Adding Yogurt to Soap

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Ganiggle

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
155
Reaction score
1
Location
Regina, SK
So when I was grocery shopping yesterday I picked up a container of plain yogurt, and was hoping I could use it to make soap. Before I do though, I had a few questions for you more experience dsoapers :)

First of all, since it is dairy will it make the soap go rancid faster?

Second: How do I add it? Would I add it at trace or as a percentage of oils? Or would I add it as the liquid for my lye mixture?

Thanks guys! I'm hoping to make some soap with my new soap mold tonight, and I got french green clay to add too!!!
 
Ganiggle, I haven't used yoghurt in soap, but i know that it can be done.
I would reserve a portion of your water when making the lye solution, and add that amount in yoghurt at trace. Be aware that it could overheat, most milks will make soap overheat, but as long as you're on top of it, you'll be okay.
 
Nope like milk, it won't make your soap go rancid any sooner....from what I've heard. I've been making soap for quite a long time now, and for some reason I've never made a yogurt soap, but I will be making a batch on Fri.

Anway, you need to use it as a percentage of your water amount. I have seen suggested that some people used 1 oz of yogurt PPO. Some have used as much as 50% of the water amount. I am going to use 1/3 of my water amount as yogurt and add at trace. Hopefully others will chime in here as well (as I'm sure they will :D )
 
Kitn said:
I haven't tried yogurt yet either , I can't wait to see how your soap is ganiggle :D

Kitn

I can't wait either! I'm still not totally sure what oils I'm going to use for the soap. I'm thinking maybe a 50% coconut 50% olive oil with a 10 or 15% superfat.
 
What does Youghurt add to soap? More lather, creaminess etc?? This is so interesting - I make yoghurt and always have loads and loads!
 
I can't find much on the quality's yogurt adds to soap. I have found words like soothing , rejuvenating( not sure I buy that one) , creamy , nourishing , moisturizing , softening etc.

hth

Kitn
 
Hmmm, Yoghurt is an acid (I think) - so maybe it levels the pH??? Makes a milder bar?
 
I added it. I didn't use it as a % of my water though... I did use a full fat greek yogurt. It made a very nice soap that didn't go rancid at all. I added it at a very very light trace (basically once the oils and lye water were combined).
 
From what I've read yogurt has lactic acid, and when soaped forms sodium lactate. :D
 
Yoghurt adds creaminess to the lather, much like milk imho. I have added yoghurt to two soaps now and both perform much like when I have added milk. Interesting about the sodium lactate point....both these soaps unmoulded easily, so you could have something there!

I didn't discount my water by any more than usual, and I added 1 T yoghurt ppo at very light trace. The first soap did overheat, the second did not. I added pureed fruit to my first soap as well and used an upright narrow mould (milk carton) which definitely contributed to the overheating :wink:

Tanya :)
 
I wonder if you could slightly freeze it before you add it?
 
Yoghurt adds creaminess to the lather, much like milk imho. I have added yoghurt to two soaps now and both perform much like when I have added milk.

I made yogurt soap only once. I found no difference than when I added milk. It was creamy and nice, but no real reason for me to make it again. Still, I had to soap the yogurt because it was there. I will soap almost anything once. :D
 
I remember reading in Anne L. Watson's book, "Milk Soapmaking", she said that her testers loved her yogurt soaps the best out of all of the milk based soaps she made. Now, I don't know (or remember if the book said...) how many testers she had, but it must make some kind of difference.

zeo
 
Mandarin said:
Still, I had to soap the yogurt because it was there. I will soap almost anything once. :D

I like that - I often wonder whether anything in my cupboard is really that safe from the soap pot :D :D :D I was thinking of adding strawberry jam/jelly to the soap mix this weekend!
 
I have an extra "tub" of yogurt... I think I might have to try this. I wonder what yogurt and honey soap would be like? :D
 
I made some once - I made peaches n cream soap, using peach nectar for the liquid, and added peaches n cream yogurt at trace. I discounted my liquid (nectar) the amount of the yogurt though..
 
I just made a yogurt soap! I even did it CP! (I'm normally a Hp soaper)

I discounted my water amount by 1/3, and used that amount in yogurt. The yogurt I added to the pot of oils, and stick blended it in there before I added the lye. Worked like a charm! This is scented with lavender FO, and I mixed UM blue and UM pink to get a lavender color, and did I swirl. I'm so PROUD of myself (pats self on back) :D
I put it in a preheated oven, then turned the oven off. I hope it's as beautiful when I get up tomorrow morning as it is now! I'm off to bed though as I have to work in the morning!
 
Back
Top