Silica gel

[nframe]

Hello everybody,

I found some silica gel that I used to use as a desiccant in order to dry flowers. I was about to throw it away but am wondering whether it could be used to dry soap. Do you think that it is safe to do this? I assume that if the soap is well wiped at the end, it should be OK. What do you think?

 

[boyago]

I throw all the silica packs I get in other things into the bottom of my drying rack (box) in the hopes to stabilize the humidity though the more I think about the amount of air and moisture that passes through the less sense it makes to me. My salt bars did seem to stop feeling so damp when I did this but they might have stabilized on their own.

 

[seven]

I think you can use it, and i believed it is packed in something and wont be touching the soap, thus no wiping necessary. I use refillable dehumidifiers, placed them in every drying rack. I live in a humid place so this is necessary.

 

[boyago]

I think you can use it, and i believed it is packed in something and wont be touching the soap, thus no wiping necessary. I use refillable dehumidifiers, placed them in every drying rack. I live in a humid place so this is necessary.

I was curious about those. Do you know how much water they wick out of the air? Can you rejuvenate them or do you just replace them?

 

[seven]

I'm not sure how much, but mine does go pretty fast as it is super humid where i live, esp now during the heavy rainy season. My poor salt bars look like they've been out in the rain.

Once they're out, i just throw away the water, rinse and wipe the detachable bowl clean, and replace the silica pellets.

These, along with the fan has been a god send for me to help tackle the humidity problem.

 

[TVivian]

I know which kind you're talking about. It's loose sand that you pour over the flowers? I think it'd probably work great, but I wouldn't put the soap in it directly. I'd put the silica gel in muslin bags or something like that then just put the bags into your boxes with the curing soaps.

 

[nframe]

Thank you all for your comments. I'll reuse the silica then. I like the idea of reusing things. It does look like sand, I forgot to say, so it will be easy to wipe. Regarding the other comments about salt bars, I keep mine in a plastic box with lots grains of rice amongst them. It is what restaurants do to salt cellars to keep the salt flowing so I figured it would keep the humidity out of the soaps. So far, it seems to be working and the salt bars are OK.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I'm with Viv on this one - I don't even like touching the bags of it that come in things like breifcases and so on, let alone using a soap that had been sitting in it. It might be 100% safe, but I just don't like the idea of it

 

[seven]

thanks for the rice for salt bars suggestion, i think i might give it a try

 

[Saponista]

Silica is irritating to skin so I agree that you shouldn't actually put the soap in it, but putting it in muslin bags near your soap will work.

 

[Rosie95!]

Hi Everyone!
I was hoping to get some advice, so I make soap and some of them have dried herbs on top, such as lavender, rose and chamomile. From my understanding if stored correctly the herbs should not go mouldy and should last a few years, however, my soaps have started to grow mould on the herbs which ain't good. I've tried to cool the room down with a fan, I have a humidifier, and I have now brought the gel packs to try and absorb moisture.

Do you think it would be safe to add the gel packs into the soap packaging to keep out the excess moisture? Or any other recommendations?

Thank you

 

[JuLeeRenee]

Hi Everyone!
I was hoping to get some advice, so I make soap and some of them have dried herbs on top, such as lavender, rose and chamomile. From my understanding if stored correctly the herbs should not go mouldy and should last a few years, however, my soaps have started to grow mould on the herbs which ain't good. I've tried to cool the room down with a fan, I have a humidifier, and I have now brought the gel packs to try and absorb moisture.

Do you think it would be safe to add the gel packs into the soap packaging to keep out the excess moisture? Or any other recommendations?

Thank you

I refuse to use flower in or on my soaps so I really can't help you with that part. As far as adding the desiccant packs with your soaps, it is fine to use them. I however suggest the rechargeable ones. The majority of these are color changing so you can see when you either need to recharge them or replace them. Depending on what you get or are willing to spend, you can either use your microwave to recharge (these tend to be the cheapest to get) or the ones for a gun safe you just plug into the wall till it changes color and you don't see any moisture. (this tends to be the moderate to more expensive route) I personally am going to go the plug in route when I am able to start making soaps again.

 

[Rosie95!]

I refuse to use flower in or on my soaps so I really can't help you with that part. As far as adding the desiccant packs with your soaps, it is fine to use them. I however suggest the rechargeable ones. The majority of these are color changing so you can see when you either need to recharge them or replace them. Depending on what you get or are willing to spend, you can either use your microwave to recharge (these tend to be the cheapest to get) or the ones for a gun safe you just plug into the wall till it changes color and you don't see any moisture. (this tends to be the moderate to more expensive route) I personally am going to go the plug in route when I am able to start making soaps again.

I never knew that you could recharge the packs! I guess we learn something new everyday So i am using the celloxpress silica gel packs and their the small packs, and I plastic wrap my soap, so I was thinking to put a little pack in with each soap once I plastic wrap them? What do you think?

Thank you for your feedback xx

 

[JuLeeRenee]

I never knew that you could recharge the packs! I guess we learn something new everyday So i am using the celloxpress silica gel packs and their the small packs, and I plastic wrap my soap, so I was thinking to put a little pack in with each soap once I plastic wrap them? What do you think?

Thank you for your feedback xx

Check your post I posted there too. I am not sure of the ones you have but yes you can get some that recharge.

 

[dibbles]

I plastic wrap my soap

Is your soap fully cured before you wrap it? (meaning 4 weeks minimum) And I assume you are talking about cold process or hot process soap, not melt and pour. Your climate is very different from mine and I don't typically add botanicals to the top of my soap, but the few times I have used them I didn't have any problems with mold. I don't wrap soap until I am ready to give it away (I don't sell).

 

[Rosie95!]

Is your soap fully cured before you wrap it? (meaning 4 weeks minimum) And I assume you are talking about cold process or hot process soap, not melt and pour. Your climate is very different from mine and I don't typically add botanicals to the top of my soap, but the few times I have used them I didn't have any problems with mold. I don't wrap soap until I am ready to give it away (I don't sell).

Yes, it is cold press soap I make. Yes I normally let the soap cure for about 5 weeks to be sure. Definitely the climate here in London is a joke, we have radiators as well which is the issue, it is probably the cause of having very humid air indoors.
Thank you for your feedback.

 

[user 56151]

Hi Everyone!
I was hoping to get some advice, so I make soap and some of them have dried herbs on top, such as lavender, rose and chamomile. From my understanding if stored correctly the herbs should not go mouldy and should last a few years, however, my soaps have started to grow mould on the herbs which ain't good. I've tried to cool the room down with a fan, I have a humidifier, and I have now brought the gel packs to try and absorb moisture.

Do you think it would be safe to add the gel packs into the soap packaging to keep out the excess moisture? Or any other recommendations?

Thank you

Are your botanicals properly dried? I can’t actually answer your questions because I don’t use botanicals. I have in the past and they didn’t go mouldy but I can’t see the point, they might look pretty but they just end up down the drain.