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TracyG

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Hi all
I haven't even made my first soap yet and was researching ACV in liquid form as an ingredient and stumbled across this place.

I have bought myself a melt and pour soap thing and am going to be adding teatree and rosemary, a little olive oil and was thinking of the ACV because I've heard it acts as a softener.

Anyway, I look forward to reading and learning.
T x
 
Welcome to smf!

I know that acv will react with the lye solution when actually making soap, but I don't know if it will be strong enough to do the same when melting and pouring - which then means I also don't know if it is and of itself a softening agent or if it needs to react with lye. Hopefully someone with more experience with vinegar (I usually use citric acid instead) pops in.

I do know that you can make sodium citrate using citric acid and baking powder - there are some great tutorials here for that. Sodium citrate is a great additive for hard water areas.
 
I would suggest starting with a very small test batch of MP with a very small amount of ACV. Make sure to weigh it all so you know your actual percentages of ACV to base. Then evaluate how it compares to the same base without ACV for hardness, separation, etc. Adding vinegar to already saponified and cured lye soap can turn it pretty mushy. I've done it in efforts to reduce lye heaviness. Little did I know at the time that there were betters ways to deal with lye heavy soap. But I was brand new to soaping at the time and the process was at the very least, educational.
 
All I can add to the conversation is to make sure you take exact notes on weights of ingredients used. If you make something you really like you can easily recreate it.
 
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