
What is the best way to make soap lather?
I asked around my community of soaper friends and we all agreed on the following, to varying degrees: Coconut Oil: Working with coconut oil is one of the best ways to increase lather in natural soap. But it’s also a balancing act because coconut oil can tighten skin and make it feel dry if moisturing oils are not added into the mix.
Do olive oil soap bars lather well?
Olive Oil: When olive oil is the primary ingredient with a bar that has coconut oil as its secondary ingredient, it usually lathers nicely. Add some sunflower oil, a bit of shea butter and a dash of sugar and you have a lather powerhouse. However, when a bar is made 100% from olive oil (Castile soap), or nearly so, it tends not to lather well.
How can I make my homemade soap more luxurious?
Adding " luxury oils " at 5% to 10%, like argan oil, evening primrose oil, flaxseed oil, hemp seed oil, jojoba oil, meadowfoam oil, pumpkin seed oil, or wheatgerm oil Increasing your hard to soft oil ratio, by using a higher percentage of hard oils ( oils that are solid at room temperature) Want a soap recipe to start off with?
Why does homemade soap have different Lathers?
The amount of lather your homemade soap produces is directly related to the types and balance of oils in your soap recipe. Different oils give different amounts and different types of lathers, so many soap makers turn to sugar to increase the suds.

How do you increase lather in soap?
Different oils give different amounts and different types of lathers, so many soap makers turn to sugar to increase the suds. Adding a bit of sugar to a soap recipe can help make a light, bubbly lather with large bubbles when the oils you're using do not lather up as much as you'd like.
Why is my soap not lathering?
If you often wonder, why is my soap not lathering, the answer could be something as simple as the quantity of minerals in your water supply. Hard water contains a high concentration of dissolved minerals, which react with soap to form scum.
What creates lather in soap?
Foam or lather is created when foaming agents in soaps, detergents and shampoos mix with air and water. The most common foaming agents used in personal care are chemicals sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), sodium lauryl sulfate (sometimes referred to as sodium dodecyl sulfate or SLS) and coco-glucoside.
Which soap base gives more lather?
Lather Luscious Soap Base won't dry out your skin as it is made from 100% glycerin soap. It's not that this soap base kicks out MORE lather than our regular base. It is that the lather is thicker and creamier.
What is a natural foaming agent?
Examples of organic foaming agents include azodicarbonamide, hydrazocarbonamide, benzenesulfonyl hydrazide, dinitrosopentamethylene tetramine, toluenesulfonyl hydrazide, p,p'-oxybis(benzenesulfonylhydrazide), azobisisobutyronitrile, and barium azodicarboxylate.
Does handmade soap lather?
Oils such as coconut and castor oil help create a bubbly, foamy rich lather. On the other hand, soaps made primarily with olive oil, such as Castile type soaps, will produce a rich and creamy rather than bubbly lather. The naturally retained glycerin in handmade soap also helps create a lovely lather.
What is foaming booster?
[′fōm ‚büs·tər] (materials) An additive used in detergents to increase suds production and stabilize lather.
Does more lather mean more clean?
Lather does not mean that the shampoo is cleaning better, it's purely cosmetic. Typical shampoos are primarily SLES/Betaine, that is sodium laureth sulfate and cocamidopropyl betaine.
What oil makes the best soap?
Olive oilOlive oil is generally the #1 oil in most soap makers' recipes - and for good reason. Olive oil soaps are very moisturizing, make hard, white bars of soap (though high % olive oil soaps take a longer time to cure) and are exceptionally mild.
What can I add to melt and pour soap for more lather?
Want rich lather? Add a touch of castor oil, or a spoonful of sugar. Coconut oil is also known for its ability to create big, fluffy bubbles. BUT, (and this is an important “but”), these tips only apply to cold process or hot process soap making.
What is the best soap base for dry skin?
What is the best melt and pour soap base for dry skin?goat milk soap base – Great for dry, sensitive skin and eczema. ... shea butter soap base – Great for dry and mature skin. ... cocoa butter soap base: Great for very dry skin. ... olive oil soap base – Great for all skin types.More items...•
Which is the best soap base for soap making?
Straightforward Melt and Pour Glycerin Soap Base is crude material for hand made soap. It is generally used to create clear hand soap, craft soap, essential oil soap in beautifying agents. In fact, it is the best raw material for homemade soap.
Does soap have to lather to be effective?
What most people don't realize, is that soap, shampoo, toothpaste and other cleaning products (both personal and household) don't need to have a lot of lather to do their job. Soap lather, which suspends dirt by creating greater surface tension in water, traps dirt for easy removal through rinsing.
Is body wash supposed to lather?
Skip the lather: Avoiding a wash that lathers is a great tip if you're worried about dry skin. When there's no foam, more of your natural oils are left behind, so your skin won't be as quick to dry out. 5. Do not put it on your face: Body wash is meant for your body!
Does shampoo need to lather to work?
Do you need to lather, rinse and repeat? No. One wash is all you really need, especially if you are a frequent washer. Shampoos use surfactants (detergents) that lift oil and dirt away, which any decent shampoo will do in one wash.
How important is lather in shampoo?
In shampoos, the surfactant lather cleans by helping dissolve things that can't be dissolved in water on their own. Rich, creamy lather is not only enjoyable to use, but also helps the cleansing agents to spread easily across your scalp, in-between fibers and down the length of your hair, for a thorough clean.
How to make soap that lathers better?
The key to crafting soaps that yield a rich lather lies in two areas: the types of oils used, and the ratio in which they are added. Certain oils contain higher degrees of vegetable lipids, or fatty acids. The more concentrated the lipids, the better the oils will saponify, or turn to soap when exposed to water and sodium hydroxide (lye). To make soap that lathers better, use a ratio of 4/5 base oil (usually olive oil) to 1/5 richer oils that saponify well. Among the best oils for this purpose are castor oil, palm oil, avocado oil and coconut oil. You can add any combination of these to a base oil in a soap recipe, as long as they comprise a minimum of 1/5, or 20 percent of the total oil used. Sodium lauryl sulfate is typically added to retail soaps to generate more lather, but is generally undesired in homemade soap due to its being a known allergen. Allow one month to make lye-based soap.
How to make a sanitizer with oil?
Put on your safety gear and assemble all needed materials. Place the oils in your pot or double boiler and gradually bring them to a temperature of about 135 degrees F, stirring occasionally. Move the pot away from the heat and shut off the stove.
How long to make lye oil?
Slowly add the lye blend to the oils in the pot. Stir briskly, but without splashing, for 10 minutes. Remove the spoon and blend for five minutes more with the stick blender. Stop at "trace," or when streaks of the mixture rest momentarily on the surface when you lift the blender out during stirring.
How long does soap cure in a mold?
Pour or scoop the soap into the mold, cover with the ends of the wrap tightly, and permit the cellophane-wrapped soap to cure for up to two days.
Can you add water to lye?
Never add water directly to lye. Slowly add the lye instead to the water. Avoid splashing to lessen the chance of acquiring disfiguring burns. Measure the water and the lye in separate containers. They become superheated quickly on their own when combined, and can cause serious harm to you if you are not careful.
What clays can you use to make shaving soap?
Adding clays such as kaolin , bentonite , and rose clay can help build lather but it is kind of a trick. It has to do with the added friction of the clay particulates interacting with the surface tension of the bubbles. Still though, it helps produce a creamy lather and bentonite especially adds “slip” to shaving soap.
What happens when you rub soap into a cloth?
The friction created while rubbing the soap into the cloth or luffa will help generate a lather with larger bubbles.
Why do sugar granules make soap bubbles?
By the way, the sugar granules can help produce larger bubbles due to the friction created when the soap is being applied.
How does fat become soap?
For fats and oils to become soap they must go through something called the saponification process. This is a natural bio-chemical reaction between in which the lye solution and fats combine to make salts of fatty acids. This converts the fats and eliminates the lye. Anything added AFTER this process is not soap.
Do melt and pour soaps have detergent?
Most melt and pour manufacturers have a line of high-lather soap bases that you can purchase. The only caveat is they typically contain artificial detergents that enhance bubble size.
Can you add glycerin to MP soap?
You can add even more glycerin to MP soap to increase lather. This, however, should be in very small amounts of since it already has so much. One to one and a half teaspoons per pound of soap base is plenty.
Can you add lather to melt and pour soap?
While you can try any of these methods to add lather to melt and pour soap, please understand they will add only minor noticeable differences – if any – to the typical user. Some, however, will enhance the creaminess of the lather so it is noticeable by most people. Any of the oil updates will usually accomplish this.
How much cocoa butter should I use for soap lather?
Inserting a small amount of certain butters can help make real soap lather better. But I do mean small amounts. I try to stay at 5% max for shea and 7% for cocoa butter. This small amount adds just enough kick to “fluff” the lather up slightly, raising the soap bubbles on a thick creamy base.
Why do soaps have bubbly lathers?
This is because they’re made with cheap chemical detergents instead of the all-natural glycerin you get from homemade soap. This is how they get the big bubbly lather.
Why is soap superfatted?
I generally superfat most soaps at about 5% because the added oils help moisturize the skin and it provides a safety margin.
Why do soap bubbles form?
Bubbles form as the result of air trapped in a thin film resulting from soap and water mixing.
What oils are used in soap?
Shea butter and cocoa butter work well in small amounts – especially when used in soap bases with high-lathering oils such as coconut, sunflower and castor oils.
Why does soap have a lot of friction?
In order to create the lather, friction also must occur. By rubbing a bar of soap over wet skin or a cloth, this is the friction that is needed, which is also creating tiny air bubbles on the surface of the soap.
What happens when soap is mixed with water?
Once soap is mixed with water, another chemical reaction occurs to create the lather.
What oils are used to make soap?
Some oils provide more than one quality, for example, shea butter and coconut make hard bars of soap in addition to their moisturizing and lathering capabilities.
Does soap lather oil?
The lathering of a soap can be affected by the oil used to create it .
How to make soap with lye water?
The easiest method is to incorporate the sugar while making your lye-water solution. Add sugar to your water and make sure it is completely dissolved before you add the lye. If your soap recipe calls for it, this might be a good time to add salt to the water, too.
Why does soap get hot when you add milk?
The same thing happens when milk is added; the sugars in the milk are jump-starting the gel process. Just be careful if you are adding both sugar and milk to your recipe because your soap can get quite hot.
Why add sugar to soap?
Adding a bit of sugar to a soap recipe can help make a light, bubbly lather with large bubbles when the oils you're using do not lather up as much as you'd like. There are three ways to augment your recipe with sugar during the process of soap making.
Why do soap makers add sugar to their soap?
Different oils give different amounts and different types of lathers, so many soap makers turn to sugar to increase the suds. Adding a bit of sugar to a soap recipe can help make a light, bubbly lather with large bubbles ...
How to make a lye solution?
Another option is to add sugar directly to the lye solution: 1 Separate a few ounces of the water you have weighed to make your lye solution. 2 Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar per 1 pound of oils you are using to the water (the same ratio as the first method). 3 Stir until it is completely dissolved (sometimes it helps to warm the water first). 4 Add this sugar-water solution in at trace with your other additives, but before the fragrance oil.
What color is goat milk soap?
Sometimes the heat of the lye solution will begin to caramelize the sugar a bit and turn the sugar water a bit of a beige color. It will not be quite like the orange color you get with goat's milk soap, but the sugary solution turns that color for the same reason.
Who owns bath rabbit soap?
David Fisher has been making soap for over 15 years. He currently owns Bath Rabbit Soap Company and is the author of "The Complete Photo Guide to Soap Making.". The amount of lather your homemade soap produces is directly related to the types and balance of oils in your soap recipe.
The History of Soap
Did you know that soap and soap lather dates back before 2800 BC? In my research on where soap came from I came across a story about how soap was accidentally discovered. There are many contradictions but the story goes….
All Soaps Are Not Created Equal
Handmade soaps can seem to be less lathery than chemical soaps, but they produce enough lather to clean or skin. They contain natural oils that are really mild and leave your skin soft unlike the chemical soaps which dry up your skin.
