jax1962
Well-Known Member
Thanks DeeAnna - off to play!!
I'll try crockpot method first but would also like to try the cold method, if using cold method, what do you do about the stearic acid?
My Creamy Cocoa/Shea GLS Tutorial
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I'll try crockpot method first but would also like to try the cold method, if using cold method, what do you do about the stearic acid?
jax1962
Well-Known Member
All diluted and cooling, it worked a treat - thanks again DeeAnna! I'm already loving this luscious bubble monster!
I forgot that stearic acid is part of this recipe. You can't use a cold method to incorporate the stearic acid. It has to get hot enough to melt.
I've just re-read this entire thread and one thing I didn't see mentioned was colour. I've just diluted the last of the batch I made two years ago (forgot to label the paste but found the date made in this thread... I knew I made it in December but thought it was last year). I separated it into two fragrances but would like to colour one to differentiate it from the other. What's the best way to do so?
BattleGnome
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I use liquid lab colors from Brambleberry, a little truly goes a long way for everything but blue.
I imagine micas would eventually settle but someone may know of a good method
I imagine micas would eventually settle but someone may know of a good method
Thank you. I decided to go ahead and experiment. I added a little water soluble colour to about a tsp of distilled water and added it to the liquid soap. It seems to have worked just fine for now. Time will tell.
dxw
Well-Known Member
Hmphhh! Soap is not inanimate, it's sentient. Not only that but it's malign sentient … existing entirely to trouble me.
I am now, for something completely different, trying this IrishLass recipe.
No problems with steps A through to E. I used the pharmacists' method, because it looked interesting, and found it quite gratifying to see it suddenly go crystal clear.
Stage F was interesting, however. It started out as per your photographs but never looked vaguely similar at any point after that. It went from clear yellow-brown liquid to a cream-yellow opalescent light curd/colloid and pretty much stayed there. I never got much in the way of surface bubbles but after a (long) while the mix started to thicken: first alight crepe batter; then a thicker batter; and then, OMG, it hit a medium then heavy trace and was too thick to shakeout of the whisk. I scraped the whisk clean, covered the container and ran away to try and read-up on what might have happened.
It was a lovely smooth thick heavy trace batter, without a bubble in sight on the surface or in the air :-(
Having found no similar fail-examples I headed back out an hour later to find it had separated into a heavy cream coloured 'froth' atop a deep amber syrup, about 50:50. I took a wooden spoon to explore the mix and as I stirred it gently a dozen beautiful little bubbles surrounded me. I guess I made it to the flying bubble stage (I had to look Lawrence Welk up). It's covered up now, I will look-in again in the morning.
I am now, for something completely different, trying this IrishLass recipe.
No problems with steps A through to E. I used the pharmacists' method, because it looked interesting, and found it quite gratifying to see it suddenly go crystal clear.
Stage F was interesting, however. It started out as per your photographs but never looked vaguely similar at any point after that. It went from clear yellow-brown liquid to a cream-yellow opalescent light curd/colloid and pretty much stayed there. I never got much in the way of surface bubbles but after a (long) while the mix started to thicken: first alight crepe batter; then a thicker batter; and then, OMG, it hit a medium then heavy trace and was too thick to shakeout of the whisk. I scraped the whisk clean, covered the container and ran away to try and read-up on what might have happened.
It was a lovely smooth thick heavy trace batter, without a bubble in sight on the surface or in the air :-(
Having found no similar fail-examples I headed back out an hour later to find it had separated into a heavy cream coloured 'froth' atop a deep amber syrup, about 50:50. I took a wooden spoon to explore the mix and as I stirred it gently a dozen beautiful little bubbles surrounded me. I guess I made it to the flying bubble stage (I had to look Lawrence Welk up). It's covered up now, I will look-in again in the morning.
biba.foster
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Irish Lass -
I have searched the wide world of the interwebs trying to find a liquid soap recipe that actually works... yesterday I stumbled upon your tutorial (the soaping gods were smiling upon me)... I started my first batch at 3:30PM after reading your tutorial three times... I was so excited that I barely could sleep! I now have two quarts of the most beautiful, creamy liquid soap waiting to be scented and colored... can't wait to try it on my test subjects, my family... Thank you so much for taking the time to write this tutorial, it is a game changer for sure!!!
I have searched the wide world of the interwebs trying to find a liquid soap recipe that actually works... yesterday I stumbled upon your tutorial (the soaping gods were smiling upon me)... I started my first batch at 3:30PM after reading your tutorial three times... I was so excited that I barely could sleep! I now have two quarts of the most beautiful, creamy liquid soap waiting to be scented and colored... can't wait to try it on my test subjects, my family... Thank you so much for taking the time to write this tutorial, it is a game changer for sure!!!
You are very welcome! 
IrishLass
IrishLass
beckster51
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Irish Lass, this tute is amazing! I have never tried LS, but I may be emboldened to do so with this as a crutch. When I read books about it, it seemed so intimidating. I have a stupid question. I know it depends on dilution, but about how much soap does this make after dilution? I am thinking of putting in an order for supplies.
Just a quick update.... My first liquid soap made with your information had me hooked! It is perfection in a bottle! Thanks again!You are very welcome!
IrishLass
Awesome! You're very welcome.
IrishLass
IrishLass
I've been searching for the LS recipe that members are raving over. I searched under your name @IrishLass and variations of that. I find information, but no tutorials. You have so many messages, I couldn't go through them all, even the most recent ones. How do I search for your tutorials and tutorials in general? Thanks for your help.You are very welcome!
IrishLass
Carly B
Well-Known Member
@ShirleyHailstock , the first post in this thread has a recipe from @IrishLass. I didn't read the whole thread to see if there was a followup recipe, but that should get you started.
ETA: The recipe is spread across several posts. With lots of pictures.
ETA: The recipe is spread across several posts. With lots of pictures.
Last edited:
Read this thread, all of it. There's a lot of great information here. It's one of two threads I refer to quite regularly; the other one is Songwind's Shaving Soap thread (My first shaving soap is a success).
I've gone over this thread a few times and hesitated to make it based on the use of polysorbate. However, I found a nice substitute for polysorbates and will be giving this a try very soon. According to what I've been finding, it should be a suitable replacement.
From makeyourown.buzz: "Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside is a nonionic surfactant with excellent solubility, stability, surface and interfacial activities. It has excellent solubilizing properties in highly concentrated surfactant solutions also in the presence of salt and alkalies." "Excellent for use as a substitute or partial replacement for polysorbates to solubilize essential and fragrance oils in to liquid formulations."
Has anyone tried using Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside as a polysorbate substitute?
From makeyourown.buzz: "Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside is a nonionic surfactant with excellent solubility, stability, surface and interfacial activities. It has excellent solubilizing properties in highly concentrated surfactant solutions also in the presence of salt and alkalies." "Excellent for use as a substitute or partial replacement for polysorbates to solubilize essential and fragrance oils in to liquid formulations."
Has anyone tried using Caprylyl Capryl Glucoside as a polysorbate substitute?
The liquid soap making threads I recommend to people --
This thread that you're reading.
Also Irish Lass wrote another tutorial that I think is an easier to follow introduction to the cold process, superfatted method of liquid soap making. Irish Lass's other tutorial: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soaping-101-liquid-soapmaking-video.46114/ See posts 8 and 9
I recommend that people NOT use the method of dissolving KOH in hot glycerin as she describes in the first part of Step 3. Read and follow her directions in RED toward the end of Step 3 where she explains how to dissolve KOH in room temperature water. Much easier and safer.
Also Susie provided another good tutorial on the superfatted CP method for making liquid soap. I think Susie's contribution is under-appreciated. Susie's tutorial: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cold-process-liquid-soap.49852/
Another good resource: https://milesawayfarm.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/liquid-soapmaking-where-to-start/
This thread that you're reading.
Also Irish Lass wrote another tutorial that I think is an easier to follow introduction to the cold process, superfatted method of liquid soap making. Irish Lass's other tutorial: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/soaping-101-liquid-soapmaking-video.46114/ See posts 8 and 9
I recommend that people NOT use the method of dissolving KOH in hot glycerin as she describes in the first part of Step 3. Read and follow her directions in RED toward the end of Step 3 where she explains how to dissolve KOH in room temperature water. Much easier and safer.
Also Susie provided another good tutorial on the superfatted CP method for making liquid soap. I think Susie's contribution is under-appreciated. Susie's tutorial: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/cold-process-liquid-soap.49852/
Another good resource: https://milesawayfarm.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/liquid-soapmaking-where-to-start/
Hi Shirley! I only have 2 LS tutorials...the one in this very thread (see posts 1 - 8) is my Creamy Cocoa Shea GLS tutorial, and the other one (my Crystal Clear GLS) is located in the first link that DeeAnna just provided above in post #197 (see posts 8 and 9 in the linked thread).
IrishLass
Thank you and WOW! I read all 8 segments and then the questions and answers. You guys are great! I am so lucky I found this forum, especially since newbies are welcome.
