ACV and Citric acid
- Thread starter mulline
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I recommend you use one acid or the other, but not both. People have reported having problems in their soap from using both. I don't recollect the exact problems, however -- perhaps someone who has done this will share their experience.
What I do know is too much of some kinds of salts (as chemists define the word "salt") in soap can make the soap soft and rubbery. The salts can also migrate to the surface of the soap bar, creating an unattractive white salt layer. A 2% dose of citric acid plus vinegar is a fairly high dose of total salt. There is a good chance these problems will happen.
From a safety standpoint, yes, you can add the citric acid to the vinegar, mix until the citric acid is dissolved, and then stir in the dry NaOH. Go slow and keep stirring when you add the NaOH until you know how the mixture will behave.
By the way -- Do you realize your vinegar is no longer vinegar after you put it into the soap batter? If you want the benefit of vinegar for your hair, you need to rinse with vinegar after washing with the soap.
Vinegar + NaOH => sodium acetate
Citric acid + NaOH => sodium citrate
More: https://classicbells.com/soap/soapystuff.asp Scroll down to "Acids and Salts"
What I do know is too much of some kinds of salts (as chemists define the word "salt") in soap can make the soap soft and rubbery. The salts can also migrate to the surface of the soap bar, creating an unattractive white salt layer. A 2% dose of citric acid plus vinegar is a fairly high dose of total salt. There is a good chance these problems will happen.
From a safety standpoint, yes, you can add the citric acid to the vinegar, mix until the citric acid is dissolved, and then stir in the dry NaOH. Go slow and keep stirring when you add the NaOH until you know how the mixture will behave.
By the way -- Do you realize your vinegar is no longer vinegar after you put it into the soap batter? If you want the benefit of vinegar for your hair, you need to rinse with vinegar after washing with the soap.
Vinegar + NaOH => sodium acetate
Citric acid + NaOH => sodium citrate
More: https://classicbells.com/soap/soapystuff.asp Scroll down to "Acids and Salts"
Last edited:
David James
Member
Depending on your water ratio, adding lye to ACV can already bring the mixture close to boiling. For example 100% ACV at 5% acidity at room temperature running a 2:1 ration (plus the extra 0.0335 lye for the vinegar) gets closect o boiling. Adding in citrric acid and more lye to cover it is going to be even hotter.
When using 100% ACV I either use 3:1 water ratio or freeze half of the ACV the night before.
You could also allow your lye and ACV solution to cool down before adding the citric acid.
What are your reasons for the citric acid? You mention it is for a shampoo bar. You aren't trying to lower the pH of the final product, are you?
When using 100% ACV I either use 3:1 water ratio or freeze half of the ACV the night before.
You could also allow your lye and ACV solution to cool down before adding the citric acid.
What are your reasons for the citric acid? You mention it is for a shampoo bar. You aren't trying to lower the pH of the final product, are you?
David James
Member
(btw, I am assuming cold process here. If it is hp, you could add citric acid towards the end when fragrance oils and other things are added that should not react with lye. This could lower the measured pH of a shampoo)
tinylittlefox
New Member
I have also been wanting to ask this! Is there any way to make a ACV rinse in solid form for convenience? (instead of having to dilute it with water and then rinse it over our hair?)
i’m really sorry if this might seem sidetracked from the original poster’s intention. Just ignore this if it is!!
i’m really sorry if this might seem sidetracked from the original poster’s intention. Just ignore this if it is!!
