Can I add Bon Ami to soap recipes to make the soap more abrasive?

[sarasvati]

Recently, when I saw my DH washing his hands with Bon Ami after doing some heavy yardwork, it made me wonder if I could add Bon Ami or Barkeeper's Friend to soap recipes to make the soap more abrasive. What do you think? If you think it might work, how much of Bon Ami or Barkeeper's Friend do you think I can add?

 

[lsg]

Why not just add some finely ground pumice and finely ground coffee? I don't know the ingredients for Bon Ami or Barkeepers friend; but they might not react well in soap.

 

[ImpKit]

I'm no scientist, nor a terribly experienced soap maker honestly, but looking at three of the ingredients in Bon Ami -- limestone, soda ash, and sodium bicarbonate -- I'd be worried adding it to soap would end up driving the pH levels up into uncomfortable territories. Assuming it didn't have a dangerous reaction to saponifcation. It also has a surfactant of some kind.

I second lsg. If you want to add an abrasive why not one of the known exfoliates? Walnut shell maybe? Raspberry seeds? Coffee, salt, pumice, loofa?

 

[AAShillito]

I wouldn't want to get bon ami anywhere on eyes etc or if someone unknowingly used on private bits. Safer to use poppy seeds etc like everyone has said

 

[sarasvati]

Thank you everybody! I will try seeds, coffee ground, ground pumice, nut shells or salt, or a combination of some of them. Those are great ideas and sound much better than Bon Ami!

 

[earlene]

I use a combination of pumice & Borax for my brother's Blacksmith soap. The combo works betther than either alone, to remove the stains that a Blacksmith gets on their hands. My husband says it works better than the commercial stuff he used to buy to wash up after working on cars.

 

[Kcryss]

I use a combination of pumice & Borax for my brother's Blacksmith soap.

Do you use Borax in your soap recipe? I would never have thought to do that but interested in trying it out. Sounds like it works well.

 

[earlene]

Do you use Borax in your soap recipe? I would never have thought to do that but interested in trying it out. Sounds like it works well.

Yes, as an additive. But I do pre-dissolve it in boiling water (deducted from the water for the lye solution) before mixing it into the oils.

It comes from Blacksmith practice. Several blacksmiths posted on blacksmith forums that they used straight Borax (20 Mule Team Borax) as a handwash to remove the stains. And I had also seen a recipe which included Borax in soap. So that's how I came upon the idea to add it to my blacksmith soap. I gave my brother 3 different soaps to test & it was the combo that worked best.

 

[Misschief]

Yes, as an additive. But I do pre-dissolve it in boiling water (deducted from the water for the lye solution) before mixing it into the oils.

It comes from Blacksmith practice. Several blacksmiths posted on blacksmith forums that they used straight Borax (20 Mule Team Borax) as a handwash to remove the stains. And I had also seen a recipe which included Borax in soap. So that's how I came upon the idea to add it to my blacksmith soap. I gave my brother 3 different soaps to test & it was the combo that worked best.

I've made the soap in that link (early in my soaping days) and really liked it.

 

[Kcryss]

Yes, as an additive. But I do pre-dissolve it in boiling water (deducted from the water for the lye solution) before mixing it into the oils.

It comes from Blacksmith practice. Several blacksmiths posted on blacksmith forums that they used straight Borax (20 Mule Team Borax) as a handwash to remove the stains. And I had also seen a recipe which included Borax in soap. So that's how I came upon the idea to add it to my blacksmith soap. I gave my brother 3 different soaps to test & it was the combo that worked best.

Sounds great! I have a couple of SIL that get very dirty with welding, mechanic hobbies etc. I think I will try adding some borax to my mechanic soap. Thanks for the info!

 

[TheGecko]

What do you think?

Bad, BAD idea. Would you put Comet or Ajax in your soap? Same thing. Barkeeper's Friend contains Oxalic acid, benzenesulfonic acid, mono-C10-16-alkyl derivs, sodium salts. Bon Ami contains Calcium carbonate, feldspar, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and alkylbenzene sulfonic acid.

I just add pumice powder to my Regular Soap recipe.

 

[sarasvati]

Thank you, @earlene for the Borax idea and the link to the recipe! I will check it out!

 

[MickeyRat]

Do you use Borax in your soap recipe? I would never have thought to do that but interested in trying it out. Sounds like it works well.

I've seen several posts where people question putting borax in soap. If you're old enough, you might remember Boraxo hand cleaner. That was mostly borax. I've been experimenting with a mechanics soap with finely ground coffee grounds and borax. It works well.

 

[Tara_H]

All this talk of borax reminds me of this: (start at 8:05)

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I had also seen a recipe which included Borax in soap.

@Kcryss Just a quick heads up. That recipe says, "Dissolve borax in boiling water. Set aside." From experience, I learned if that Borax solution is allowed to cool down, the Borax settles to the bottom and becomes hard as a rock!

Thank you, @earlene for the Borax idea and the link to the recipe! I will check it out!

Me too!

 

[DeeAnna]

I wouldn't put Bon Ami in soap -- the main ingredient is calcium carbonate. While the calcium carbonate probably won't entirely dissolve, if some of it does, the calcium ions will react with soap to form soap scum.

Barkeeper's Friend contains oxalic acid which I don't recommend for use in soap due to my concerns about toxicity. Adding oxalic acid to soap -- good idea?

I'd stick to pumice (mostly silicon dioxide), finely ground coffee, etc.

 

[sarasvati]

Thank you, @Zany_in_CO and @DeeAnna! I think I will try ground pumice or coffee.