Oils into lye water?

[Orda]

Hello guys

Since I come up with weird questions in my head, I thought I'd ask for your help on these questions I have.

A) Can I pour my oils into the lye water instead of the usual lye water into oils? I just need to know, been wondering for a month.
B) For any of you who has experience with hot process chocolate soap, is it okay if I add the cocoa powder at trace like in CP soap? If I add a bit more cocoa powder after the process is finished for gentle exfoliating and hopefully scent, is it a good idea?


Thank you very much, again!

 

[DeeAnna]

(A) Yes. How you mix the lye solution with the fats is really up to you.

A tiny advantage to pouring the lye solution into the oils is you will err on the side of less lye in the soap batter rather than less oil. The reason for this is some residue is always left in the container you are emptying. I'd rather soap with a tiny bit less lye in my batch than I would soap with a little bit less oil. But that's really picking nits.

What is far, far more important is how to make the lye solution itself -- lye added to the water, not other way 'round. I'm adding this just in case any new soapers reading this thread might need to know this tip.

(B) I haven't used cocoa in HP, but I have added it to CP soap at trace. It should be fine. Adding a bit after the cook should also be fine. I don't think cocoa will exfoliate, however, and I doubt it will add much scent. It can, however, make the lather and washcloth brown!

 

[Orda]

DeeAnna, thank you very much
I will maybe add a bit extra oil to be on the safe side.

Oh alright then I'll just add it at trace.

Thank you so much! ^_^

 

[SoapSap]

Regarding, lye into oil method: can I use this method if part of my oils in part include a small percentage of Stearic Acid? Or, Palm Kernel Oil Flakes? Will the lye solution heat up the oils enough to melt these hard waxy type oils?

 

[DeeAnna]

Palm kernel -- yes, you can melt PKO with a hot lye solution. Its melt point is about 95 degrees F. I recommend adding the lye solution to just the solid fats and stir to melt. If you have to add more heat to get the job done, warm your liquid oils in the microwave. Or if you just have a few bits of solid fat that are softened but not quite all melted, just break the bits up with your spoon, whisk or a stick blender and move on with your recipe.

Stearic -- You might possibly be able to melt stearic with a hot lye solution, but it is far, far more likely to create a mess rather than success.

First off, stearic melts about 160 deg F, and a hot lye solution is 180-200 degrees at most. That means you're trying to heat something from room temp to 160 degrees AND then melt it by using about the same weight of material that is only at 180 degrees. I could ramble on about sensible heats and heat of crystallization, but suffice to say ... it ain't likely to work well. On top of that, the stearic will also want to react instantly with lye as it melts. Not recommended!

I'd melt the stearic in a double boiler (hot water bath, bain marie) or possibly the microwave and add it to a hot batter (aka your other oils + lye solution) while stirring thoroughly. Or just take the simpler route of heating the stearic and fats together until the stearic melts -- and then add the lye solution. I don't recommend heating the whole batch of batter -- just heat the fats and/or stearic only.

PS Stearic acid is not a fat/oil. It is a fatty acid. Quite a different animal, even though it is derived from fat.

 

[dixiedragon]

I would not do this, b/c ever so often I find a "lye cake" at the bottom of my pitcher. I don't always realize it's there when I start pouring the lye water, but I can see it at the bottom and either throw it away or add water to it and poke and prod it until it dissolves.

 

[pamielynn]

You also run the risk of splashing up your lye solution when pouring oils into it rather than lye into oils - much better control, IMO.

 

[SoapSap]

Palm kernel -- yes, you can melt PKO with a hot lye solution. Its melt point is about 95 degrees F. I recommend adding the lye solution to just the solid fats and stir to melt. If you have to add more heat to get the job done, warm your liquid oils in the microwave. Or if you just have a few bits of solid fat that are softened but not quite all melted, just break the bits up with your spoon, whisk or a stick blender and move on with your recipe.

Stearic -- You might possibly be able to melt stearic with a hot lye solution, but it is far, far more likely to create a mess rather than success.

First off, stearic melts about 160 deg F, and a hot lye solution is 180-200 degrees at most. That means you're trying to heat something from room temp to 160 degrees AND then melt it by using about the same weight of material that is only at 180 degrees. I could ramble on about sensible heats and heat of crystallization, but suffice to say ... it ain't likely to work well. On top of that, the stearic will also want to react instantly with lye as it melts. Not recommended!

I'd melt the stearic in a double boiler (hot water bath, bain marie) or possibly the microwave and add it to a hot batter (aka your other oils + lye solution) while stirring thoroughly. Or just take the simpler route of heating the stearic and fats together until the stearic melts -- and then add the lye solution. I don't recommend heating the whole batch of batter -- just heat the fats and/or stearic only.

PS Stearic acid is not a fat/oil. It is a fatty acid. Quite a different animal, even though it is derived from fat.

Thanks. That is a great explanation and I think I will just forget about the Stearic Acid with this method.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree that's the wisest choice for stearic (or beeswax for that matter). I'm glad you feel that way about it!