How much sodium citrate?

[wearytraveler]

I just got my order of sodium citrate in and I'd like to use it for a planned batch tonight. How much do I add knowing I and those I give my soaps to have hard water?
Also, what's the best way to add it? Dissolve in lye water? Add directly to warm oils?

Thanks!

 

[Steve85569]

I use 2% by weight of oils. It seems to help with our hard water.
If my recipe has 500 grams of oils in it I would add 10 grams of sodium citrate to it. (.02 x 500)

 

[Dr.J]

Also, what's the best way to add it?

I add it to my water and make sure its completely dissolved before I add the NaOH.

 

[dibbles]

Here is a link to Sodium Citrate usage in DeeAnna's 'Soapy Stuff' information. http://classicbells.com/soap/citricAcid.html

And this is what she wrote: How should I add it to my soap? Dissolve the citrate in about 2 times its weight of water. Stick blend that mixture into your oils.

I used to dissolve it in my batch water before adding the lye, which worked fine. But now I take some of the batch water to dissolve the sodium citrate, and stick blend it into the oils as she advises.

 

[penelopejane]

Here is a link to Sodium Citrate usage in DeeAnna's 'Soapy Stuff' information. http://classicbells.com/soap/citricAcid.html

And this is what she wrote: How should I add it to my soap? Dissolve the citrate in about 2 times its weight of water. Stick blend that mixture into your oils.

I used to dissolve it in my batch water before adding the lye, which worked fine. But now I take some of the batch water to dissolve the sodium citrate, and stick blend it into the oils as she advises.

This is what I do. I found it separated out when a added it to the lye water.
What other additives do you already use? It doesn't work with some.

 

[wearytraveler]

To the lye water (aloe ver juice) I use 6 -7 TBSP of sugar (before the lye, of course). My clay and FO are added to cooling oils and SB'ed before the lye water goes in.

This is what I do. I found it separated out when a added it to the lye water.
What other additives do you already use? It doesn't work with some.

 

[penelopejane]

To the lye water (aloe ver juice) I use 6 -7 TBSP of sugar (before the lye, of course). My clay and FO are added to cooling oils and SB'ed before the lye water goes in.

Don't you use sodium lactate too?
A lot of sugar (anything over 2 Tbsp is a lot) can make a soap soft. I am not sue you really need 6+ Tbsp of it to make bubbles.

What are you hoping to achieve with the CA?

 

[wearytraveler]

I usually do use sodium lactate but I have run out and will have to do without it. I made a batch a couple of weeks back that had 6 TBSP of sugar and no sodium lactate and the soap came out just fine to the point that it's one of my better batches. I use that much sugar since I don't use CO in my recipes and anything that helps make bubbles is a plus.

Don't you use sodium lactate too?
A lot of sugar (anything over 2 Tbsp is a lot) can make a soap soft. I am not sue you really need 6+ Tbsp of it to make bubbles.

What are you hoping to achieve with the CA?

 

[Midwitch]

What about using sodium citrate in hot process soap? Add the same as you would for cold process? I have hard water and want to cut down on the scumyness..

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, you would do the same for your hot process soap as for cold process. In HP, you're saponifying the soap before molding it. In CP, you're molding it before it saponifies. Allowing for that main difference, you can treat HP pretty much the same as CP.

 

[CLMP]

Hi is sodium citrate the same as citric acid powder and do I have to adjust lye when using sodium citrate. I'm trying to figure out how to use sodium citrate.

 

[dibbles]

Hi is sodium citrate the same as citric acid powder and do I have to adjust lye when using sodium citrate. I'm trying to figure out how to use sodium citrate.

I use sodium citrate at 1.5% of the oil weight. No adjustment is needed when using sodium citrate

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@CLMP I also use sodium citrate at 1.5% of oil weight. Because I masterbatch my lye (50:50), I dissolve the sodium citrate in the “split” liquid that I use to bring my lye concentration down to 40%. As mentioned by @dibbles, no lye correction is needed when using sodium citrate. Citric acid requires a lye correction/addition because the CA neutralizes a bit of the lye.

 

[RaulCallen]

Add 1-2 teaspoons of sodium citrate per pound of oils, dissolve it in the lye water before mixing with oils for best results.

 

[CLMP]

@CLMP I also use sodium citrate at 1.5% of oil weight. Because I masterbatch my lye (50:50), I dissolve the sodium citrate in the “split” liquid that I use to bring my lye concentration down to 40%. As mentioned by @dibbles, no lye correction is needed when using sodium citrate. Citric acid requires a lye correction/addition because the CA neutralizes a bit of the lye.

Thank you so much @dibbles and @Mobjack Bay I just got some in my order to try for the first time. I also read on line you can mix it in to your oils too does anyone here do that or know about it.

 

[dibbles]

Dissolve it in some of your batch liquid first. I do that and then stick blend it into the oils.

 

[DeeAnna]

I suggest dissolving it in water first and then you can blend that mixture into the fats.

IMO, it's a good idea if possible to dissolve water-soluble ingredients like sodium citrate powder in water first. You want to make sure all the solids are fully dissolved before you start to make soap.

Sometimes solid materials or viscous liquids like honey don't always fully dissolve if you just put them directly into the fats. Then they can end up as spots or pockets speckled throughout the finished soap.