Soap Making Updates

I know I have already shared with you the basics of soap making but I thought of sharing some updates...First, allow me to go back to the common ingredients used in soap and their uses. You see, the ingredients gives the desired quality of the soap and the quantity of ingredients used will also dictate the cost of the soap produced. Here are the list of ingredients commonly used, although some have already been mentioned here:

• Coco Diethanol Amide (CDEA) - foam or sud booster
• Sodium silicate - hardening and leavening agent; prevents separation or deterioration of ingredients in liquid products
• Sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) - cleaning agent; used to give a thickening effect and a cheaper but effective foamer
• Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) - a chemical that gives cleansing power
• Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) - sequestering agent that makes the ingredients float; used as foaming stabilizer and also used to reduce hardness in water
• Caustic potash - binder used for powdered detergent
• Sodium phosphate - provides the abrasive strength and removes hard water minerals, thus increasing the effectiveness of detergents. It also prevents dirt from settling back into the clothes during washing
• Sodium chloride or table salt - thickening agent and provides viscosity to the soap
• Methyl and propyl paraben - anti-microbial preservatives
• Triethanol amine (TEA) - an emulsifier used in facial cleansers
• Caustic Soda (sodium hydroxide) - neutralizes or adjust the acidity of other ingredients
• Benzalkonium chloride - disinfectant against bacteria, fungi and yeasts
• Carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) - antiredeposition agent that prevents dirt from settling back into clothes during washing 
• Sodium sulfate - provides proper flow or solubility to soap and cleanses without leaving residue
• Glycerine - serves as moisturizer in facial cleanser