Tussah silk
Said to give the lather a silky feel, though not every maker notices it.
Opens the calculator’s starter recipe with this additive in it. No source gives a dose to fill in, so enter your own.
What it is
Tussah silk is sold as threads or powder, and dissolves in the lye while it is still hot.
Faiola, Soap Crafting primary source, Soap Queen supplier or guide
How much
- a pea-size pinch per pound of oils Lovin Soap supplier or guide
- 1–2 % of the oils Faiola, Soap Crafting primary source
No dose to fill in: enter your own.
When and how
- Usually: into the lye solution.
- Stir it into the lye while it is still hot.
Soap Queen supplier or guide, Faiola, Soap Crafting primary source
What it does to the recipe
- It changes neither the lye nor the water: it is only weight in the bar.
Worth knowing
- A few tiny undissolved bits are normal. Soap Queen supplier or guide
Spoons and drops
- No source weighs a spoonful of it: weigh it.
INCI name
Silk
Recipes that use it
Guides that discuss it
Sources
Soap Queen, tussah silk: into the lye "immediately after the lye is dissolved", at 170–190 °F; tiny undissolved bits are fine.
Anne-Marie Faiola, Soap Crafting (Storey, 2013), p. 232: "You can add liquid silk to your soap at thin trace at 0.5 to 1 percent of your total oil weight. If you’re using powder or threads, dissolve it in the lye-water. The powder or threads are typically used at 1 to 2 percent of your total oil weight."; "I don’t notice a difference in my soap with the addition of silk but some soapers swear it adds a silky, smooth feel to the lather".
Lovin Soap, soapmaking additive chart: clay 1 teaspoon, oatmeal, coffee grounds and cocoa 1 tablespoon per pound of oils; cocoa into the warm oils; silk, "1 pea size pinch per pound of soapmaking oils".