# Attempting Liquid Soap



## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

AACK! I am going to attempt liquid soap this weekend. My husband does not like bar soap, and has requested that I make him a batch of LS. I found a "moisturizing" recipe on the web that uses avocado oil, I have some that I need to use up before it goes bad. For you that have made LS before does this recipe have any potential problems? I do plan on running this through soapcalc before I measure my lye.

45 oz. coconut 76 degree
3 oz. shea butter
12 oz. avocado oil
25 oz. olive oil
40 oz. sunflower seed oil
Water = 48 fluid oz.
Potassium hydroxide = 26 oz. (by weight). This is a 3% lye discount.

I have read many of the posts, and was wondering do most of you use half and half GM or 100% GM. If using half and half do you add GM at trace or emulsion? 

Kellyjo


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## Guest (Nov 14, 2008)

For your recipe I suggest starting with 40oz water and adding 8oz GM at emulsion. Less is more with goat milk in LS. Unsaponified fats and excess milk solids will cause problems in your final product.

Christy


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

Thank you very much Christy. I am a little intimidated by the whole process.

Kellyjo


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

Okay did I do something wrong? I have been reading Barbara's instructions on LS, and I think my soap skipped a step.


> Melt solid oils, mix in liquid oils and stir in your lye water mix, it will become a very thick blob in a few short minutes if using a stick blender..


My soap never became a thick blob, in fact it went from running applesauce, to frosting, and now is a pearlescent brownish color mash potato concoction.
I have been cooking the soap for about 7 hrs. How do you know if something is seriously wrong?

Kellyjo


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2008)

When making liquid soap it goes through different stages,
applesauce 
custard 
mashed potatoes 
taffy 
chunky/creamy vaseline 
translucent vaseline

Just keep cooking, you're doing fine 

Christy


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## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

Oh yeah, there are LOTS of stages and LOTS of worrying whether you are doing something wrong, but as I was told, "JUST KEEP COOKING", and trust me, "JUST KEEP COOKING" it wil get there and then the fun begins, dilution.


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

Alright I will quit worrying for a couple of days - til it comes time to dilute.


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## Guest (Nov 20, 2008)

Tons and Tons of stages and yep some of it skips stages...depends on the recipe
Keep cooking and you will not be sorry.. then you will dilute and neutralize it.. which I guess some hate to do but I don't mind it, in fact I am getting rready to make a year or two years batch of liquid soap this week, some of it I won't even use for two years.. so nice if it sits and rots (not really rot) it is just called this, but it really mellows out 
I also think bar soap is so much better aged.. 
Barbara


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

It is now kinda lumpy mashed potatoes. If everything goes right I plan to make some liquid shampoo next, and maybe another batch of liquid soap. I do plan on putting most of away to age, however my husband wants to use some right away. 
When you scent the soap about how much FO or EO do you use? 

Kellyjo


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

How exactly do you know if your soap is done? I have been cooking my soap since Thursday afternoon, it doesn't look clear maybe more like a dark brown vaseline. When I stir it, it turns a more of a white pearlescent brown color. It is very easy to stir and turn over not really blob like, more the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes. 
I put a small amount in some water and it looks very cloudy, will that go away or stay that way because of the shea butter?

Kellyjo


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## Ravens Haven (Oct 26, 2007)

If it is still cloudy it is not through cooking, you want it to be amber translucent.


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

Alright, I think I am just going to have to accept the fact that my LS with be cloudy. I have been cooking this soap for 6 days now, and it still is cloudy when I dilute a sample test. I am starting to think that it may be because of the amount of avocado oil I used - about 9%. 
So now I will go back to the LS drawing board. Oh well, my husband won't care if it cloudy.

Kellyjo


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2008)

> I found a "moisturizing" recipe on the web


Your soap may be cloudy because there are still unsaponified oils. When you ran it through the lye calc was there any % of superfat?

My advice would be to add Vit E to keep it from going rancid and enjoy your soap  Cloudy is not really that big of a deal, it is just something to obsess about  However it will leave too much oil on the hair for most people to use it as shampoo.

Christy


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## redskygal (Dec 30, 2007)

Yes, now that I look at the soapcalc recipe (which I set at 0% SF) I printed out and the original recipe there is about a 3% SF. I think we measured out the 3% SF lye amount instead. 
So how much vitamin E should I add? Do I add it before or after dilution? This batch will probably be used up quickly, since my husband and son both are soap piggys, the saying "less is more" does not apply to them.

Kellyjo


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## Guest (Nov 26, 2008)

Use Vitamin E (T-50 Mixed Tocopherol) at a rate of .04%. 

Barbara might have some tips using alcohol to clear it up a bit too.

Christy


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