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Great use of color & stamping

Filed Under: Bramble Berry News



The Chamomile Lavender fragranced soap above is a great use of color and stamping. Irena at Ginger’s Garden does a wonderful job mixing color, scent and decorative touches like these adorable dragonfly stamps.

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7 Comments

  1. Hello,
    May I please confirm that it is indeed ok to use citric acid to reduce the pH of my CP soap as I would like to acheive a pH of no more than 8.5 rather than the 9.6 or so I have been getting with by CP batches to date.

    If it is ok to use citric acid, when should it be added and how much should be used please?

    Regards,
    Raymond.
    (May I please request that your reply be send to my email address directly as well since then I can access it anywhere with my iPhone. Thanks!)

    • Hi Raymond,

      I’ve only used citric acid to help the pH in liquid soap, never in bar soap. I’m sorry about that. You might consider raising your superfat level higher to see if you can get the pH lower but another thing to consider is that a true soap won’t have a ‘neutral’ or pH. If your customer wants that you might consider more of a synthetic detergent because those pH’s can be manipulated more easily. You might also head over to The Soap Dish Forum (soapdishforum.com) and ask the other soapers there. There are 1000s of experienced soapers there and between all of them, one of them must have tried it! =) I’m sorry I can’t be of more help.

      Anne-Marie

  2. Thank you…I think maybe the soap making book I picked up was a few years old (the complete soapmaker-paperback – norma coney 96) but her book seemed so much more informative than the newer books which put me into overload…but then again that was the first time I came across the benzoin.

    We ( a fellow chef and I ) have been doing cold process only…and thats the way we like it!

    All of the soaps so far have been food related…orange oatmeal, citrus sage, vanilla bean, coffee…we plan on keeping with the theme.

    Thanks again!

    tyronebcookin

  3. Hi Tyrone –

    This is a fine place to ask questions, or you can always ask them at http://www.teachsoap.com as well.

    Benzoin has some safety considerations before using them in cosmetic products. In 1995, the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIM) issued new guidelines for Benzoin in cosmetic products. They recommended that only certain types of Benzoin be used in cosmetic based products, soap included, because of the potential for sensitization. Additionally, benzoin oil generally has a range of very potent chemical solvents to make it pourable. These solvents may have safety considerations associated with them as well.

    I do not recommend using Benzoin to preserve products because of the sensitization issue and also because RIFM has strict guidelines for using it. Natural is not as safe as it sounds in this case.

    To preserve a fresh avoaco fruit soap, you will want to make the soap with a general cold process soapmaking method and I would mash the pulp up and add it with the water. Alternatively, you could use Avocado oil and get many of the same qualities as the pulp. Vitamin E and Citric Acid will not work to preserve against mold or bacteria. Vitamn E is powerful antioxidant that will help guard against rancidity however. Citric Acid is normally used to balance pH and will not make for an effective preservative.

    Ultimately, fresh fruits and vegetables are difficult to use in soap. If you use them in any type of soap, cold process soap included, I recommend putting a very short shelf life of 4 to 6 weeks as a “use by” date.

    Have fun making your soap!

    Anne-Marie

  4. Is there a place to ask questions, maybe I didn’t look hard enough…

    Is there a cheaper solution than using Benzoin (or benzoic acid)?

    I want to make an Avacado soap and it calls for benzoin powder…will citric acid or vitamin e work instead? Or another suggestion?

    thanks,
    tyronebcookin

  5. Your soap is beautiful. The creative use of colors and your mastery of swirling is very impressive =)

    Anne-Marie