*Help* Oil and SLES Soap Separating Layers

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kingr

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Hi all,

I am new to making soap. I have been doing several trials and have been failing at all of them. Recently my latest challenge is that my soaps are separating...
The following is the formula I have been testing:
- 10% SLES
- 7% Glycerin
- 8% PEG 40 hydrogenated castor oil
- 3% salt as thickener
- 1% pure EO
- 70% water

The texture is alright, it makes a lot of bubbles when used too, but after 1-2 days, I can clearly see two layers...
Any suggestions/advice please?

Thanks a lot!
 
I am assuming this is a liquid soap of some kind, but I've only made liquid soap using KOH, and you don't list that as one of your ingredients. Can you explain your process more specifically?
 
@AliOop I am not making a natural soap and I am not using oils. Rather, I am using sodium laureth sulfate available in te market which is often found in commercial soaps. So KOH is not one of the ingredients.
I basically just disssolve everything in water... then two layers start to form...
 
The absence of any emulsifier in your recipe is what confused me as to what type of product you were trying to make. Some folks do combine the synthetic detergents such as SLSA with a soap-based product, or they try to make liquid “soap” without lye bc they don’t understand the chemistry.

I agree with @lsg - you need to learn how to combine create and combine different phases, and also how to select and use an emulsifier, and test for pH depending on the product use. The blog she recommended has excellent information about this process. You can also read the Humblebee & Me blog for some free (but less detailed) information.
 
SLES is a synthetic detergent (syndet). Although the average consumer is going to call this product "soap," that's not technically correct and you're wanting to have a technical discussion here. Please call it by a correct name to avoid confusion -- it's a syndet based cleanser, not soap.

Photos would be helpful to know the amount of separation and what it looks like. At the moment, in the absence of information, I'm envisioning two clear layers, each making up about half the volume. Is that correct? If not, what does the separation look like? Pictures would be helpful.

I'm concerned about the amount of salt you're using. By "salt" I assume you mean sodium chloride -- is that correct? Have you done a salt curve to know whether 3% sodium chloride content is the optimum amount to use? Or are you following someone else's tutorial? If so, please give the source. Or ???
 

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