Potassium Citrate vs. Sodium Citrate?

[Johnez]

With some batches down I think I'm ready to leap into the world of additives. The background for this question is I'm making shave soaps and use 100% KOH and would like to continue going the heavy KOH route (possibly with some 10-30% NaOH in the future) and have heard it advised to keep the citrate the same as the lye. However I have also heard it likely doesn't matter. I would procure potassium citrate, however it is difficult to find in some soap supplier sites and I'd like to combine my orders and these sites generally have sodium citrate. Perhaps an easy compromise would be citric acid with added lye. Hmm. Any wise words?

 

[DeeAnna]

For as little as is used in soap, either potassium citrate or sodium citrate will be fine unless you're a purist and insist on everything having to be "matching".

 

[ResolvableOwl]

As a citric-acid-the-hard-way-with-all-the-math savant, I can hardly be neutral. But with the alkali salts, and all other things (like price, availability) equal, potassium citrate is the better choice IMHO. A few % of potassium won't do much harm to bar soap (except a slight increase in lather, and calming castile slime), but a few % sodium in liquid soap can mess up your thickness (mind the salt curve).

 

[Johnez]

As a citric-acid-the-hard-way-with-all-the-math savant, I can hardly be neutral. But with the alkali salts, and all other things (like price, availability) equal, potassium citrate is the better choice IMHO. A few % of potassium won't do much harm to bar soap (except a slight increase in lather, and calming castile slime), but a few % sodium in liquid soap can mess up your thickness (mind the salt curve).

Interesting information regarding KOH and the slime RO, I've never run across that piece of information. After making shave soap with a hefty amount of RBO, and being thoroughly satisfied I'm kinda tempted to ramp it up. Anti-oleic shave soapers can look away lol.

 

[Johnez]

For as little as is used in soap, either potassium citrate or sodium citrate will be fine unless you're a purist and insist on everything having to be "matching".

Thank you DeeAnna. I'm purist/matchy only if there's a benefit, any benefit at all. Glad to know I won't be missing anything.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

As has been said, it will do the job regardless. Just do bear in mind that the extra lye to add will vary if using one or the other, if I remember correctly.

...........Anti-oleic shave soapers can look away lol.

Noted