Obtaining Pure Soap

[hanimsmaik]

Hi everyone,

I have been making soap for many years now, and I decided to share the information I have on soap making, and also learn something new.

Thanks

 

[Anneli]

The site is deleted?

 

[hanimsmaik]

The site is deleted?

Yes, it's, I am sorry for that. I've started this website to share my knowledge about soap making. But I cannot publicize it (make it popular) without paying. I am sharing the information for free, so I've found it silly to spend on it while I am only doing that for sharing. The site is hardly being visited on a free plan. Anyways, I've been making soap for 28 years now, and I am happy to share any information here.

 

[hanimsmaik]

I'll try to explain the process here though. It consists of 4-5 consecutive procedures. Depending on the result sought (purity, the hardness of soap, etc), the procedures may be repeated in the same manner. The scope of the work is to remove glycerin mainly by salting-out. The first procedure is mainly of partial saponification, where some of the fat is saponified, and little glycerin liberated. It's followed by a salting-out procedure, with the addition of a relatively small amount of lye. Then the soap is closed with water and left to settle for a while. It's strengthened again in a (strong change or Fitting process), salted-out again, and closed with water - left to settle at the bottom as pure crystalline soap salts. I should mention that the procedure takes a long time, but the result is odor-free, color-free snow-white soap. Depending on how much you're welling to operate on it, soap can then be developed into extra-clear transparent soap.

 

[hanimsmaik]

If you're up to it I am happy to help you out. But if you're looking for a 28 years of working lesson, it would be making soap using pure fatty acid (not oil). This saves too much work and energy. When reacting pure fatty acid with lye the result is pure soap and water (without glycerin which stands in the way of completing the reaction, along with the impurities that break from the oil)

 

[Anneli]

Fantastic Hanimsmaik! I have made our soaps for home usage for a couple of years now, and I'm pretty happy with the results. But I am ALWAYS eager to learn more - thats why I tried to access your link.

Have you created a recipe in here with extended notes on how to go about it - if you want to share? I would be up for some more experimenting.

 

[hanimsmaik]

Thanks! Anneli, I am happy for reading positive feedback, finally! You see, I used to make soap to sell it, but not anymore. I stopped a couple of years ago, and I went back to discovery, which is the reason I loved making soap in the first place. I've always been excited about sharing anything useful or fun with others. I've tried to share my discovery in another forum but got misunderstood for being against CP soap; I am not. It's that I find many soap makers over the internet who's reached the point where I tripped. Several years ago. I stopped selling or giving to anyone, and I've decided to obtain crystal clear, color-free, odor-free, glass-like soap! Getting excited about the discovery, I've decided to try and save someone from the trouble that I went through for many years, that's all... I've tried to post it on a website, but the blog is hardly being visited by anyone. I wouldn't go far to the point of paying for an advertisement only to share if you know what I mean?

 

[hanimsmaik]

So, it's not a recipe, it's more of a process that works for any recipe. If you are crazy (with soap making, like me!) and advance it too much, you will get a glass-like soap. But you can also decide to stop on the way, and obtain a longer-lasting hard bar, with lesser odor and color, and with more foam and lathering using any recipe, i.e (using any oil combination). Also, this process guarantees a 100% excess lye-free at the end.

 

[hanimsmaik]

I am writing about the process that follows the first saponification. I'll wait for your comment first and then continue. Even though a simple process, it requires some practice.

Why salting-out soap in the first place?

When the oil is heated with water and alkali (lye) it breaks into fatty acids and glycerin primarily, and into the unsaponified matter, coloring substances (that of the oil), and odor, mostly as the result of decomposed impurities. Soon after the soap starts to form, it creates a bond with some of the fatty acids, preventing their saponification, with glycerin, with free lye, and with impurities. The obvious result is that roughly 20-30% of the soap body consists of other matter which is not soap along with pure soap. This results is a shorter life-span, less foam, some color, and odor.

 

[Anneli]

This thread is going to be a cliff hanger. just to make sure I get it right (please be patient if I don't get the line of thought immediately), in your previous post you explain how we home makers usually do it today. Both for hot process & cold process, and the general end result. Or is this the start also of the way you found out to make it?

 

[hanimsmaik]

Anneli, Thank you for your interest. I am sorry I can't continue posting here as I got this from Wooper (the admin):

You’re not welcome here!

Your posts come off as arrogant and condescending to others, and it’s a warning to either start your own forum or to tone it down. You’re an expert in one thing, and that’s appreciated, but to harp on and on about this is overbearing, rude, arrogant, and unhelpful.

You can fit in here if you choose to. Otherwise, you may want to form your own forum and sing your praises there.

 

[hanimsmaik]

Hi, I just logged in here to check If I am removed - it's funny I'm still not removed (even though I asked to unsubscribe). Anyways, I thought I can answer your question meanwhile.

Yes, that's true Anelle. If you have a CP soap - the first procedure, near obtaining fully saponified pure soap, is considered done.

The next stage is to bring to boil a salt solution simply by dissolving table salt in water (water roughly equals 2-3 times the volume of the soap needed to be purified. The amount of salt should be as little as possible just enough to make the soap cut into two-layers, where a cleaner part of the soap floats on top of the saltwater.

 

[hanimsmaik]

What follows is called a (Fitting process). After the floating soap dries, it's isolated from the saltwater. And in the fitting process, it's dissolved with water again with the addition of a small amount of lye to saponify the rest of the oil. The soap shouldn't cut and float here. If this happens, water is increased to make sure that the mixture is emulsified.

The fitting process is the most important part of the process. This is why I usually extend it. I repeat it a few times over gentle heating (within a few days), and simmer it. This is to make sure that the lye is fully utilized.

 

[hanimsmaik]

salting-out again! Then (Closing process). The floating soap is skimmed while still hot, placed in a plastic (or other) container, and boiling water is added. If the soap is fully saponified at this stage, pure soap rests at the bottom, and above it a liquid containing the coloring and smell-causing materials. Settling requires long time though. It's simply left to settle eventually. That's it mostly. Thank you for reading. Please fell free to write to me if you need any information in this regard.

 

[Anneli]

Hi!
In order to try this out, I could take one of my CP soaps currently curing, and run it trough? For the fitting process, should I "fish the soap up" - the part that is floating on the top. How do I dry it?

I know it's tough to get a message like this, but admin didn't throw you out, he asked you to mind your words. Things comes out more harsh when written. I hope you will stay and remember to always be kind.

 

[hanimsmaik]

Yes. After the first salting out, once cooled, the soap floats dry on top of the liquid. But in the second salting (after Fitting Process) the soap is not left to cool and dry-out - rather, while still hot, it's simply (fished) or skimmed and placed in another container, and boiling water is added to it.

As for the Admin, Anneli, what a welcoming message!?

I also remembered another point, which is that these consecutive processes limit curing time, as the end product should be lye free.

 

[Anneli]

Awesome! I think I get it! I hope to get some time to try your process out sooner rather than later.

 

[hanimsmaik]

Awesome! I think I get it! I hope to get some time to try your process out sooner rather than later.

Please note that this is not my process, it's the standard soap manufacturing processes, though not explained in detail as far as I have (researched). So, following these processes, we get a standard pure soap - differs from commercial with the type of oil (or oils) used, and also being free from any other chemical additives such as detergents and synthetic perfume.

 

[Yooper]

Anneli, Thank you for your interest. I am sorry I can't continue posting here as I got this from Wooper (the admin):

You’re not welcome here!

Your posts come off as arrogant and condescending to others, and it’s a warning to either start your own forum or to tone it down. You’re an expert in one thing, and that’s appreciated, but to harp on and on about this is overbearing, rude, arrogant, and unhelpful.

You can fit in here if you choose to. Otherwise, you may want to form your own forum and sing your praises there.

These words are not my entire post- and have been changed. I said “You are welcome here”, for starters.

In any case, someone who lies, curses at me, calls me names, and the posts edited messages from me is not someone we can respect or trust.

Sorry for the problems here, as he really did have great information for those who wanted to learn.