Help with a liquid soap recipe

[twoblooms]

Hello,

I followed this recipe here: http://www.lovinsoap.com/2010/09/liquid ... -a-recipe/

Here is the link to the liquid soap series: http://www.lovinsoap.com/category/liquid-soap/

I made liquid soap a few years ago using a different recipe and it was fine but too watery.
Anywho I've made the paste (cooked it for about 4.5 hours). As I used 6% Shea Butter
it isn't completely clear which is fine as I'm planning to use Amber glass bottles.

So the paste is 55 oz according to the recipe. Then I added about 55 oz of water so far and
it's still pretty thick. According to directions I then test the PH (I have strips for this and according
to the recipe the PH should be around 9.5 and it's 7 (tried testing soap cold and heating it up).
The recipe is at a 8% lye excess.

Question is should I further dilute with more water? I want to neutralize it using Citric Acid but
the recipe says that will bring down the PH. Once neutralized then I can superfat with Sulfated Castor
and Glycerin a 1% each to diluted soap. Don't have Sulfated Castor so will use Glycerin at 1%.

At a standstill now because wondering if I should add more water, it's pretty thick but thinking
once I neutralize with Citric using 2 oz of water and adding it back in then adding scent at about 3%

What should I do next add more water and how much?
I'll be adding more liquid.

 

[green soap]

You have 80% soft oils in your recipe, so opposite to solid soap, your LS will be very thick. It just takes more water to dilute, which makes for a weaker soap, less cleansing but very conditioning. Use for bathing, not for dishes.

Castor has unsaponifiables that will cloud the soap. Same with shea. For the clearest liquid soap stick with olive and coconut (other liquid oils are also OK, make sure the stearic fatty acid percentage is very low, and the soap is mostly saponifiable triglycerides.)

The relative amounts of olive and coconut oils are set by how you hope to use the soap. More OO for bathing, more CO for extra cleansing and bubbling.

 

[twoblooms]

Thank you I want it for hand soap. Will add a little more water
And continue with neutralizing supercharging and scenting. Good to know about clear oils as well.

 

[twoblooms]

Advice for liquid soap making

Update, I've added more water/neutralized/superfatted and added scent and it's really thick. Can I add more water at this point or do I have to just leave it alone? I'd like it thinner in consistency. It's wonderful just too thick.

 

[DragonQueenHHP]

yes you can add water until you are to the thickness you want

 

[twoblooms]

DragonQueenHHP,

Thank you so much. I didn't know if I could do this or not after the neutralizing/superfatting/scent stage.
This is only my second time making this and plan to do more experimenting in January.

 

[Lindy]

Just for future reference if you are superfatting you don't need to neutralize the soap. That's for when you are using a 0% SF or less. How fantastic you like how it turned out :wink:

 

[twoblooms]

Lindy,

Thanks, the recipe mentioned neutralizing and then the superfatting was optional so I just decided to do it.
Will have to add more water for sure though as it's quite thick.

 

[Lindy]

You're welcome :wink:

 

[twoblooms]

I'm back, so I added 5 more ounces of water to each part of soap (since I split the big batch in half).
After heating it up etc. to add water and then leaving it I notice the top has a nice layer of foam on it
and the bottom is a nice amber liquid colour. Is there a way to mix this foam back in or
should I just skim it off the top to get to the liquid?

 

[Lindy]

Use a whisk to 'fold' it back in. You need to work with it very gently but it can be done.

 

[twoblooms]

Lindy,

Thanks, will heat it up again and try to get it all back in.
If not I'll just skim it off the top.

Michelle