Making bulk lye for multiple batches

[bombus]

I have tried this, but had some lye-heavy batches and stopped for fear of losing more oils.

I suspect that my lye master batch was losing water over time, and when I weighed it out, I ended up with more lye than 50%. I keep it in a "tupperware" type of pitcher with a tight-fitting lid,
but as I use it, I get an air space on top- lye crystals cling to the sides as the level goes down, and I'm pretty sure that water is evaporating. If I stir before I measure out the lye, the crystals
don't seem to re-dissolve, and just have to be seived out as I pour the lye into the oils.
I have my pitcher of master batch just sitting since I abandoned it because of bad soap batches. I don't know how I could test it's strength to see if that is the problem.

 

[desarae19]

i know several of you have talked about using aloe vera juice in your soaps, and this is something I am interested in.

can you/do you pre-mix a soultion using the juice, or just the water, and had the juice in later?

 

[serfmunke]

I have yet to use aloe juice in place of water. I would like to try it in a soap recipe as well as a lotion.

 

[IrishLass]

i know several of you have talked about using aloe vera juice in your soaps, and this is something I am interested in.

can you/do you pre-mix a soultion using the juice, or just the water, and had the juice in later?

I've never used aloe in my masterbatch solution, so I personally don't know how it would do sitting over time. Hopefully someone who has done so will chime in.

I used to use aloe in place of my water a lot when I first started making soap (back in my pre- premix days :wink: ) but I could never tell if it was adding anything to my soap, or if any of aloe's goodness survived the saponification process intact, so I stopped. Besides, it got to be too expensive for me anyway.

But to answer your other question- yes, you can premix your lye with water, and then use aloe in place of the extra water that you'll need to add in later when you go to make your soap.


IrishLass