Liquid Soap From Solid Bar Recipe?

[thefsco]

Hi LS newbie.

As I put above, I have a few recipes I have been successful for a Solid Bar but wish to start in the field of Liquid Soap. Is it easy enough to just use the current recipes I have and just almost keep going with the mixing (using a slow cooker of sorts to keep hot) then adding water once it has gone translucent??

Many Thanks

 

[Em522]

I don't know much about formulating liquid soap recipes or using the same recipe (oil wise) as bar soap, but you will need to use potassium hydroxide instead of sodium hydroxide. Since you are using a different lye you would need to check potassium hydroxide when you put the recipe through the lye calculator to get the correct amount of lye.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Like Em522 said, you need a different lye for LS. Also it's done in different stages. You start off cooking it like you would when doing HP bar soap. Then once it has completed saponifying (which will take longer with KOH), that's when you add water to dilute the soap. You also want to use a very low superfat with LS (a negative amount if you want absolutely clear soap), no more than 3%.

I suggest at least looking at Soaping101's videos on liquid soap before attempting anything. There's also a good tutorial here.

 

[DeeAnna]

As my first foray into LS making, I used a favorite recipe for bar soap, but re-calculated the lye as 100% KOH and used a low superfat. It made a decent LS from what I can tell, but I need more experience to see whether it is a truly good LS.

One problem with this idea is some fats that work fine in bar soap will make a liquid soap cloudy. I might be missing other important issues, so I'm also curious to hear what experienced LS makers have to say.

 

[Susie]

As said above, you need KOH. Check the KOH box and the 90% KOH buttons on SoapCalc, then use 3% superfat or less. Do not go into negative superfats, as you don't want to have to neutralize. Many older books and videos are going to call for neutralization. Ignore that, and run your recipes through the calculator. Also, if the recipes call for alcohol and other odd seeming ingredients, you can ignore those also. Liquid soapmaking has come a long way from those days.

You can use your bar recipes, but jojoba and some others cause cloudy soap. If you don't care if the soap is clear, go right ahead and use them. You are going to need to watch some liquid soap videos before jumping in. There are enough differences from CP as to make it a new skill set. You will need to either plan to cook in a dedicated stainless steel pot or a crockpot. You also are going to need to sequester that liquid soap for about a week or so to let it settle. I used the zap test to check my paste for the longest. I now use a pH meter, but the zap test is still good enough. Just remember that soap paste right out of the pot is HOT. You will burn your tongue if you fail to let it cool some.(yes, I know this from experience) You must test your soap somehow, as the clarity test only checks for unsaponified oils, not for lye-heaviness. And lye heaviness is not safe for skin. My liquid soaps average 8.5-10 on the meter. Anywhere in there is safe.

Homemade liquid soap is thinner than commercial liquid soap. It does well in foaming dispensers, often with little or no further dilution. If you want thicker soap, you are going to need to add some sort of thickener, but that is a conversation for another day.

Here is Soaping101's liquid glycerin soap video. Ignore the neutralization stage and run your own recipe. You don't need to use glycerin, but it does speed trace. I would actually recommend you use 1/2 water to dissolve the KOH, then add the remainder in glycerin to the lye/water mixture. Keeps you from having to heat the glycerin. You also need to read the threads on liquid soapmaking on SMF. More info is good!

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VUGV_H7bZU[/ame]

As Flybystardancer said, the Chickens in the Road tutorial is a good one. Just a bit dated. She does, however, link you to a liquid soapmaking group on yahoo that is active and full of helpful folks. Yahoo is not a very user friendly place for that type of group, but the people make up for it. There are also some beginner files with recipes that are super easy.

 

[DeeAnna]

Thanks for the information, Susie! I'm filing that away for future reference.

I think you have recommended in other threads to use 1/2 water and 1/2 glycerin for LS, if I remember right. I followed your suggestion, and I like how that soap-making method worked for me. It didn't take forever to come to trace as with an all-water recipe. But I also did not have to go through the hassle of heating up the glycerin to get the KOH to dissolve properly. Best of both worlds.

I used a 3% superfat and accounted for the lower purity of the KOH. My recipe included coconut oil, castor, rice bran, and high oleic safflower. The finished soap was a bit cloudy at first, but cleared up nicely after settling for a week or so. The experience was a good intro to LS making -- thanks again for sharing your method!

 

[Susie]

You are most welcome!

Another great trick I learned to speed trace is to use 1/2 oz grated bar soap into the lye mixture once it has cleared, then SB til the soap is all melted/mixed in. Then add to the oils as usual. I use that method in my dish and laundry soaps. Saves time and is much cheaper than using glycerin in household soaps.

 

[thefsco]

Thanks ever so much everyone - will let you know how I get on!