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Topic: Soap ingredient question (Read 199 times)

kjbrook
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Ansel Adams Rose and Driftwood

Posts: 1639

Soap ingredient question
« on: Jul 6^th, 2005, 8:38pm »

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I bought a little soap at the farmers market the other day. I wondered about the packaging. It has a paper band around it with the company name and scent on the front, address and email on one side, "Tested on husband, family and friends" on the back and on the other side is the ingredients. They are listed like this:

Ingredients: Soybean oil, Water, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Alkali, Palm Oil, Fragrance Oil, Aloe Butter, Fragrance Oil.

The fragrance is listed twice and I think it is a typo, but what about the Alkali. Is that another word for lye? I looked up the word at wikipedia and it said this: In the western parts of the USA, natural soda or potash deposits (soda and potash themselves are both alkali salts).

Is this soap made with soda ash or with lye (red devil type)?

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Wax and a wick, what's so hard about that.

tallbabydoll
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Life's a witch, then you marry her son. ;)

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Re: Soap ingredient question
« Reply #1 on: Jul 6^th, 2005, 8:50pm »

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The word "alkali" is derived from Arabic al qalīy = "the calcined ashes", referring to the original source of alkaline substance. Ashes were used in conjunction with animal fat to produce soap, a process known as saponification.

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkali"

Seems according to this that it does the same thing as lye. But this is just what I am getting from trying to find the answer for ya. I am by no means knowledgable on the topic. Roll Eyes

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Tallbabydoll

Meca
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Re: Soap ingredient question
« Reply #2 on: Jul 7^th, 2005, 4:50am »

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OOOoo this is a good question. I would love to see what the others say..

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Lorrie

SatinDucky
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I love Peaks & candletech!

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Re: Soap ingredient question
« Reply #3 on: Jul 7^th, 2005, 7:03am »

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Ohh, I read something about this the other day, but I can't find it now. Something about soap being made from caustic soda/Sodium Hydroxide (lye) or caustic potash/Potassium Hydroxide (alkali)... seems the potash is usually used in liquid soaps because it makes much softer soap.
Then again... I see many sites that say Lye is a caustic alkali..

A couple interesting sites I ran across...

http://www.millennium-ark.net/News_Files/Soap/Recipes_For_Soap2.html

Quote:

NOTE: Red Devil lye used to be the industry standard in soapmaking. However, this product's formula now contains other ingredients making unsuitable for soapmaking. Use cuastic soda in its place.

Anyone ever hear of this??

Geez.. I'm more confused now that I've started reading about soap.. Undecided

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kjbrook
Elite Member

Ansel Adams Rose and Driftwood

Posts: 1639

Re: Soap ingredient question
« Reply #4 on: Jul 7^th, 2005, 7:22am »

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I remember someone posting a link for making ash but I haven't been able to find it. I don't want to make it, just now that I'm soaping I want to know more about it.

Thanks for the link Satinducky, I'll go read it now.

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RobinInOR
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Always learning in So. Oregon...

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Re: Soap ingredient question
« Reply #5 on: Jul 7^th, 2005, 8:40am »

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The change in the red devil formula rumor has been going around for years - it's not true.

I'm betting she uses the normal stuff and just didn't want to use "sodium hydroxide" on her label - looks too "chemical" probably. I give her credit though for putting the rest of the ingredients on there in what seems to be the right order though

Alkali is a pretty general term - anything with a pH above 7 is alkaline.

If she was making her own she would probably be advertising the whole process

I've done it, it's a real pain in the patootie.

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Robin in OR
Containers: Calwax 30/LX. Votives: Calwax 10/LX. 3" Pillars: Calwax 10/RegPly. 2" Pillars: 1343/HTP. Tarts: Calwax 10/30 blend