Making soap with Amla (acidic)

[Finchen]

Hi there, I am new here and want to make a soap with Amla.
Amla is very acidic (contains lots of vitamin C).
Will the acid neutralize the lye and do I have to use more lye?
If yes how much % more lye? Does anybody know?

If I wont use more lye, will the soap be automatically more superfatted (because there will be less lye due to the acid)?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

 

[kelleyaynn]

Hi there, I am new here and want to make a soap with Amla.
Amla is very acidic (contains lots of vitamin C).
Will the acid neutralize the lye and do I have to use more lye?
If yes how much % more lye? Does anybody know?

If I wont use more lye, will the soap be automatically more superfatted (because there will be less lye due to the acid)?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Why do you want to add it? The lye will react with the vitamin C, so that not only will it neutralize some of the lye, but the chemical reaction will change the vitamin C into something else. So you won't have vitamin C in your soap. To find out how much extra lye you would need would require that you know exactly how much NaOH will react with the concentration of ascorbic acid that you have. That would be difficult to figure out, unless you know exactly the concentration and amount of vitamin C you are working with.

 

[carebear]

yes, your soap will be more "superfatted" if you don't increase your lye - but the amount depends on how much acid the alma is adding to the system. might be localized though, depending on how the alma is prepared since it's a botanical. could end up with an odd soap.
but it won't have vitamin C in it. vitamin C = ascorbic acid. if you put it in an alkaline environment you lose the 'activity'
http://www.uwsp.edu/chemistry/jlawrenc/ ... %20Lab.pdf

so no vitamin C, depsite the alma. you can still say it has alma in it - but...

 

[Finchen]

Thanks for your answers.

I want to add Amla because Amla is very good and conditoning for hair (want to make a shampoo bar).

 

[Simplyangelic]

Thanks for your answers.

I want to add Amla because Amla is very good and conditoning for hair (want to make a shampoo bar).

I use amla in my shampoo bars and it's a lovely ingredient that my hair loves. I typically superfat my 'poo bars at around 4%, and use around 1/2 to a full teaspoon per 1lb of oils.

HTH 8)

 

[Finchen]

I use amla in my shampoo bars and it's a lovely ingredient that my hair loves. I typically superfat my 'poo bars at around 4%, and use around 1/2 to a full teaspoon per 1lb of oils.

HTH 8)

Thanks for your post. Do you use more lye when you make an Amla Soap? I assume you are using Amla powder? This is what I plan to do.