Melt & Pour vs Hot Process Clear Soap

[tinylittlefox]

Hey everyone! Not sure whether to post this under lye-based or mp-based forum. I’ve been making cold-process soaps since last october and I really enjoyed the whole process & flexibility that it gives in terms of aesthetic and the simple ingredients (just oil & lye) used.

Anyway, my real question is, is there any way to spot the difference in the ingredient list as to whether the soap is created in MP method or hot-process clear soap method?

One thing I’ve noticed in similarity of both, is the use of propylene glycol, glycerin and a sugar solution. Other than that, I really dont know how to spot whether the soap is made with mp base or just hot-process (clear soap) method.

Is “sorbitol” the dead give away that the soap is created with Melt & Pour soap? Any other ways to spot the difference?

Is hot-process (clear soap) method as natural as how a basic cold-process soaps are made?

Thanks!!

 

[earlene]

Sorbitol is also used by some SMF soapers in CP. It is a sugar added to increase bubbles, just like plain table sugar or honey or beer or other sugar containing product is added for the same reason. So really none of the sugars are exclusively to MP soap.

Glycerine is a by-product of making lye soap, so seeing it on the ingredient list is quite normal when the label lists ingredients that 'come out of the pot'. It can also be added to the pot, so you may see it listed in the 'what goes into the pot' ingredient lists also. For example, some soapers mix their colorants in vegetable glycerin rather than oil or water, so it may be listed for that reason. So glycerine on the ingredient list won't tell you if the soap was made CP or MP.

As for propylene glycol, that is more often used for MP soap than in lye soap, however transparent soap can be made using propylene glycol as well. So it is entirely possible that even PG would not be an absolute indicator that the soap was made via the MP method. And you should also be aware that some MP bases are lye soap and not detergents, so that may also be something to keep in mind.

Is transparent HP soap as natural as CP soap? Sure, unless you don't think of alcohol as natural. You probably think of PG as synthetic and therefore not natural, but I am not sure that is entirely accurate in that it is derived from natural products (petroleum or natural gas or vegetable sources.) But it also depends on your perceived understanding or definition of natural. Natural does not mean the same to all people.

 

[tinylittlefox]

Thank you Earlene! That was very insightful and absolutely helpful. It seems like there isn’t any way to tell (in the ingredient lists) whether the soap is made with MP or HP transparent soap method.

Is transparent HP soap as natural as CP soap? Sure, unless you don't think of alcohol as natural.

I haven’t tried making transparent HP soap, so this might be a dumb question, but is the alcohol still present in the HP transparent soap after saponification/curing time?

 

[earlene]

There wouldn't be much, but I will refer you to this post on a thread about making translucent soap.