water substitutes

[phpworm]

I'm wondering, because I've never tried.. Suppose you substituted water with something very potent, like lemon juice, or some other kind of juice, and you didn't add any fragrance oils. Will the smell carry over into the final product, or would the lye destroy it?

 

[jarvan]

Don't waste your time trying to make a lemon juice soap and expect it to smell like lemon. The lye will destroy it. Plus, lemon juice is extremely acidic. I don't know that the soap would work with that.

I soap with a number or liquids, but don't expect the scent of the original liquid to come through. I just use different ones for the properties they bring to the soap, like goat milk, buttermilk, coconut milk, beer, water, teas.

The only way to have a lemon soap smell like lemon is to add a lemon FO or EO. Just know that the EOs don't retain their citrusy goodness for long unless you anchor with something else.

 

[Soaps House]

I have used red wine also and love it. You have to be careful though, because it can freeze in the middle of pouring...so I don't use 100% wine.

John

 

[scout]

I replaced half my water with orange juice in a lemon soap I recently made. It smells and looks great now but it started out this horrid orange color and stunk to high heaven. I used juiced lemon from southern soapers. I love the way it smells like you just cut into a fresh lemon.

 

[knicelyr]

I've used cream, goat milk, powdered milk, beer, wine, cola and even buttermilk.

I agree with the acidic juices... The lye will react with them too.

If you HP your soap adding acidic juices can also react with the soap after cooking until neutral, turning some of the soap back to fatty acids.