Egg White vs Aloe Vera Gel

[J-Soaper]

From what I can tell, egg white and Aloe Vera gel offer essentially the same benefits to soap -- primarily, lather support.

Did I miss something? Is there a significant different in the performance of the finish soap? If you were given two bars of soap and told that one contained egg white and the other contained Aloe Vera gel, could you tell the difference when using the soap? Could you correctly identify which soap was which? If you were given a bar of soap and told that it contained either egg white or aloe vera gel, would you be able to tell which one it was just by using the soap?

 

[KimW]

Do you mean Aloe Vera Gel or Aloe Vera Juice?

I don't have experience with just egg whites in soap and have only recently made 3 batches with whole egg, but I can say that in my recent experience using aloe juice for as little as 25% of water replacement appears to boost bubbles more than sugar.

On using egg whites to boost lather - I just did a search on SMF and couldn't find any such info. Here's a good article from a SMF member discussing using eggs in soap, which might be of interest: Egg Soap | Soapy Stuff

 

[J-Soaper]

Do you mean Aloe Vera Gel or Aloe Vera Juice?

I don't have experience with just egg whites in soap and have only recently made 3 batches with whole egg, but I can say that in my recent experience using aloe juice for as little as 25% of water replacement appears to boost bubbles more than sugar.

On using egg whites to boost lather - I just did a search on SMF and couldn't find any such info. Here's a good article from a SMF member discussing using eggs in soap, which might be of interest: Egg Soap | Soapy Stuff

I don't understand the question at the beginning of your post. I'm asking about EGG WHITES vs ALOE VERA GEL. And I'm NOT asking about aloe vera GEL vs aloe vera JUICE. I'm not at all certain where that confusion came from.

 

[KimW]

Ah - I can see how my reply could be misleading. My apologies. I asked that question because generally it is Aloe Vera Juice that is used in soaping rather than Aloe Vera Gel, so I wanted to make sure I and other respondents would be addressing the correct additive. Hope that makes sense.

ETA - Just noticed your location. Not sure about the Netherlands, but in the US Aloe Vera Gel and Aloe Vera Juice are two different products. Gel has additives that make it suitable only for external applications, whereas something labeled Aloe Vera Juice is generally ingestible. Hence, my initial clumsy attempt at clarification.

 

[DeeAnna]

I probably couldn't tell the difference in a blind test. I think the differences are subtle and could easily be overshadowed by factors such as water temperature, skin condition, method of using the soap, etc.

I think aloe adds a bit more lather compared with the same base soap made only with water. I don't necessarily think aloe increases the mildness however.

I don't think egg adds to the lather volume, but I do think it changes the lather texture slightly compared with a base soap made only with water -- it is slightly less frothy and bubbly and more like whipped-cream.

Is either ingredient so amazingly wonderful that I would dedicate my soap making efforts to using one or the other ingredient? No. Do I think my customers could tell the difference? I honestly doubt it. But both are fun to use, and that's the appeal for me.

 

[The_Phoenix]

The only way to determine the difference is to make two small batches of soap: one with egg and the other with AVJ. Gain experience trying new things and see what comes from it.

The same can be said of soap-making in general: to learn how to make really good soap is to first make really bad soap. My first handful of soap batches were not terribly good. They were, however, a good foundation for subsequent batches.

 

[J-Soaper]

Ah - I can see how my reply could be misleading. My apologies. I asked that question because generally it is Aloe Vera Juice that is used in soaping rather than Aloe Vera Gel, so I wanted to make sure I and other respondents would be addressing the correct additive. Hope that makes sense.

ETA - Just noticed your location. Not sure about the Netherlands, but in the US Aloe Vera Gel and Aloe Vera Juice are two different products. Gel has additives that make it suitable only for external applications, whereas something labeled Aloe Vera Juice is generally ingestible. Hence, my initial clumsy attempt at clarification.

Oh, sorry. Rereading your post I see the confusion was all mine. Again, sorry.

I've never used aloe vera juice -- only gel -- and it has always been labeled for internal use -- the assumption being that you're going to drink the stuff. I was using the gel that came in a big jug until I ran out. I now use gel that's 200x powder. All of it has always been labeled as 100% aloe vera gel. Of course, we know that 100% doesn't always really mean 100%. In the case of the liquid--ish stuff, it had preservatives and stuff in it. The powdered is truly supposed to be 100% aloe vera without any additives.

 

[earlene]

I have used egg whites in soap, but I have not used Aloe Vera GEL, only the juice sold at Walmart in the pharmacy area.

Between those two, no, I do not think I would be able to determine the difference in a blind feel test. I don't think I have any of the egg white soap to test side-by-side against the AVJ soap or I would give it a try.

But regarding the Gel vs egg white, I cannot say. I don't even know if the gel produces a different feel to the soap than the juice does, so that might be another interesting factor, however, I have never really been inclined to find any aloe gel anywhere to try in soap. IMO aloe gel is too precious for soap.

 

[J-Soaper]

I have used egg whites in soap, but I have not used Aloe Vera GEL, only the juice sold at Walmart in the pharmacy area.

Between those two, no, I do not think I would be able to determine the difference in a blind feel test. I don't think I have any of the egg white soap to test side-by-side against the AVJ soap or I would give it a try.

But regarding the Gel vs egg white, I cannot say. I don't even know if the gel produces a different feel to the soap than the juice does, so that might be another interesting factor, however, I have never really been inclined to find any aloe gel anywhere to try in soap. IMO aloe gel is too precious for soap.

Once I started putting Aloe Vera gel in my soap, I never looked back. The only change I've made is to switch from the "liquid" stuff to powdered (200x). The powder seems really expensive until you calculate the volume of gel it will make and how little of it you need in a bar of soap. In my experience, the difference between using and not using Aloe Vera gel is dramatic.

But, from what little I can find on using egg whites, the results are the same or similar to using Aloe Vera gel.

 

[The_Phoenix]

Once I started putting Aloe Vera gel in my soap, I never looked back. The only change I've made is to switch from the "liquid" stuff to powdered (200x). The powder seems really expensive until you calculate the volume of gel it will make and how little of it you need in a bar of soap. In my experience, the difference between using and not using Aloe Vera gel is dramatic.

But, from what little I can find on using egg whites, the results are the same or similar to using Aloe Vera gel.

Correct me if I’m wrong. Doesn’t aloe Vera gel contain other ingredients? Xanthan gum, Citric acid, etc.?

 

[KimW]

Correct me if I’m wrong. Doesn’t aloe Vera gel contain other ingredients? Xanthan gum, Citric acid, etc.?

I think the term "aloe gel" here is being used for what we in the US would call "aloe juice"

 

[The_Phoenix]

I think the term "aloe gel" here is being used for what we in the US would call "aloe juice"

Ok, I thought so.

 

[Cat&Oak]

This is what we commonly use here in America. I put it in most of my batches for a boost to lather. I have never used egg in soap.

 

[J-Soaper]

Correct me if I’m wrong. Doesn’t aloe Vera gel contain other ingredients? Xanthan gum, Citric acid, etc.?

It was labeled gel. It was for human consumption. There was something in it for a preservative. I’m fairly certain there was no gum in it. It was “lumpy,” but essentially clear.

 

[AliOop]

It was “lumpy” it essentially clear.

That does sound like aloe gel. That is much more expensive here than aloe juice, so many of us in the US use aloe juice as a full water replacer. I've never priced out the cost difference for using the powder instead, but I believe @Todd Ziegler has. He might answer if you can get him out of the garden.

 

[earlene]

I do not think of Aloe Vera Gel and Aloe Vera Juice as the same thing at all. Juice is a drinkable liquid. Gel is spreadable. A gel is a thick sticky substance, like Jell-O or Hair Gel, or soap when it goes into Gel. It is not a thin fluid, like juice.

I think of Aloe Vera Gel as either the gel squeezed out of an Aloe Leaf or this: Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera 100% Gel 12 oz - Walmart.com

or this: Buy Aloe Vera Gel - Mild & Nourishing

But primarily, I think of it as freshly harvested from a live Aloe Vera plant and removed from the leaf as a gel, not a drinkable liquid like I buy at Walmart that is called a Juice.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

That does sound like aloe gel. That is much more expensive here than aloe juice, so many of us in the US use aloe juice as a full water replacer. I've never priced out the cost difference for using the powder instead, but I believe @Todd Ziegler has. He might answer if you can get him out of the garden.

There are 2 different types of powdered Aloe vera and then it is broken down further by strength.

The cheapest Aloe powder is a mixture of the whole leaf, skin and all. It is best used for things other than soap.

The second type is much more expensive. It is made of just the meat of the plant, with no skin or fillers. It comes in different strengths depending on how much water has been removed. There is regular, 100X and 200X they are very expensive but you will use less in your recipe when you use the 100X or 200X.

 

[J-Soaper]

I have the 200x fillet only. It's really nice.

Seems really expensive until you calculate out how much Aloe Vera gel you can make with it. Suddenly, it's pretty inexpensive.