Potato soap update

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
So this is new, fresh soap, right? You have not tried it yet? I'm very curious how your skin will feel after using it. Please continue to keep us posted!

Well, after reading your post, I tried it even though it's only been two weeks. It feels great! Lots of bubbles too. I have to be patient now so I'll report back next month.
 
[To "fit" the soap or to make it "sharp" to the tongue or "short" means to make the soap slightly lye heavy. This was a way to ensure the soap was fully saponified using the soapmaking methods of the day. If the soap was to be a toilet soap, it would be finished at the end to make a more neutral soap. Otherwise most soap was finished and sold slightly lye heavy. This helped prevent rancidity.]


The soapmaker's handbook, Carl Diete, 1912.

No wonder some people think lye soap to be harsh! I didn't realize it was done on purpose. Yikes.
 
I was surprised to learn recently that most commercial soaps made in the present day aren't superfatted, although soap was often superfatted (meaning 5% or more of free fatty acids) in the 70s and 80s. Today's soap is pretty much lye neutral -- no excess lye, no superfat.

Superfat makes the soap softer and reduces lather, makes the soap more more prone to cracking and getting mushy, and makes the soap harder to form into bars. These issues have led manufacturers to eliminate the superfat. And maybe that is one reason why people have more skin irritation with commercial soaps?
 
I used cooked. I boiled it to death then blended, making sure to use the water it was cooked in. I must say, I'm surprised by this additive. Hours later, my skin still feels silky and not a speck of scaly dry skin any where.


I am so gonna try this in CP! Potatoes are VERY GOOD for the skin! It aids in skin brightening, blood circulation, reducing wrinkles and so much more! it just clicked to me that I want to make a potato soap so naturally I had to come here and search to see if anyone tried it! Thank you for sharing your experience!
 
I might have cheated on mine. I dissolved my lye in 1:1 plain water and just added another 1.5 of potato water to my oils. Seems to work with oatmilk so figured it would work with potato water.

12 large rounds swirled with yellow oxide .. and a few little potato men (Mr. Potato heads?) left over. There's also 3 little cocoa men left over from the Minion irises but they were not made with potato water.

Everything sat over night and looked good this morning so I popped them in the freezer for a few hours to get a nice release. More pics later.

View attachment 10768

View attachment 10769

View attachment 10770
I'd love to know if you get nice big bubbles from the potato water.?
 
Although I am no moderator, I don't find a problem with it as long as it is on topic and does not ask questions of people who no longer participate on the thread.
 
I'd love to know if you get nice big bubbles from the potato water.?
This person hasn't been here for two years. Not likely to get an answer from them.

Although I am no moderator, I don't find a problem with it as long as it is on topic and does not ask questions of people who no longer participate on the thread.
I agree.
 
Here's a married couple who make it for part of their business:
Island Potato Soap Company® - Home
Wow so interesting, an entire line of products dedicated w/the use of potatoes. I noticed they mention using
"Potato Juice" I wonder if that's raw ground potato & the juice extracted or cooked? maybe both depending on the product. Interesting post. 💫👍🏼
 
Wow so interesting, an entire line of products dedicated w/the use of potatoes. I noticed they mention using
"Potato Juice" I wonder if that's raw ground potato & the juice extracted or cooked? maybe both depending on the product. Interesting post. 💫👍🏼
Good question. They say it is raw juice so I guess they press the potatoes and use the extracted raw juice. (But do they use it at 100 percent like you ask........good question.)

All I ever do is strain the potato water after boiling and cooling and use that. Some small particles still remain in the diluted juice but not much.
 
Last edited:
Good question. They say it is raw juice so I guess they press the potatoes and use the extracted raw juice. (But do they use it at 100 percent like you ask........good question.)

All I ever do is strain the potato water after boiling and cooling and use that. Some small particles still remain in the diluted juice but not much.
This would be a fun project using Raw Potato Juice, I wouldn't use it @ 100% though. If I do try it I'll post my outcome. 👍🏼🧼💫
 
I wonder if the starch in the potatoes is the reason it's such a nice bar? Makes me think of the Rice bars. I like the idea of this.
Maybe but what I like about it is it adds to the lather a bit.

This would be a fun project using Raw Potato Juice, I wouldn't use it @ 100% though. If I do try it I'll post my outcome. 👍🏼🧼💫
I do use it now and then as the lye water and the balance of the liquid is a can of coconut milk. It does help increase the lather. Not massively but still noticeable IMHO.

Maybe raw juice might increase the lather more?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top