Underrated and Overrated Soaping Ingredients

[Zany_in_CO]

You didn't say which one was the ONE additive you recommend.

Good catch!

 

[AliOop]

This is just my opinion but goat’s milk soap is overrated. And it’s such a pain to soap with that it’s not worth the annoyance of working with it as an ingredient. I’ve experimented with lots of different things in my soap. Egg yolks. Puréed cranberries. Beer. Wine. Carrot juice. Coffee. Watermelon juice. Oat milk. Goat’s milk. Potatoes. Corn silk. Colloidal oats. Rice flour/powder/rinse water. Sorbitol. Maple syrup. Powdered sugar. Molasses. Only ONE of those items makes it into every batch of soap. Because it actually does improve on the quality of my solidly good soap and it’s cheap and I can find it at my grocery store. I’ve never ever used sodium lactate. Or raw silk.

What’s that saying about you can’t exercise out a bad diet? Well, you can’t additive your way out of a subpar bar of soap. These days, I don’t add much to my soap batches. Just well-informed percentages of fats that I’ve discovered make a really good bar of soap.

So, against popular opinion. Additives are all kind of overrated…in my opinion. Except for that one ingredient I noted above. That one actually lived up to the hype.

To each her own. If I were selling to the general public, rather than catering to my individual friends, your approach @The_Phoenix would absolutely be the route to go. It definitely makes the most financial sense! But the people in my life have such unique skin needs and underlying health issues that even the most wonderful bar formulas don't cut it for them without certain additives. Much of my joy in soaping is helping them figure that out, and then making a special soap just for them.

Goat's milk powder is super easy to use, is available at the grocery store, and makes a very nice difference in two of my recipes. My high-lard GMP soap is the only one I can use on my face without breaking out. The same recipe without GMP does make me break out.

Likewise, GMP in ZNSB makes the difference for my friend with autoimmune issues. Lard and tallow soaps make her feel greasy, and she can smell the animal fats no matter what we do. Butters in soap irritate her skin. Regular ZNSC didn't lather as she liked, even with sorbitol or honey added. Regular ZNSB was too drying. Fortunately, we found that ZNSB with sorbitol and GMP has the lather she likes, yet doesn't leave her flaky or greasy.

On the other end, my husband who has both eczema and psoriasis gets zero benefit from GMP in his soap. His skin can't tolerate many butters in soap (although it's fine for him in lotions - go figure!). Fortunately, we determined over time and testing that the combo of colloidal oats, neem oil, and high lard makes a soap that he can use without any irritation whatsoever. Because he prefers LS at the sink, I'm still working on an LS formulation that isn't too drying for him.

My blind testers voted that using sorbitol or AVJ creates wonderful lather (better than powdered sugar, honey, or other sugars), and tussah silk creates nice slip. One bag of tussah silk is enough to last me a lifetime of soaping unless I went big time (no plans for that). It goes in my MB lye so it's in every batch with very little fuss.

I could go on, but you get the picture. No doubt the majority of folks out there probably don't need or want specialized ingredients; they will be fine with a well-formulated bar. But for whatever reason, the people around me need extra help. I believe God did that so they could get their needs met, and I'd have a good reason to have the joy of making soap and helping others. Win-win!

 

[Blufuz]

To each her own. If I were selling to the general public, rather than catering to my individual friends, your approach @The_Phoenix would absolutely be the route to go. It definitely makes the most financial sense! But the people in my life have such unique skin needs and underlying health issues that even the most wonderful bar formulas don't cut it for them without certain additives. Much of my joy in soaping is helping them figure that out, and then making a special soap just for them.

Goat's milk powder is super easy to use, is available at the grocery store, and makes a very nice difference in two of my recipes. My high-lard GMP soap is the only one I can use on my face without breaking out. The same recipe without GMP does make me break out.

Likewise, GMP in ZNSB makes the difference for my friend with autoimmune issues. Lard and tallow soaps make her feel greasy, and she can smell the animal fats no matter what we do. Butters in soap irritate her skin. Regular ZNSC didn't lather as she liked, even with sorbitol or honey added. Regular ZNSB was too drying. Fortunately, we found that ZNSB with sorbitol and GMP has the lather she likes, yet doesn't leave her flaky or greasy.

On the other end, my husband who has both eczema and psoriasis gets zero benefit from GMP in his soap. His skin can't tolerate many butters in soap (although it's fine for him in lotions - go figure!). Fortunately, we determined over time and testing that the combo of colloidal oats, neem oil, and high lard makes a soap that he can use without any irritation whatsoever. Because he prefers LS at the sink, I'm still working on an LS formulation that isn't too drying for him.

Oh wow! How many batches did it take to find the perfect mix?

Super interesting that people can react so differently to different additives.

 

[The_Phoenix]

@AliOop I completely understand your point of view.

You didn't say which one was the ONE additive you recommend.
Too much suspense!
I'll try: is it powdered sugar?

Ooops! Sorry. It’s rice flour.

 

[AliOop]

Ooops! Sorry. It’s rice flour.

Thanks, I was wondering, too. And I LOVE rice flour - such fantastic lather!

Oh wow! How many batches did it take to find the perfect mix?

Super interesting that people can react so differently to different additives.

Soooo many batches... after the first few, I used 1 lb molds only, so we weren't overwhelmed.

 

[Blufuz]

Ooops! Sorry. It’s rice flour.

How much do you use? Does it work the same if you use rice water? The water from soaking rice?

 

[Terri E]

I have a mix I have used in almost every batch of soap I make for quite a few years and I believe it does give my soap desirable qualities such as silky lather, smooth texture and skin healing properties.
The mix contains colloidal oats, bentonite clay, fine rice flour, powdered Meyenberg goats milk and or powdered coconut milk.

I also use sorbitol or xylitol and sodium citrate. I believe these add to the lather (sorbitol, xylitol) as well as help with soap scum (sodium citrate).

I make my soap for family and friends and I do sell to some locals. On the other hand I do understand having to keep costs down when running a business.

 

[Shelley D]

@AliOop and @Terri E
I have wondered if the powdered milk varieties make a difference (compared to their liquid milk version). It would be so much better for me (for storage and cost) to use powders, since I don't soap in volume. I still have frozen goat's milk in my freezer from a year ago I just have such negative memories of powdered milk from when I was a kid and my mom tried substituting our whole milk for a powdered variety to save money ~ she snuck some into my breakfast cereal and I thought the milk had gone sour so I went to school hungry that morning because I couldn't eat it
After that, she used it up in recipes for baking and never bought any powdered milk again! Now, I know I'm not eating my soap but in my head I keep thinking it's just not the same

 

[CecileBC]

Funny thing... I knew a soaper, also from France, who said the very same thing!

Welcome to the forum!
View attachment 73387

Hi !
There is so much that has been done with Savon de Marseille since the days it was first made. People have monetized on the label, and truly it has most of the time nothing to do with the real stuff. My mum has some very old bars sitting in her basement, and she only swears by it: she cleans everything with it, and keeps saying: the drier the better! But I guess the long cure time makes it impossible for large soap factories to make the real stuff anymore... Same as Aleppo soap...

 

[Terri E]

@AliOop and @Terri E
I have wondered if the powdered milk varieties make a difference (compared to their liquid milk version). It would be so much better for me (for storage and cost) to use powders, since I don't soap in volume. I still have frozen goat's milk in my freezer from a year ago I just have such negative memories of powdered milk from when I was a kid and my mom tried substituting our whole milk for a powdered variety to save money ~ she snuck some into my breakfast cereal and I thought the milk had gone sour so I went to school hungry that morning because I couldn't eat it
After that, she used it up in recipes for baking and never bought any powdered milk again! Now, I know I'm not eating my soap but in my head I keep thinking it's just not the same

Hi,
In my experience, and I have used both, it has not made a difference that I can detect in the final product. I also have used powdered buttermilk and kefir.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have wondered if the powdered milk varieties make a difference (compared to their liquid milk version). It would be so much better for me (for storage and cost) to use powders, since I don't soap in volume

I made GM soap for a wholesale customer for 10 years. They used fresh GM from their goats; I used Meyenburg Powder GM. (available at most grocery stores) Their customers couldn't tell the difference.

TIP: I made the lye solution the night before processing and put it in the fridge to chlll overnight. I added the powdered GM to my warmed oils, SB'ed for 1 minute to fully incorporate, before adding the lye solution straight from the fridge. Waaaay easier than the traditional method for making GM soap.

I also have used powdered buttermilk. Nice.

 

[The_Phoenix]

How much do you use? Does it work the same if you use rice water? The water from soaking rice?

I used to use the rinse water from when I make rice. And you certainly can do that. But now I just use rice flour because it’s super easy.

I weigh out the water of an upcoming batch and add 1-2 tsp of rice flour (depending on the size of my batch) and freeze it. An hour or so before I make soap I add the necessary 50:50 lye solution to the frozen water and when the ice melts I make soap. Or thereabouts.

Or I make a batch of “rice water” using rice flour and freeze it in ice cube trays. And use the ice cubes w/my 50:50 lye solution.

 

[AliOop]

I used to use the rinse water from when I make rice. And you certainly can do that. But now I just use rice flour because it’s super easy.

I weigh out the water of an upcoming batch and add 1-2 tsp of rice flour (depending on the size of my batch) and freeze it. An hour or so before I make soap I add the necessary 50:50 lye solution to the frozen water and when the ice melts I make soap. Or thereabouts.

Or I make a batch of “rice water” using rice flour and freeze it in ice cube trays. And use the ice cubes w/my 50:50 lye solution.

@Jersey Girl this might be a good starting point for your upcoming potato starch experiment.

@Shelley D I didn't sense any difference using powdered GM vs. fresh. And that's coming from someone who just wrote a long dissertation to @The_Phoenix about how some people (me, haha) are so sensitive to different ingredients. For whatever reason, powdered v. fresh GM is all the same to me.

 

[dmcgee5034]

Oh goodness, @The_Phoenix and @AliOop - now I’m thinking I need to get my hands on some rice flour and tussah silk to give them both a try! Off to search and read more about them!

 

[CecileBC]

I used to use the rinse water from when I make rice. And you certainly can do that. But now I just use rice flour because it’s super easy.

I weigh out the water of an upcoming batch and add 1-2 tsp of rice flour (depending on the size of my batch) and freeze it. An hour or so before I make soap I add the necessary 50:50 lye solution to the frozen water and when the ice melts I make soap. Or thereabouts.

Or I make a batch of “rice water” using rice flour and freeze it in ice cube trays. And use the ice cubes w/my 50:50 lye solution.

Hi there !
Sorry, I don't get it... Your rice water equals the amount of water necessary in the recipe right ? and you then add the lye into the frozen rice water ? (sorry, I get confused with the 50:50 lye solution...) ...

 

[Zany_in_CO]

(sorry, I get confused with the 50:50 lye solution...) ...

Moi aussi!

 

[CecileBC]

Moi aussi!

Ah now I think I get it ! She must make a 50:50 master batch lye solution, and then adjusts with the required amount of water that will make the 32% or so final lye solution..... maybe...??

 

[CecileBC]

Moi aussi!

Good french Zany !!

 

[Christa10]

I've been using aloe vera juice and adding sorbitol to it as my liquid, so now I'm wondering if maybe I could add a little rice flour to that mix and freeze it before adding the lye, like I would do if making milk soap? If I didn't freeze it, do you think it might scorch?

 

[Marie_with_an_e]

Beer, wine, and all that seem ridiculous to me. Sugar will do the same thing. I've found milk does make a difference in the soap, but whether it's Goat's Milk or not doesn't seem to matter. Being able to say goat's milk is label appeal. Don't bother with expensive oils, they won't last. Save the expensive stuff for things like lip balm and lotion.

Nut oils like almond...they are nuts. I stopped using everything but coconut oil due to possible allergic reaction from my customers. I use apricot kernel now instead. Watch your recipes for possible allergens.

What does seem to make a difference is shea but not if it's used at say 3%. I use mine at 20% and people just LOVE how creamy it is. I've been told it feels "soft" and their skin feels moisturized after. 3% or something does little to nothing and I definitely don't feel any change in the soap at that level. Just remember that shea is in the same family as latex so it can get a reaction.

Coconut oil should be kept under 15% since it has drying properties when exposed to lye. It's moisturizing everywhere else but with lye. Unless you have a huge superfat.

Natural colorants are a pita for me. The colors are very muted.

Coffee... people love the scent. People associate coffee with waking up so it's a great thing to wake up to. Does it actually make a difference in the soap? If you leave the grinds it, it gives a bit of exfoliation but not that I've really noticed.

I made a charcoal and orange essential oil soap for mechanics for a while. I stopped making it because it wasn't selling though my husbands friends keep asking me to make more from them. Apparently it works like nothing else to remove oil and grime after working on cars or something. They just rave about it and have even gone onto my FB and google to give good reviews for it.

I'm not sure essential oils benefits survive the saponification process. I'd save them for things like lotions. They are expensive.

I love shea butter and use it in my soaps at 15%. My customers love it, as do I, as it gives the creamiest lather ever. I do use CO at 25% with a 6% SF, and my bars aren’t drying at all. I’ve used my soap to wash my face almost every day for 15 years, and sometimes I don’t even need to moisturize after. For reference, I have what I would describe as borderline dry skin.

I also don’t know whether essential oil benefits survive the saponification process, but fragrance oils usually give me a really bad headache so I stick with the eo’s.

The two things in every single bar I make are GM and shea butter; love them so much!