Soaping 101 liquid soapmaking video?

[IrishLass]

I stopped SB covered the croclpot and left it overnight. On the next morning I checked and found a paste that was sticky and felt like taffy but unlike IrishLass' , mine was not beautiful gold translucent color. Instead I had
cloudy, opaque paste in a mustard color . I also didn't see bubbles on top.

No need to worry- whenever I make this recipe using the KOH-dissolving method you used (i.e., mixing the KOH in an equal amount of water, and only then adding the glycerin to the solution), my paste ends up looking much like vanilla pudding- i.e., opaque and creamy/off-white/slightly light yellowish. In comparison, when I make it using the 'Phamacist's Method' of heating the KOH and glycerin together to boiling in order to dissolve the KOH, my paste comes out golden and transluscent.

If you have a few minutes to spare, you can read about my first experience using the KOH dissolving method that you used. It's located in this very same thread on page 11, post 103: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=452730&postcount=103

1. I contacted my KOH supplier and it turns out that my KOH is 90% pure. In that case I should have used Soapcalc calculator with 90% KOH ticked. Had I done so I would use 111g KOH (5 g extra) and some 15g extra of water/glicerin.

2. Had I not diluted the paste, I could have try to salvage my paste. ( as much as I hate throwing it, I will write it off as a tuition fee)

I would love to hear what should I do different next time in order to make a good clear GLS ?

Thanks in advance, Eyal

Ditto 100% what DeeAnna said- don't discard the diluted soap- you can most definitely save it! The more experience you have making soap, the more you'll be able to see how wonderfully forgiving it can be. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that about 98%-99% of all problematic batches could be saved if one but knows what caused the problem.


IrishLass

 

[Shahtura]

Thanks DeeAnna, Susie and IrishLass. This is such a good news. In my book , throwing oils away is a big crime. I gave myself hard time, thinking that because I proceeded to dilute my paste, it was not possible to save it. Since it was my first time, I wasn't sure something went wrong until after the dilution.

You ladies are my heroes (or is it heroines in correct English?)! Thanks a million.

I can't wait until tomorrow morning so I can go salvage the soap. I will upload a picture once the soap clears.

 

[DeeAnna]

Just take it slow and easy -- you can add a little KOH, see how that works, and then add some more, etc.

 

[nickbar]

On my last batch of GLS soap using IL's recipe (without adding sodium lactate) the final diluted soap paste came out nice and crystal clear.

When i scent it using some lavender EO from 0.5%-1% most times i get some little chunks on the surface of the soap or on the bottle (due to thickening activity of the EO maybe?).

The problem also remains when i add the EO with an equal amount of PS80... Is there any trick to overcome that? I found that if i add some water after scenting the soap it will get away these annoying things...

 

[Susie]

Lavender EO is a known separation cause. Not every lavender EO, mind you, but enough that is an automatic suspect when someone says they are having issues. Try using a different EO and see if you get the same results.

If by, "I found that if i add some water after scenting the soap it will get away these annoying things...", you mean that the lumps go away, then all you have is insufficient dilution water. Add your tiny bit of water and accept that that is how it is going to be.

 

[nickbar]

Yes the lumps go away with a bit of water addition.
I have used orange EO and Pine sylvestris EO and they didnt thicken soap, neither thin it.

Of course there are many kind of them but i usually buy EO only from one supplier near my town...

Thank you for your reply

 

[Shahtura]

Bad news and good news

Gosh, don't discard the diluted soap -- you CAN fix it.

I have experimented with adding small amounts of dry KOH directly to diluted soap and it works fine. Stir the KOH into the soap for a minute or two. It might not be obvious when it's fully dissolved, so I just stir "long enough" based on past experience. You'll feel the soap warm up somewhat as you stir and the soap might thicken up some -- so don't be surprised if these things happen.

Cover the container with a loose cover (not tightly capped, so no pressure will build up in the container) and set the soap in a safe out-of-the-way place to saponify. Give the soap two or three days to do its thing -- diluted soap at room temperature will saponify slower than LS paste. You can stir occasionally if you think of it, but it doesn't seem to be too important. I do stir well at the end before checking for zap and I'm very cautious when doing a zap test.

The other alternative is to first dilute the KOH in an equal or greater weight of water and stir that solution into the diluted soap. You'd follow the same drill after that point as with the dry KOH.

I will start with the bad news. I have tried to fix my diluted soap paste by adding the missing KOH (6 grams) and waited 3 days while stirring few times. It passed the zap test but didn't clear at all. I added 5 more grams and waited 3 more days. Still same results.

I guess I have got an ugly soap but it is usable, isn't it?

The good news is that I made last night a new batch. This time I used Soapcalc with 90% KOH from the start. I am diluting it right now but I can see the bottom is clear with bubbles on top. I will upload a picture once it is done.

I have 3 EO's: eucalyptus, lavender and orange. I heard some lavenders give hard time. should I avoid lavender or make a small trial with it?

 

[Susie]

I would use the orange. Lavender can be problematic.

Congratulations on the soap!

 

[DeeAnna]

If your first batch doesn't zap, yes, you can use it. You might find the cloudy material eventually settles to the bottom of the soap or the cloudiness might disappear with temperature change. Regardless, a crystal clear soap is an esthetic issue -- whether clear or cloudy, the soap will clean just fine.

I agree with Susie -- orange is your best bet for not causing trouble and smelling good to just about everyone. Just to be on the safe side, try it in a small sample of diluted soap first to see if it changes the texture of the soap (thinner, thicker, chunky, etc.) I have never tried eucalyptus in liquid soap, so I can't say whether it changes the texture. I'd think the odor might be a bit overwhelming to me, but everyone's nose is different. Lavender seems to be a troublemaker in liquid soap for many people.

 

[Susie]

I have not tried eucalyptus EO, either. I hesitate for the same reason-it is absolutely overwhelming to me except in the smallest concentrations in bar soap. I have some EO, and I use very tiny amounts in CP fragrance blends only.

 

[Sapo]

Just made an eucalyptus, scented at 2%. It's pretty sweet to me.

 

[hlecter]

Most of the time lavender EO caused trouble to my gls. But when i used pine sylvestris EO and orange EO there wasnt any problem. Both of them didnt thin or thicken soap.

 

[Soaps_and_more]

Thank you!

Dears!

I joined SMF to be able to thank you all!
Especially of course IrishLass! You are wonderful!!!

I have made 2 batches of liquid soap before finding your recipe. The first one, well, I guess the numbers were not right, I actually used the glycerin method but got the percentages wrong. Its is a soap but there are no bubbles. Well, that got to be some cleaning soap.

Then I read, re-read and studied the book of Jackie Thompson. Personally I find it requires a lot of different chemicals, testing, probing ... which is not per se a bad thing, but makes me lose my interest.
So that resulted in a soap that was like water. Also a good soap, but I am stubborn, I want it a thick liquid and then be able to dilute.
Some more cleaning soap ...


Then I read your ingenious method.
Couldn't really believe it. What? 10 minutes? and then leave it without heat?
What about those people that stir for 6 hours and then hope for the best?
Stressing about this phase and that?


Thank you!
Your method worked wonderfully!
I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

I see myself making a ton of wonderful liquid soap and loving it!
You are the best.
I especially admire your patience!

 

[IrishLass]

Yay! That makes my day! I'm always so very happy any time someone puts it to the test and discovers the beauty of the simplicity of liquid soap-making. So many folks over-complicate it, which is very unfortunate.....and very unnecessary. I wish I could take credit for the recipe that I posted and for the ingenious method, but I'm nothing more than a humble messenger (although a very enthusiastic one at that!)


IrishLass

 

[penelopejane]

I haven't made liquid soap yet but my DH likes the foaming bottles. I can't get them to last longer than 1 refil before they don't work as Foamers regardless of the dilution.

Is there a good type of bottle to use or do you just use standard pump bottles with handmade liquid soap?

 

[Shahtura]

May I dilute in the crockpot?

Welcome to the forum, Sweet_Vivi! :wave:

I completely understand your concern, but there's no need to worry- it actually looks and sounds like things are progressing along in the same way as they normally do for me. Here is a pic of my soap taken at the very same stage as yours is now (I use canning jars to dilute because I don't have a designated soap crockpot):

May I boil the dilution water and pour it over my paste in the crockpot instead of using a double boiler with a canning jar?

 

[IrishLass]

Certainly! Just make sure to cover your crockpot.


IrishLass

 

[biarine]

Yay! That makes my day! I'm always so very happy any time someone puts it to the test and discovers the beauty of the simplicity of liquid soap-making. So many folks over-complicate it, which is very unfortunate.....and very unnecessary. I wish I could take credit for the recipe that I posted and for the ingenious method, but I'm nothing more than a humble messenger (although a very enthusiastic one at that!)


IrishLass

You and other soapers is inspiration to start soaping. I had my doubt before even though I watched many video in you tube. To be a member here years ago inspired me to make my first batch of soap.

 

[nickbar]

This time i decided to make some gls as usual using 85% purity of KOH from my supplier.
I used soapee.com for my calculations checking 85% purity for Lye, 25% coconut oil, 65% olive oil and 10% castor, 3% superfat. I dissolved Lye to equal amount of water and added the remaining "water" amount as glycerin, using in the end about 79% water of paste weight to dilute following IrishLass recipe on the first pages of the thread. All went as planned and i checked the final pH of the soap and it was about 11.6!
On previous batches using the same recipe, but 90% KOH purity the pH was 9,5...So could it be that difference in pH due to the purity of the Lye and the extra amount you have to add when using a lower lye purity instead of a higher (90% for example) ? I suppose my soap will be safe to use as it didnt zap as paste...

Thank you!

 

[ngian]

Hello nickbar. What is the method that you are using to get the pH readings and with what equipment?