# soap additives



## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

What are your favorite additives, and how much do you use? 
Today made a Drakkar fragrance soap, special order, and put ground corriander as an exfoliant. Put in about 4-6 T for 3 lbs. Also added coffee grounds in a portion of soap at trace to make a marbled soap..... am hoping that was not too much, but am finding people have different likes! Do you have a favorite?


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Sugar added to the lye water is one of my favorite additives. I often add raw silk fibers to the lye water. Sometimes I add clays to anchor the scent or to color the soap.


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## Tinker (Apr 5, 2004)

Oatmeal is my favorite. I use the original, and pulverize it in my food processor. I also Like Calundula petals--they give a pale yellow color & look natural. For exfoliating, I like the ground pumace. It's nice & scrubby, ang has nice green flecks. Coffe is great for a kitchen soap, as it is suppose to remove odor from your hands. I've used many different herbs & spices. Some (like cinnamon) can be a skin irritant, so you have to use very little. Sometimes it in nice to forgo the fancy colorants & just go with the natural stuff.


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## Mistyf (Apr 4, 2008)

I use tussah silk, clays, ground oatmeal, ground peppermint, powdered rosemary, and sea kelp.


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

where do you get silk to add to soap? and, linn, why do you add sugar? wish I would have remembered clay! it does add a nice slipage, too. Thanks for the link!


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## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

Here is a link for raw silk fibers. Using just a pinch for each batch of soap, it goes a long way. I use sugar to get more bubbles, anywhere from 1 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. ppo. Just make sure to dissolve the sugar in you water before adding the lye. Some people make a simple sugar syrup and keep it refrigerated until adding to the lye water. Add raw silk fibers to the lye water also, and stir until dissolved.

http://store.scent-works.com/tusnoilsilfi.html


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## swamp_deb (Jan 9, 2004)

I like to add; silk, milk, sugar, honey, oatmeal, sea kelp, clay beads, eggs and/or clay. That's all I can think of right now. Everything added brings something different to the soap so find out what you like, why you like it and add accordingly.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

InHisName said:


> where do you get silk to add to soap?


Same place we get it for spinning!!! 

OR! go to Goodwill and find an inexpensive silk shirt ... cut it in 1" squares and add a couple squares of silk! (doesn't matter if the silk is dyed ... the color won't come through.)


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## InHisName (Jan 26, 2006)

Good idea, Cyndi! Have not yet ventured into the spinning silk...... just now adding a bit of mohair.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

An ounce of silk fiber goes a long way in soaping. If you're going to use it for both spinning and soaping, get the good stuff for spinning and take a pinch here and there for your soaping.

Silk (and I know some folks that have used wool) does take a HOT lye solution to dissolve it. If you're doing milk soaps and don't allow your lye solution to get hot, you can use liquid silk.


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