Understanding Saponification Value of Oils

Beauty of my training is that my students have the opportunity to learn from scratch, mentored to build the business, and spend time to interact with experienced soap makers for months and years. Soapmaking begins with formulation and saponification value is the tool to start with. Different oils have different SAP value. Saponification value is the mass of alkali (mg) required to react with 1g of the oil. For example SAP value for PKO is 250, Animal fat 196, and Palm oil 200. Let me work out something. Assuming you want to make a soap using 50% Palm oil, 30% PKO, and 20% Animal fat. Question to ask is what volume of oil, water and caustic soda is required. I teach my students how to quickly run this with soapCALC. But let's do it together. First we determine the SAP value of the blend: 0.5 x 200 = 100, 0.3 x 250 = 75, 0.2 x 196 = 39.2. That gives SAP value of 214.2 for the blend. Meaning that we need 214.2 mg of potassium hydroxide to react with 1g of our oil mixture. But you know we will use sodium hydroxide, called lye or caustic soda. We will convert by using the molar masses of NaOH (40) and KOH(56). (214.2 x 40)/56 = 153. That means we will need 153mg of caustic soda to react with 1g of our oil blend. This translates to 153g of caustic soda to 1kg of oil. Caustic soda to oil mass ratio of 1:6.5. For 5% superfat. We do 1.05 x 6.5 = 6.8. For 1kg of caustic soda we need 6.8kg oil blend. Using 900kg/m3 for density of oil. We will need between 6 to 7.5 Litres of oil blend for 1kg caustic soda. Next we will talk of water, fillers, bulking agents and perfume need as well as other technical issues. Odfid Technical Center Whatsapp: +2347037263653

MAKE SURE YOUR LIQUID SOAP DOES NOT ITCH THE SKIN

 

In a liquid detergent (popularly called liquid soap) what customers look out for are:

1. Thickness (viscosity)

2. Nice fragrance and colour (aesthetic appeal).

3. Highly foaming (percentage of surfactant in the formulation).

4. Gentleness on the skin (pH friendly).

When I say gentleness on the skin I do not intend you to use liquid detergent for bathing. I see many formulating so-called shower gel using Sulphonic acid, SLS, Texapon etc. After you will see them adding glycerine and vitamin E - and shower gel is ready. Are you serious! These products are for liquid detergents. They are synthetic surfactants not intended for use as bathing products. If you need shower gel then get necessary training.

A liquid detergent should be gentle coming in contact with skin when you are using it as hand wash, for dish wash, laundary etc. If it itches it would mean the skin is reacting to a chemical or two.

The only chemical in most formualations that can be harsh on the skin is caustic soda (sodium hydroxide). 

To ensure the product is not harsh on the skin use two spoons (70grammes) of caustic soda in 20litres of liquid detergent. This formulation will not have any adverse effect on a normal skin.

Many use 250grammes (quarter kg) of caustic soda in their liquid soap, I use just 70grammes (2spoons) and I use higher amount of soda ash to moderate the effect of the caustic soda in the formulation. This saves cost and ensure good product quality.

Not witstanding. There are a few people that have some reaction to liquid soap on their skin irrespective of your formulation. These are people with cases of dermatological allergy or hypersensitivity. In that case you add about 0.1percent glycerine in your liquid soap (i.e. 200ml in 20litres batch). Glycerine is hypoallergic.

Ensure that your liquid detergent formulation meets customer's quality as well as standard quality parameters.

Leave your question in the comment section. I will gladly attend to them.

For online training on commercial soaps and detergent Whatsapp: +2347037263653

Odfid Technical Center, Eket. Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria

Get the Best Water Ratio in Bar Soap Making

Many problems soap makers encounter is linked to the amount of water they use. Problem of soap being soft, breaking, sticky in plodder, not foaming, shrinking in size afer some days. Let me analyze how you can get control of your water in soap making.

At times people would be asking what quantity of caustic soda (g and kg) should I use per particular volume of oil? I can quickly answer 1kg of caustic soda should go for 4litres of oil. You can as well use 1kg for 6litres of oil. But I usually do not like answering such questions.

Such question though possible to answer will do little to nothing as help for the person asking.

The first thing a beginner in soap making should learn is how to dissolve caustic soda. What grammes or kilogrammes of caustic soda to be dissolved with what volume of water.

Four options are available:

1. Ratio 1:1: Here you use 1kg of caustic soda to 1litre of water. This is not adviceable as the soap formed will be crumbling, breaking when cut and too drying.

2. Ratio: 1:2: This uses 1kg of caustic soda to 2litres of water. It gives a fast drying soap, within 2hours. The soap comes out strong. The only issue is that it requires hydrometer to correctly gauge the concentration of the lye and adjust to 1275. It works fine for cold process soaps. Do not use this method for hot process as it would not give the soap time to cook and gel properly.

3. Ratio 1:3: This uses 1kg of caustic soda with 3litres of water. It does not require hydrometer. The only problem is your caustic soda must be of good quality else concentration can turn to be too dilute. As a matter of fact I do recommend this ratio for my students for their hot, semi-hot and cold process. The drying time is very reasonable.

4. Ratio 1:4: Here you use 1kg of caustic soda to 4litres of water. Many that use hot process go for this. Those making cold process soaps that would require waiting for days or weeks for the soap to dry use this. Those making soda soap also play with this (I recommend 1:3 for soda soap).

Pick a ratio of your choice and dissolve your caustic soda.

Drop your question here at the comment section. Like, Subscribe and Share this blog. I will be posting useful topics on soap making here and you will be notified. 

You can enrol for a full soap and detergent training online on Whatsapp and Telegram. Ebook on commercial soap and detergent training is on sale.

Contact me on Whatsapp: +2347037263653 Odfid Technical Center, Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria

The Best Oil to Get a Perfect Bar Soap

 

In bar soap making oil is everything. It determines the quantity, quality and profit you make.

After learning about the ratios of dissolving caustic soda and what it will mean for your production, the next thing is understanding your oils.

I would not bore you with the science of oils as a triglyceride. I won't go into the fatty acid compositions of oil - lauric, myristic, palmitic, linoleic, stearic etc. I won't bother you with saponification value of the oils as the soap formulation most of you have are a bit superfat to accomodate a wide range of oils.

I will be dealing with oils for profitable soaping. I won't mention oils like coconut oil, olive, castor etc today - I talk about them when dealing with bathing soaps.

To make a quality commercial bar soap (laundry and multipurpose), you must learn about palm oil, animal fat, and palm kernel oil.

The easiest oil to use is palm kernel oil. Soap instructors use that for training and youtube. The oil gives a very hard bar. Highly foamy. Infact, I call PKO the king of foam in bar soap. The only oil that beats PKO is coconut oil. However, PKO soaps finish fast and can be breaking.

Palm oil can give you a hard soap too. Palm oil soaps, like olive oil, maybe soft when out of the mould. But given some time set into a very hard bar. The soap will not foam like PKO soap but will last longer. The foam is steady and doesn't collapse easily (excellent foam stability).

Animal fat can be rendered for use as oil for soap. The soap produced with animal fat are very strong and bright in appearance. The foaming is slow but lasting. Fat from cow, pig, fowl etc are useful here. Render the fat immediately the animal is slaughtered to avoid the oil smelling. Rendered fat can stay upto a year without deteriorating.

To make soap that will foam well, bright in appearance, last long, and with lower production cost, then blend palm oil, animal fat and PKO. A good start is ratio 50: 30: 20 respectively.

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Contact us on Whatsapp: +2347037263653

Odfid Technical Center, Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria.

LET US MAKE ORGANIC BATHING BAR SOAP

The advances in green chemistry has made organic soaps to have a global acceptance. The soap is has wide appeal due to its exceptional properties.

What is the difference between laundary soap, toilet soap, and organic soap? 

Bluntly speaking all soaps made with caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) are laundary soaps. Those made with potash (potassium hydroxide) are toilet soaps. Potash soaps with plant and animal extract are organic soaps. Laundary soaps are made using alkali with hydrometer gauge of 1275 while toilets and organic soaps are made with hyrometer gauge of 1250. It is possible and advisable to blend caustic soda and potash to make toilet and organic soaps. Toilet soaps only cleanses you but organic soaps cleanse, treat, and nourish your skin. Many have ability to reverse aging and keep you young. 

To make organic bathing bar soaps get the following: 

1. Oils: I blend palm kernel oil, palm oil, coconut oil, carrot oil, and sheabutter. Don't use only palm kernel oil only. It makes the soap too hard. A blend of palm oil makes the soap soft and supple. I bleach the palm oil on low heat. Sheabutter and coconut oil are antimicrobial. Carrot oil lightens your skin. I make carrot oil by cold process - infusing it into high quality olive oil. 

2. Alkali: I blend caustic soda and potash. Hundred percent potash soaps are very soft. I use it for liquid body wash. For organic bar soaps I combine caustic soda and potash. I make my potash from plantain peel. You can also use cocoapod or empty palm fruit bunch. Dry the material you want to use. Set fire on it to burn it to ash. Boil water and soak the ash over night. Strain the water off and gauge with hydrometer (if you have). I have achieved 1150 gauge with plantain peel. 

3. Organic bioactives: I blend original honey, tumeric powder, and orange peel powder. You can add activated charcoal for exfoliating effect and body odour control.  Other herbal extracts can be incorporated for healing and restoration ability.

Follow the standard procedure for formulation of soap based on your training and experience. Use semi-hot process. You can add Colour, I don't. You can add silicate, I don't. 

To get the magic from bathing bar soaps, your ingredients must be as natural as possible. I use palm oil which is rich in vitamin E. Palm kernel oil and coconut oil have lauric acid, an antimicrobial subtance. Sheabutter is blessed with stearic acid. Other ingredients are tumeric powder and original honey. I extract oils from banana and carrot by infusion - using olive as carrier oil. Colours used are natural. Black palm kernel oil, little unbleached palm oil, and tumeric powder give my soap its unique colour. I blend caustic soda with natural potassium hydroxide obtained from plantain peel, cocoapod and empty palm fruit bunch. Perfume added is natural. This combination gives a unique organic bar soap that maintains natural skin complexion, fights bacterial attack, and nourishes.

Drop your questions on the comment section. Subscribe to the blog to be notified on very useful soap tips.

You can enrol for our soap and detergent training on Whatsapp and Telegram. Get our comprehensive soap and detergent ebook.

Contact us on Whatsapp: +2347037263653

Odfid Technical Center, Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria.

How to Obtain a Very Smooth Bar Soap

Many do ask me what to add to soap to make it very smooth. A very smooth soap is a product of three things: 

1. Your oils 

2. Your water ratio. 

3. Your processing skill. 

 YOUR OILS 

 Oils play a very important role when it comes to texture of your finished soap. To be sure that you will have a smooth soap take a little quantity of the oil and react with half quantity of caustic soda solution. It it thickens fast then the quality of the oil is questionable. In this case you will have to reduce the quantity of caustic soda solution. It is always adviceable to test your oil each time you get a new stock from your vendor. 

YOUR WATER RATIO 

Also, when you are not having hydrometer to gauge concentration of your caustic soda rough soap is likely to occur. Some good caustic sodas at water ratio 1:2 gives strong concentration that thickens soap fast. A good hydrometer gauge to give you a smooth soap is at 1275. To be at safer side use caustic soda to water ratio of 1:3. 

YOUR PROCESSING SKILL 

When you overstir your soap you will have rough soap. Oftentimes many soap makers delay between adding raw materials during soap making. Many add fillers and bulking agents after the soap has already traced. Others continue stiring when the soap has reached trace. 

 In your next production, test your oils before use. If you have hydrometer be sure your caustic soda and soda ash are at 1275 gauge. If you do not have a hydrometer I would advise you to use ratio 1:3 hydrometer reading. If you are doing a cold process soap, mix all your bulking agents and fillers in one container such that you will have just three containers - your oil, caustic soda solution and soda ash solution with all other fillers and bulking agents in. 

 Drop your question here at the comment section. Like, Subscribe and Share this blog. I will be posting useful topics on soap making here and you will be notified. 

You can enrol for a full soap and detergent training online on Whatsapp and Telegram. Ebook on commercial soap and detergent training is on sale.

Contact me on Whatsapp: +2347037263653 Odfid Technical Center, Eket, Akwa Ibom State. Nigeria

YOU DO NOT NEED MUCH TO MAKE LAUNDRY BAR SOAP

I made this with just: 1. Oil: that provided the fatty acid: you can use either Palm Kernel Oil or bleached Palm Oil. It is adviceable to blend the oils so the soap will foam well and last. Use 70 percent bleached Palm Oil and 20percent good quality Palm Kernel Oil. (I will teach you later how to test for good quality Palm Kernel Oil). Use 1:4 ratio of caustic soda to oil. 2. Caustic soda: source of alkali. Use 1:2 caustic soda to water ratio and dissolve the caustic soda. Soak for two days. 3. Soda ash: to increase the size. Your soap can contain between 30 to 40 percent soda ash by volume of oil. 4. Liquid detergent: this is to prevent your soap mixture from separating. I reduces the surface tension and helps your mixture to be homogenous. Check my other write up on how to make a good liquid detergent. 5. Colour and perfume are optional. You don't need silicate and calcium carbonate as your soap will already be very hard. I didn't add any colour. For laundry soap, the question is does it foam? Does it last? Hope it doesn't itch? Is the texture marketable? Is it big with profit? Keep your chemical inventory low. Optimize size, quality, and profit.