Ineffectiveness of Herbal Extracts/Powders in High pH Handmade Soap and PE-1 Aqua Penetration

Based on the information provided by the staff, adding ingredients like herbal extracts and powders to handmade soaps (both bar and liquid) made with Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide is generally not effective.

Here's why:
Handmade soaps created through saponification with Sodium Hydroxide or Potassium Hydroxide have a high pH. This high pH environment causes many ingredients, including herbal extracts and powders, to break down or degrade (hydrolyze). As a result, the beneficial properties of these ingredients are lost, and they become ineffective.

Therefore, while PE-1 Aqua itself might be compatible with the soap base in terms of mixing, using it to enhance the penetration of ingredients that are unstable and degrade in the high pH of the soap would not be beneficial. The primary issue is the instability of the herbal extracts and powders in the soap environment, not the ability of PE-1 Aqua to penetrate them.

In summary, due to the degradation of herbal extracts and powders in the high pH of handmade soap, adding PE-1 Aqua to this type of formulation for the purpose of enhancing their penetration is not recommended as the ingredients themselves will not be stable or effective.