Sugar for bubbles

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dibbles

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I have just started using a bar of soap made with 1 tsp PPO of honey added. I love the big fluffy bubbles on top of the creamy lather this soap makes. I admit to being completely enamored with bubbles. This bar of soap will go quickly since I just keep lathering it up over and over for the sheer fun of it.

I've never used sugar before, but am wondering if this is the same result when dissolving sugar to the water before adding the lye? I would sometimes like to avoid the discoloration that adding honey produces. And does adding sugar in small amounts like that cause overheating issues? Any guidance is much appreciated.
 
When I add sugar to a recipe I do watch over it. Usually a small amount does not cause problems but it can with certain fragrances and recipes that heat up. I wouldn't worry to much but still watch it until you see how it behaves with you recipes.
 
Mmmmm, I love honey in soap, too. I use 1 tbsp. honey ppo and find it contributes more bubbles to my soap than when I use the same amount in sugar. So... when I use sugar, I just double the amount, using 2 tbsp., sugar ppo instead.

It may be my formula, but I don't have any overheating or discoloring issues in my soap when I use sugar as opposed to honey.


IrishLass :)
 
Thank you so much Irish Lass. I think I'll go ahead and try the sugar at a higher rate than the honey. I'll just watch for heating - I do want it to gel. The sugar should help things along.
 
Good to know, IL, I have always used 1 TB (and that in a 50/50 solution, is yours in a solution or is that an unadulterated amt?) Will go up to 2 TB now.

Also, I was looking at the results of the big lather lover's swap that they did on Dish and powdered sugar was one of the things that supposedly increased lather the most (of a bunch of different things.) Thinking back, it was unclear if *powdered* sugar v. the regular stuff was significant. But I bought some today anyway, and am going to mix up my next batch with that.

Dibbles, I've never had problems with the sugar solution overheating, but have w/honey. Maybe it was a recipe/formula thing, though.
 
There are different kinds of sugars. Sucrose is a non-reducing sugar. That means it doesn't react with lye and is less likely to discolor your soap. Sweeteners that are mostly sucrose are table sugar and maple syrup. Glucose and fructose are reducing sugars that do react with lye and, FWIW, release small amounts of carbon monoxide (CO). Reducing sugars are more likely to discolor your soap. Additives that contain reducing sugars include honey, beer, and fruit.
 
I do find that the discoloration from honey mostly reverses as the soap cures.

One batch I made had no colorant, but turned out pumpkin orange just from the honey. Over the course of two weeks, it turned white again with just the faintest note of yellow to it.
 
Good to know, IL, I have always used 1 TB (and that in a 50/50 solution, is yours in a solution or is that an unadulterated amt?)


Not-ally, I work from a master-batch 50% lye solution (sugar-less) that I dilute to a 33% solution when I make my soap, and what I do is just dissolve the sugar in my added dilution water before adding it to my warmed oils with the 50% lye solution.


IrishLass :)
 
"...it was unclear if *powdered* sugar v. the regular stuff was significant..."

The only thing I can think of that powdered (confectioner, icing) sugar has in it that regular table sugar does not is an additive to prevent caking. In the USA, the additive is often cornstarch (corn flour). A quick look at wikipedia tells me the amount of corn starch added is 3% to 5%.

If you only add a few teaspoons of sugar ppo, the amount of corn starch added would be tiny, but, hey, if it works to add bubbles, it works!
 
Hm, weird, D. You wouldn't *think* that cornstarch would help with lather. It is a bit frustrating that there are no immediate answers b/c of cure, but you must be a master at waiting w/r/t these things.
 
That is where your excellent note taking comes into play. I write down what I am testing for on each recipe. That way, I don't forget in the 6 weeks of waiting.(I have a memory like a steel sieve.)
 
If you want bubbles, you might try aloe juice. I don't know why but it really helps increase bubbles. I had been using sugar but didn't see that much of a difference, I do with aloe.
 
Susie, it makes SUCH a difference, the note-taking, I mean. I had a question for DeeAnna about EDTA and one of my other soaps and was able to tell her exactly what was in it (if I needed to, the exact process and pour results, though not necessary in that case) I never would have been able to do that before.

It really makes it possible to make good guesses/change things, just generally be a better soap-maker. I wonder how many beginning soapers learn the hard way, like I did :)
 
Until now I used regular sugar in my lye water at 1 tbsp ppo, it weighs about 14 gms per tbsp. So, if I want to use powdered sugar which is lighter, should i be measuring in volume or weight? My logic tells me to use the weight, but I would like to be sure about that.
Also, at this point I only have aloe powder 100x, can I use it reconstituted and get the same result as using aloe juice? TIA for your answers.
 
Did not even consider that w/the diff in weight in sugars, K, hopefully DeeAnna will opine, I would like her opinion on this as well. Re the aloe, WSP at least says to do it that way. I have never used it though, I discovered the liquid stuff relatively cheaply at Trader Joe's ($7/gallon as opposed to the suppliers, eg, BB at $6 + postage for 16 oz.) The liquid works great if you end up not liking the powder, I always substitute it for water now.

Sorry, realized this was not v. helpful :(
 
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