Nothing Thickens My Castile Soap!

[Echo1429]

Hey fellow soapers,

So I made some liquid Castile Soap awhile back to use as a base for body wash that I wanted to make and sell. After several months, I have tried thickening it using multiple methods, but all have failed. Where did I go wrong?
Salt water makes a milky precipitate, and glycerine does nothing to it!
Note that I am reusing containers that used to hold other liquids, milk, wiper fluid, etc., but they have all been washed and dried repeatedly and very, VERY thoroughly using strong soap and then distilled water.
I know this is a long post, but I need help!!

 

[DeeAnna]

Please provide more details -- What is your recipe? Castile is a word that many people use pretty loosely, so be more specific and detailed. How much water did you use to dilute? How thick are you trying to make this product? You say you used multiple methods to thicken, but all you mention is salt and glycerin. Any others?

 

[Loralei]

The first question I would ask, is how much water you used in your dilution. I make a lot of liquid soap, and found salt to be my preferred option.. however, if you've used too much water in your initial dilution, no amount of salt water will really help.

Start with a 2:1 paste:water dilution, and go from there. Keep adding a big of water to your dilution as needed.. I found that for my dish soap, I dilute 1:1, and thicken with salt water (I live in hard water land, so salt is a good addition for my needs).

Play, keep track, and you'll find your perfect dilution rate... then one day, you'll change something, and have to start over, lol!

 

[DeeAnna]

Good points, @Loralei. What I've seen in the past is that many people who want a "bodywash" are looking for a really thick gel. Salt doesn't always work to give that level of viscosity, even if the oleic acid content is sufficiently high and the soap is not over diluted. I also know that too much salt is just as bad as too little salt, and we don't know anything about that. Just that salt was used. And yet another issue -- if by "castile" the OP merely means he/she made an all vegetable fat soap, that means we don't have a clue to the oleic acid content and thus don't know if salt will even work at all as a thickener.

 

[Loralei]

You're absolutely correct, @deanna ! I've had the "too much salt" happen, and it was cloudy! I've used Crothux, and overnight, my soap was like water! There really are so many factors to consider, aren't there? For instance, I neglected to mention that my LS is for washing dishes - which makes for a completely different set of needs