Today’s Cuts

[Todd Ziegler]

This recipe for Sodium Lactate was shared with me by a fellow soaper. I haven't tried it yet.
measure out lets say 16oz water and weigh the pot with the water in it....make note of that weight....dont tare the scale....(make sure you weight out the salt before)....the heat the water up....to boil...take off heat...reweigh..add any lost water to get back to 16oz....add the 32oz salt...stir till its dissolved...set aside covered to cool off


that gives you a 60/40 solution
then once its cooled off....add it to a clean sterile bottle....

My bad, I thought you were using table sugar. I have sodium Lactate but I am running out with no way to get more.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Very beautiful and well photographed. A pleasure to see your work.

Thank you!!.

This recipe for Sodium Lactate was shared with me by a fellow soaper. I haven't tried it yet.
measure out lets say 16oz water and weigh the pot with the water in it....make note of that weight....dont tare the scale....(make sure you weight out the salt before)....the heat the water up....to boil...take off heat...reweigh..add any lost water to get back to 16oz....add the 32oz salt...stir till its dissolved...set aside covered to cool off


that gives you a 60/40 solution
then once its cooled off....add it to a clean sterile bottle....

If this works as well as SL it would sure be a convenient inexpensive alternative! It’s worth a try! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Nona'sFarm]

This recipe for Sodium Lactate was shared with me by a fellow soaper. I haven't tried it yet.
measure out lets say 16oz water and weigh the pot with the water in it....make note of that weight....dont tare the scale....(make sure you weight out the salt before)....the heat the water up....to boil...take off heat...reweigh..add any lost water to get back to 16oz....add the 32oz salt...stir till its dissolved...set aside covered to cool off

Does it matter what type of salt? I have Iodized Table Salt and also granulated Sea Salt. Which would be better?
Do you use it in the same ratios as SL, about 1 teaspoon ppo?

 

[linne1gi]

Here's the cut of my latest HP (hot process) soap. Made with Lard, Olive, Coconut, Castor Oil and superfatted with Kokum Butter. I added Coconut Milk, Sour Cream, Apple Cider Vinegar, Orange Juice, Sodium Lactate, and Mulberry Silk.

 

[Jersey Girl]

Here's the cut of my latest HP (hot process) soap. Made with Lard, Olive, Coconut, Castor Oil and superfatted with Kokum Butter. I added Coconut Milk, Sour Cream, Apple Cider Vinegar, Orange Juice, Sodium Lactate, and Mulberry Silk. View attachment 45355

They are beautiful! I have yet to attempt HP. It intimidates me for some reason.

 

[Cal43]

I was using the sugar to boost the lather. I use SL for hardening and unmoldimg sooner.

Can you use sugar and salt in the same batch?

 

[Belindasuds]

Can you use sugar and salt in the same batch?

You sure can. Be sure to dissolve them in the water before adding the lye though. 1 tsp per pound of soap is the general rule for both when adding to your lye solution. People do push that higher though, particularly with salt in salt bars.

Those colours and swirls are lovely! @Jersey Girl

 

[Regina Green]

Still working on those photography skills! Made these yesterday. The pink one was a redo of the one I made that got discolored by the addition of honey. I added sugar to the blue one and had no discoloration so sugar it is! View attachment 45306View attachment 45307

Gorgeous!

 

[Nona'sFarm]

Here's the cut of my latest HP (hot process) soap. Made with Lard, Olive, Coconut, Castor Oil and superfatted with Kokum Butter. I added Coconut Milk, Sour Cream, Apple Cider Vinegar, Orange Juice, Sodium Lactate, and Mulberry Silk.

Very impressed with the layers (?) / swirls (?) that you made with a HP. I have not attempted anything like that with HP.

 

[Hinata]

is their a particular name for the style of swirl you did?

How do you keep your batter thin enough to trace? I don't know why I always seize even when I soap at 90 degrees-- both lye and oils.

 

[Jersey Girl]

is their a particular name for the style of swirl you did?

How do you keep your batter thin enough to trace? I don't know why I always seize even when I soap at 90 degrees-- both lye and oils.

The swirl is a hanger swirl. I used the tool that Brambleberry sells, but I’ve also made my own with a hanger covered with electric tape. I soap at temps usually in the neighborhood of 100-105 sometimes even a little warmer. I stick blend to emulsion then start adding my colors and stir by hand. Sometimes I add my FO to the oils before I add the lye. When I first start pouring the trace is light, but by the time I’m finished layering the colors the batter is a more medium trace consistency. Too thin and the colors get muddled. I usually have to work pretty fast though. I always use a behaving FO. I always use some lard and between that and olive and usually one other soft oil they usually are around 50-55% of the oil content.

You really have a knack for making beautiful swirls! Have you seen the Soaping101 YouTube video that shows how the different types of sugars affect the final color of soap? Apparently, “reducing sugars,” like glucose and fructose, darken soap, while sucrose does not. It has something to do with the chemical structure of the sugar.

I couldn’t find the video you were referencing although I searched YouTube Soaping 101 videos. Do you know where I can find it. Would love to watch it!

 

[linne1gi]

Very impressed with the layers (?) / swirls (?) that you made with a HP. I have not attempted anything like that with HP.

It has taken me a while (almost a year) to get my HP soap fluid enough to swirl. It is so different from CP which I have been doing for 7 years before starting with HP. I so love the HP soaps quality - I am going to attempt a tall and skinny shimmy with HP next.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Here you go:

 

[Carolyne Thrasher]

You've really mastered swirls! Those are very pretty!

 

[Jersey Girl]

Here you go:

Thank you!

 

[StarChild]

Does it matter what type of salt? I have Iodized Table Salt and also granulated Sea Salt. Which would be better?
Do you use it in the same ratios as SL, about 1 teaspoon ppo?

I have used 1 tsp ppo of both sea salt and table salt and both times the soap came out good.

 

[linne1gi]

I wouldn't use iodized salt in soap. You don't want extra iodine in soap. Use fine sea salt or fine table salt or Kosher salt. The salts you absolutely can't use are Epsom Salt (which is magnesium sulfate - not a salt at all), and Dendritic Salt.

 

[Garden Gives Me Joy]

Thanks to Covid19, I'm out of sea salt and was forced to buy table salt nearby. However, I want to try a salt bar.
Would the table salt be equally or comparably good (as sea salt) for controlling excessive oil (and acne)? Do the 2 feel the same also?

 

[Jersey Girl]

Thanks to Covid19, I'm out of sea salt and was forced to buy table salt nearby. However, I want to try a salt bar.
Would the table salt be equally or comparably good (as sea salt) for controlling excessive oil (and acne)? Do the 2 feel the same also?

Here is a thread that discusses different salts. Ive not yet made a salt bar myself so have no personal experience.
salt bar - what kinds of salt can and can't be used?

 

[linne1gi]

Thanks to Covid19, I'm out of sea salt and was forced to buy table salt nearby. However, I want to try a salt bar.
Would the table salt be equally or comparably good (as sea salt) for controlling excessive oil (and acne)? Do the 2 feel the same also?

Table salt is fine for soap making. It has smaller sized grains. The only kinds of salt to not use in soap, are Epsom Salt (which is not really salt at all but magnesium sulfate) and Dead Sea Salt because it doesn't set up well and leaves you with gooey sticky soap. If you use Pink Himalayan salt, you should grind it because the large grains are uncomfortably scratchy. Oh and iodized salt is not a good idea - because you do not want excess iodine in your soap.