Sodium Lactate in soap

[Ishita Saxena]

Hi, I added sodium lactate and sodium citrate to my melt and pour base(hot process soap method). It turned out a little crumbly- I have read in other forums that this means that sodium lactate was a little extra thats why the crumbleness.
Does extra sodium lactate also cause dry skin? I had read that it is a moisturising ingredient
..any inputs on that?

 

[JoeyJ]

Can I ask why you added the sodium lactate and sodium citrate?
Just hadnt heard of sodium lactate being added to melt and pour, only heard of it being added to cold or hot process to harden the soap faster.

 

[Ishita Saxena]

You can say I made the hot process soap with both....as making melt and pour base is similar to making hot process soap
I added them to increase lather, but I have a feeling they are drying on the skin too

 

[penelopejane]

You can say I made the hot process soap with both....as making melt and pour base is similar to making hot process soap
I added them to increase lather, but I have a feeling they are drying on the skin too

Even though you use heat to make melt and pour soap that is not what is referred to as a hot process soap. There is a difference. You have to be very careful adding anything other than fragrances and colour to m&p as they are a complete soap base.

 

[Dawni]

I think she meant that she made melt n pour via HP. She made the base..

I can't say about drying... But the crumbly could be too much sodium lactate? It's used for adding hardness after all..

 

[penelopejane]

I think she meant that she made melt n pour via HP. She made the base..

I can't say about drying... But the crumbly could be too much sodium lactate? It's used for adding hardness after all..

I think you are right. Sorry Ishita.

 

[IrishLass]

I've never made my own melt & pour base before, but I do use sodium lactate in my regular CP and regular HP, and yes....adding too much can cause brittleness or crumbliness upon cutting the soap. I never go any higher than 3% ppo because things get crumbly when I go over that.

Sodium lactate is a humectant. Humectants work wonderfully in humid climates to draw moisture to the skin, but they can have the opposite effect on your skin if you live in a dry climate.


IrishLass

 

[Michele50]

I've never made my own melt & pour base before, but I do use sodium lactate in my regular CP and regular HP, and yes....adding too much can cause brittleness or crumbliness upon cutting the soap. I never go any higher than 3% ppo because things get crumbly when I go over that.

Sodium lactate is a humectant. Humectants work wonderfully in humid climates to draw moisture to the skin, but they can have the opposite effect on your skin if you live in a dry climate.


IrishLass

I'm a little late to the party but in reading @Ishita Saxena's post:

Hi, I added sodium lactate and sodium citrate to my melt and pour base(hot process soap method).

I figured she made her own melt and pour. I did this about a year or so ago but can't remember whether or not I adding sodium lactate--made too much soap since then and only made one batch of it and it was a small batch.

I think she meant that she made melt n pour via HP. She made the base..

I can't say about drying... But the crumbly could be too much sodium lactate? It's used for adding hardness after all..

I do as well and @penelopejane, I like that there are so many in this forum who will point out if 'I'm' incorrect or have made a typo. I'd rather know that I'm doing something incorrectly than continue in it.

And as @IrishLass has stated, great humectant by drawing moisture to the skin but if a person's skin is dry (thus probably has microscopic openings to the skin's surface) it can draw moisture from surrounding areas of the skin which creates further drying. At least that's what I've read.