Shower Gel Question

[Guest guest]

Afternoon,

 

I have some questions about shower gel. I have attempted to make

some liquid shower gel by mixing water, borax (to thicken), graded

lye soap, and FO but since it has cooled it has not thickened up to

the consistency that I am wanting.

Questions:

1. Is it possible to add too much borax? Will it dry or harm

the skin/hair if too much is added?

2. Its cooled completely (took about 2hrs) should I wait another

couple of hours do you think the consistency will change anymore?

3. Does anyone know of any recipes out there that I could try?

I'm trying to keep it simple.

 

I truly am wondering if I wait if it will thicken up more…??? My

laundry soap that I make seems to take a good 3-4 days to leave the

liquid stage and reach the gel stage.

 

TaMara

[Guest guest]

> Afternoon,

 

Hi TaMara

 

> I have some questions about shower gel. I have attempted to make

> some liquid shower gel by mixing water, borax (to thicken), graded

> lye soap, and FO but since it has cooled it has not thickened up to

> the consistency that I am wanting.

 

That is one way of doing it. I generally don't like to make liquid soaps

from bar soaps because the type of lye that is used in bar soap (sodium

hydroxide) get kind of " snotty " or " slimy " when made liquid as opposed

to the texture liquid soap made with potassium hydroxide. This all has

to do with the length of hydrocarbon chains, the number of double bonds

in the carbonylic-acid portion of the fat or oil used to make the soap

and the fact that potassium salts have a lower melting point than sodium

salts. (I know, lots of chemistry stuff - I'll stop being a nerd now

 

> Questions:

> 1. Is it possible to add too much borax? Will it dry or harm

> the skin/hair if too much is added?

 

Borax can be used in liquid soap making with potassium hydroxide to

thicken it - but that only seems to work when certain oils were the

soap's base, such as tallow. I haven't found borax to be a reliable

thickening agent. It is really more of a pH adjuster. Too much of it can

be drying and irritating to the skin.

 

 

> 2. Its cooled completely (took about 2hrs) should I wait another

> couple of hours do you think the consistency will change anymore?

 

It could. Let it sit for a few days and it might get a bit thicker on

ya, especially if you leave the container open to air exposure.

 

 

> 3. Does anyone know of any recipes out there that I could try?

> I'm trying to keep it simple.

 

Well, like I said, I don't use bar soap to make liquid soaps anymore, I

just make liquid soap from scratch *lol* Which isn't nearly as difficult

as some instructions make it seem. I might even write a book about it

and the easy short cuts I've found But if you really want to make

nice shower gel and don't want to start messing around with making

liquid soap from scratch I know that myself and a few other folks out

there do sell concentrated liquid soap paste which you just add water to

and voila - you have liquid soap in whatever thickness you desire If

you want a sample just write me off list and I'll send you some to try

out (all I ask is folks pick up their own shipping tab on samples

 

 

> I truly am wondering if I wait if it will thicken up more.??? My

> laundry soap that I make seems to take a good 3-4 days to leave the

> liquid stage and reach the gel stage.

 

It really could thicken up more. Give it some time and if it doesn't,

then you have a great soap to wash the dishes with <grinz>

 

> TaMara

 

*Smile*

Chris (list mom)

http://www.alittleolfactory.com