want to try making liquid soap

[deafsoaper]

Hi,

I been making cold process soap since summer last year and been going good.

I want to try and get into liquid soap

my cold process recipe is

85.6g water
57.07g NaOH
410g Oils
superfat 7%
water: lye ratio is 1.5: 1

additional to the recipe with 4.1g citric acid and 2.33g NaOH

I convert the recipe to using KOH and it show

133.39g Water
88.93g KOH 90% pure
410g Oils
superfat 7%
water: lye ratio is 1.5: 1

I'm not sure on the citric acid situation for liquid if I can do the same calculation for NaOH 1% of oils weight

thanks

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I been making cold process soap since summer last year and been going good.

Good for you!

I want to try and get into liquid soap

There are about as many ways to make LS as there are liquid soapmakers! LOL The latest LS du jour is featured in this thread. Worth a peak, but before purchasing the Ultimate Guide to Making Liquid Soap you may want to read through this Tutorial to become familiar with the process and the terms we use:

Basic Beginners Liquid Soap
Read it over 2-3 times. Then try making a few small batches (400 grams?) using 50% coconut + 50% liquid oils of choice for a well-balanced recipe.

This tutorial is also worth a look:
Shampoo Tutorial With Pictures

my cold process recipe is

There is more to making LS than simply using KOH instead of NaOH. It's a whole new ballgame.

I convert the recipe to using KOH and it show

133.39g Water
88.93g KOH 90% pure
410g Oils
superfat 7%
water: lye ratio is 1.5: 1

For water to lye ratio: type in 3:1
For superfat: ) 0% SF is best. Having unsaponifed oils floating around isn't a good idea.
KOH 90% pure - That is correct.

I'm not sure on the citric acid situation for liquid if I can do the same calculation for NaOH 1% of oils weight

First, make up a 20% solution of 1 part Citric Acid to 4 parts water. I warm this in the microwave to get the CA fully dissolved, then store it on the shelf until needed.

Use Rate: 0.75 oz. of the 20% solution per pound of "paste" weight. "Paste" is the term used for the soap batch before dilution.

Caution: Citric Acid serves a couple of different purposes. It can "neutralize" any excess lye. Also, it can be used to adjust the pH. Liquid Soap is fine with pH 11 - 9. There's really no need to go lower and risk spoiling the soap. If too much CA is used it can cause the oils to separate.

HAPPY LS-ing!!!

 

[deafsoaper]

Good for you!

There are about as many ways to make LS as there are liquid soapmakers! LOL The latest LS du jour is featured in this thread. Worth a peak, but before purchasing the Ultimate Guide to Making Liquid Soap you may want to read through this Tutorial to become familiar with the process and the terms we use:

Basic Beginners Liquid Soap
Read it over 2-3 times. Then try making a few small batches (400 grams?) using 50% coconut + 50% liquid oils of choice for a well-balanced recipe.

This tutorial is also worth a look:
Shampoo Tutorial With Pictures


There is more to making LS than simply using KOH instead of NaOH. It's a whole new ballgame.

For water to lye ratio: type in 3:1
For superfat: ) 0% SF is best. Having unsaponifed oils floating around isn't a good idea.
KOH 90% pure - That is correct.


First, make up a 20% solution of 1 part Citric Acid to 4 parts water. I warm this in the microwave to get the CA fully dissolved, then store it on the shelf until needed.

Use Rate: 0.75 oz. of the 20% solution per pound of "paste" weight. "Paste" is the term used for the soap batch before dilution.

Caution: Citric Acid serves a couple of different purposes. It can "neutralize" any excess lye. Also, it can be used to adjust the pH. Liquid Soap is fine with pH 11 - 9. There's really no need to go lower and risk spoiling the soap. If too much CA is used it can cause the oils to separate.

HAPPY LS-ing!!!

thanks for the information and reccommendation

look like liquid soap is a bit more fussy than I thought lol

 

[Zany_in_CO]

look like liquid soap is a bit more fussy than I thought lol

No worries. Take your time. You can do it!

 

[shae31]

what products would fall under the categories of superfats? newbie here

 

[Zany_in_CO]

what products would fall under the categories of superfats? newbie here

Hi shea31!

Please read Post #2 above and follow the links. Try making a small batch. All your questions will be answered. If not, at least you will know enough to ask better questions.

 

[Servant4Christ]

I am waiting on some ingredients to try making @IrishLass' Creamy Cocoa Shea liquid soap, but I just couldn't help myself in my excitement at having a little free time to myself yesterday, so I decided to experiment with some soap scraps from my ZNSB soaps and was pleasantly surprised with my results. It's beautifully transparent.

 

[DeeAnna]

133.39g Water
88.93g KOH 90% pure
410g Oils
superfat 7%
water: lye ratio is 1.5: 1

Quick feedback on these numbers --

The typical water:lye ratio for hot process soap making, whether you use NaOH or KOH, is 3:1. That's the same thing as 25% lye concentration.

There is no chemistry reason to use more water than what you propose, but there are practical reasons why you might not want to do that -- a low-water KOH soap paste tends to be more difficult to stir and dilute.

What kind of oils are you using and how much of each? Listing the specific fats in your recipe and the percentages or grams of each is vital information if you want anyone else to evaluate your recipe.

Superfat at 7% is going to cause problems. Keep superfat at 3% or less to avoid problems with the fat separating out in the diluted soap. Many of us do use a small percentage of superfat, but I no longer superfat at 3% -- it seems to work better at 1-2% superfat.

If you do make soap with a slight positive superfat, then Zany's advice about neutralizing with citric acid is NOT something you want to do -- she's assuming you're going to make soap with a negative superfat (aka lye heavy) and then fix it later by adding a citric acid solution.

I have the strong impression you're wanting to add citric acid up front to form the chelator potassium citrate. That's a slightly different deal than what Zany is thinking.

"...I'm not sure on the citric acid situation for liquid if I can do the same calculation for NaOH 1% of oils weight..."

The additional KOH needed to neutralize the citric acid will weigh more than the equivalent NaOH to do this neutralization -- 10 g citric acid neutralizes 6.24 g NaOH. 10 g citric acid neutralizes 8.42 g KOH. More: Citric acid, Citrus juice | Soapy Stuff

 

[Zany_in_CO]

@DeeAnna The OP hasn't been here since March 4. I think I scared them away.

 

[GGMA0317]

Wow. I'm thinking it was definitely information overkill. I hope that person learned just how uncomplicated the LS process really is.