Cocoa/Sugar silly questions

[Guest]

My next ingredients to buy and test out are cocoa powder and confectioners sugar.

Is confectioners sugar special stuff or is it the stuff you put in coffee?

Could I use cocoa (dark chocolate) drinking powder- is it the same thing as just coca powder?

thanks for any help

 

[michelleB]

Not silly questions at all! Sounds like you're feeding your addiction just like the rest of us! LOL

Confectioners sugar is very powdery, like what you 'dust' on top of pastries & sweets in the bakery. Yum! It'll work just fine if you want to soap with it. I use regular granulated sugar. I add 1 Tbsp ppo in my batch & I dissolve it into a little warmed goat milk that I reserve from the fluid portion, then I add it at trace. Some add it to their lye water with great success but for me it's just easier at trace because I usually have other things to add as well & I can just do it all at the same time.

The 'drinking' cocoa powder you mentioned sounds like it may also contain sugar. If it does, I'd just skip adding the extra sugar. I've seen some beautiful swirls done with cocoa powder as the colorant! Give it a whirl & post lots of pics. Only thing I'd watch is the qty of cocoa powder as some have mentioned getting it all over the washcloth. I haven't tried it, so hopefully others will chime in with a good starting point for use. If I had to guess... i'd say 1 tsp/Tbsp ppo like other additives, but I'd hate to steer you wrong. And it depends on whether you're coloring the whole batch or just enough for a swirl.

Lots of things to soap with right outta the baking aisle! I love it.

 

[surf girl]

Re cocoa powder -

I've used it to make a chocolate fudge soap. I used 1 tbsp cocoa powder ppo, as well as a 1/2 oz of baker's chocolate in the 2 lb batch. Came out looking just like fudge. No staining, lather is white.

 

[Dixie]

Powdered sugar is in the isle with oil and flour ect. It will be with regular sugar next to brown sugar. Solid white and powdery.

I use it in almost every batch.

 

[Guest]

Thanks for clearing that up. Yes, I've caught the bug and people think I'm crazy.

Chocolate fudge soap sounds scrumptious

What are the qualities of the sugar? is is mostly an exfoliate?

 

[rubato456]

i'm wondering the same thing

is the conf sugar necessary to use because it allows the cocoa to be more readily assimilated....i don't know. if you just add straight cocoa power perhaps it is more clumpy???

 

[Guest]

I usually mix the cocoa with a small amount of water before adding it. same with the icing sugar.

Kitn

 

[Dixie]

As far as I know, the only use for the sugar is to increase bubbles/lather.
It's dissolved so it is not an ex foliant.
Maybe someone else here will have more information on sugars?

Coco powder is just for color. I mix mine with a tiny bit of oil.

If you don't want to use sugar, castor oil gives you lots of bubbles and lather.

I want all I can get so I use both LOL.

 

[Guest]

If you don't want to use sugar, castor oil gives you lots of bubbles and lather.

I want all I can get so I use both LOL.[/quote]

I'm with Dixie on wanting lots of bubbles , I use both too.
I add icing sugar or brown sugar to my lye water every batch.

Kitn

 

[Dixie]

Kitn, I was just going to ask if anyone used brown sugar

Does it give you a brown color ?

 

[Guest]

Hi Dixie, it does color the lye water kind of a caramel color ,but makes no visible difference in the finished soap. ( I don't think I would use it in a soap that you wanted to be pure white though).I think it adds a little scent too , a soft sweet caramel scent ( great in an oatmeal soap) .I have a super sensitive nose , my hubby can't detect the scent. I add about a TBSP PPO.

HTH

Kitn

 

[Dixie]

Oh thanks Kitn! I need to make some more oatmeal. I don't like to add scent to oatmeal soaps but the brn sugar would be perfect!

 

[Guest]

You are welcome Dixie , if you want to push the envelope you can add honey too at trace. yum

Kitn

 

[Guest]

interesting! so the scent of the sugar survives the lye bit whereas if you added essential oils to the lye solution, they wouldn't...right?

 

[IrishLass]

I use plain white sugar at 1 tbs. ppo for boosting lather. Honey, too, though not in the same soap batches in which I add sugar. Besides boosting lather, honey also lends a soft, sweet scent that survives the lye monster. My soaps with honey smell like those Bit O' Honey chewy candies.

I tried soaping with fructose once and it really freaked me out. I mixed it with my lye water and it turned bright red. :shock: The red didn't stay in my finished soap, though. It ended up turning tan/brown.

IrishLass