Teach Soap

Just wondering about other people's experiences using Sodium Lactate in their soaps. I know it makes a harder bar of soap and allows you to unmold sooner, but is there evidence that it extends its "life" when in use?
Something else I am wondering about.....in lotion making, Sodium Lactate is considered a humectant. Would that same idea apply to its presence in soap....that it would draw water to itself? And if so, wouldn't that make the soap "melt" more quickly?
Learning, learning......

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

Sl supposedly helps to produce a harder bar of soap that lasts longer in the shower. But I have not found that to be very true. I think it allows you to have a harder bar initially, allowing you to un-mold faster and cut faster, but I am not at all sure about extending the life. Still, this is what vendors say (including BB).

SL is a salt, so it is a natural humectant. I do not feel that it adds this property to soap, but it certainly does add it in lotions and other products. It usually replaces glycerin in your recipe.

So, as with most things, you will find varying opinions and experiences. You will have to test and decide for yourself what you believe.

ETA: In HP soap and in LS making, I like to use SL. In HP it keeps the batter more fluid and makes it easier to pour and sculpt, as well as the unmolding like in teh cp soap. In LS it helps with dilution in my experience.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy

I have used it in several batches with different recipes that I have also used without the sodium lactate. In comparing them I don't really feel like there is a difference in the finished bars as far as hardness, but then my recipes are fairly hard to start with. (about 47 or so on the soapcalc) What it is good for is when you use a silicone mold. It helps to get it out of the mold because it does harden faster especially in my milk soaps. In the end the bars are about the same but the sodium lactate ones do set quicker to get out of the mold. I don't use silicone molds very often so I don't really use SL any more either since there was no noticeable difference to me. I also read somewhere that it can speed up trace, which I didn't really have an issue with either. That's just my experience with it, but hope it helps.

I use SL in almost every batch, so I can unmold sooner. But in the long term, I don't think it makes a lot of difference.

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

Thanks to each of you for your input....very helpful!

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Carrie
Wife to my Best Friend and Homeschool mom to 7 beautiful gifts

I have struggled getting soap out of a silicone mold. That really made me mad because I wanted to use the mold. My last batch I add sodium lactate and my soap came out of the mold very clean.

I've used sodium lactate and not noticed a difference in the final bar. It definitely made for a more fluid HP soap batter! I never thought to use it for LS dilution. How does that work? At any rate, I just use salt to harden my soaps to get them out of the mold faster/easier.

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

Hi All!

Can you tell me how to use the sodium lactate? When and where should I put it in? I see that 1% is a good amount. Also, is it something I need to put in my formulation somehow because I don't see it listed in SoapCalc or just throw it in?

I have one silicone loaf mold and want to get more but had a hard time getting it out of the mold before. Had to freeze it for a while.

And yep! I'm a newbie with a whole 1 batch of CP under my belt now lol

Thanks!

Jeannine

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Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

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

That clears up a lot Irena. Thanks so much!

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Jeannine

~the journey is everything~

I have also been struggling to get my soaps de moulded cleanly from silicone moulds so I am very interested in Sodium Lactate.

I have found this product over here in the uk.

This is a 60% Sodium Lactate solution in a liquid form.

Would I still use 1oz per pound of oils or would I need to add more.

Many thanks

Ian

Try using 60% Sodium Lactate solution in a liquid form at 1%, not 1 oz.

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

I know that I am well over a year to this post.
But I was looking for a bit of information on Sodium Lactate vs. Salt Water for a harder bar of soap and found this thread.
Someone was asking how to use it or something along that line and how they wish it would be included on a calculator.
Here is one....
https://www.thesage.com/calcs/LyeCalc.html

I like this Calculator a lot, since I can leave my notes and save to my computer, but it does have a check box that says:
" I want to use sodium lactate to make a firmer bar. Please give recommendations." click the box and it does.
It gives you the rate up to 3% and tells you when to add it.

Hope this helps someone.

Have a good day.