@DeeAnna thanks for your input. I'm very skeptical about including a chemical preservative in to my liquid soap. However considering the issues it can bring up if no preservatives used, I thought of looking for a preservative. here it is very difficult to obtain the popular brands used by soapers in US. hence I've asked the chemical shop where I usually buy caustic soda, they suggested DMDMH. that's how I got to know about it. However, with what I found out afterwards, I still opted not to use it, which means I'm back looking for another one.
Preservatives
- Thread starter LoryLu
- Start date
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Zany_in_CO
Saponifier
You may want to read what Faith of Alaiyna B Blogspot has to say about preservatives in liquid soap. It may help you with your decision. (Scroll down a bit.)
http://alaiynab.blogspot.com/2014/12/liquid-soap-faqs.html#more
Thanks for the link, I've been making Cold Processed Liquid Soap for about an year for personal use and given away to my immediate families. I used distilled water to dilute (1:3), fragrance to scent, food coloring & table salt as thickening agent. Although my product turned out to be lovely at the beginning, the fragrance eventually overpowered by a pungent smell , it happens more faster in the bottle kept in the bathroom, than the bottle kept near the kitchen sink. More recently, I found a bottle I gave away about six month ago unused at my parent's place. it also had that bad odor, however not as worse as it is in the bottle used in the bathroom. It can be either due to the absence of Preservative or due to the absence of antioxidant.
After reading thru many articles, and SMF forum, I've opted to include BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene) as the antioxidant also EDTA as chelating agent in my latest batch of about 2kg. I've diluted a small amount of it and started using it. Now I feel the bad smell my product is developing is not due to oxidation and due to some other issues (lack of preservatives may be?) that's why I started looking for a preservative, I'm someone who didn't wanted any chemical substances in my soap other than that are essential or already used in day to day life (Caustic, food coloring, fragrance in the absence of essential oils etc). however, eventually I've come to realize that at some points responsible use of chemicals can help to improve the safety and usability of the product. that's how I've opted for EDTA (after experiment with Citrates), BHT etc.
Dahila
Well-Known Member
Lankan stop using food colorant cause it will stain your bathtub or skin. It is not allowed in US or Canada and I do believe Europe too. My liquid soap smells nice , If you using hot glycerin to mix KOH it could be the source of smell cause glycerin does easily burn, then the stink
Thanks for the advise, I usually use a small dose of food colorant (usually pink). I have not seen any stain marks anywhere due to that. Do you know any particular reason for the ban, I heard it may discolor due to high pH environment. the bottle of 6 month old soap I found at my parents place also holding on to the color, without indicating much discoloration. My first batch back in 2018, was made with water soluble colorant added to the soap batter, it had discoloration after few months time. Now I add color only at the dilution stage.
All my soaps are Cold processed. I don't preheat, just start with KOH in water solution only. Glycerin is added during stick blending when the temperature is manageable. I leave the completed batch to sit for couple of hours finish saponificaiton and cool down. The soap paste doesn't smell bad, so does the soap immediately after dilution. that's why I concluded that the reason may be some microorganisms.
Dahila
Well-Known Member
Lankan so you make it like I do . I mix koh with water, then add glycerin to it when a bit cooler. Actually I have no idea why it is banned in cosmetics in US and Canada, Europe have even more restriction that we have . I have customers who complained that they got the bb and they stained the tub, Maybe with soap is different situation but it is not allowed here. Maybe DeeAnna can explain it ?
Good news..!! I wrote to industrial tech. institute explaining the challenges I face and today I got a response to meet with the my samples.
I'm hoping to visit them asap, amid my work schedules and need to get my questions clearly prepared to discuss with them. preservatives would be one of those items definitely.
I'm hoping to visit them asap, amid my work schedules and need to get my questions clearly prepared to discuss with them. preservatives would be one of those items definitely.
In the US for Cosmetics, colorants must be on the certified and approved colorants list. In Canada all soap are classified as cosmetics, but in the US that is not the case. True soap is exempt, so unapproved colorants can be used in non-cosmetic soaps in the US, BUT they still have to be safe for use if the soap is being sold. The regulations don't apply if one is making soap only for personal use (self or family).
The FDA tests and certifies all colorants before adding them to the approved list. So if it gets tested and doesn't pass, it cannot be used. I really don't know if the FDA tested food coloring or not, so I don't really know if it was truly banned. You could be correct, I just don't really know.
Dahila
Well-Known Member
thanks Earlene. I know all regulation in Canada but so well rules in US
Good news..!! I wrote to industrial tech. institute explaining the challenges I face and today I got a response to meet with the my samples.
I'm hoping to visit them asap, amid my work schedules and need to get my questions clearly prepared to discuss with them. preservatives would be one of those items definitely.
I've met with them yesterday and agreed to give them my product (liquid soap) so that they can run some test with several options, my key concerns were preservatives & thickeners with consistency over a range of temperatures.
