Goat/cow milk soap. Need help.

[mymy]

I use method 3. I don't do the the method 2 because lye must be mixed with an equal amount of water and unless you are sure 1/2 of the liquid in the recipe that you will use in method # 2 in you water meets the requirement for the lye to dissolve you could run into problems.

Thank you for your feedback! I see.
As far as I know, water can dissolve lye twice its weight but I have never tried it yet. I should try it out someday.

Then why say it is unsafe? A supplier that would lie to me instead of just saying "maybe hold off on that for now" is a bad supplier.

Oh ya, I remember it now, they say TD is some kind of bleach that is used in cosmetics, they don't recommend me to use it but they have it in stock if I insist to buy.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

................water can dissolve lye twice its weight but I have never tried it yet. I should try it out someday............................

No no no no! This is really untrue and very dangerous - water can dissolve lye of an equal amount, but not more so. The most you can do is a 50% solution.

Please tell me that this didn't come from that same supplier?

 

[mymy]

No no no no! This is really untrue and very dangerous - water can dissolve lye of an equal amount, but not more so. The most you can do is a 50% solution.

Please tell me that this didn't come from that same supplier?

I read it in here. I forgot which thread.

 

[dixiedragon]

Thank you for your feedback! I see.
As far as I know, water can dissolve lye twice its weight but I have never tried it yet. I should try it out someday.



Oh ya, I remember it now, they say TD is some kind of bleach that is used in cosmetics, they don't recommend me to use it but they have it in stock if I insist to buy.

Who is your supplier? They know their stock; I'd follow their advice. Perhaps their TD has something in it that makes it unsafe? So I wouldn't use their TD. I'd buy it from a soap supplier.

I use method 3, except I use canned milk. I do a 50/50 canned milk/water ratio. I dissolve my lye in water, and heat my oils. I let my lye water reach room temp and I let my oils reach between 90-100F. I add the canned milk to the oils and pour the lye water while blending. Honestly, with the sugar in the milk, I don't think you're going to get a snowy white bar.

 

[mymy]

Who is your supplier? They know their stock; I'd follow their advice. Perhaps their TD has something in it that makes it unsafe? So I wouldn't use their TD. I'd buy it from a soap supplier.

I use method 3, except I use canned milk. I do a 50/50 canned milk/water ratio. I dissolve my lye in water, and heat my oils. I let my lye water reach room temp and I let my oils reach between 90-100F. I add the canned milk to the oils and pour the lye water while blending. Honestly, with the sugar in the milk, I don't think you're going to get a snowy white bar.

They make and sell soaps too. Hmmmm. Good point from you. I see, if the oils are all liquid, would it be ok if i mix them at room temperature? Just curious.

 

[dixiedragon]

They make and sell soaps too. Hmmmm. Good point from you. I see, if the oils are all liquid, would it be ok if i mix them at room temperature? Just curious.

I don't see why not. Be prepared for the soap to take longer to trace.

 

[galaxyMLP]

There was some speculation for a time that TD could cause cancer if the powdered form was inhaled in large amount over a long period of time. Like in the cases with factories that manufacture TD or use it in large amounts.

From what I've read they've since said its safe. It turns out, it causes cancer (lung tumors) in rats but, not in mice, or hamsters. That means it has a species specific pathway. When they look at epidemiology (studying the people in the factories themselves) they found no link to cancer/higher incidence than normal.

Abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15790613

Full article:
http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/6/461.long

Us soap makers don't use large amounts of TD and make it go airborne so we don't have any risks associated with use. We especially don't have to worry once it goes into soap.

 

[Dharlee]

Tip for cleaning-up: procrastinate! Wipe out what you can. Then leave those batter-splattered dishes to saponify by locking them up in a bucket out of reach of kids, pets, and other people. When you get back to them, you'll just have soap residue to wash. Just get your stickblender clean - soaping residue inside its bell is a pita to clean later.

Never pour raw soap down your drain for clean up. Snappy gave the best advice here- wait and let it turn to soap, then clean it up, except the stick blender. Wipe it down well and you're good to go!

 

[Susie]

I wipe everything down with paper towels before washing. Small kitchen and soap making mess do not make a good combination for me.

 

[Relle]

I use the first method and find there's no need to use TD if you prevent gel. It comes out a creamy colour, not a stark white.

 

[Yooper]

I use 100% goat milk for water, freeze in cubes, then make sure they are melted a bit for when I start adding the lye, I put my bowl in my sink with some ice water to keep it nice and cool. I get the lye disolved with no problems, it stays cool, if I don't use a discoloring fragrance it stays creamy colored, plus the color of your oils will affect the color of your soap. Use your fridge or freezer to put your soap in if you don't want gel. I don't like using a lot of colors in my soaps as I can't stand to have colored bubbles or hands. Only thing I use is natural clays to give a tint of color and they will lather with color is over used, so mine are all pastels or plain with a light swirl for variety. Some of my fragrances color a dark brown, but no colored lather so far from that.

That's what I do. Freeze the milk, add the lye, stir well, and keep it in a bowl of ice water. Then I mix the soap, again over the bowl of ice water, and pour into a loaf mold. My milk soaps are a creamy light ivory color.

But I don't use fragrance oils that can discolor.

 

[Arimara]

I try to avoid colorants as much as I could because I like it natural and more importantly I want to use milk soap on my face. So I must skip TD this time.
Hmmmm you used powdered milk, how much did u put inside if I may know? Thank you for the share!
...

I gave up with figuring it out and sadly, I put two 1/2TBSPs of the powder. Math was never my strong point but I don't like caving like that either.

For reference, one TBSP of the buttermilk is needed for every two ounces of water. Just don't ask me the brand I used; It's at my mom's.

 

[mymy]

I don't see why not. Be prepared for the soap to take longer to trace.

Correct. I have never thought of this. thank you!

There was some speculation for a time that TD could cause cancer if the powdered form was inhaled in large amount over a long period of time. Like in the cases with factories that manufacture TD or use it in large amounts.

From what I've read they've since said its safe. It turns out, it causes cancer (lung tumors) in rats but, not in mice, or hamsters. That means it has a species specific pathway. When they look at epidemiology (studying the people in the factories themselves) they found no link to cancer/higher incidence than normal.

Abstract:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15790613

Full article:
http://annhyg.oxfordjournals.org/content/49/6/461.long

Us soap makers don't use large amounts of TD and make it go airborne so we don't have any risks associated with use. We especially don't have to worry once it goes into soap.

Great findings! Thank you!

When we see TD on microbiological side, to put an analogy, a microbe won't harm a living organism if it enters wrong pathway as for an example, E. coli is not harmful if it lingers on our skin instead of entering our digestive system. So, there might be a specific organ/system that is reactive to certain product. Since no people knows which part of our body reacts the most with TD, I don't want to risk it for now. Just to be careful.

Never pour raw soap down your drain for clean up. Snappy gave the best advice here- wait and let it turn to soap, then clean it up, except the stick blender. Wipe it down well and you're good to go!

Yes Dharlee, I learned this after I read through the threads. Now I'm addicted to scrape soap residue on the the surface of the utensils after I left them to get dried for 4-5days and turn them into a soap ball! So cute!

I wipe everything down with paper towels before washing. Small kitchen and soap making mess do not make a good combination for me.

I use clean clothes to wipe messes came from soap making process, just the counter though, and leave the pots and stuff to dry in a safe area.

I use the first method and find there's no need to use TD if you prevent gel. It comes out a creamy colour, not a stark white.

Yes, gonna try make milk soap by this weekend.

That's what I do. Freeze the milk, add the lye, stir well, and keep it in a bowl of ice water. Then I mix the soap, again over the bowl of ice water, and pour into a loaf mold. My milk soaps are a creamy light ivory color.

But I don't use fragrance oils that can discolor.

Did you chill the soap in the fridge?

I gave up with figuring it out and sadly, I put two 1/2TBSPs of the powder. Math was never my strong point but I don't like caving like that either.

For reference, one TBSP of the buttermilk is needed for every two ounces of water. Just don't ask me the brand I used; It's at my mom's.

Haha thank you for the info! I was once rushing to make coffee soap and made 3tbps coffee powder into solution and added lye in. I realized that it was too much after I poured the batter into the mold. Normally, only 1 teaspoon of coffee powder is used to make 1lbs of soap, imagine the solution consistency and the smell after the lye got in. Yucks. Now, waiting the soap to cure. I bet bubbles will be a little bit darker.

 

[Arimara]

Probably. I made a soap with red palm and I'm now seeing why refined palm is more popular. The soap is pretty good though.

 

[BakingNana]

I use method 3; 50/50 lye solution, fresh milk blended into the oils equal to the amount of extra water I would have added to the 50/50 solution under normal circumstances, then I blend in powdered milk -- the amount it would take to reconstitute the water in my lye solution. I do gel. Got tired of trying to fight it. Soap stays a light beige creamy color that I actually like a lot.

 

[mymy]

Probably. I made a soap with red palm and I'm now seeing why refined palm is more popular. The soap is pretty good though.

In fact, red palm is better than refined. I would like to buy it in bulk soon. soaps made with it came
out orange right? Yummy! The only drawback is, bubbles will turn orange too.

I use method 3; 50/50 lye solution, fresh milk blended into the oils equal to the amount of extra water I would have added to the 50/50 solution under normal circumstances, then I blend in powdered milk -- the amount it would take to reconstitute the water in my lye solution. I do gel. Got tired of trying to fight it. Soap stays a light beige creamy color that I actually like a lot.

Aha, I have exams tomorrow. Will definitely make milk soap afterwards! Can't wait!