results from testing clays and additives

[kagey]

26 hours after soaping - I'm unmolding the soaps. This is what they look like.
Top left is #1. Followed by #2 & #3.
Next row is #4 and so on.

I created my batch of C34 (cleansing) soap batter. Poured it into the mold.
Then, added approx ⅛ tspn of additive. And, if any, 1 tspn of EO.
Mixed, topped each compartment with more batter -- stirred more.

This is what I tested:
1. Sodium Bentonite (mixed with boiling water)
2. Calcium Bentonite (mixed with water)
3. Sodium Carbonate (Washing soda mixed with boiling water) + 1 Tbsn honey
4. Cornmeal
5. Flax seed meal + 1 tspn Rosemary EO
6. French Green Clay (mixed with water) + Tea Tree EO + dried ginger root shavings
7. Borax (mixed in boiling water) + coffee grounds
8. Magnesium Hydroxide (mixed with water) + turmeric powder
9. Beta Cyclodextrin (mixed with Vanilla Extract) + 1 tspn Vanilla Select FO
10. Beta Cyclodextrin (mixed with lemon/lime juice) + lemon EO + dried lime peel zest
11. Turbando sugar (1 Tbsp)
12. Control (added 1 tspn Peppermint EO)
13. Rose clay -- had left-over batter, added 1 tspn rose clay, mixed & poured into round mold

Initial reactions:
#1 clumped when trying to mix whereas #2 mixed more smoothly. Had to add 3-4 Tbsp of water for #1 compared to just 1 Tbsp to #2.

soap in mold:
# 7 & #12 were oily to the touch on top.
#8 and #13 were softer than others. With #13, I could shave off some soap and easily press it against together to form any shape... like thich Play-Doh.
They ALL had soda ash on top even though I covered them all with parchment paper and a wood board.
They were all CPOP.

will give sink results tomorrow.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

26 hours after soaping - I'm unmolding the soaps. This is what they look like.
Top left is #1. Followed by #2 & #3.
Next row is #4 and so on.

I created my batch of C34 (cleansing) soap batter. Poured it into the mold.
Then, added approx ⅛ tspn of additive. And, if any, 1 tspn of EO.
Mixed, topped each compartment with more batter -- stirred more.

This is what I tested:
1. Sodium Bentonite (mixed with boiling water)
2. Calcium Bentonite (mixed with water)
3. Sodium Carbonate (Washing soda mixed with boiling water) + 1 Tbsn honey
4. Cornmeal
5. Flax seed meal + 1 tspn Rosemary EO
6. French Green Clay (mixed with water) + Tea Tree EO + dried ginger root shavings
7. Borax (mixed in boiling water) + coffee grounds
8. Magnesium Hydroxide (mixed with water) + turmeric powder
9. Beta Cyclodextrin (mixed with Vanilla Extract) + 1 tspn Vanilla Select FO
10. Beta Cyclodextrin (mixed with lemon/lime juice) + lemon EO + dried lime peel zest
11. Turbando sugar (1 Tbsp)
12. Control (added 1 tspn Peppermint EO)
13. Rose clay -- had left-over batter, added 1 tspn rose clay, mixed & poured into round mold

Initial reactions:
#1 clumped when trying to mix whereas #2 mixed more smoothly. Had to add 3-4 Tbsp of water for #1 compared to just 1 Tbsp to #2.

soap in mold:
# 7 & #12 were oily to the touch on top.
#8 and #13 were softer than others. With #13, I could shave off some soap and easily press it against together to form any shape... like thich Play-Doh.
They ALL had soda ash on top even though I covered them all with parchment paper and a wood board.
They were all CPOP.

will give sink results tomorrow.

Love the way you laid out the test bars in the molds! I’ll be interested to know how your cornmeal soap turns out. I tried using cornmeal as an exfoliant when I first started making soap 20 years ago. The first or second use of the bar was fine, but the cornmeal absorbed water when the bar was used regularly and I became concerned about bacteria buildup. Don’t know if I should’ve worried, but it is something I would investigate before using it again. Will your target market know that the bar of soap needs to dry completely in between use?

 

[kagey]

so today was the perfect day to test soaps, as I was bbq-ing and making hamburgers (with lots of onion, garlic, shallots, etc.) - and since I was prepping and cooking at the same time - I needed to wash my hands all the time.

here's what I noticed from the soaps:
overall -- in all the soaps, I needed to rinse for a little longer than normal to get all slipperiness off.
it's like this batter left a layer of hand cream lotion on your hand at the end.

#12 - Control - good lather, tight bubbles - peppermint smell
#13 - big bubbles, great lather
#11 - more and bigger bubbles than #12. very sudsy
#10 - more lather than control. seemed to rinse off faster than #12
#9 - lather and bubbles seemed identical to control. bar felt "harder" than #12
#8 - Bigger bubbles. Good lather. Nice creaminess. Bar had a "softer" feel than #9
#7 - good lather. not a lot of bubbles.
#6 - lots of bubbles and lather. seemed to have taken off all smells and residues off hands.
#5 - fewer bubbles and lather than #12
#4 - soap bar seemed to "stick" to hands - like in a suction kind of way. Tons of lather.
#3 - Lots of creamy lather. Bubbles good. Suds are a dark yellow.
#2 - Really good lather. Small bubbles. Seemed like it took off all odors and residues off hands.
#1 - Big bubbles. Great lather. Lot of white suds.

Overall -- I was happy with my batter. Good suds should be expected based on the numbers.
I tried not to predict what I should expect - nor tried not to remember which soaps had what additive so I would not have any bias to the soap.
#6 & #2 seemed to perform best on kitchen hands.

Will test again later with more intense grease & oils.
But for now, other than #7 (borax) - they all performed quite well.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

so today was the perfect day to test soaps, as I was bbq-ing and making hamburgers (with lots of onion, garlic, shallots, etc.) - and since I was prepping and cooking at the same time - I needed to wash my hands all the time.

here's what I noticed from the soaps:
overall -- in all the soaps, I needed to rinse for a little longer than normal to get all slipperiness off.
it's like this batter left a layer of hand cream lotion on your hand at the end.

#12 - Control - good lather, tight bubbles - peppermint smell
#13 - big bubbles, great lather
#11 - more and bigger bubbles than #12. very sudsy
#10 - more lather than control. seemed to rinse off faster than #12
#9 - lather and bubbles seemed identical to control. bar felt "harder" than #12
#8 - Bigger bubbles. Good lather. Nice creaminess. Bar had a "softer" feel than #9
#7 - good lather. not a lot of bubbles.
#6 - lots of bubbles and lather. seemed to have taken off all smells and residues off hands.
#5 - fewer bubbles and lather than #12
#4 - soap bar seemed to "stick" to hands - like in a suction kind of way. Tons of lather.
#3 - Lots of creamy lather. Bubbles good. Suds are a dark yellow.
#2 - Really good lather. Small bubbles. Seemed like it took off all odors and residues off hands.
#1 - Big bubbles. Great lather. Lot of white suds.

Overall -- I was happy with my batter. Good suds should be expected based on the numbers.
I tried not to predict what I should expect - nor tried not to remember which soaps had what additive so I would not have any bias to the soap.
#6 & #2 seemed to perform best on kitchen hands.

Will test again later with more intense grease & oils.
But for now, other than #7 (borax) - they all performed quite well.

Do you think that the bars with some fragrance, such as #6 where you mentioned the word “seemed,” might mask other ordors left on your hands? (Vs, eliminate the odors.). I would think in either case the perception that one’s hands smell better and have a natural fragrance would be a linchpin for your target market.

I am curious about your water. Is it hard or soft? I have moderately hard water. I find my soaps rinse very quickly without any slimy feel. You have me wondering about super fat ratios, but I’m sure there are other additives that could cause a prolonged slimy feel. I should mention that I put beeswax in my soap, almost in every batch, and it may change how the soap rinses. I think it gives my skin a different after feel from other soaps, soft.

 

[kagey]

I live in New Orleans - and our water here is considered "hard."
most soaps I use rinse off without a slimy feel. So I was surprised that I needed to do an extra rinse after I got the suds off my hands.

But I did use different "soft" oils from previous recipes (as part of the experiment) that might have contributed to this: avocado oil & flax seed oil (linseed). I also used Lard instead of Beef Tallow since I was out of beef tallow.

After I rinse off the suds, I continue to rinse until my hands are squeaky clean. It's not really than noticeable - but compared to most commercial soft soap products it does take relatively more time to rinse your hands.

As far as odors - garlic & onion are hard to cover up - at least to my nose - in that they have a very distinct odor. The tea tree EO in #6 is very faint when you're using it. It was stronger when it came out of the mold, but now seems to have faded. I really don't smell any of the Vanilla and, in all honesty, I didn't put that much lemon EO in #10 because I only had very little left. I definitely don't smell any rosemary either. So I don't think my EO are contributing to the lack of smell. Also, as silly as it sounds, I'm also taste-testing my fingertipss to see if I can taste the ingredients I'm chopping & cooking with. When my fingers don't taste like my ingredients, I know the soap is doing its job.