Does Sugar Really Increase Bubbles?

[Susie]

Dorymae: Short answer -- nope, I really don't think so. I get long winded sometimes.

I am going to have to make a test batch, one half with sugar, one without on Tuesday. I hate to think I have been deluding myself into believing something that is not so...especially if it involves an extra step.

 

[ngian]

I am going to have to make a test batch, one half with sugar, one without on Tuesday. I hate to think I have been deluding myself into believing something that is not so...especially if it involves an extra step.

Susie you were gelling to have more bubbles? I thought that gelling was most for making the soap bar less prone to water, lasting a bit more.

 

[Susie]

I gel because I like the appearance of gelled soap better. It is also less stressful for me to intentionally gel than to try to prevent it. I absolutely do not like the appearance of my soap with partial gel.(If it is someone else's soap, it does not bother me.) Gel does nothing but change the appearance in the long run.

I have been adding sugar/honey/etc to increase bubbles as this has been widely accepted as fact among most of the community for as long as I have been soaping. However, I trust DeeAnna implicitly. She always has good, solid science behind her opinions. I do need to test for myself, though, for a final convincing. It would certainly be easier to skip the sugar addition when making soap, and I am all about cutting out unnecessary steps.

 

[Chefmom]

In all of my experiments I have only done one little one with honey, not sugar. I had a large pot of hot process and I scooped a ball out before adding honey. Then, I added honey to the whole batch and scooped another ball out. Naturally I marked which was which.

After they cured I tested them on my hands side by side and yes, the honey one gave me a noticeable larger amount of lather. I consider it a good addition for all my soaps except vegan ones obviously.