I like this thread idea too, although I'd like to point out that soap making is not without it's hazzards. Make sure you guys and gals know what you're doing.
Before I adventure out into making my own soaps, I'm more curious as to how to make my own essential oils. Nonetheless, subscribed.
Have you created any particular soaps?Which pro's? Most amateur soapers just overfat sufficiently to create more than enough buffer than they'd ever require. MdC does the tongue zap test. You can dissolve the soap and ph test. There's probably a few dozen ways you could test ph if you really wanted to look into it. The "pro's" as in commercial houses buy premade soap pellets and blend them in specific ratios to create the soaps they want. There's no chance of having excess lye. I believe a couple commercial soaps even add small quantities of raw lye into the mix for whatever reason (hardening, increasing pH, I really couldn't say).
One hopes one is jokingHave you created any particular soaps?
Which pro's? Most amateur soapers just overfat sufficiently to create more than enough buffer than they'd ever require. MdC does the tongue zap test. You can dissolve the soap and ph test. There's probably a few dozen ways you could test ph if you really wanted to look into it. The "pro's" as in commercial houses buy premade soap pellets and blend them in specific ratios to create the soaps they want. There's no chance of having excess lye. I believe a couple commercial soaps even add small quantities of raw lye into the mix for whatever reason (hardening, increasing pH, I really couldn't say).
Was thinking about just that today, and how the KOH and/or NaOH must be completely neutralized. Anyone know how the pros do their quality control?
Can you overcook the soap? Meaning if you let the saponification process go on much longer than normal, do bad things happen to the soap?