Behind the Bubbles

Some Soapy Science

There's a lot of science and really interesting facts behind the formulations for No3 products. We want to share some with you - while keeping it interesting😊

As a starter, let's look at soaps and bubbles. Believe it or not, lather produced by soaps can be formulated with different forms and different functions - so different forms/types of bubbles, and different functions like cleansing, moisturising, etc. It doesn't just happen by accident.

Saponification - what the heck is that?!

This really cool word just describes the process that produces soaps - for any natural soap, whether it is liquid or bar, there is a chemical reaction that needs to occur between oils and alkali, in the presence of water.

Think of saponification as a marriage or bonding of oils and alkali, brought together by water, to make soap. Just like water is produced by the chemical bonding of hydrogen and oxygen, or table salt (sodium chloride) is formed by the chemical bonding of sodium and chlorine.

Nature is full of happy chemical relationships😊

The Form and Function of Soap

When it comes to making soaps, the choice of oils or fats plays a really important role in the final product. It's not ok to just throw some oils together and hope for the best. Because oils have a variety of characteristics, it's crucial to formulate soap with a combination of oils that will result in the performance you are looking for.

Here's three examples of oils with very different characteristics in how they behave towards the form and function of the finished product.

Coconut oil:

Form: Coconut oil produces a large, fluffy lather with big, frothy bubbles. It gives the soap a cleansing feel.

Function: It's a super effective cleanser, making it excellent for removing dirt and grime. But a tradeoff is that it can be drying if there is too much in a formulation, so it's usually blended with other oils for balance.

Castor Oil:

Form: Castor oil is known for its unique ability to produce a rich and stable lather with small, creamy bubbles. It adds a luxurious and silky feel to the soap.

Function: It contributes to the soap's moisturising properties. It also has good humectant properties - which simply means it helps retain moisture and prevents drying of the skin. You cannot use too much castor oil in a formulation though or you'll get a mushy soap.

Olive Oil:

Form: Olive oil produces a creamy, low lather with small bubbles. Soaps with olive oil have a smooth and gentle feel on the skin. But if you want a nice bubbly lather, too much olive oil will suppress bubbles.

Function: It has great moisturising and nourishing properties. Where coconut oil provides the heavy lifting of cleansing, olive oil is a more mild cleanser and is great for sensitive or dry skin. Paired with coconut oil in a soap, you get the best of both worlds.

The Other Components of the Formulation

There's a number of other steps and calculations to create the perfect soap; maybe a story for another day 😉