Bubble Bars

[Saponista]

Most of the recipes found online don't include chelators in the recipe. I'm wondering if mine would benefit from the addition of some EDTA or sodium citrate? It's a bit grainy so may make the texture of the bars a little gritty, but I might give it a try. Has anyone else tried this, was it successful? Did you think it was worth it?

 

[IrishLass]

I've never made bubble bars, but I work with Tetrasodium EDTA all the time in my soap and also in my lotion and it never causes grittiness. Do I understand correctly that your plan is to add it dry? If so, for what its worth, I've personally never heard of anyone adding it dry to a formula. It's normally diluted in water first before adding (which is what I always do).


IrishLass

 

[Saponista]

Basically, I am making bubble bars for myself using surfactants that don't irritate my ridiculously sensitive skin. They bubble really nicely in my soft water, but I wanted to send some up to my mom who also has similar problems. Her water is really really hard (so much so that when I moved down here away from home I kept using waaaay too much dish detergent and shampoo etc.) so I was thinking I needed to add something to make the bars bubble in her hard water or it will be a disappointing bathing experience. Is EDTA the right thing for this purpose? I thought if I added it dry, it may be grainy as bubble bars usually feel crumbly and smooth when you break them into the running water and also wondered if it was the right thing to help in this situation?

 

[DeeAnna]

The tiny amount of EDTA (or citrate) you would be able to add to a bubble bar isn't going to be enough to prevent the soap scum in a tub full of hard water. EDTA in bar soap does help when you're bathing in the shower or washing your hands because the soap on your skin or washcloth isn't mixed with a lot of water. But in a bathtub, the situation is quite different.

Surfactants don't react with hard water like "real" soap does, however, so I'd think your bubble bars would work okay for your mom's hard water as well as for your soft water.

 

[Saponista]

Thanks deanna, that explains why no one has it in their recipes. I won't bother, it will save me wasting expensive ingredients. I'll send some up to her and see what she thinks.