Using Fruits/Veggies in Soap--Preservative Questions

by Elizabeth
(North Carolina)

I really want to make some soap using fruits and vegetables and I'm thinking that means I need to use a preservative of some sort (right?).

I keep reading contradictory statements about preservatives (which ones to use, if they're necessary at all, etc).

Are LiquaPar Optima, Optiphen, and Phenonip for use in bar soaps or just lotion/liquid soap products?

If you could shed any light on these questions I'd greatly appreciate it--thanks for your time!

Answer:

Many preservatives are for water based lotion type products and cannot be used in handmade soaps. This is due to the high temperatures during in the process and the alkaline nature of soap.

Optiphen, Phenonip and LiquaPar Optima are not for use in preserving handmade soaps.

If you want to use fruits and vegetables in your soaps, you will have to blend them into a watery puree and add them in place of the water.

I have made soap using finely ground orange/lemon rinds and dehydrated carrot peelings that have been finely ground and had no problem with spoilage. These were all added as a powder at a thin trace.

I've never made soap using the puree method so I'm unable to advise you on that....sorry. From what I understand, it's fine as long as you do not use chunks of fruit/veggies. I'm not sure what the shelf life is like though.

Good luck,
Cathy

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Using Fruits/Veggies in Soap--Preservative Questions

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Thank you!
by: Elizabeth

Finally--some good advice! :) I really appreciate you taking time to answer my question. I think I'll be giving the veggie soap a go next time I make soap and see how it turns out. Thanks again!

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Adding Fruit to Soap
by: Debbie P

I just read an article today about adding fruit and vegetables to soaps. It advised you not to do it because "fresh" fruits and veggies carry bacteria that can continue to grow in your soaps. I'm not an expert on soap making at all, but I'd hate not to pass this along, just in case it ruined your batch. If you do try it, please share how it turned out.

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Fruits and Veggies in Soap
by: Cathy

Thanks Debbie!

If you can find that article again, it would be great if you could post a link. I'd love to read it...I get quite a few questions about fruit and veggies in soap and the more information I have the better!!

Cathy

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Adding fruit
by: Debbie P

This is not the article that I read, but it is along the same lines.
Here's the link

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Fruits n' Veggies
by: Heather

I don't know if this info will further help you but I make cp soap and I personally have played around with, pumpkin puree, puree cucumber, carrot juice, and even pureed oranges. I'm no scientist but have never experienced any spoiling, molding, or going bad batches, even after sitting for a year. Still fantastic! Some I add with lye some I use after light trace is reached. Great either way.

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Hemp oil
by: Anonymous

I'm not going to add fresh vegie but I want to use high percentage of hemp oil which very easy to spoil. I'd like to use preservative but I have in hands only hibiscus extract and olive leaf extract and they are both water base.
Thank you for reviewing that water base preservative are not for soap!!

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Using fresh juice in CP soap
by: Cheryl

Feb 13th 2011 I made cantaloupe cp soap with fresh cantaloupe juice. I juiced the cantaloupe with my juicer. I used 6oz fresh juice(I froze the juice) and 4.4 oz distilled water then added my lye to the water & frozen juice solution. Eight months later my soap is perfect. No problem with mold or anything else. I haven't tried any other juice,but I plan on making another batch of soap with a berry juice. All my oils I used have a long shelve life.

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Request for procedure
by: Beena

I was looking for the procedure for making soap with carrots,lemon papaya,banana & virgin cococnut oil. Can anyone please give me the actual procedure to work? My emal id is beenashamesh1@gmail.com

Thanks

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Dangerous Advice NEW
by: Anonymous

Those who are assuring soapmakers they've used fruits and fruit juices and months later "their soaps are fine" are giving dangerous advice. Unless those soaps have been sent out for lab testing, they have NO way of knowing they are indeed, 'fine'. Just as we cannot always smell or see with our naked eye, the organisms that will make us sick with food poisoning, there could very well be growth of harmful organisms in those soaps, that cannot be seen with the naked eye or smelled with the human nose, but may very well cause someone a health issue.

I would prefer to know that the maker of the soap I may buy is following proper science and not someone's word (whom they don't know at all) on the internet. If someone has a link to a reputable source that can affirm the safety of using these pulps and perishable ingredients in soap, then I wish they would post that instead what may very well be bad/dangerous advice.

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