric acid and have adjusted the amount of lye. I started down that path because I use citric acid in other products so it was one less "new" item to buy.

Thank you.

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Another aspect of citric acid is that you can use it without restriction in liquid soap too, where sodium interferes with the viscosity – if you know the amount of Na needed to thicken up a specific recipe, then you can use sodium citrate for this, otherwise citric acid (+ KOH equivalence) is more flexible.

 

[AliOop]

I use 2% citric acid and have adjusted the amount of lye. I started down that path because I use citric acid in other products so it was one less "new" item to buy.

That's a very good point, and I do keep citric acid around for shower steamers and bath bombs... BUT I also like having sodium citrate for making cheese sauce.