For lather

[CLMP]

Someone told me I could use something other then sugar in my soap batch to increase the lather and now I can't remember what it was and would like to order some she said thats what you use to skip the scorching. I don't know if it was a chemical or what but I'd like to try it. It must be something you order from a soap supplier. Does anybody know what it could be.

 

[cmzaha]

Sorbitol is what I use and like much better than sugar and use it in all my soaps Also using a chelator such as sodium gluconate will additionally help with lather. I use a combination of EDTA/SG at a rate of 0.5% of my total batch weight along with 1% of my total batch weight of Sorbitol.

 

[Kcryss]

Like @cmzaha I also use Sorbitol and Sodium Gluconate. I use 1% of batch for each.

 

[CLMP]

Sorbitol is what I use and like much better than sugar and use it in all my soaps Also using a chelator such as sodium gluconate will additionally help with lather. I use a combination of EDTA/SG at a rate of 0.5% of my total batch weight along with 1% of my total batch weight of Sorbitol.

Oh Thank you so much I can't wait to try it that was it and I couldn't remember I'm going to start wrighting stuff down so I don't forget! LOL

 

[KiwiMoose]

How about Aloe as full water replacement? That works a treat and you can get it from your supermarket over there I believe?

 

[cmzaha]

While aloe does work nicely in my opinion not as well as sorbitol. I have used Aloe juice along with sorbitol but I mainly soap with vinegar and usually my aloe was fresh cleaned aloe not juice. I soap low CO so need all the help I can with lather. I also soap 2-3% superfat with 2% my average superfat. High superfat not only lends to cutting lather it is hard on old drains.

 

[CLMP]

How about Aloe as full water replacement? That works a treat and you can get it from your supermarket over there I believe?

That sounds nice too I didn't know aloe helps with lather. I have a nice licorice aloe soap recipe I have been working on for rosacea that I will get back to after Christmas so I actually have a big jug of aloe and aloe vera gell. I will have to experiment with it in my recipes. I still want to try the sorbitol too!

While aloe does work nicely in my opinion not as well as sorbitol. I have used Aloe juice along with sorbitol but I mainly soap with vinegar and usually my aloe was fresh cleaned aloe not juice. I soap low CO so need all the help I can with lather. I also soap 2-3% superfat with 2% my average superfat. High superfat not only lends to cutting lather it is hard on old drains.

I didn't know you can use vinegar in soap I'm wondering what that would help with? Is that for a better lather as well?

 

[Becky1024]

I use citric acid as a chelator and it also helps with bubbles.

 

[cmzaha]

I didn't know you can use vinegar in soap I'm wondering what that would help with? Is that for a better lather as well?

It is another learning curve. I really is used to harden the soap enought to de-mold quicker and also acts as a slight chelator so may in a way contribute to the lather. I just know my low CO soaps which are either high palm or high tallow/lard soaps lather well. What I find the biggest help for lather is cutting the superfat, using a chelator which helps cut soap scum and adding sugars. Sorbitol turned out to be the best for me and citric acid while used properly by adding in the extra lye to trun it into sodium citrate never worked as well as my EDTA/SG combination but I have quite hard water so have tried most combinations. I know folks are shying away from EDTA so I would just up the Sodium Gluconate to 1.1.2% per total batch weight. Also the drawback to Citric acid is the formation of crystals on the outside of the soap overtime which I became tired of.

ETA: Keep in mind I made soaps to sell and sold a lot of soaps. My customers expected a certain quality and that is what I supplied. no chelators equaled soap scum, squeaky on the skin and did not rinse off clean. I heard this feedback regularly from customers that experienced this with other soaps they purchased, which is how I began the journey of additives. Lowering superfat came from my plumbing problems and I learned how it helped in the area of lather etc. As beginning soapmakers our grand idea of all natural no additives does not always happen. But then I did not get into soapmaking with that mindset to begin with.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

I use Castor Oil at 5% in my oil mix. I like that lather! I'm not as versed in science of this as others, though. I think Castor Oil creates a more creamer lather (?) than you're looking for a more bubbly lather. Others might be better at explaining.

 

[CLMP]

I use Castor Oil at 5% in my oil mix. I like that lather! I'm not as versed in science of this as others, though. I think Castor Oil creates a more creamer lather (?) than you're looking for a more bubbly lather. Others might be better at explaining.

Yes I use castor oil too and clay so I do have a pretty creamy lather I'm hoping sorbitol will add more bubbles too!

 

[Semperfimom]

I’m an old soaper who took a long break and am getting back to soaping. I don’t know about these ingredients y’all are talking about but If you use coconut at 15% and castor at 5% that will give you great lather. Coconut makes the big bubbles and castor makes the little creamy bubbles

 

[AliOop]

@Semperfimom welcome back to soaping! I love how soapmaking allows us to customize soaps to our personal preferences.

I personally want more bubbles than I get from 15% CO + 5% castor, which is why I add sorbitol at 1% of oils. It's a finely-powdered sugar substitute, and not much more expensive than using sugar because it takes less sorbitol than sugar to achieve the same level of bubbles. But if folks don't want to have an extra ingredient around, sugar works well, too.

Interesting note from Kenna of Modern Soapmaking about the effects in soap of the ricinoleic acid (from castor oil,) and how the soap c@lculator numbers are misleading related to castor oil:

Ricinoleic acid is better viewed as a lather stabilizer, where it helps the lather longevity provided by the saturated fatty acids. Ricinoleic acid in soap does not have a lot of lather on its own. I like to think of it as a great supporting actor rather than the star of the show. If a formula contains very little lauric and myristic acid but a lot of ricinoleic acid, the bubbly rating will be really high. The formula won't have the bubbly lather you expect from the rating given because the lauric and myristic are low on their own.

Personally, I simply subtract the ricinoleic content from the bubbly rating to reach a better idea of the size of the lather's bubbles (big fluffy empty bubbles). In doing so, I'm basically adding the lauric and myristic acid content together, which is great because that's the two fatty acids that contribute to that soap quality.

 

[Kari Howie]

Hi y'all! I'm back after a lengthy hiatus and am jumping into this conversation. Where do y'all source your sorbitol and sodium gluconate? Thanks!

 

[AliOop]

Hi @Kari Howie great to "see" you! I buy this sorbitol on Amazon.

 

[Kari Howie]

Hi @Kari Howie great to "see" you! I buy this sorbitol on Amazon.

Thanks! I just ordered some.

 

[Zing]

Hi y'all! I'm back after a lengthy hiatus and am jumping into this conversation. Where do y'all source your sorbitol and sodium gluconate? Thanks!

I no not know the language you speak -- but was glad to see you popping up this past week!

 

[Kari Howie]

That would be North Cackalacky.