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When making soaps using the cold process method, one of the optional additives is sodium lactate. We bring you a recipe for a soap that contains precisely this compound, which helps to speed up the hardening of the soap. Therefore, if you are too impatient and want to cut your soap as soon as possible, sodium lactate is the right additive for you.
The production of a solid soap by the cold process cannot be done without sodium hydroxide, water and of course oilsand fats, which are then saponified. To create the colour effect, mica powders were used in combination with titanium dioxide to achieve a more intense white colour.The amounts of the necessary ingredients are given in grams, since with any change in the formula that concerns the fats and oils used, it is necessary to recalculate the whole formula using a soap calculator (many are freely available on the internet). This is because the amount of sodium hydroxide required to saponify the given fat will change. The given soap was prepared from 400 g of oils and butters.
Below you will find important advice and tips that can make soap making easier for you, or help you avoid mistakes.When working with sodium hydroxide, always use protective equipment, especially goggles and gloves.Work in a well-ventilated room, sodium hydroxide fumes are harmful. Since sodium hydroxide produces a large amount of heat during its dissolution, you can replace part of the distilled water with ice prepared likewise from distilled water, thus speeding up the cooling of the solution.For neutralising sodium hydroxide from surfaces and tools, use a diluted vinegar solution, in which you soak the tools for a few minutes before washing them. Likewise, you can use diluted vinegar to clean surfaces.If soap gets on your skin during production, wash it off immediately with cold water for several minutes and then you can also rinse it with a diluted vinegar solution to remove any remaining lye. Mica powders or other powder colourants dissolve more easily if you mix them with oil beforehand. It is ideal to add them through a sieve, so that no colourant clumps form in the finished soap.Sodium lactate should be added to distilled water. It can be replaced by lactic acid, but in this case you must add slightly more sodium hydroxide so that it can react with it and form sodium lactate.In this case, however, an exact calculation according to the equation of this reaction is necessary.The formula already includes 5 % superfatting, which means that the oils are present in a 5 % excess relative to the lye, so this amount of oils remains unsaponified and provides conditioning and emollient properties for the skin. You can increase the proportion to 8 % or 10 %. However, then it is good to recalculate the whole formula in a soap calculator so that you use the correct amounts of all ingredients.When blending, use a stick blender with a stainless-steel or plastic attachment, regular metal would corrode under the influence of sodium hydroxide. Confectionery silicone spatulas are also ideal helpers so that you can get the soap into the mould more easily without large leftovers. It is good to wrap the soap in a blanket, to support the chemical reaction by higher temperature and to let the soap go through the gel phase. Spraying with IPA can be omitted, but there is a risk of forming soap ash (white coating on the surface of the soap), an aesthetic defect that disrupts the appearance of your soap. If during the pH check you see that the soap has uneven pH, it is likely that there has been insufficient mixing of the lye solution (some granules remained undissolved). Such soap is not safe to use. To check pH you can also use a phenolphthalein solution or strips containing it. When using phenolphthalein strips, proceed in the same way as with litmus paper, the strips SHOULD NOT turn pink. If you are using a solution, drip it on different parts of the soap, likewise it should not turn pink. A pink colour indicates high pH values and thus unsaponified lye; such a homemade soap is not safe to use.
Find out more about the ingredients used for making the soap with sodium lactate, or about their possible substitutions or variations.
When making solid soap, it is suitable to combine solid fats and butters with liquid oils, ideally in a 1:1 ratio. Since coconut oil is solid at room temperature, it is a great addition to plant butters. You will especially appreciate coconut oil if you want hard and bubbly soaps. On the other hand, soaps made purely from coconut oil are somewhat less conditioning for the skin, so it is advisable to combine this oil with other liquid vegetable oils to prepare a milder soap with a creamier lather.
To complement coconut oil, cocoa butter is particularly suitable. This butter is popular in the production of solid soaps, as it is easy to work with and yields firm yet conditioning soaps. You can replace it with another plant butter, but in this case it is necessary to recalculate the formula in a soap calculator (the required amount of sodium hydroxide will change).
A softer butter suitable for making the soap milder and for conditioning the skin is shea butter. This butter is well affordable and has a universal use in many types of cosmetics, so if you have leftovers, you will certainly use it in other cosmetic projects as well.
The basic liquid oil for soap making is olive oil. This oil is very popular in soap making and forms the base for example of Castile soap. Its slightly greenish colour can cause the soap to yellow, so if you want the added mica powders to stand out better, combine olive oil with other, less coloured oils.
Oil from cotton seeds brings valuable vitamins and minerals to the skin. It softens and conditions the soap (a soap with 100 % cottonseed oil would be too soft and would not provide enough lather).
Apricot kernel oil is very well tolerated by the skin, it is absorbed quickly and brings hydration.In soaps, thanks to its minimal colour, it allows the added colourants to stand out. Do not be afraid to add your favourite oil to the soap, but always verify the amount of sodium hydroxide and distilled water using a soap calculator.
As mentioned, sodium lactate accelerates the setting and hardening of the soap. You will obtain firm soap barsin a shorter time. However, it can be omitted from the formula without changing the proportions of the other ingredients. It is usually used at a concentration of about 1–2 % of the oil weight.
Fragrance oils are a great choice for livening up your soaps. They are more suitable than essential oils, as they have minimal colour and thus will not affect the final colour result. Try different scents or their combinations. Their amount is usually 30–31 g per 1 kg of soap (the sum of the other ingredients).
The number one choice for colouring soap are mica powders. Not only do they shine beautifully, but they are also stablein the presence of soap, they hold their colour and can be combined as desired. Besides mica powders, you can also opt for cosmetic glitters or omit them entirely.
Titanium dioxide is an intensely white substance used as a colourant or carrier in various types of cosmetics, including decorative cosmetics. It gives the soap a white colour and allows other colours to stand out better. Titanium dioxide can also be completely omitted from the product, but when using it, be careful to disperse it thoroughly, as it tends to form lumps. You can also prevent lumps by choosing oil-dispersible titanium dioxide rather than water-dispersible.
To reduce the risk of forming soap ash, the finished soap was sprayed with IPA. When cutting, it is also good to have IPA at hand and spray each bar of soap (cut surface) with IPA, not only to reduce the formation of soap ash, but such soap is also slightly smoothed and hardens better.
As mentioned, you can experiment with homemade recipes to achieve the desired properties. However, the final result can be influenced by many factors, such as humidity, temperature, quality of ingredients or their storage. Before you use any ingredient for the manufacture of a cosmetic product, familiarise yourself with its properties, recommended dosage, storage conditions and safe handling. Every ingredient may have the potential to cause an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals, therefore before using the product we recommend finding out whether you are allergic to any of the ingredients or the overall product, for example by a patch test. If you have very sensitive or very acne-prone skin, or if you have other skin and health problems, we recommend that you consult a medical professional before applying a new product to your skin, whether it is a homemade cosmetic product, a pure ingredient or a commercially available product.
Do you make classic soaps by the cold process and are sometimes tired of waiting? Try using sodium lactate and you can shorten the process. If you give it a try, definitely let us know how it went. You can send us your observations, questions and experiences to marketing@handymade.sk and we will gladly reply to you.Until we meet again with another blog tutorial, stay creative.Until saponification, friends.
