distilled water?

[trent]

I notice that a lot of people use distilled water. Where I live happens to have excellent tap water thanks to a natural aquifer. Is it still preferable to use distilled water? I plan on selling my soap, does listing distilled water as an ingredient look better than just listing water? Is purified water the same as distilled water? Are my water questions too goofy?

My thanks to everyone who posts here. I've learned more off of this site than I ever could have hoped for. What a great resource, I feel like I'm in soap heaven!

 

[onugs]

Not goofy at all. Distilled water has ALL the minerals removed where as purified water still has trace amounts left over. That's why drinking distilled water is not a good idea. It will draw minerals away from your system.

From what I understand, purified water will work.

 

[Robert]

If your water's good for using soap with, no reason it wouldn't be good for making soap with too. Maybe customers would even like to see "water from the Whoozis Aquifer in beautiful Washington State" on the label.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...Is it still preferable to use distilled water? I plan on selling my soap, does listing distilled water as an ingredient look better than just listing water? Is purified water the same as distilled water?..."

Yes, IMO it is preferable to use distilled water.

Your tap water may have award winning taste and be perfectly safe for drinking, but it's not remotely the same as distilled. Distilled water has very low levels of metals and other contaminants. Metallic contamination can trigger DOS (rancidity) in your soap, and some metallic contamination (especially iron) is a normal component of tap water. High levels of magnesium and calcium, other natural components in tap water, can affect the lathering and skin feel of soap.

Lacking distilled, I would use rainwater instead, not tap water. But you'll find many people use tap water anyway ... or "purified" bottled water, which is essentially the same as tap water. The world isn't going to blow up if you do, but if you do decide to use tap water and run into odd problems, one possible solution to keep in mind is to use distilled instead.

I do not think distilled water has any more label cachet than any other water. Proper INCI nomenclature is aqua (water) regardless of the type of water used.

Purified water is NOT the same as distilled. Purification can come from a variety of processes -- carbon adsorption, reverse osmosis, sand filtration, etc. Technically distilled is "purified" water as well, but when you buy water in the grocery store, distilled water is specifically labeled "distilled" and the other types of purified water are labeled purified water, or drinking water, or something like that.

Distillation is basically boiling the water, collecting the steam (water vapor), and condensing the steam back into liquid water. The impurities are left behind in the distillation equipment. Distilled and ultra high purity reverse-osmosis water are the gold standard for industrial or laboratory chemistry.

 

[trent]

Great answers, thank you all.

 

[Saswede]

I've always used filtered tap water, Trent - and so far its been fine. Although I'm probably tempting fate by writing this ...... LOL!


Sent from my iPad using Soap Making

 

[Moody Glenn]

If your water's good for using soap with, no reason it wouldn't be good for making soap with too. Maybe customers would even like to see "water from the Whoozis Aquifer in beautiful Washington State" on the label.

I agree with Robert. I use filtered tap water. No ill effects for me or my soap. Trent, more power to you in labeling your soap as being made with water from a natural aquifer. It's true so use it! Sounds a whole lot better then "plastic bottled water", "my city reservoir" or "fresh from my kitchen faucet." As long as it's fresh, clean H2O its good to go into your soap....and into you!

 

[Nevada]

Using Coconut Milk with every Soap Recipe solved this question for me

 

[tryanything]

I'm another filtered tap water user. Last place I lived had very hard water and yet I never had any issues soaping. Now I live in a place with really soft water and again, no issues (though my soaps lather like crazy now!).

 

[sistrum]

Lots of soapers use "Made from pure spring water" or "rain water" ect. We have great tasting well water, in fact when the kids and friends that have moved come to visit they take water home with them. But I use distilled water for my soaps. Do some test bars and then decide what works for you.

 

[judymoody]

DeeAnna, thanks for your explanation. You have a real knack for explaining the scientific aspects of what soapers do in very clear, concise language. You are a real asset to this community.

I use distilled for the reasons you mention but if I run out and the shops are closed, I will use rain water or filtered tap water in a pinch.

 

[jenneelk]

Where does one get 'rain water'? Please don't say outside. LOL I'm in Cali and that just doesn't work most of the year, although today we had the oddest weather and rainy off and on all day after some 3 months of 95+. Was so so muggy!

But then again.. if you use it when shops are closed then I'm guessing its something you do get outside? Always on hand?

 

[renata]

I only use distilled water (from air conditioner)
I always thought that tap water can somehow react with lye.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...Where does one get 'rain water'? Please don't say outside. LOL..."

Okay, I won't say it. But, yeah, that's where it comes from. From the downspout when it (if it?) rains. Sorry, Jennee....

 

[paillo]

"...Is it still preferable to use distilled water? I plan on selling my soap, does listing distilled water as an ingredient look better than just listing water? Is purified water the same as distilled water?..."

Yes, IMO it is preferable to use distilled water. ... [snip]

DeeAnna, I second Judymoody's post -- I also really appreciate your clear, accessible and helpful scientific answers.

 

[Robert]

Metallic contamination can trigger DOS (rancidity) in your soap, and some metallic contamination (especially iron) is a normal component of tap water.

I could understand that being a problem if the transition metal ions (like Fe) in soap were mobile, because then they could really act as redox catalysts. But my supposition is that the soaps of those ions are insoluble, and hence that those ions would be trapped in place and not participate in electron transfer at enough distance to affect the rate of reactions in stored soap. (I could also understand it if soaps were so highly conjugated, starting at the carboxy end, as to be semiconductors for which transition metals would be dopants, but I don't think that occurs with fatty acids of practical importance in soaps.) But then I see mass market soaps with additives like etidronate, suggesting the big soapers think it could be a problem. Any results on this?

 

[Candybee]

I used to live in a home with artesian well water. The well came from an underground stream right on the property. OMG that was some goooooood water! If I still lived there I would probably use that water. Or at least try it and see if made any difference from distilled.

My water is now city plumbing water so I use only distilled and not tap. But when I first started out making my first CP batch or two I did use the tap water. When I started using distilled I could not tell the difference in the soap.

I continue to use distilled because I know that the minerals have been filtered out. That is the only thing I worry about are what the trace minerals could do to my soap.

Funny-- but I still want to try using mineral water some day. Will have to give it a try and see how I like it. I always wanted to make salt bars with sea salt and mineral spring water..

 

[houseofwool]

"...Where does one get 'rain water'? Please don't say outside. LOL..."

Okay, I won't say it. But, yeah, that's where it comes from. From the downspout when it (if it?) rains. Sorry, Jennee....

See, I have huge concerns using rainwater, particularly water that comes from a downspout because it picks up all sorts contaminants from the asphalt shingles used here in the upper Midwest. No way would I ever consider making soap with that water.

And, I would have even bigger concerns about using it in an area that has air pollution issues...

But, then again, I play fast and loose and use my soft tap water...

 

[DeeAnna]

I understand your concern, HouseOfWool, but it can be done safely. Some people collect rainwater for household use (showers, toilets, washer, etc.) and even to drink if a disinfection system is used. My grandparents old home in western Iowa was set up to collect rainwater off the house roof as the drinking water source in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many rural homes in the Southwest use rainwater collection even today, rather than truck water out from town.

The usual procedure for a roof collection system is to let the rain that falls in the first 20 minutes or so just drain normally to the ground, then the rainwater is diverted to a storage tank. That lets the dust, shingle gravel, etc. wash off. It works pretty well, if it's set up right. A metal roof is probably the best, agreed, but an asphalt shingle roof works fine, as long as it gets washed off well before the rainwater is collected.

Pollution can be an issue. Particulate pollution (smoke, dust, etc.) can be removed with a decent filter. Non-particulate pollution (acid droplets, chemical vapor, etc.) can be a concern, since the chemicals are dissolved in the water. If you live in an urban area, it's worth investigating this issue. In rural areas, the concern is not so great, if only because contaminants in the air get diluted a lot.

PS: Judy and Paillo -- thank you. I appreciate the warm feedback!

 

[savonierre]

I use filtered water and the water from the dehumidifier ( we empty it everyday)