Emulsifier for bath melts

[ThenCameJen]

As soon as my mom heard I was getting back into soaping, the first thing she started hinting at wanting were more of the bath melts I made for her. (yes, she equates me soaping with me making bath melts. I tried explaining they were different, but I figure they're easy enough to make, so I can make some more for her, and send them along with some new soap!)

As I tried to refresh my memory on bath melts, I saw mention of some people using an emulsifier. 7 years ago, I made my bath melts using the easy-to-find "Bunny's Bath Melts" recipe, minus the cocoa powder. I'd like to try them again, but this time maybe with an emulsifier, if it actually makes bath melts better?

I just tore my house apart, because I was certain I had one or another of the emulsifiers people have mentioned (BTMS or ewax, or something!) but, unfortunately, I think they went out in the trash in November in the mad rush to make my house perfect before my fiance's mother came to visit for the first time.

I'd like to buy a modest amount of an emulsifier, to try, but I want to try one that others have had success with. Can anyone give their opinion on a good emulsifier for bath melts? I have an order I want to place with nature's garden, and they sell BTMS-25, e-wax NF, and polysorbate-80, so I can easily purchase one of those, but I can also purchase from somewhere else if needed. I think I read a mention here about lecithin, although I'm not really sure how to use it or where to get it (or even if it would work!)

All that being said (and sorry for the wall of text), in my search of the house, I found some of the first bath melts I ever made, which had been wrapped up and packed into a tin, then into a moving box where they have survived three moves of over 1300 miles, and then sat in my closet for the last 7 years. I just tried one... or attempted to. Under hot water in my sink, I discovered that the citric acid/baking soda has certainly lost its ooomph, and all I had was a buttery/vaseline-like lump of cocoa butter that was nearly impossible to get off my hands. Oh well, guess they don't mature with age! 8)

 

[melstan775]

BTMS is a thickener made to make conditioners thick and hold serious water and oil together. That's all I know about that one. Question about bath melts though, do they make your tub greasy? Any actual benefit, do they hold to the water well or is that why you wantthe emulsifier?

 

[Shannon_m]

I don't know about bath melts, but I make bath truffles which are very simple and have citric acid, baking soda, cocoa and shea butters and sls if you want to go that route (I just started using slsa) and EO or FO... I find that with the sls/slsa the butters aren't just floating on the top of the water, they're all in the water and in the bubbles so it would impossible to get in or out of that bath without just covering yourself in them (which is great!). I don't take long baths, I'm more of a "i'm cold so I'm going to take a bath and warm myself up... ok I'm done" kinda gal. Even just one 15-20 minute bath with a truffle and my skin is awesome for a good couple days before I find myself needing another.

 

[melstan775]

Do your bath melts bubble Shannon?

 

[Shannon_m]

like a fiend! Tons of them, soft little bubbles that build up like a castle and are very dense. I have a hard time reigning them in, but honestly it's so worth it.

 

[ThenCameJen]

melstan, from what I read, the emulsifier helps the oils mix in with the water, instead of floating on top. I'm not really sure, since I didn't use it before. It's just something I've seen mentioned in a lot of the listings for bath melts/truffles online! And yes, Shannon, the bath melt as I call it is the same as a bath truffle. The "Bunny's Bath Melts" uses cocoa butter, baking soda, corn starch, and citric acid.

What I was seeing online were complaints about how a non-emulsified melt will leave the tub greasy, or put a grease ring around the tub. I was wondering if an emulsifier would really help prevent that. I'd also like to know if an emulsified melt would help the tub NOT be as slippery - my mom will be 63 this year, and she lives 1000 miles away from me, 800 miles from my brother... and about 250 miles from a sister she's not on the best of terms with. She doesn't really socialize, so the last thing I want is for her to take a bath, slip and break a hip, and have the hospital call her sister... she would NEVER forgive me.:-?

My mom fell in love with these melts years ago, and she's been hinting for the last month about how awesome they were. She uses the small ones in the sink after washing her hands or doing the dishes - she rubs them over her hands as the water makes them fizz a little and break up. She comes out with lightly cocoa buttered hands. She also puts one in foot baths, to help put the oil on her skin after she soaks her feet. I know she does take baths, but I'm not sure she's ever used one in a bath, but it would be for the same reason - to leave a bath with a light layer of cocoa butter on your skin.

Interesting about the SLS and SLSA, Shannon! I might consider trying that. I don't think my mom cares for bubble baths, but that might help in a foot bath! They might not bubble as much (since the water coming from the faucet helps to make the bubbles) but it would still add a detergent-quality along with the butters. Hmmmmmmm...

 

[Shannon_m]

with the high butter content in the melts/truffles I don't think there is a good way to avoid slippery tub (imho). I haven't tried an emulsifier in my truffles however the first time I tried this truffle recipe I loved it so much I haven't messed with the recipe at all for fear they won't turn out as well. It's actually SoapQueen's recipe if you wanted to look at it and try it out. I started to sub in the slsa because it's naturally derived, I haven't tried one yet so I don't know if it suds as well as the sls, but we shall see!

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/bath-fizzies/making-bath-truffles-on-soap-queen-tv/

I do the first recipe she features, the sweet bath truffle.

 

[Hazel]

I've used the ewax NF - traditional in bubbling bath melts (used mango butter). It does help the oils incorporate better and reduces the greasiness left in the tub - not all of it but most of it.

I used it at 5% and melted it with the mango butter. I do remember thinking after I got feedback about them about trying it next time with a slightly higher percentage of ewax.

Also, there is info on Swift's blog about using emulsifiers in bath products. Scroll down a little and you'll see a bath melt recipe.

http://swiftcraftymonkey.blogspot.com/2010/09/esters-using-polysorbates-in-your.html

eta: BTW, scroll down to the very bottom of this topic and you'll see links to related discussions on this forum.

 

[ThenCameJen]

Hm, I might put SLSA on my list of things to get, to try it out. That's something I know for SURE I had before, until it went out in the trash. If I'd never had to clean out the spare room, I might not be having this discussion now.

Hazel, thanks for the link! I might try both ewax NF and poly 80 in two batches, and see which she prefers. I may also send her some without an emulsifier at all, and she can choose the best of the three. But the info on that page was some of the information I was looking for. Evidently my Google-fu is not as good as I thought, because that's not a page that came up (and I've been Googling for days!) Specifically what I was looking for was "And if you want to make a bath melt, you'd turn to polysorbate 80 to help solubilize the carrier oils in the tub!"

Also, thanks for the tip on the related discussions section. Even though I'd seen most of those in my search of this site (those discussions didn't really give me the info I needed) I never even knew it existed! I tend to just scroll to the arrows and click Next.:mrgreen:

 

[Hazel]

You're welcome! I forget about the links, too.

 

[flavapor]

with the high butter content in the melts/truffles I don't think there is a good way to avoid slippery tub (imho). I haven't tried an emulsifier in my truffles however the first time I tried this truffle recipe I loved it so much I haven't messed with the recipe at all for fear they won't turn out as well. It's actually SoapQueen's recipe if you wanted to look at it and try it out. I started to sub in the slsa because it's naturally derived, I haven't tried one yet so I don't know if it suds as well as the sls, but we shall see!

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/bath-fizzies/making-bath-truffles-on-soap-queen-tv/

I do the first recipe she features, the sweet bath truffle.

I just did this recipe and I didnt get one damn bubble! I used the slsa, I also used sodium citrate instead of citric acid (I was told its the same) but nothin. Do you think its cause I have well water and maybe its hard? It did still make me feel nice, I did also use the .20 poly 80 so the oil didnt sit on top, and that did work.

 

[Sweetlily321]

I'm on a well too and use SLSA in my bubble bars and I get lots of bubbles. You might just have hard water or because of the sodium citrate I haven't played with that yet.

 

[flavapor]

I'm on a well too and use SLSA in my bubble bars and I get lots of bubbles. You might just have hard water or because of the sodium citrate I haven't played with that yet.

I think its the sodium citrate. I have some citric acid from canning, so I will reduce the batch to be able to have enough of the citric acid and see what I get. Thanks for posting, it gives me a place to start with troubleshooting.