The most lather?

[not_ally]

Thanks, V, this is v. useful info if Shunt does not answer before I soap today.

 

[kumudini]

Thanks, V, this is v. useful info if Shunt does not answer before I soap today.

I figured the sure fire way to get someone to answer, quote their comment in yours so they know it.

 

[DeeAnna]

That will work ... unless you're quoting a person (me, for example!) who has turned this notification off. :shock:

 

[soapmage]

I have stopped using since then milks on soap and if I will again I will follow IrishLass's and DeeAnna's advices and Kevin Dunn's conclusion from soap milk experiment: to use a lye discount of 2% or 3% instead of the normal 5% that I use. Fructose and lactose consumes part of the lye maybe faster than the oils do and thus the final lye discount is bigger as it concerns the oils. That's why you may notice not so much and easy lather. And I'm talking about testing the soaps in hand wash. When using a nylon poof the most difficult soap in lather (Castile) also makes rich lather (but doesn't last long).

Now see, I wasn't aware of that experiment and it makes total sense why my milk soaps don't seem to lather up as well. I love the feeling of milk in soaps though and will plan on making a batch doing the further lye discount to see the difference... thank you! Learn something new everyday!

 

[biarine]

I love the combination of 90% coconut and 10% cocoa butter very bubbly and creamier bubbles too

 

[Spice]

Coconut and palm kernel oil make the best lather. Castor and sugar make the lather more stable and are a must.

Doesnt sugar make for a faster trace? Possible seize?

 

[snappyllama]

I put 1 tsp ppo in most of my batches... even ones with full milk (I like to live dangerously). It doesn't seem to trace much faster, but I have to watch it for overheating.

 

[shunt2011]

Doesnt sugar make for a faster trace? Possible seize?

Nope, never have a problem. Just add sugar to the water and dissolve then add lye.

I do watch to make sure it doesn't gel too hot but hasn't been a problem.

 

[lionprincess00]

I've used 1 TBS ppo sugar every soap. Even with all different kinds of milk. Never one problem. I dissolve in my lye water, add lye and cool before using it.

 

[MorpheusPA]

Instead of sugar, I use honey (the cheapest I can get from the grocery store that claims it's pure honey...and of course, probably isn't).

I like the skin feel of honey a little better, and like the idea of the extra emollients. One of these days, I have to hit up a friend of a friend who has beehives for raw honey, the kind where it's not filtered and there's still bits of beeswax comb in it.

 

[jenny1271]

I am fascinated by this topic but have very little to offer other than that SL makes a huge difference and I use it at 3% for every batch. However, modernsoapmaking.com did a soap swap where everyone used the same basic formula, and each participant added a different additive that (it was hoped) would add bubbles, and they all sent each other their results. So, modernsoapmaking posted pictures of the lather from each one. They tried something like 25 different additives, including sugar, EDTA, SL, beer, milk, honey, citric acid, some combinations, and several other options. Here's the link, in case you haven't seen it before: http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/lather-lovers-additive-testing/

 

[MorpheusPA]

http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/lather-lovers-additive-testing/

Neat, thank you!

From the initial photos, it doesn't look like much of a difference on most of them, although several additives look like they killed the lather a little bit.

 

[hozhed]

Instead of sugar, I use honey (the cheapest I can get from the grocery store that claims it's pure honey...and of course, probably isn't).

I like the skin feel of honey a little better, and like the idea of the extra emollients. One of these days, I have to hit up a friend of a friend who has beehives for raw honey, the kind where it's not filtered and there's still bits of beeswax comb in it.

If you lived in Maine, Morph,....I could easily help you out with that.

 

[MorpheusPA]

If you lived in Maine, Morph,....I could easily help you out with that.

Alas, Pennsylvania! My mother's best friend's brother has hives, however, and would be amenable to selling me some at cost. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

But thank you very much for the offer to help!

 

[not_ally]

Shunt, just tried this, and it soaped perfectly, no mishaps at all. The BM went in smooth as silk, had plenty of time to do a Holly swirl, can't wait to cut. Thank you!

Sorry, I just saw this. I like 30% OO, 35% Palm/Lard, 12% CO, 10% PKO, 8% Shea, 5% Castor then use Buttermilk for half my water amount and add the BM to my oils before the lye mixture. I also use silk and SL. I like the thick creamy lather I get with it. You can use BM in any recipe though. I have a several that I've used it in and it's great in all of them.

 

[hozhed]

Alas, Pennsylvania! My mother's best friend's brother has hives, however, and would be amenable to selling me some at cost. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.

But thank you very much for the offer to help!

Your welcome, and if your moms friend cannot deliver. let me know. Hell, I give most of my honey away for free anyways, just because I like to. I get more than I can use ten times over every year. Blueberry honey and in a few weeks, goldenrod and buckwheat honey. Yumzo! lol