Liquid Soap Update

This is what my liquid soap looks like 2 weeks later! This is normal - it will probably take another few days before it is clear. This process is called sequestering. I added more glycerin and borax to my liquid soap after I tested the ph level. Sequestering comes from the Latin word, sesquestrare, which means to remove, set aside or separate.  The clouding of the soap is caused by insoluble fatty acids.

Once the soap becomes brighter and less cloudy I will add the essential and fragrance oils. I plan on splitting this batch into three parts. One I will fragrance with Pink Grapefruit essential oil, one with Lavender essential oil and the last with Patchouli essential oil and Raspberry fragrance oil. When I add the various fragrances it will be interesting to see which ones will turn my soap cloudy again.

I think it is pretty neat to see the entire process of making liquid soap.  It is very different than when I make my normal soap!

Liquid Soap Adventure!

I am trying my hand at liquid soap again. I made it about two years ago using Catherine Failor's book, "Making Natural Liquid Soap". This is a great book to use as a reference.

This is a picture of what the soap looks like after you combine the oil and butter mixture with the potassium hydroxide and water.

I used the paste method where you end up with a very thick, paste like substance. Using a stick blender, it doesn't take long for the mixture to turn into a glue-like consistency.

You dilute this using distilled water and it can take up to three days. I started out using a version of my regular soap formula and ran it through the lye calculator at The Sage. One of the tricks to making clear liquid soap is to use a "0" superfat. This means that all of your oils are saponified leaving nothing extra. Normally you would want to superfat your soap somewhat so that your soap has the conditioning benefits of the oils. When I make regular soap I always superfat my batches so that my soap is more moisturizing (well, as moisturizing as soap can be while still being cleansing).

It is imperative that you have an accurate scale. I went to a soapmaking class a few years ago just to see how it was being taught (and I was nosy). I cringed when the instructor said that a few ounces here or there was no big deal. It is a big deal! In soapmaking you need to be very accurate or your soap will be either lye heavy or a greasy mess. I am sure everyone has heard stories about their grandmothers making soap out of lard. Lye heavy soap is extremely drying and hard on your skin. On the other hand, a soap too heavy on the oil/butter side will not be cleansing and leave an oily film on your skin. So it is extremely important to measure your ingredients very accurately!

I did superfat my batch of liquid soap. I plan on using opaque pump bottles so it is not important to me if my soap is clear or cloudy. I wanted to leave some of the oils and butters unsaponified to make my soap less drying and harsh.

The soap above is what the paste looks like. It is so thick that you can't stir it and can barely get the spoon out.  I used some lovely oils and butters in this batch so I hope it turns out to be a nice, luxurious soap.

The ingredients I used are: Babassu, Avocado, Sweet Almond, Castor, Shea, Cocoa and Kokum Butters, Macadamia, Olive and Rice Bran. I have now diluted my paste and plan to add some Jojoba.

I can't wait to try it! I plan on splitting this batch and doing half with Lavender and the other half Patchouli Raspberry.