I use powdered sorbitol at 1% of oils. I master-batch my lye solution, so I always have extra water available for dissolving sorbitol, sodium citrate, etc. If you are not using master-batched lye solution, you will want to dissolve it in your liquid before adding the lye.
They may be referring to the milk type itself. Fat content in milk makes a difference.
Thank you, that makes sense.
How much do you use?
Yes. I need that fatty goodness. So sorry for the late reply.
I find 10% Shea makes a difference. It also has great label appeal. It’s cheaper (for me) than cocoa butter which I don’t use.
What is it you notice that is different. I freely admit, I'm a dude and I value a very cleansing bar so I may be ignoring other qualities lol.
Most of the soaps I make are with Goat Milk. Goat milk soap is beneficial for all skin types but those with sensitive, dry, or acne-prone skin may benefit the most from the moisturizing and healing properties of the goat milk. The fatty acids found in goat milk help to nourish and soften the skin, while the natural oils in the soap can help remove dirt and oil from the skin without over-drying. Cold process soap is also beneficial as it removes excess oil from the skin without stripping away the natural oils. This can help to prevent acne breakouts and keep skin looking and feeling healthy. It also works great to remove marks, brighten the skin, help erase sunburn marks (I live in the Caribbean and had Sunburn marks and my goat milk soaps cleared it up)Hi everyone!
I’ve been searching the internet to better understand which soap ingredients matter more than others, and trying to weed out ingredients that have “label appeal” but no impact on the actual quality of the soap. Then I realized I could just ask!
As experienced soapers, what ingredients do you find are overrated, often used in soap but with little effect? And viceversa, what ingredients have you found to have a substantial benefit but are not often used?
I’m asking about anything, from additives to colorants, fragrance oils and base oils. The “effect” can be anything that would make a person trying the soap appreciate it without knowing what’s inside. Or something that achieves the same effect as a more expensive and fancy alternative.
Some ingredients are hard to get, others just expensive, and it would be nice to know where to invest and where to save money and effort.
For example, I got the impression that goat milk is overrated, not adding any more benefit than regular cow milk.
Instead, sunflower oil is quite nice as a light liquid oil, and more than sweet almond oil it’s really eco-friendly since it’s a robust high-yield crop that grows almost anywhere.
But what about all the expensive oils like Argan, Tamanu, or Neem? Does tea tree oil actually have antibacterial properties when mixed in soap? Does beer and wine do anything more than just a spoonful of sugar?
I’d love to hear all your thoughts
Savon de Marseille is an overloaded term for soaps nowadays.
Can you share why you believe that? My recipes behave the same after cure whether they are HP or CP.
Funny thing... I knew a soaper, also from France, who said the very same thing!
Yeah that wasn't clear, I meant hot process like the one done traditionally by those makers in a huge cauldron: they pour the lye until the reaction is complete and then wash the excess of lye out, so it's 0℅ superfat.
I love jojoba oil! Question ~ hoe do you add it to a recipe but not include in the oil/lye calculation? Do you add it after you add and mix the lye into the oils?
Ah, yes, that makes sense, thank you! What makes that soap so drying isn't the 0% SF, it's that they remove most of the glycerin to use in other products. My handcrafted soap is fine at 0% SF but it has all the natural glycerin (and probably less CO than most commercial recipes, too).
Right! Makes total sense. Thank you for the correction
You didn't say which one was the ONE additive you recommend.
