Let’s talk bubbles!
- Thread starter Liorasol
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akseattle
Well-Known Member
@Liorasol,
I don't know the answer to your question, but, it might depend on what other oils you have in your soap and if those oils help or don't help in the bubble department. When I decreased the coconut oil in my recipe, which helps with bubbles but can be drying on the skin, I started adding sugar. Soap Queen's Lots of Lather recipe doesn't add sugar but it has 31.99% coconut oil. Her "bubbly" number is 28.
My present recipe is a 19 on bubbly. I haven't specifically compared it to one of my "Lots of Lather" soaps, but my present recipe which has 2% sugar (I switched to sorbitol in my last two batches) seems bubbly enough.
I asked AI if there was scientific research on this issue. It said:
"While there isn't extensive published scientific research specifically on adding sugar to cold process soap to increase bubbles, the general scientific understanding of surface tension and how sugar interacts with water supports the idea that adding sugar can indeed help create more bubbles in soap due to its ability to slow down evaporation and stabilize the bubble film; making bubbles last longer and appear more plentiful.
Key points about sugar and bubbles:
The same inquiry also directed me to The Ultimate Guide to Soap at the link below.
https://www.ultimateguidetosoap.com...iew- sugar,increase the durability of bubbles.
So, I'm pretty sure sugar increases bubbles. But, I'm not sure if anyone has quantified the results. Hope this helps!
I don't know the answer to your question, but, it might depend on what other oils you have in your soap and if those oils help or don't help in the bubble department. When I decreased the coconut oil in my recipe, which helps with bubbles but can be drying on the skin, I started adding sugar. Soap Queen's Lots of Lather recipe doesn't add sugar but it has 31.99% coconut oil. Her "bubbly" number is 28.
My present recipe is a 19 on bubbly. I haven't specifically compared it to one of my "Lots of Lather" soaps, but my present recipe which has 2% sugar (I switched to sorbitol in my last two batches) seems bubbly enough.
I asked AI if there was scientific research on this issue. It said:
"While there isn't extensive published scientific research specifically on adding sugar to cold process soap to increase bubbles, the general scientific understanding of surface tension and how sugar interacts with water supports the idea that adding sugar can indeed help create more bubbles in soap due to its ability to slow down evaporation and stabilize the bubble film; making bubbles last longer and appear more plentiful.
Key points about sugar and bubbles:
- Surface tension modification:
- Evaporation control:
The same inquiry also directed me to The Ultimate Guide to Soap at the link below.
https://www.ultimateguidetosoap.com...iew- sugar,increase the durability of bubbles.
So, I'm pretty sure sugar increases bubbles. But, I'm not sure if anyone has quantified the results. Hope this helps!
IMHO there is a noticeable difference in the bubbles. My two go to recipes are low in coconut oil, high in sold oils and butters so it has a tight creamy lather. My DH thinks that if you don’t have big fat bubbles he’s not getting clean. Time for plan B!
In my vegan recipe I swapped my distilled water for Aloe Vera juice which has natural sugar ( thank you @KiwiMoose) and have always used Castor Oil to support the bubbles. My goat milk soap with lard has decent bubbles, and a nylon soap saver makes both recipes explode with big fat bubbles-literal bubble trails everywhere. I use Sorbitol in Pine tar soap to make the bubbles and will swap that out for sugar once I’m out.
Beer in place of water…game changer! Prepare your lye mixture in a really tall container, the reaction is intense! This one with my recipe is on par with the BB lots of lather recipe I found.
I found the recipe for BB lots of lather in their archives when I first started out and it’s a bubble rock star, but my skin said Feed Me Seymour, my skin just does not like that much coconut oil.
Oddly enough, your let’s make lather with this bar of soap technique makes a difference also, rolling the soap in your hands produces more bubbles…who knew?
In my vegan recipe I swapped my distilled water for Aloe Vera juice which has natural sugar ( thank you @KiwiMoose) and have always used Castor Oil to support the bubbles. My goat milk soap with lard has decent bubbles, and a nylon soap saver makes both recipes explode with big fat bubbles-literal bubble trails everywhere. I use Sorbitol in Pine tar soap to make the bubbles and will swap that out for sugar once I’m out.
Beer in place of water…game changer! Prepare your lye mixture in a really tall container, the reaction is intense! This one with my recipe is on par with the BB lots of lather recipe I found.
I found the recipe for BB lots of lather in their archives when I first started out and it’s a bubble rock star, but my skin said Feed Me Seymour, my skin just does not like that much coconut oil.
Oddly enough, your let’s make lather with this bar of soap technique makes a difference also, rolling the soap in your hands produces more bubbles…who knew?
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I can’t speak to the numbers…. I also use AVJ, as 100% water replacement, and I use 1% sorbitol. This finally got DH to say there were enough bubbles to make him happy and switch to my soap. That’s my scientific method for a bubble test. 
