What are these ingredients?

[bman0023]

Hi All, I am trying to clone a particular shaving soap, the famed DR Harris from London. The list of ingredients is not like the typical ones I am used to in the US and are as follows:

Potassium palmate, Sodium tallowate, Sodium palmate, Sodium palm kernelate, Glycerin, Parfum, Sodium chloride, Petrolatum, Palm kernel acid, Orthotolyl biguanide, Linalool, Limonene, Farnesol, Citral, Tetrasodium etidromate, Pentasodium, pentetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Cl 77891

Any thoughts?

Thanks, Brad

 

[VanessaP]

Beef Tallow, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, fragrance, salt..

After the palm kernel acid, those are the allergens that have to be listed in the EU, as well as chelating agents. Cl 77891 is Titanium Dioxide. Tetrasodium etidromate is a water softener. Pentasodium pentetate is a chelating agent, as is Tetrasodium EDTA.

 

[green soap]

I am familiar with a few of them.

Potassium palmate - this is the soap (potassium salt) formed from potassium hydroxide (KOH) and palm oil.

Sodium tallowate, - sodium salt - soap formed from tallow (beef fat) and sodium hydroxide NaOH

Sodium palmate, - soap obtained from NaOH and palm oil.

Sodium palm kernelate, - soap formed from NaOH and palm kernel oil.

Glycerin, - a humectant which is a natural product from soap reaction (or it can be added in, usually is for a shave soap, for longer lived lather)

Parfum, - fragrance

Sodium chloride, - just sea salt or table salt

Petrolatum, - petroleum jelly

Palm kernel acid, ??? (do they mean fatty acids)
Orthotolyl biguanide, ???
Linalool, ???

Limonene, - this is a component in some citrus essential oils

Farnesol, ???

Citral, - another component in citrus essential oils.

Tetrasodium etidromate, ???

Pentasodium, ???

pentetate, ???

Tetrasodium EDTA, - this is a chemical preservative, it is used to slow down rancidity in soaps.

Cl 77891 ????

I left a blank for the ones i don't know. Most of them are probably preservatives of some sort, the Palm kernel acid might be extra Palm kernel oil for superfatting? I am sure other folks here know the rest of the chemicals. Even if not, you can figure out this soap.

So basically both types of lye - KOH and NaOH - were used to make this soap. KOH was only reacted with Palm oil, (the most abundant ingredient) and NaOH was used to saponify tallow, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Extra glycerin was probably added (add to the lye water) and some citrus was used to scent the soap. Oh yes, and salt was used in the soap too, probably to harden it due to using KOH for part of the soap (KOH only makes soft or paste soap so salt is used to harden it).

There are a few gaps but I hope this helps some.

 

[bman0023]

OK, thanks. I have used high stearic acid butters like cocoa and shea in my shaving soaps. I have no clue what a chelating agent is though?

This soap is triple milled, which I hear is different from grating and rebatching?

 

[sistrum]

Research how commercial soaps are made, it's not like our way at all. And yes milled soaps are not the same as remelting no matter what what you read.

 

[VanessaP]

Triple milled generally means once the soap was made, likely with a 0% superfat and no fragrance, it gets grated down almost like a dust, a little bit of liquid is added in then its pressed into whatever shape the company uses. I think the final passing is when they add the fragrance and the rest of the superfatting oils.