Teach Soap

What have you found to be the best natural emulsifier for shampoos and lotions? I was thinking about using pectin.

I am also looking for a natural thickener to add to my shampoo as it is a bit runny. Suggestions? Here is my ingredient list:
1 c. castile liquid soap
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
3/4 Tbs. tea tree & Vit. E oil
1/4 c. water

And last, preservatives. Just about everything I have read says that if you are making a body product that uses water, you should use a preservative. Is this true? On the post Irena put up about it, all that info is a bit confusing to me. From what I could make out, is Germall Plus an overall good bet to use on just about any product I make?

Thanks and as always ya'll rock!

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Amber D that'd be me!

The apple cider vinegar will change the pH of the castile liquid soap. It might make it separate. Yes, you can use Liquid Germall Plus. Pectin has natural proteins which are harder to preserve. I would make a very small amount and see how the preservative and the whole formula holds up. I would also change the cups into weight measures. Going by weight is much more accurate.

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

Thanks Irena! I was actually just reading an article on the use of vinegar with soap! Me thinks I need to keep looking for a good shampoo recipe. I am wanting one I can easily modify to include Neem oil and grapeseed oil

How about Xanthan gum as a natural thickener????

How well does jojoba oil work as an emulsifier? The book I have suggests it as a natural choice as well as cocoa butter, lanolin, and glycerin.

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Amber D that'd be me!

You're welcome.
Oils or butters are not emulsifiers. Emulsifier is an ingredient which makes oil(s) and water mix and stay mixed, like E-wax or emulsifying wax. I have never tried xantham gum as a thickener in liquid soap. I used a 30% salt solution. For liquid soap, you would need to add jojoba, lanolin, grapeseed or cocoa butter into your formula right up front. I would add the glycerin as a part of your water portion. Which book is this?

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

It's a book I got off of BB site


The recipe I posted before, I found online.

Seems everywhere I turn I am finding misinformation. I hate being new at this. Thank goodness for this forum setting the info straight for me!

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Amber D that'd be me!

Here is another recipe I found:

1c liquid castile soap
1/2 c distilled water
1/2 tbs vegetable oil (jojoba, olive, avocado)
10 drops EO

If I want to use grapeseed, coconut, and neem oils, do they fall under the veggie oil??? How do I figure out how much preservative and emulsifier to use?

So sorry for all the questions. I feel so dumb

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Amber D that'd be me!

The way the above recipe is written, I don't think adding the oil(s) after the liquid soap has already been saponified will mix in and stay mixed over time. You can try mixing the extra oils with some polysorbate, but I can't guarantee that the whole thing will stay mixed. Plus adding any extra water to the liquid castile soap will make it watery with no many bubbles.

Why not get some potassium hydroxide and make liquid soap on your own? That way you can formulate a recipe with the oils that you want and run it through a liquid soap calculator.

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

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

I don't know much about making liquid soap, but can comment on using xanthan gum as a thickener. I had a pre-made liquid soap base that I thought felt too thin, it was made to be a foaming soap but I didn't have a foaming bottle lid. I tried to thicken it with xanthan gum. It did work initially, but the soap doesn't lather as much and the gum eventually settles to the bottom. It's still usable but I have to shake it every so often and it's not very pretty.

Thanks! I decided to put shampoo on the back burner for now. I have a TON of projects in the works as it is and the shampoo seems like it may take a bit more time than I anticipated. Shampoo isn't going anywhere so I know I will get back to it sooner or later!

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Amber D that'd be me!