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Benefits of Adding Citric Acid to Soap

Benefits of adding citric acid to soap

The Citric acid (lemon juice) with the chemical formula C6H8O7 is one of the weak organic acids in lemons and oranges. Among the important uses of citric acid is the production of cosmetics such as soaps and shampoos.

Soap:

Soap is a cleansing agent that is composed of one or more salts of fatty acids and is known as part of the detergent family. This detergent is produced by dissolving various fats and oils in alkaline compounds (base). In fact, the ingredients of the soap are: 1- fat or oil (vegetable, animal, etc.) 2- alkaline compounds (sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide) 3- required additives

Additives are added to soap ingredients to improve appearance, odor, and performance. Definitely, a product with the right color and smell will be very helpful in attracting customers. But some of these additives are used to remove stains and grease due to the improved performance of the soap.

Do you need Citric Acid in Soap?

The most common chelators used in the production of soap are citric acid and sodium citrate, which bind to minerals in hard water, inactivate them and improve soap performance. The use of citric acid in soap making is a useful trick for soap makers that seek to remove the soap floor and prevent oxidation in oils to increase the useful life of the soap. This acid is supplied in the form of thick powder.

citric acid in soaps

Many soap makers use 10 to 20 grams of citric acid powder for every 1,000 grams of fat. If more than about 2% of citric acid is used, a layer of fine white crystals may form outside your soap over time.  These citrate crystals are easy to wash and harmless, but they look unpleasant.

Benefits of Citric Acid:

  • One of the main benefits of citric acid in soaps is the regulation and control of the pH level. Any change and deviation from the ideal pH can lead to adverse results such as discoloration, changes in viscosity, and poor product performance.  If the final product becomes too alkaline, citric acid can be added to reduce the pH to a desirable level.
  • This compound increases the shelf life of products by helping to stabilize the pH of the formulation.
  • This acid is also used as a chelating agent or hardener.  Citric acid attaches to metal ions by detecting them, increasing the effectiveness of preservatives and antioxidants.  This is useful in soap products.  Because citric acid binds to metal ions in water, it prevents soap from rotting and creating waste, produces a better floor, and helps soap stay hydrated in water.

Bath Bombs:

The most popular material used in these citric acid products. When this product is placed in water, acid with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reacts and carbon dioxide bubbles look like gas (floor).

citric acid in bath bombs

Conclusion:

The citric acid in soap production reduces its PH. In general, it can be said that this acid has many applications in various industries, but its significant impact on detergent and cosmetic products can not be ignored.

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Comments

5 thoughts on “Benefits of Adding Citric Acid to Soap

  1. arad says:

    How much citric acid to add to soap?

    1. china chemicals says:

      There are no general rules for the amount of acetic acid added to soaps, but most soaps use citric acid between 1 and 3% of the total weight of the oils.

  2. lida says:

    What is the difference between citric acid and stearic acid used in soap and which is better?

    1. china chemicals says:

      The main difference between citric acid and stearic acid in soap making is that the former is mostly used to reduce soap scum, while the latter is used to harden the soap. Stearic acid in the soap helps to create a harder bar of soap.

  3. Emily says:

    Excellent blog post

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