Hard Water Issues

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

I've always wondered why my skin felt squeaky clean after using my CP soap bars. Well after lots of research and a friend giving me a but of advice. I've come to the conclusion it was hard water the whole time.

Now with that being said, I've added 1 tbsp salt and 1tsp sugar to every batch plus sodium citrate. Although after adding all this to my 2lb recipes, I still feel that squeakiness. Are there anything else I can add to take away that squeaky clean feeling? I'm kind of desperate, I have ordered edta after reading about it on this forum, but would love some input of older soapers that has issues with extremely hard water? And maybe suggested oils or butters that would balance that out? I've attached just 1 of my recipes I've been using

 

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

Anyone?

 

[shunt2011]

I would try dropping the babassu oil amount. It's a cleansing oil and some can't take high cleansing. Take it down to 10-15% maybe? The citric acid should be working as a chelator so maybe you just need a less cleansing bar of soap.

 

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

I'll try that. Although not all of my recipes have babassu, CO, or PO. I try to stick with tallow or lard with rice bran and avocado oils. Just been playing around with some other items I've got. Thank you! I'll return once my other batch is ready to test

 

[shunt2011]

@Kburdette I could only comment on the recipe you posted. Some people just cannot use handmade soap. Hopefully you'll find something that works for you.

 

[Jill B Blasius]

I have hard water and some of my soaps do that too. In fact, I had to go wash my hands with several, then think about my recipes to see what the common denominator was.

The majority of my soaps are made with a milk (goat or coconut). A lot of those have clay. Recipes are pretty standard, Oo, Av, Co, CAo and one or two of the following oil/butter: Shea, Mango, Sw Al, Walnut, Hemp, Lard. I SF at 5%, clays are usually just swirls, not throughout the entire soap. It is my milk soaps with clay that do not cause the squeaky clean affect.

My plain soaps with just milk squeak very slightly. I've got a gardeners soap with no milk w/high Co and 20% SF and bentonite clay which does not squeak, but I have the same recipe as a mechanic soap without clay, that does squeak.

Whether it's the extra fat from the milk or the slip from the clay, or both together? Hmm....

 

[Donee']

Do you use tap water? Referring to the hard water.

Tap water is BAAADDDD
Dont use tap water
Battery water is the best. NO funny metals or chemicals.

 

[redhead1226]

Do you use tap water? Referring to the hard water.

Tap water is BAAADDDD
Dont use tap water
Battery water is the best. NO funny metals or chemicals.

She's saying that when she washes with it it squeaks from the hard water in the shower. She is not making it with hard water.
And what is battery water??

 

[Obsidian]

Also keep in mind that lye soap just plain feels different on the skin. If you are used to commercial soap, homemade can feel weird. If all you have is squeaky skin and its not dry or tight when you've dried off, it could just be you need to get used to how lye soap feels.

 

[Donee']

She's saying that when she washes with it it squeaks from the hard water in the shower. She is not making it with hard water.
And what is battery water??

oooh - my speed reading failed me again
Battery water = distilled water

 

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

Also keep in mind that lye soap just plain feels different on the skin. If you are used to commercial soap, homemade can feel weird. If all you have is squeaky skin and its not dry or tight when you've dried off, it could just be you need to get used to how lye soap feels.

No I get the same sensation when I use melt n pour soap. I dislike melt n pour for the fact the feeling it gives my skin. I've also had customers ask why they have the squeaky clean sensation when using lye soap. So I'm pretty confident in saying that it's hard water.

 

[Donee']

No I get the same sensation when I use melt n pour soap. I dislike melt n pour for the fact the feeling it gives my skin. I've also had customers ask why they have the squeaky clean sensation when using lye soap. So I'm pretty confident in saying that it's hard water.

I have had a few people who dont like the "tight" feeling they get with MP

 

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

I live in the mountains and I have calcium build up at every faucet and spicket. I have to run a cleaner in my dishwasher to keep it running properly. So I may have to do a test with my soaps in a different environment besides my home, once they cure enough to be tried out. I'm always open for suggestions of what I could add also. I add 3% sodium citrate to every batch, along with salt and sugar. Oh and tussah silk.

 

[Donee']

I live in the mountains and I have calcium build up at every faucet and spicket. I have to run a cleaner in my dishwasher to keep it running properly. So I may have to do a test with my soaps in a different environment besides my home, once they cure enough to be tried out. I'm always open for suggestions of what I could add also. I add .75oz sodium citrate to every batch, along with salt and sugar. Oh and tussah silk.

whats tussah silk?

 

[shunt2011]

@Donee she showers with tap water. Hence why using a chelator to make the soap. Distilled water is the most commonly recommended though many use aloe vera, beer, milks etc.

whats tussah silk?

It's silk. Many add it to their lye water. I do too. It add a silkiness and slip to the soap. Some use silkworm cocoons.

 

[Obsidian]

The salt, sugar and silk won't have any affect on the soap scum being produced by your soap. You can test if it is hard water by washing your hands with a jug of distilled water.
I think the EDTA should help a lot. You might have to experiment a bit to get the right amount for your area. Developing a good soap takes time and a lot of testing. This is why we tell newbies not to start selling right away.

I dislike most M&P, it leaves my skin dry and tight, so does castile soap. I'm pretty particular about what kind of CP I can use too. Too much olive or coconut and my skin is very unhappy. Took me over two years to formulate a recipe that I can use and my skin is starting to dislike it.

 

[SideDoorSoaps]

We have hard, very high sulfur water. I don’t even care about the soap scum but I’ve never noticed a squeaky feeling showering at home. I do notice the slimy feel I get when I use softened water showers. I don’t like it at all!

Our base recipe for most of the soap I make is 40% HO conditioning oils (mostly olive). It has a dense, creamy lather that I don’t find stripping, even with a high amount of CO.

I don’t like MP because of the way it makes my skin feel either which is interesting because the kind I used says mostly glycerine and not a lot of additives. Not right but not gently cleansed either lol

 

[Meena]

No I get the same sensation when I use melt n pour soap. I dislike melt n pour for the fact the feeling it gives my skin.

But M&P is also lye soap.

 

[ScentedExpressionsSupp]

But M&P is also lye soap.

I dont want to debate M&P being lye soap. There is some that's considered a cosmetic due to its ingredients. There is some that wasnt made with sodium Hydroxide in it. Regardless, I get a totally different feeling with CP than I do with M&P.

 

[shunt2011]

To my knowledge all MP is made with sodium hydroxide. Some with surfecants and additives. I'd like to see a link to one that's not made with lye.