GLS, subbed 50 gr water....

[lenarenee]

Finally getting around to making gls. Was short 50 grams of glycerin ‘cause someone spilled it. ( no one needs to know who, right?)

Since I was too lazy to run out to the store, I just subbed water for it. I’m guessing it will turn out a little thinner, but can be easily fixed during dilution. Yes? No?

 

[DeeAnna]

Yep, you can sub water for the glycerin. Liquid soap is pretty forgiving that way. I've made the same recipe with all water, 2 parts water to 1 glycerin, and 1 part water to 2 of glycerin. It's all turned out fine.

If you use more water and less glycerin, the resulting diluted soap won't necessarily be any thicker or thinner. I notice more difference in the paste before dilution. Paste made with more or all water might look more milky opaque. Paste with more glycerin might be more translucent, but the diluted soap all ends up about the same if you start with the same blend of fats.

 

[lenarenee]

Thanks DeeAnna, I was hoping that was the case.

So (following IL and Susie recipe methods with equal parts lye and water, with 2 parts glycerin) I could save a little money by using 2 parts water and 1 part glycerin instead, without compromising the clarity and thickness of the end product? Would the soap be more "drying"? (today I used a 4% sf because I have brand new 92% koh, and used a calc with 90% default)

 

[DeeAnna]

Just my opinion, but liquid soap is drying due to the blend of fats in the recipe, not due to how much or little glycerin you add. Soap made from fat (as opposed to soap made from fatty acids) creates its own glycerin, whether the soap is made with NaOH or KOH.

The main benefit of adding glycerin to liquid soap is to jump start the saponification reaction, compared to using water. As far as the overall performance of the soap after it's diluted, I think a higher glycerin content slightly reduces lather. I personally don't see any great difference in how a higher glycerin LS feels on the skin versus a low- or no-added glycerin LS, but that's just my opinion, not necessarily true for everyone.

If you use a lot of coconut oil or other high myristic-lauric fat, a fairly common tendency in LS recipes, you're going to end up with a more drying soap. We see this in bar soap, and it also happens in liquid soap. I think people crank up the coconut % to get a faster lathering soap, but there are ways to compensate for that even if you keep the coconut down to a reasonable amount.

How fast and how much lather is created depends on the amount of dilution and aeration as well as the blend of fats in the recipe. Foamer bottles are good (aeration and dilution). Or being okay with a more watery, more diluted soap (dilution). Or shower poufs (aeration).

Be careful with the superfat in liquid soap. I gather you intended to have 6% superfat? The rule of thumb is no more than 3% superfat. Much higher than that and the free fatty acids may separate out of the soap.

 

[lenarenee]

No, I intended a 2% sf, but may have reversed the direction of the math. With 92% lye purity, but using a calculator default of 90 for potassium hydroxide, my thinking was more would actually be saponified than the calculator figured for....?

I took the batter to trace yesterday, covered and checked this morning and found a layer of liquid (about a cup full)on top of some thick paste. Threw it into a pot on low heat. Went a little weird on me as white junks of substance showed up as the soap warmed up! Surely it can’t be coconut oil, but that soft coconut oil is what it looks like!

Right now the chunks are gone, most of the paste has liquified and the soap now looks like I’m diluting it, but I’m now.
I’ll zap test later. I’ve got a friend with a child in the hospital so I’m watching out for the younger one today.

 

[DeeAnna]

Wups, you're right -- I was thinking backwards. My apologies.

Sometimes I get some liquid on the top of my paste as well. I just mix it into the rest and don't worry too much about it. Sometimes the paste can also look more white and I think sometimes that's from air bubbles or from the use of all water rather than a mix of water and glycerin. Hard to say what the white chunks are in your soap, but again, I'd just mix the chunks into the rest of the paste and not worry too much about it.

 

[lenarenee]

Oh no need to apologize! But I'm surprised and happy that, for once, it was my math that was correct - because usually its not!

This paste looked perfect - nice and transparent, appropriate stiffness - so I was really surprised at the liquid which was thicker than water, but not as thick as oil or glycerin, and only mildly yellow. I assume that light trace wasn't enough to keep everything equally combined and some may have separated.

It's been cooked and any remaining hunks of paste stick blended so everything is now uniform and looks like spun honey- which is exactly what it looks like when I've used the crockpot method for ls before. And it smells wonderful!! Just the straight, unscented olive oil scent I love from this recipe!

I still haven't zap tested yet, but given the amount of paste plopped onto my bear hand (yes - after cooking for a while I stopped putting on gloves) not causing any issues, it's probably fine.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

(yes - after cooking for a while I stopped putting on clothes)

That's classic!

PS: Happy your GLS worked out for you.

 

[lenarenee]

View attachment 38965 That's classic!

PS: Happy your GLS worked out for you.

*heavy sigh*. Yeah, classic sleep deprivation. I’ll go fix that little error.