Question Regarding First Soap With EDTA

[Susie]

OK, my first EDTA (0.5%) batches are now six weeks old. The lather is glorious, but I still feel like I have soap scum on my skin. What gives?

My first thought was to increase the superfat, but then I realized that more superfat may lead to more soap scum feel. Am I on the right track here, or do I need to decrease the superfat? I made a flying trip back to Soft Water Land, and luxuriated in the slick feel of oil left on my skin. I want that back!

Compounding the soap scum feeling is that the humidity is much lower here, so my skin is drier than I would like. I actually have to use lotion!

 

[BattleGnome]

I think the humidity might be part of the issue. You're probably feeling the general humidity differences first and the water differences second.

Maybe use 100% lard for a batch. That tends to be much slicker for me

 

[Susie]

I am not ruling out the humidity being part of the dry skin issue, but I do not like the feeling of the soap scum on my skin.

I am already using 65% lard, which is my go-to recipe, and I used this recipe for years with soft water. The only difference now is the hard water.

I was hoping for DeeAnna to weigh in since I used her website for info on EDTA.

 

[psfred]

I'm not sure you can put enough EDTA in soap to prevent soap scum while washing with it, the volume of water used in rinsing will contain enough calcium/magnesium to use up whatever EDTA was in the soap.

You might try 1% EDTA and see if that helps, I'm not sure more than that is a good idea.

I don't notice, you could probably drive nails with my well water, but I can see how it would be irritating.