Failure to thicken olive soap with salt

[Jor224]

In all my trials to thicken soap, I failed many times.
1. My soap paste was dominated by olive/pomace olive, with oleic score around 45-50%.
2. I'm using distilled water.
3. My soap paste was sitting for around 1 day, passed zap test.
4. I added my salt little by little, around 0.5% total liquid weight.
5. I dilluted them in water: paste 4:1.

But most of the time, during the thickening process, my soap will not thicken by salt. The salt reacted to the soap and form white floating paste, which I blended/whisked. However, it will just float in tiny form in the liquid like adding chicken stock to water. Eventually it become white like milk, but still watery. If I blend them, often it created thick foam that will last for days, while the liquid below it still watery.

I really don't know what to do. Now I have a 1 day old paste that haven't been dissolved. It passed zap test, but I took small sample and thicken it with salt, still fail. The paste temperature is room temperature, meaning that it seems won't saponify further. For those of you who has experience in thickening with salt, how do you guys do it? Any tips?

 

[DeeAnna]

You said, "...around 0.5% total liquid weight..."

Is this 0.5% the amount of salt you're adding each time?

If so, you may have exceeded the optimum amount of salt with the very first dose. Once you add too much salt, the soap is going to stay thin, no matter how much more salt you add.

A "salt curve" is usually created starting with 0.2% by weight of salt. You could start at 0.1% salt just to be on the safe side.

https://chemistscorner.com/salt-curve-analysis-how-to-control-cleansing-cosmetics/

 

[Jor224]

Yes, 0.5% is what I added each time. If my liquid is 1000gr, I added 5 grams of salt, stirred, and wait around few minutes, sometimes overnight. So by your suggestion, I should start with 1-2 grams of salt for 1000gr liquid soap? How about the stirring part, should I avoid making foam while stirring?

You said, "...around 0.5% total liquid weight..."

Is this 0.5% the amount of salt you're adding each time?

If so, you may have exceeded the optimum amount of salt with the very first dose. Once you add too much salt, the soap is going to stay thin, no matter how much more salt you add.

A "salt curve" is usually created starting with 0.2% by weight of salt. You could start at 0.1% salt just to be on the safe side.

https://chemistscorner.com/salt-curve-analysis-how-to-control-cleansing-cosmetics/

 

[DeeAnna]

... I should start with 1-2 grams of salt for 1000gr liquid soap? How about the stirring part, should I avoid making foam while stirring?

Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to tell you. You are adding way too much salt right off the bat to a product you are not familiar with.

Read the article I gave a link to, and you will see what is normally done to learn how a product reacts to salt.

If you want less foam, stir more slowly and gently. I suspect some foam is inevitable, however.

 

[UrsaeMinor]

In all my trials to thicken soap, I failed many times.
1. My soap paste was dominated by olive/pomace olive, with oleic score around 45-50%.
2. I'm using distilled water.
3. My soap paste was sitting for around 1 day, passed zap test.
4. I added my salt little by little, around 0.5% total liquid weight.
5. I dilluted them in water: paste 4:1.

But most of the time, during the thickening process, my soap will not thicken by salt. The salt reacted to the soap and form white floating paste, which I blended/whisked. However, it will just float in tiny form in the liquid like adding chicken stock to water. Eventually it become white like milk, but still watery. If I blend them, often it created thick foam that will last for days, while the liquid below it still watery.

I really don't know what to do. Now I have a 1 day old paste that haven't been dissolved. It passed zap test, but I took small sample and thicken it with salt, still fail. The paste temperature is room temperature, meaning that it seems won't saponify further. For those of you who has experience in thickening with salt, how do you guys do it? Any tips?