Glycerin Method and Product Accounting

[lady-of-4]

Just signed up today but i've been doing Liquid Soap for a few years now. I've been reading up the glycerin method, and so far I've only found tutorials on using it. But no material on the what's and why's of this method. I'd honestly like to know if this method has any extra benefits to an overall receipe's properties, ie bubbles and conditioning. Why this over water aside from the speed up in cook time? Does it also help make a clearer finished product? I've saw one small thread about it posted almost a year ago, but no updates it seems. So I'd love for folks to chime in on their experience before I jump on the band wagon and invest more money into what I make.

Also, after much internal debate, coupled with time working on this, and questions of "when?" after gifting a well liked item, I'd like to start small scale selling my soap and other home made goodies. I only make a handful of types for now, and all for personal use for my family, for the passed 2 years. I've already invested in the SM3 program so I can start getting organized, which is quite handy might I add, and i'm still navigating around with it. My question on this is, what are your recommendations for accounting for persoanl use ou of a batch of product? If there's a way in the program, I haven't found it yet. What I plan to sell would be in smaller portion bottles compared to what I normally fil for our use.

In advance, i really appreciate any input given.

 

[coffeetime]

I created a customer called "test batch/home use" and I sell myself those bars for $0.00. I use SM3 as well.

 

[lady-of-4]

I created a customer called "test batch/home use" and I sell myself those bars for $0.00. I use SM3 as well.

Oh wow. That makes sense. Thanks. Do you mind if i use your idea?

 

[coffeetime]

Of course not!

 

[lady-of-4]

Of course not!

Thank you!
How do you adjust for different protion sizes, like I fill 12oz bottles for me and my daughters' use (don't want to have to constantly refill their bottle often since they share, and are still learning portion control) and I give away/plan to sell 8oz portions.

Nevermind, i found it. Thanks again.

Anyone want to chime in on the glycerine method?

 

[coffeetime]

Hmm, I haven't made liquid soap yet, although it's on my list to try. But you can set bar size for hard soaps. I would maybe make one batch and set it for one size and then set the next one for the larger size.

Or maybe set the portion size to the smaller one and sell yourself 1.5 of them? Or 3?

 

[coffeetime]

I also made a "customer" called Sample/Giveaway. That way I can track how many freebies I give out. I just put a note in the note box as to who got the sample. Which reminds me... I gave out two bars today which I haven't recorded!

 

[Susie]

I am a home use only soap maker, and have been making liquid soap less than a year. So, keep that in mind, please.

Glycerin, as far as I can tell from personal experience thus far, only reduces the time to reach trace. It does greatly reduce the trace time, though. Even if you only substitute out 4 oz. Don't ask me why, but it works. Of course, adding 0.5 oz grated bar soap does the same thing. So, take your choice. This is all I can prove.

On the other hand, a purely subjective feeling, is that I like the feel of glycerin liquid soap better. I accidentally mixed up the bottles of my glycerin hand soap and non-glycerin.(label immediately if you make more than one kind) I can tell the difference in the feel of the soap.

 

[lady-of-4]

I am a home use only soap maker, and have been making liquid soap less than a year. So, keep that in mind, please.

Glycerin, as far as I can tell from personal experience thus far, only reduces the time to reach trace. It does greatly reduce the trace time, though. Even if you only substitute out 4 oz. Don't ask me why, but it works. Of course, adding 0.5 oz grated bar soap does the same thing. So, take your choice. This is all I can prove.

On the other hand, a purely subjective feeling, is that I like the feel of glycerin liquid soap better. I accidentally mixed up the bottles of my glycerin hand soap and non-glycerin.(label immediately if you make more than one kind) I can tell the difference in the feel of the soap.

Yeah i definitely know what you mean about adding even just a little. It's funny, you mention 4oz and that's exactly what I already add to each of my recipes. Does you glycerine subsittuted soap seem clearer than others? i also know glycerine helps increase bubbles, though I honestly don't know by how much...

 

[lady-of-4]

Update!

I just tried the glycerin method for my shampoo liquid soap.

I'm still shocked at how it turned out so far...:crazy:

First, I bubbled over when adding my KOH to the heated glycerin. I was careful to add the lye a little bit at a time, but I guess I should have just heated it up over 200* then taken it off heat. I heated up to high, then turned it down to simmer/low on my stove to maintain the temp of the glycerin. I've seen tutorials say heat it up, but not to either maintain, or cut heat. It was also sticking to the bottom of my pot, so when i moved it, it bubbled more. So yeah...big mess. In the end lost about 2oz of solution after I transferred to another container and weighed it, so I added more glycerin to compensate, and had already added a little lye while cooking to compensate for that loss too. And my spoon got melted. I hope this was a lesson learned.:???:

Then, I stick blended and wisked for around an hour. My stick blender got too hot to handle. The oil mixture in my crock WOULD NOT TRACE. Not even a little. In the process, I may have burned it, though it doesn't have that acrid burnt smell. But the mix is very dark. And VERY clear. So I left it alone to cook more. I think because of the added lye, since I lost some earlier, it wouldn't cook neutral. The phenol- P test was very pink. So I'll fix up my borax solution tomorrow and hope for the best.

I put a tiny bit in the fridge on a spoon to get a snap shot of what it'd be like once cooled later. I'm impressed. Then I left the spoon out at room temp.. Still pretty viscous/thick. But not a paste. So I'll need a tiny bit of dilution. Probably just the borax solution to be honest.

It did feel...slippery in the water as well. But nice bubbles so far. The shower will be the big test later. Especially on my hair. If i like how this turns out, it will be a permanent change for this recipe. Despite having a good 'conditioning' recipe, it still feels like it strips my hair squeaky clean. Granted I have a great conditioner recipe to compensate, and I only shampoo every other day anyhow, I just don't like how that feels.

Overall, the pics speak for themselves. It looks like glass..

 

[ilovesoap2]

I read on a blog today that especially with liquid soaps, short bursts with the stick blender is best. I have no experience just reading as much as possible for right now.

 

[kdaniels8811]

I am so lazy. I heated my oils in the crock pot and added the lye water and blended for 5 minutes or so, then turned it off and insulated with towels and left it overnight. The next day I turned the crock pot on again and stirred the liquid back into the paste. Within an hour I had my "vaseline" paste. I get bored waiting for trace so this method works great for me.

 

[seven]

i did my 1st liquid soap the other day and almost lost hope. in some sites i've read to keep stirring, and stirring, till you can't stir no more. i did stir, a lot, but not that much till i can't stir no more. once it was thick mashed potatoes started going a tiny bit transparent, i stopped, and let the cooking process begin. turned out everything was fine and the LS was clear. just a bit hopeless in the bubbles area adding more castor next time.

 

[lady-of-4]

Yeah some batches are just funny. I had batches that completely exploded out if the crock pot with expansion when I added only 4 ounces of Glycerin to the recipe. It was totally done then.