I am just curious what everyone has used to harden their bars of soap with other than an immense amount of coconut oil. is there some sort of natural extract or herb that acts as a bar hardener? I am looking to get a little more life out of my bars and get a hard bar. Thanks for all and suggestions.
Natural Soap Hardners
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Dixie
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How long are you letting your bars cure before you use them? And, are you using Soapcalc to calculate your formulas?
Usually, if it is a good formula, your bar will harden nicely over time. You don't really need an additive to make the bar harder.
Although, some oils make your bars harder quicker, like coconut, Lard, but even Olive oil, which is a soft soap, will get very hard with enough cure time.
Usually, if it is a good formula, your bar will harden nicely over time. You don't really need an additive to make the bar harder.
Although, some oils make your bars harder quicker, like coconut, Lard, but even Olive oil, which is a soft soap, will get very hard with enough cure time.
Im using a sunflower, palm, coconut base, essential oils and herbs only. My bars cure for about six weeks. They already are hard, but I have heard of some natural extracts or other additives that you can add into the soap to get the bar to last longer. For example some people use Orris root to anchor a scent into a CP bar.
artisan soaps
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heartsong
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in some of my recipes i add up to 5% steric acid (palm or soy). it adds hardness and a more shaving-cream-like lather.
SAP is .141 per oz it's very cheap and easy to find-most candle suppliers have this.
in some of my recipes i add up to 5% steric acid (palm or soy). it adds hardness and a more shaving-cream-like lather.
SAP is .141 per oz it's very cheap and easy to find-most candle suppliers have this.
hardness to bar
Sorry to intrude on your thread but how would you add stearic acid?
In the water prior to or after lye, or would you add to oils? I know I have some somewhere and have been having trouble with the hardness of my bars. I can't use coconut oil at all, my skin won't tolerate it. I use Babassu oil mostly but it's just not the same as soap made with coconut oil. Thanks for the tip.
Sorry to intrude on your thread but how would you add stearic acid?
In the water prior to or after lye, or would you add to oils? I know I have some somewhere and have been having trouble with the hardness of my bars. I can't use coconut oil at all, my skin won't tolerate it. I use Babassu oil mostly but it's just not the same as soap made with coconut oil. Thanks for the tip.
heartsong
Well-Known Member
Re: hardness to bar
steric acid has a high melting point-just melt it in your oils, stir and make sure its completely melted-then soap as usual.
i add this when using castor bean oil at 10% or more. it adds conditioning, and creamy bubbles.
sandra said:
steric acid has a high melting point-just melt it in your oils, stir and make sure its completely melted-then soap as usual.
i add this when using castor bean oil at 10% or more. it adds conditioning, and creamy bubbles.
heartsong
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outlaws33 said:
it's naturally derived from soy or palm-you'll have to look thru the vendors-they post what it's made from.
they used to get it from tallow too, but haven't seen any in a long time.
lovetosoap
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Beeswax can help harden a bar.
What about adding cocoa butter or shea butter? Could this increase hardness?
What about adding cocoa butter or shea butter? Could this increase hardness?
heartsong
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may i suggest going to : www.soapcalc.com
it has a 10 minute tutorial, and a FAQ section and soapmaking oils properties section.
this is soooo worth taking the time to completely go thru the info sections!
i know that it has made me a much better soapmaker!
may i suggest going to : www.soapcalc.comit has a 10 minute tutorial, and a FAQ section and soapmaking oils properties section.
this is soooo worth taking the time to completely go thru the info sections!
i know that it has made me a much better soapmaker!
heartsong
Well-Known Member
outlaws33 said:
it increases the hardness of the bar, thus making it longer lasting as it doesn't melt so fast in the shower. it also adds a creamy-ness to your lather.
steric acid is used in many shaving soap recipes, too.
donniej
Well-Known Member
My experience with Stearic Acid is that it makes the bars harder out of the mold but they'll never get as hard as without it. If you wait long enogh, even pure soy bars will get very hard... but adding SA seems to make them a little "waxy". Same for beeswax if using more than 2%.
You have to be careful with salt because it can make the glycerin fall out of solution and cause the soap to "sweat brown" in high humidity.
The less lye you use, the softer your soap will be.
The less water you use, the harder it will be.
Sodium lactate is another hardener. I've read that goats milk contains sodium lactate.
Oils with higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids (stearic, palmitic) are the ones that make hard bars. 92* coconut is hydrogenated and therefore contians a high quantity of saturated FA's.... but so do most oils that are solid at room temp (like lard or tallow).
You have to be careful with salt because it can make the glycerin fall out of solution and cause the soap to "sweat brown" in high humidity.
The less lye you use, the softer your soap will be.
The less water you use, the harder it will be.
Sodium lactate is another hardener. I've read that goats milk contains sodium lactate.
Oils with higher concentrations of saturated fatty acids (stearic, palmitic) are the ones that make hard bars. 92* coconut is hydrogenated and therefore contians a high quantity of saturated FA's.... but so do most oils that are solid at room temp (like lard or tallow).
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