Separation Help!!!

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I have tried to make now two batches of Koh soap. Each time it has separated and does not come together to one solid liquid. I can see it thickening on the bottom but there is a layer of oil at the top. When I blend it looks like it is coming together but starts to look like it is curdled then settles with the thin oil at the top.

I really feel this is not correct because I do not see any pictures that look like mine. My first batch I let cook all night and the morning was jelly but still had some spots that didn't look as jelly. I diluted it and it still never was clear and when I tried the diluted soap it felt like cheap .99 store soap and instantly wanted to wash with different soap.

Help Please!!!!!!!!

My Oils were at 130 F and my Lye was at 150F.

my recipe

Soap Recipe.png


What my batch looks like
picture of base.jpg
 
You have a 5% superfat so it might not be totally clear. Are you using distilled water? what temp are you soaping at?

Keep stick blending, it should eventually come together.

Not all liquid soap shows all stages so its difficult to compare yours to someone elses. different oils, soaping temperatures and even humidity can cause differences.
 
Thank you.

It did come together and it was still a little cloudy but when I tested the ph it was at 9. So I have started diluting it.

I have noticed that it still has that it still has a little bit of the same feeling on my hands as the other one did. It feels like there is not necessarily a layer but you rub your hands together is not smooth and almost feels like it is getting friction instead of a smooth soft motion.

Do you know if this is from the super fat? Does a lower super fat content leave a smoother feeling on your hands when they are wet? Or just how to fix that in the soap.

thanks for all the help, it has helped me tremendously!!
 
Thank you.

It did come together and it was still a little cloudy but when I tested the ph it was at 9. So I have started diluting it.

I have noticed that it still has that it still has a little bit of the same feeling on my hands as the other one did. It feels like there is not necessarily a layer but you rub your hands together is not smooth and almost feels like it is getting friction instead of a smooth soft motion.

Do you know if this is from the super fat? Does a lower super fat content leave a smoother feeling on your hands when they are wet? Or just how to fix that in the soap.

thanks for all the help, it has helped me tremendously!!
I always sequester my liquid soap a minimum of 2 weeks before I use it - why not give it a rest for awhile and then try it again.
 
Okay I will try that.
Thank you so much for all the help. This has been something I have wanted to start doing for over a year and finally got the courage to do it. So helping me through this has been a lifesaver!!! Thank you, thank you!
 
Hi @wildernessmama & WELCOME!

Sorry, Sweetie, there's more to making liquid soap that just using KOH instead of NaOH. For one thing, you used SoapCalc's default settings for making NaOH hard bars! :eek: That doesn't work for liquid soap. You'll have better luck if you take some time to do a little reading.

This thread has several helpful links:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/liquid-soap-additives.81772/#post-859698

TIP: 50% Coconut Oil (or PKO) plus your choice of liquid oils makes the best combo for liquid soap. Combine when oils are 140°F and lye solution is 160°F. Maintain 160°F while SB-ing to hard trace. LS typically takes longer to trace than hard bar batches -- 12-15 minutes for soaps high in coconut oil; 45 minutes or longer for soaps high in olive oil. High olive oil soaps also take longer to cook than high coconut oil batches.

HOPE THIS HELPS & HAPPY LS-ING!
 
Yes soap calc has the default but it also had the koh so that’s why I thought I could just click on the koh and it would calculate correctly. I rechecked my receipe and saw it does say koh does it not calculate correctly? If you have a better calculator for liquid soap, could you share that as well?

I have done about a years worth of research after taking my chemistry 101 because I like chemistry and wanted to start taking out the chemicals and detergents that I put on my body. Though the biggest majority I could fine is about bar soaps. I have not wanted to attempt bar soap because our household does not use it as much. I also did research and tried to get the best equipment possible. I was finally at the point of trying to attempt liquid soap but of course with each attempt I am going to find something I can learn from. No matter how much research I did.

I do appreciate the help and I will definitely will be reading that link you posted. Thank you so much and all the feedback has been amazing. And has helps me with the areas I did not have notes on.

Also one other thing I have been having a hard time figuring out is my first batch I made has been sitting and now has this milky layer floating at the top. I am thinking that is the non saponified lye. I don’t see any examples of it in liquid form only bars and I feel it has the same resemblance due to it collecting all in one concentrated area.

thank you thank you again, I do appreciate it!!
 
Yes soap calc has the default but it also had the koh so that’s why I thought I could just click on the koh and it would calculate correctly. I rechecked my receipe and saw it does say koh does it not calculate correctly? If you have a better calculator for liquid soap, could you share that as well?

I have done about a years worth of research after taking my chemistry 101 because I like chemistry and wanted to start taking out the chemicals and detergents that I put on my body. Though the biggest majority I could fine is about bar soaps. I have not wanted to attempt bar soap because our household does not use it as much. I also did research and tried to get the best equipment possible. I was finally at the point of trying to attempt liquid soap but of course with each attempt I am going to find something I can learn from. No matter how much research I did.

I do appreciate the help and I will definitely will be reading that link you posted. Thank you so much and all the feedback has been amazing. And has helps me with the areas I did not have notes on.

Also one other thing I have been having a hard time figuring out is my first batch I made has been sitting and now has this milky layer floating at the top. I am thinking that is the non saponified lye. I don’t see any examples of it in liquid form only bars and I feel it has the same resemblance due to it collecting all in one concentrated area.

thank you thank you again, I do appreciate it!!
The milky layer sitting on the top is probably unsaponified fats which have separated. You could try to skim it off, or you could add a small amount of a 50/50 KOH solution. Add by the teaspoon and wait to see if the fats saponify. You will need to add additional water. My best advice is to make small batches. With soap making, practice is everything. If you make several small batches, you will gain more experience while not losing as much product, at least until you have a liquid soap you really like.
 
Mine was like that when I made it but I had mt slower cooker on high, blended for a long time and left it alone for about a day and a half. Then, I diluted some when it was done but that didn't feel right. So, I put it in a jar and left it in the freezer for about two week. Then try again to dilute it and it was good. I just diluted the rest yesterday and it came out to the perfect 👌. Plus, mine was on 6% supperfat and I used way more coconut oil and it looked exactly like yours when I was blending for about an hour. Let cook longer and cure longer.

Also, the video i was watching said you can add a little salt to make your liquid thicker but that did not work it ended up separating. That was the first try to dilute.
Second try was without any and that okay but that time around it was curing for about two weeks.
Third time I tried to dilute it was the best but I added salt before doing that I build the salt until it was completely gone then added it to my paste. Left it for a couple minutes and transfer to the slower cooker and added more water. Let it set in the slow cooker over night on low. It wasnt completely dissolve so I added a little more water and let it sit for a while. It was done and now it thick and feels good.

But its dark in color.
My experience was nothing like what u had seen in the video I watch. I almost threw it out.
 
Mine was like that when I made it but I had mt slower cooker on high, blended for a long time and left it alone for about a day and a half. Then, I diluted some when it was done but that didn't feel right. So, I put it in a jar and left it in the freezer for about two week. Then try again to dilute it and it was good. I just diluted the rest yesterday and it came out to the perfect 👌. Plus, mine was on 6% supperfat and I used way more coconut oil and it looked exactly like yours when I was blending for about an hour. Let cook longer and cure longer.

Also, the video i was watching said you can add a little salt to make your liquid thicker but that did not work it ended up separating. That was the first try to dilute.
Second try was without any and that okay but that time around it was curing for about two weeks.
Third time I tried to dilute it was the best but I added salt before doing that I build the salt until it was completely gone then added it to my paste. Left it for a couple minutes and transfer to the slower cooker and added more water. Let it set in the slow cooker over night on low. It wasnt completely dissolve so I added a little more water and let it sit for a while. It was done and now it thick and feels good.

But its dark in color.
My experience was nothing like what u had seen in the video I watch. I almost threw it out.
Omg this is exactly how i have been feeling I kept cooking mine last night because my dilution didn’t feel right either. Thank you so much this gives me much more hope! I will try letting my paste sit and see how that goes. Thanks for sharing your experience it was very helpful.
 
Omg this is exactly how i have been feeling I kept cooking mine last night because my dilution didn’t feel right either. Thank you so much this gives me much more hope! I will try letting my paste sit and see how that goes. Thanks for sharing your experience it was very helpful.
I hope it work out for you.
 
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