Hardening Soap

[pink-north]

I've asked this question a couple of times and have gotten really good answers (thank you very much BTW), but with those answers come more questions.

1. Can I use stearic acid to help my soap cure nice and hard?
2. How do I use stearic acid in my CP soap?
3. I've heard of something else to use, but can't remember what it is right now, anyone using something else?
4. What about putting salt in your soap? Does that make it harder? How do you use it? How does the salt affect the soap?

I think I'll stop there.

 

[soapbuddy]

If this is CP, I would use sodium lactate.

Irena

 

[CPSoaper]

You can use bees wax or stearic acid to add hardness. Just melt them with your butters.

I also prefer sodium lactate but I do use stearic acid in my shampoo bars.

 

[pink-north]

Where do you get sodium lactate and how do you use it? Is it liquid or granular?

 

[soapbuddy]

Where do you get sodium lactate and how do you use it? Is it liquid or granular?

Lotioncrafter.com has the powder.
You can also find the liquid online, but you are paying for shipping water. I can add that on my own.

Irena

 

[CPSoaper]

Where do you get sodium lactate and how do you use it? Is it liquid or granular?

Lotioncrafter.com has the powder.
You can also find the liquid online, but you are paying for shipping water. I can add that on my own.

Irena

I have to confess that all these years and I've never bought the powdered form. I use the liquid from MMS. Do you just add a certain amount of this powdered form to you lye water?

 

[soapbuddy]

Where do you get sodium lactate and how do you use it? Is it liquid or granular?

Lotioncrafter.com has the powder.
You can also find the liquid online, but you are paying for shipping water. I can add that on my own.

Irena

I have to confess that all these years and I've never bought the powdered form. I use the liquid from MMS. Do you just add a certain amount of this powdered form to you lye water?

I make a 40% solution with water.

Irena

 

[pink-north]

I'm assuming that you then add the solution to your lye water and that you discount it from the overal amount. How much do you add to your lye water and when?

 

[soapbuddy]

I'm assuming that you then add the solution to your lye water and that you discount it from the overal amount. How much do you add to your lye water and when?

I add the solution to my lye water AFTER it has cooled off. I use about .25 per pound of total batch. sometimes more, depending on soaping oils used. I also discount my water, but even if you don't, such a small amount will not make a difference.

Irena

 

[pink-north]

Is that .25 oz or .25 teaspoon. I just want to make sure I get it right.

 

[soapbuddy]

Is that .25 oz or .25 teaspoon. I just want to make sure I get it right.

That's in oz.

Irena

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I make a sugar/salt premix and add 1/2 ounce ppo. I start out with 8 ounces of distilled water and heat it to boiling. I then add 8 ounces of fine sea salt, and stir in the rolling, boiling water. After all is dissolved into the water, I turn down the heat and stir in 6 ounces of sugar. I stir until all is thoroughly mixed and then I let simmer with the top off the pot for 10 minutes to evaporate a bit more water. I then put this into a Ball canning jar and seal up. I take the stick blender and mix up the contents every time before I pour out the needed amount of solution for my recipe. I feel the salt/sugar solution enhances the recipe to create a harder, more bubblier bar of soap. I add the solution to my batter after I've added my lye solution. I sometimes add it to my cold goat milk. I do use this as part of my liquids needed in my recipe. I'm looking for a light syrup consistency in my mixture. Hope this helps. I've been doing this for about a year now.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[pink-north]

Thanks for the info Paul. As per my usual I have some questions.
1. What's ppo?
2. Do you wait until trace or do you add it right after you add the lye?
3. Do you discount you lye-water?
4. Tell me this is CP soap

I tell you. I thought I knew about soap until I came to this forum. Now I realize I don't know much at all. Thanks for the education.

Cindy

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Thanks for the info Paul. As per my usual I have some questions.
1. What's ppo?
2. Do you wait until trace or do you add it right after you add the lye?
3. Do you discount you lye-water?
4. Tell me this is CP soap

I tell you. I thought I knew about soap until I came to this forum. Now I realize I don't know much at all. Thanks for the education.

Cindy[/Thanks for the info Paul. As per my usual I have some questions.


1. What's ppo?
PPO is an acronym for: Per Pound Of Oils.
2. Do you wait until trace or do you add it right after you add the lye?
If you are talking about my salt/sugar mixture, I add it to my just barely mixed batter.

3. Do you discount you lye-water?
Sometimes I do a little. I try to stay between a 29 to 33% lye solution mixture.

4. Tell me this is CP soap
LOL, yes, this is goat milk based CP soap! :wink:

I tell you. I thought I knew about soap until I came to this forum. Now I realize I don't know much at all. Thanks for the education.

No problem Cindy!
Glad to help out when I can.
Paul.... :wink:

 

[pink-north]

Thanks again. When I try this I will let you know how it turns out.

 

[pink-north]

I just made a batch of soap and I'm not happy with it. I didn't use the salt sugar solution this time, but I plan to. Anyway my question Paul is,

I have 4 lbs of oil so that would mean 2 oz of solution added to batter right after the lye water has been added, right? with only 2 oz of solution do I really need to discount the lye-water? I need to do another batch quick, I was planning to use that for the holiday swap.

Thanks so much for all your help.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

I just made a batch of soap and I'm not happy with it. I didn't use the salt sugar solution this time, but I plan to. Anyway my question Paul is,

I have 4 lbs of oil so that would mean 2 oz of solution added to batter right after the lye water has been added, right? with only 2 oz of solution do I really need to discount the lye-water? I need to do another batch quick, I was planning to use that for the holiday swap.

Thanks so much for all your help.

Yes, discount your liquids by 2 ounces. The slurry I make is the thickness if thin syrup. I think the salt/sugar solution helps the batter pour better also, more "fluid like" INMO.
Try it, I think you will like it!

Paul.... :wink:

 

[pink-north]

I tried to make the solution, but it didn't work out for me. I started off with 8 oz distilled water. Brought that to a rolling boil then added 8oz fine sea salt. I stirred to get it to dissolve, but it never did. Did I do something wrong? :?

Another question.l
I made a soap red and white swirl and when I went to cut it, it was very crumbly like wet sand (sort of) I decided not to cut it and let it sit a little longer. Well the rest of the log seems firm, but the little end I cut off is still crumbly and the other end is crumbly. just the very end though. Any thougts on what went wrong? :?

I'm going to cut it up in the morning. I really need this one to turn out.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

The salt will not "melt" because the high temp required to melt salt. If salt is dissolved into water past it's saturation point, you will always have salt settle to the bottom. I just shake really good until it's all mixed up then pour the needed amount into my batter. That's how I do it anyway.

Paul.... :wink:

 

[pink-north]

Will the sugar dissolve as well or will it settle out like the salt? :?