How much sodium citrate?

[CLMP]

I don't know if Steve is still with us. Some of his last posts indicated that his health wasn't great, and he was looking forward to his next home in heaven.

Anyway, I use 1-2% sodium citrate, and I pre-dissolve it in a little of the batch water. It helps to warm up the water just a bit if you want it to dissolve faster. Or, use cold water and just keep stirring.


The sodium citrate is a chelator, not really a hardener like sodium lactate. You can use both, but just be careful about adding too many different salts (sodiums) to your soap. DeeAnna has posted about that before to warn that your soap can start behaving badly if that happens. For instance, if you do use both the citrate and lactate, don't include any other salts like table salt, Himalayan salt, etc.

Im sorry to here this forums soapy friend might be gone!

 

[CLMP]

Thank you so much @AliOop

 

[AliOop]

Im sorry to here this forums soapy friend might be gone!

I can't say for sure... looks like his last posts were in Sept of 2022, and his profile shows that he hasn't popped in since April of 2023. Super nice guy so if he's still on planet earth, I wish him the best.

 

[Frijoles]

be careful about adding too many different salts (sodiums) to your soap. DeeAnna has posted about that before to warn that your soap can start behaving badly if that happens. For instance, if you do use both the citrate and lactate, don't include any other salts like table salt, Himalayan salt, etc.

I didn´t see DeeAnna´s post and I´m not sure how to search for it. I´m wondering in what way the soap will behave badly. Thanks

 

[AliOop]

I didn´t see DeeAnna´s post and I´m not sure how to search for it. I´m wondering in what way the soap will behave badly. Thanks

My best recollection is that it can be soft, rubbery, or not lather well (or any combination thereof).

 

[DeeAnna]

I didn´t see DeeAnna´s post and I´m not sure how to search for it. I´m wondering in what way the soap will behave badly. Thanks

I don't have a link to the actual discussion thread, but I do remember the conversation.

A soap maker was adding several salts to their soap. If I remember right, they were using several salts in their soap such as table salt, sodium citrate, and sodium lactate -- two or maybe all three, don't recall. They were using the recommended rate for each one, but their soap was turning out unacceptably soft and rubbery.

I thought this problem might be from a high total percentage of salts in the batch and suggested they choose only one salt to use in their next batch, rather than 2 or 3. That seemed to be the solution to their problem.

Many newer soap makers seem to think they need to add salts to their soap, whether or not the salt(s) are actually providing any benefit. My advice is to develop recipes that make very good soap without additives, and then tweak the recipes by carefully choosing the additives.

Chelators such as sodium citrate offer a huge benefit -- protection against rancidity -- that no other ingredient can provide, so the use of a chelator is at the top of my "must have" additives. Other than a chelator (I use EDTA), I seldom use other salts.

I never use table salt nor sodium lactate after testing them a few times. I personally haven't seen amazing benefits from either one. What I do see is some reduction in the amount of lather when these salts are used, and I really like my soap to have an abundant, fast building lather.

 

[Frijoles]

Thanks @AliOop and @DeeAnna. Great information, as usual.