help

[Kevinkn24]

hello i'm making 100% coconut oil soap and 100% olive oil soap

i use salt solution for thickening
it can thicken the 100% olive oil soap
and i know it cant thicken 100% coconut oil soap

but why it can't thicken my 70% olive and 30% coconut oil soap?

 

[lsg]

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/salt-to-thicken-liquid-soap.42582/

 

[DeeAnna]

I'm assuming you're using KOH (potassium hydroxide, caustic potash) to make the soap.

Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl, table salt) certainly can be used to thicken a 70% olive, 30% coconut soap. There's sufficient oleic acid in that soap for salt to work. But you need to add the correct amount of salt. If you don't add enough or add too much, it doesn't work.

You need to do a "salt curve" to determine the correct amount of salt to add. Don't just add salt and blindly hope it works.

More info: Soapy Stuff The article "Why does salt thicken shampoo" has more info about salt curves.

 

[Kevinkn24]

I'm assuming you're using KOH (potassium hydroxide, caustic potash) to make the soap.

Salt (sodium chloride, NaCl, table salt) certainly can be used to thicken a 70% olive, 30% coconut soap. There's sufficient oleic acid in that soap for salt to work. But you need to add the correct amount of salt. If you don't add enough or add too much, it doesn't work.

You need to do a "salt curve" to determine the correct amount of salt to add. Don't just add salt and blindly hope it works.

More info: Soapy Stuff The article "Why does salt thicken shampoo" has more info about salt curves.

i use citric acid to neutralize the coconut oil soap is it the problem?

 

[DeeAnna]

i use citric acid to neutralize the coconut oil soap is it the problem?

Possibly, but if the diluted liquid soap is not separating and is visually clear, the citric acid probably isn't the problem. I can't be sure, however, without more info -- need a FULL recipe -- all ingredients all in weights, as well as your method of making the soap and diluting it.

But you also need to do a salt curve to make intelligent decisions about how to best thicken your soap with salt -- have you done that homework? It's likely that you're not using salt correctly.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Please read:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/can-not-thicken-my-soap.90777/