# Thickening Liquid Soap



## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

I started making LS thinking I'd save a few pennies on household expenses. I like the soap that I have made and have given a little here and there as gifts that others also have liked. What I have not figured out is how to thicken the soap. In particular, I have made shampoo but because it is not very thick my famiy uses too much. I looked online and thought I found a solution -- just heat it and condense the water out to thicken. Sounded excellent, but now I have a problem -- there is a layer on the top of my bottles that is very thick and will not mix in with the rest of the shampoo. I thought great I'll do the same with my hand soap -- worked great, thickened, stayed clear, no heavy thick layer on top. This morning I was scenting several bottles with lemongrass esential oil and now have the same problem as I did with the shampoo -- thick on top and hardening. 

What happened? ....how can I thicken my soap without the hardening. I am guessing this is the tendency for liquid soap to return to the blob state. I think what I understood from the Catherine Failor book that the greater the soft oil content the more the borax will thicken the soap and also neutralize it. Please Help!

Linda


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Well, I have found with liquid soap that it can be tempermental at times. Sometimes I can make a nice thick clear shower gel with GM and it stays the perfect consistency. other times it just gets thicker and thicker until it is almost solid. 

So I am no hlep but I can fell your pain. 

I have the best luck when I dilute the soap paste with distilled water and then continue to cook it until it gets thicker. Let cool with the lid off and skim off the "stuff" that forms on top. 

Now tell me why I have made a number of batches that came out almost clear and my last two batches are very cloudy? Same formula, same process. WHo knows but it is still liquid soap so I guess I shouldn't worry about it.


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

So if it is cloudy does that mean that it has not fully saponified? Or that there is some superfatting? --always more questions.....


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

Could be both or either one. It lathers nicely and my containers are frosted so it doesn't really show. I also let it sequester for a long time and anything that is causing the cloudiness may sink to the bottom. I also filtered some of it and the filtered looks pretty clear although not as clear as my previous batches. I do love liquid soap though.


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

Is it possible that the essential oil and the liquid soap if not mixed well enough could harden together in just a layer?


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## Guest (Aug 14, 2009)

No your eo did not do this, it will do this without fragrance or eo in it.. You need to add more water to your liquid soap and then thicken it later with borox solution
Barb


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

I have looked for how to thicken LS with borax but either have not a clue or just don't understand. Part of what I understood is that the borax meathod for thickening works with soft oils -- what if I am only using 100% coconut oil right now? Barbara HELP!!!


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

Linda, How long did you cook your soap? Did you neutralize your soap yet? and if so what did you use.. You cooked too much water out the soap and this is the reason you have the crust on top.. Handmade ls does not get as thick as commerically made soaps, but you can thicken it some. You can use borox, some fragrances and eo will thicken it when added. and you can buy forumlations to thicken your soaps. 
You need to reheat or cook your soap for a couple of hrs and add just a touch more liquid, water.. the crust will go away and stay away.. As far as family using too much, try a different dispenser or bottle where they have to pump it and can't pour it out.. 

Barb


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## Linda Carney (Oct 27, 2007)

I cooked it for 3 days, nuetralized it with borax solution and let it sit on my shelf since the last of April. Then a three weeks ago recooked the LS to thicken. It did not get a crust on the top like the recent shampoo that I made and I thought everything was fine until I added fragrance. I scented one with an almond FO and several bottles with lemongrass EO, all of them after shaking had a thicker hardening layer on the top of the bottle. It really is a headache so I will go back and make more. I will get a pump bottle for shampoo so the darlings don't waste so much. And maybe the foamers are a better idea for the liquid soap. Thanks for the help. Barbara -- is it just a tricky ballance between nice liquid soap and failure? I don't want to use other chemicals to thicken, I'll try a larger percentage of soft oils and just see what happens with borax solution. I just remember the dilution ratios and figured that somehow I just did something wrong.


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2009)

Linda, lS is very finicky and there are some fragrances that don't mix well with it.. I myself have done the same thing often.. I now test fragrances with a small amount and take notes. Its usuable just have to shake it alot.. Try shaking alot the next few days to see if you can incorporate this crust into it again..
Barb


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