# Liquid Soap Questions



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

So I am making my first batch of LS from the Barbara sticky  I ran it through the lye cal and though I was prepaired to have more lye then the cal said the liquid amount was way off using a min of 18 oz where the recipe said to use 29 so I went with Barb and used the 29. No issues really it took a few mins to get the "soap on a stick", but oh man did I get it! 

Now for the fun part. Questions 

1. I don't have a wood stove or a double broiler, but am using my ol' faithful crock pot which is keeping the "blob" at about 160 degrees give or take. I have the lid on it to keep the heat in which I am sure make the temp go higher. I have burned rebatch soap before, so am wondering if I am going to have the same issue with the LS?? 

2. The "blob" keeps rising to the top threatening to take the lid off the crock pot and I know there is no way I am going to be able to go to bed and leave this on with that happening so....Do I cook it longer then the three days or? 

TIA!
Lynn


----------



## Guest (Jan 6, 2012)

The blob will calm down some but if it doesn't just turn off the crock pot for the night and go to bed, turn on the next day and continue to cook... it is just fine... Leave your crock pot on low and it won't burn... on high it will...
Let us know how it turns out for you and what you think of your first batch of liquid.. 
Barb


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks Barb! I have it on the lowest setting. Should I give it a longer cook since I am going to have to turn it off at night or leave it be? 

I will let you know how it turns out in the end 


Lynn


----------



## Guest (Jan 6, 2012)

No its fine, you would not believe how long it continues to cook even when turned off... most of the night for the most part... you can also insulate to keep it warm longer....
You will absolutely love this stuff..... i just can't make enough of it... love liquid soaps...
Barb


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I've got Katherine Failors book but have not used any of the recipe's yet. She does not cook hers for three days, but they also do not contain goats milk. I've only made two batches so far, one was with goats milk but it's brown....I don't know about the brown color. And it has a funny (but not bad) smell, even after being scented. I made it 8 months ago and just bottled some up to sell. Have not sold any yet, but I'm thinking people will not like the brown color.  I'm anxious to make more and see if it all goes this dark. It's very mild and it actually smells really good once it's scented, but it's not going to be what folks are used to in liquid soap. Does this sound like a normal batch of liquid goats milk soap?


----------



## Guest (Jan 6, 2012)

Yes, most of the soaps madewith goat milk do turn brown.... you can make it and add the milk at emuslion and it will stay a lighter brown...
No she does not cook it for three days... I do that so I don't have excess fatty acids in my soaps, remember when you add goat milk you are adding fatty acids.. and it is so much better on a longer cook... trust me on this one.. I have cooked it her way many many times.. 
People do not like the brown, you are right on that score.. goat people understand, others don't so I make both some with goat milk and some without... I can make it without it turning brown, just takes more work than I am willing to do right now..


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Thanks Barb, I thought I was probably stuck with the brown color, but wasn't sure. I've got a bottle sitting at my bathroom sink right now and it's wonderful, absolutely wonderful to wash my hands with. I scented it with pink sugar and then added some tea tree and lemongrass from another batch I did. It leaves my dirty, grubby, farm hands wonderfully clean and smelling great. However, it's just in a regular lotion pump bottle and the liquid congeals at the tip which causes it to squirt at odd angles, missing my hands if I'm not careful. The lather washes off brown into the sink, making it look like my hands were even dirtier than they were.  But, the soap is awesome. I like your idea of doing some of each. If I use a foamer, will the brown be less noticable?


----------



## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

If you use a foamer, the foam comes out as white as snow... It does get your hands so clean.. some of my customers use the large foamer in their showers..... you can sell refils in plastic quart bottles... they love this...
Can get the large nice foamers at Paragon Marketing...


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Barbara - thank you so much for the help this morning! I walked away from the two stick blenders and the pot of almost ready to saponify liquid soap and when I came back the soap was ready to be "mashed potatoes!" Today set a new record for the length of time it took to go from liquid to almost solid. Now it's cooking in my crock pot. YAY!!! Caroline


----------



## Guest (Jan 7, 2012)

you are welcome.... liquid soap is very forgiving, you can always walk away from it and go back later and just continue and you will still get some fantastic soap...
Barb


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

LOL, I started a pot of liquid soap once my regular soaping for the day was done. My stick blender is now firmly stuck in the pot in the middle of the soap....so glad this is NOT bar soap.  The whole thing is on the wood stove. Hoping I can stickster out soon.


----------



## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

I didn't see the recipe in the sticky on Barb's liquid soap, where is it? I've wanted to make liquid goat's milk soap since I went to Shipshewana years ago and they had it at a bed and breakfast I stayed at. It was wonderful.

And about the Paragon Marketing that sells large foamers, I can't find this company online? Is there a website.

thanks


----------



## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

Okay I found the Paragon site.


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

*Re: Liquid Soap Questions-Updated*

So ok note to self- don't let the blob cool down to a rock before adding water..... :duh

Now that that blunder has been found out...After letting the water sit overnight the "blob" has soaked up some, but not much, I turned the heat on my crockpot this morning, but that seemed to only help a little and burn off some of the water- or the blob ate it, and I just can't tell :crazy

I have added a total of 18 oz water to this, 9oz last night 5oz this morning and another 4 just a few mins ago, because the water I had added this morning is gone. I can "work" the "blob" some, but not enough to say so. :help


----------



## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

For me, diluting is the most challenging part of LS. I've found it to be a slower process that doesn't like to be rushed. The "blob" usually takes a couple of days to soak up all the water and relax. Heating helps but not much. Others who make it more may have some good advice but just writing to let you know that you are not alone with your "blob" challenges.


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks Heather!!!!
The more I mess with it the more frustrated I get it helps to know that others have issues as well


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

I put 54 ounces of water in mine (9 oz x 6 lbs of soap paste) and have a very thin liquid soap. It's still sitting in the crock pot (unplugged) waiting for me to neutralize it. If you get your liquid soap too thin, you can always use Crothix to thicken it to the consistency you like. Caroline


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks for the tip Caroline...ya know this is your fault! Lol I used the soap at your house and just had to try making my own....lol!!!!

I want to try to get it as thick as I can....but if it doesn't do something soon I might try the crothix?? after I look into what exactly it is and where to get it  

I am going to try and sit on my hands though and leave it alone for a couple days, see what happens ...Wish me luck! lol


----------



## Guest (Jan 10, 2012)

Blobs take a while, sometimes a week to soften, we are always in a hurry when we start making it because we are so anxious... they do soften... I never never add water all at once.. I add a few ounces at a time and just let it sit.. even if it takes a month.. I like really really thick liquid soap.. you can also use borox to neutralize and that will also thicken it some.. Or use your really thin stuff in the foamer bottles... NO one knows that way..


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

Yep, I got in a hurry and added the water to it at 9 oz. per pound so I'll be curious to see what I have when I get home this evening.

Lynn - Brambleberry sells the Crothix pastilles and in Austin, Ingredients To Die For carries it as well. However, I have several bottles at the house if you end up wanting to experiment with it, just let me know. Caroline


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Thanks Barb!! A month?! yikes ok so basically add water and leave it alone  Got it I will try  


Thanks Caroline! Lets see what happens with this batch before I try to experiment... This is pretty much a new experience as is, hopefully I will get a little more patient 


Thanks you again ladies


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

For this batch I just finished, I'm going to use borax to thicken and see if I like it. It tells you how in the Catherine Failors book. "For thickening soap solutions high in soft oils, create a 33 percent borax solution by dissolving 4 ounces of borax in 8 ounces of boiling water. Add to DILUTED soap stock at a rate of 1/2 to 1 ounce of solution per 1 pound of soap stock. Start with 1/2 ounce and test the viscosity." You would then add more if needed. It also says to use cold soap stock, not hot, because changes in viscosity are more apparent in cold solutions than in hot. 

The book also gives instruction on making soap gels using glycerine, but I don't have any glycerine, so I'm stuck with the borax.


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Do share how it work Anita  I want to learn as much about this new beast as I can....I might as well break down and buy the book so i can read what everyone else is


----------



## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

Well, I added the borax and it didn't thicken it up as much as I was hoping it would. But, I do plan to buy foamers to put the soap in, so I guess it won't matter. Here are a couple of pictures of the finished product. (After adding water to "the blob".) The first picture is of the soap I made last March. It's a beautiful color in the pot, doesn't look so good in a bottle  The second picture is the soap I made last week. The floaty things are air bubbles. This is the batch with extra borax. I am storing my liquid soap in 5 quart oil jugs because I have so many of them and you can kind of see the color difference. I think the first batch used to be darker too.

The smell on the second batch is not so strong either. It smelled terrible while cooking but I actually cooked it almost 4 days so maybe that helped. The first batch now smells sugary without any scent at all. 

On the scent, I am adding it as I bottle the soap. Is the scent going to separate out?


----------



## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

I like to warm the liquid soap first and then I stir the fragrance into it.


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

Just an update for those who might be curious about my "blob"  It turned into LS right after I neutralized it, so made the note to neutralize earlier in the process, now because I had added a bunch of water or it's just thin I made another batch (coconut & olive oil) added that to my bucket of LS that was already made and didn't do anything to it except neutralize it. 

It has thickened up some and is a creamy white in color. (which is what I was wanting  )
I am going to leave it as is for a few weeks to see if it will all breakdown, or if I will have to add some water to it. Hopefully not or not to much!


----------



## Guest (Feb 15, 2012)

Anita, your soaps look good, and I agree that the borox does not thicken as much as you would think.. Now after making it for years. I slowly add water, a little at a time. I put mine in a large 5 gallon bucket and just let it sit, sometimes for months.. what I did to it.. if its thickened or neutral or not is taped to the bucket.. with notes.. Can find buckets of this a year later and it is just wonderful thick and foamy soapy soap... Just opened one today that I made 1 1/2 yrs ago... and had to thin it just a little.. but pretty pretty soap... 
Barb


----------



## Guest (Feb 15, 2012)

Lynn, I was hoping you would come back with this.. your soap sounds wonderful and I am sure you will like it.. It mellows with age and gets even better... Have you PH tested it.... ?
Barb


----------



## Lynn_Theesfeld (Feb 21, 2010)

OH I plan to keep this an ongoing thread as I continue to learn the LS process. And to share what I learn as I go 

The first batch i couldn't help but put some in a 4 oz container and use, it's wonderful even if it does shoot at you  but I do plan to age the combined batches or at least half of it and write down what differences I see\feel

No I haven't PH tested it... The strips are on the "to order list" Though I wasn't sure if I would still need to test it or not.


----------

