Teach Soap

Well I FINALLY tried my first batch with Tussah silk and... hmm... not so great.

I think I know why but I thought I would ask anyway.
For a while now I've been doing mostly RTCP with a premixed 50/50 lye water mix (and adding additional liquid as needed). So I tried adding my shredded silk to that room temp lye and even after stirring for quite a while it didn't seem to dissolve. In fact it just clumped onto my whisk.

So I thought maybe it needs some heat. I was saving some honey to add at trace so instead I added it first. Sure enough it heated up the lye (and turned bright orange) but it had no effect on the silk except THAT turned orange as well. I finally gave up and took the silk out and threw it away (sorry little silk worm).

My guess is that I need to add this into the lye when I first mix it and it gets REALLY hot. I'd rather wait and add it to each batch but apparently that won't work? If I add the silk when I mix my 50/50 blend will it stay dissolved for later use or will it simply clump as it cools?

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thanks.

_________________
- Mickey!

Yes. You need to add the silk to your water. Make sure it gets nice and wet. Then add your lye. Between the heat from the lye and the lye itself, that should dissolve the silk completely.

Once it's completely dissolved, you should be fine using your lye solution at another day.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Please tell me why adding silk to CP would be a good thing? I wouldn't think you could feel it.

_________________
- Mickey!

I've used it twice now and let me tell you....even mixing it into hot lye/water still takes forever for it to dissolve. But it will dissolve! Just be patient and stir regularly.

zeo

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

guess Im just clueless ...before I started watching this forum Id never heard of salt soap, beer soap, carrot soap , or the pumpkin soap that now I sell so much of in the fall.
Im not disrespecting putting silk in soap I just don't get it. My bad..............
You have consider that I sell soap in rural Penna. Most of these folks think soap is soap. Most of my customers just wants soap that smells nice, lathers well and leaves their skin feeling soft.

I used to love picking up dead moths and butterflies as a kid. No doubt the cocoons from the larvae form of these insects produced a grand amount of their silky powder in the later stages of their development. The silky powder that rubbed off on my fingers was always intriguing. I am now wondering how this stuff would feel in soap.

Three cheers for Amino Acids!

_________________
http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

I've raised several rounds of silkworms and have some cocoons lying around. Can I use that in my soap? They are actually fun little critters to raise. They all look up when you feed them!

Hi, I was wondering if liquid silk would do the same thing.I use liquid silk in my lotion. If so how much? And where could I find silk to put in my lye? THANKS!

_________________
http://www.magichandsworkshop.com
http://www.magichands.etsy.com
http://www.magichandsworkshop.blogspot.com

Thanks for your reply!! I am kinda dense but what kind of suppliers would sell silk fiber? Fabric stores like Joann's???

_________________
- Mickey!