Raw silk

[Obsidian]

I was reading that I can use raw silk in CP, that it will dissolve in the lye. Is this true? How much would I add PPO and do I just stir it into the lye water?
I can get raw, homegrown silkworm cocoons and it would be fantastic to finally find a use for them.

 

[jean1C]

I am sure more season soapers will give you a more specific response. But I have used silk in my recipes for the past 2 months. You put it in the lye water. I put it on the top and pour the lye on it. You don't use a lot. Less than a cottonball size. I really don't feel a difference.

My question would be, if you use something from the fields will it be the same? What do you have to do to incorporate it into your soaps?

 

[innerdiva73]

I use it in most of my soaps and it does add a little extra conditioning but not much. You put it in the lye water right after you have added the lye to the water. It takes a while to dissolve and should be stirred frequently to ensure the silk has fully incorporated. I think it is more for label appeal than anything but silk is also found in commercial conditioners as well.

 

[Obsidian]

The cocoons I can get are cultivated, the only real difference between them and what is prepare for fiber is mine is raw where what is used for fiber will have been boiled to separate the strands. It would probably be easier if I boil it and unravel some, other wise its spun into a fairly dense but thin mat.

I read that silk helps make the lather feel silkier and the soap have more slip. I don't expect it to add any conditioning to the bars but it sounds cool and its free so why not.

 

[savonierre]

Silk really does add to the soap imho. I have used silk fibre, silk yarn and tussah silk, never tried the raw cocoons..I hope it works for you.

 

[eyebright]

Silk is suppose to add silkiness to the lather, plus a luxury feel.

 

[kdaniels8811]

I cut mine into tiny pieces and use a thumbnail size ball for 3# of soap. It dissolves easier in the lye cut up.

 

[Obsidian]

Can you use too much? will it have a negative affect?

 

[moonbeam]

Ive been wanting to try this myself, it's on the list of new things! it sounds like it would be wonderful ! Do let us know if you do it!

 

[Obsidian]

I plan on making a batch later today and I will be using a whole cocoon. I'm using the same recipe as the last batch I made so I can compare.

 

[Robert]

I can get raw, homegrown silkworm cocoons and it would be fantastic to finally find a use for them.

And I like mulberries, so maybe we can get together! :grin:

Silk will be altered under milder hydrolyzing conditions to dissolve. Under saponifying conditions, I dont know how much of the silk protein survives at all.

 

[Obsidian]

Sadly, I don't have any mulberries. My worms are raised on powdered chow. I made my batch today, the silk bits mostly dissolved but there were cloudy floaters in the lye water. Not sure if I used too much silk or what.

 

[SilentThunderStorm]

As far as raw silk goes, you will want to boil it first until it divides itself into individual threads.

There are two silk proteins, one that actually makes what we call silk, and the other that makes the silk stick to itself. This second protein entirely coats the protein that you really want.

If you are using silk thread or silk fabric, or commercially produced silk fiber, it will already have been boiled to remove the sticky protein... if you are using raw cocoons, however, you will have to do it yourself. Sometimes, you will buy 'raw silk' and it will often contain little bits of leaves and such; this is actually raw, and still needs to be boiled.

Failing to do this can give you problems with it dissolving well, as well as minimize the effect of the silk in the soap.

The problem with this is grabbing the silk fiber out of the water after boiling it... so I don't. Instead, whenever I use raw silk (obtained a few cocoons from rare species of moth) I boil it in the water that I intend to use for lye. Once it is separated nicely, I let it cool, top off whatever boiled off, and then add the lye.

Never had a problem, and definitely helps the soap.

 

[Ancel]

What do you raise worms for?

I use spidersilk in my soap. Have plenty of spiders and no silkworms I use it like the silk, add it to the lye. It dissolves very well and quickly and I do feel it adds a silkiness to the soap, also great label appeal. The spidersilk I use is the supporting threads rather than the sticky central ones, I don't boil them beforehand. No spiders are ever harmed, and even my vegan buyers like it

When I had access to spinning wheels and real fibers I loved working with silk. Hope you find yourself loving it in soap!

 

[Obsidian]

I raise the worms for reptile food, I have a bearded dragon.

 

[SilentThunderStorm]

Personally, I use it for a premium feel, and thinking about selling some of my soaps, and really like the label appeal as well.

You can use silk from *ANY* source, anything from straight cocoons (boiled so it unravels and dissolves) to squares cut out of an old silk tie.

I get my cocoons from my local zoo... they have a butterfly house, with all kinds of exotic moths, and they never though to do anything with the cocoons that get left over... the first person I spoke with didn't seem to realize that they were made of 'real silk', since the species wasn't 'silk worm'.

Then when i told them i was going to put it in soap, they just looked at me really weird, and I think they thought I was either crazy or stupid.

Who cares? They handed me the cocoons, and even gave me the labels that went with them as to which moth left which cocoon... gonna label each of them with a picture of the moth that made it for me.

Haven't thought about using spider silk... thinking you might have to use egg sacs to get enough of it together in one place... or a LOT of webs.