Sea Salt CP and EDTA

[loriag]

Would you add EDTA to a sea salt cp? I am wondering as sea salt has some trace minerals in it. I usually put ROE and EDTA in my cold process but am wondering if you would use both in a sea salt recipe?

 

[earlene]

I use EDTA (along with ROE) in all my soap formulas to combat DOS, so yes, that includes salt soaps. It's not only for chelating the minerals in hard water.

http://cavemanchemistry.com/DreadedOrangeSpot-Dunn.pdf

 

[loriag]

Thank you earlene! The first batch I made just had ROE in it, and want to make another batch and was just a bit unsure. I am really liking the salt bars. I also did a trial of the soap monthly and wow what a difference as it ages.

 

[SoaperForLife]

I use EDTA (along with ROE) in all my soap formulas to combat DOS, so yes, that includes salt soaps. It's not only for chelating the minerals in hard water.

Interesting article - thanks for posting the link. Why not use BHT + Sodium Citrate? Dunn writes "The best combination in our tests, however, came from BHT + Sodium Citrate. Used together they lengthened the induction period beyond 300 hours and held the eventual color saturation to about 10%, the same color as fresh soap."

 

[cmzaha]

I do not use EDTA in my salt soaps if I am using 50-100% salt. I use BHT with EDTA and no longer have DOS issues even in my soaps with lard. Will admit I have not tried the combination with 100% lard.

 

[earlene]

Interesting article - thanks for posting the link. Why not use BHT + Sodium Citrate? Dunn writes "The best combination in our tests, however, came from BHT + Sodium Citrate. Used together they lengthened the induction period beyond 300 hours and held the eventual color saturation to about 10%, the same color as fresh soap."

Because at the time I was making the decision which to buy, tetrasodium EDTA + ROE seemed a better choice for several reasons. One thought at the time was BHT didn't seem as acceptable a chemical as EDTA; I don't think that now, though, but at the time thought my family would be less friendly toward BHT. I already had the ROE anyway, so it made more sense to go with that combination; I put ROE into all my oils except the hard ones when I first open them up. There were more detailed instructions about how to make an EDTA masterbatch solution (at the time - not sure about now as I haven't looked.) A big plus for EDTA is that it is also a chelator that helps reduce soap scum, and that was also a big factor in my decision. And it reportedly helps with lather as a by-product of chelation (of hard water minerals that would otherwise diminish lather.)

Plus I bought a supply of EDTA that will probably last me quite some time, so I have no desire to waste what I already have and I am happy with the result. Maybe some day I will make the switch because I have no issues with the math for Citric Acid now, but I'd still be using the ROE in my oils, so maybe I won't ever make the switch. I will not know until the time comes.

 

[OldHippie]

EDTA is an effective chelator, but it is not an antioxidant. You must have both. For example, "instead of protecting against and neutralizing metallic free radicals, EDTA in presence of iron and ascorbate produces free radicals and potentially induces the changes that it is intended to prevent." Green, Saul; Sampson, Wallace (2002).

Put EDTA in your lye BEFORE you mix it with the oil. It needs to bind with the metal ions contained in the lye impurities before they get a chance to act on the oil.