When to add Sugar and SL

[ravenscents]

I recently switched Soap Calculators from Soapcal to Soapmaking Friend and I have been concentrating on developing a basic recipe. I really like that Soapmaking Friends site allows me to hover over an additive and tell me when it should be added to the recipe. I also like that it offers cost batching.

I have been adding SL to the lye solution but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to the oils.
I have been adding simple syrup (sugar) to the oils but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to warm lye.
I have been adding goat milk powder at trace but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to oils.

Now I'm really confused. I would love to hear what everyone else is doing and specifically WHY.

 

[jcandleattic]

I masterbatch my lye at 50/50. I put my extra liquid straight into the oils which also includes my SL.
When I used to add my extra water to the 50/50 masterbatch, I would add the liquid with SL into my lye.
There is absolutely no difference in my soaps doing it either way.
Same with my goats milk. I do the split method and add my gm to my oils, and my 50/50 lye later.

Even though it's suggested to do it one way, there is no hard and fast rule that says you should.
Experiment by doing it both ways, and then find what works best for you.

There are few hard and fast rules in soapmaking - here are a few:
ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS add your lye to your liquid, and not the other way around.
Never ever use aluminum in soapmaking
Don't use glass to mix your lye or your soap batter,
And enjoy yourself.

 

[Arimara]

I recently switched Soap Calculators from Soapcal to Soapmaking Friend and I have been concentrating on developing a basic recipe. I really like that Soapmaking Friends site allows me to hover over an additive and tell me when it should be added to the recipe. I also like that it offers cost batching.

I have been adding SL to the lye solution but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to the oils.
I don't really know why for this one but I personally had added this to my lye and it turned out fine. adding it to oils is fine too but stick blend that before adding your lye to get it mixed in well.

I have been adding simple syrup (sugar) to the oils but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to warm lye.
If it is a simple syrup, you should be fine as long as the oils are warm enough not to cause the sugar to develop crystals (usually, that is the case). But I think it may be going off sugar as if it is in solid form, which case, you'd want to dissolve that in warm water before adding lye to avoid issues.

I have been adding goat milk powder at trace but Soapmaking Friend suggests add to oils.
This is where the calculator's suggestions makes complete sense- if you have not disperesed the powder in a little water, you're basically adding a dry ingredient to a mixture that may be less incorporated than you would like in the end. Stickblending the powder straight into the oils is better as it allows for the mix to that powder completely into better dispersed but others may suggest incorporating a little water to rehydrate the powder for even less likelyhood of unsaponified milk solids in your soap.

Now I'm really confused. I would love to hear what everyone else is doing and specifically WHY.

I tried. I'm a little tired and may not make much sense. please let me know if I make sense.

 

[cmzaha]

I make it very simple I never add anything to my lye solution. I always stick blend my gm powder then add my oatmeal into my oils because I find it mixes in much better. Sugar, Salts Edta, etc I would dissolve in the water I reserved from my batch liquid before mixing my lye. Now, all additives except the oatmeal and gm powder are dissolved in my vinegar. I am not sure why the calculator would recommend adding sugar to the warm lye solution since it is a risk of the sugar crystallizing and dissolving if added to the lye solution.

 

[Dahila]

I add my sugar to the water before lye for the reason Cmzaha gave, Sl I add to slightly cooled lye solution, it is crystal clear and need some water to dissolve, SL is 40% water
I see not reason not to add it to lye solution.

 

[dibbles]

I take some of my batch water and warm it, then dissolve the sugar completely in that and add back to the batch water before adding my lye. I add SL to my cooled lye solution before adding that to the oils. I have forgotten the SL a couple of times and added it to the oil/lye mixture and really haven’t seen a difference. I do it the way I do because that’s how I started doing it and consistency makes it less likely I will forget. If I am using sodium citrate, I dissolve it in batch water at the same time as the sugar, and stick blend that into my oils before adding the lye solution.

 

[Dahila]

I take some of my batch water and warm it, then dissolve the sugar completely in that and add back to the batch water before adding my lye. I add SL to my cooled lye solution before adding that to the oils. I have forgotten the SL a couple of times and added it to the oil/lye mixture and really haven’t seen a difference. I do it the way I do because that’s how I started doing it and consistency makes it less likely I will forget. If I am using sodium citrate, I dissolve it in batch water at the same time as the sugar, and stick blend that into my oils before adding the lye solution.

this is the way I do ) exactly like that
tiny amount of water warm up in microwave then dissolve my sugar, and pour into water, then I pour my Edta solution , then lye