Soap Making 101

[me&thegals]

Hey---I was going to try a salt bar tonight! I love the sounds of it, plus basically doubling the volume of soap with the cheapness of salt!

Regarding EOs, can someone help me out here? My understanding is that oils are saponified, or "eaten up" in the process. I read that you only need to worry about skin safety if you're using them in lip balm, body butter, lotion or other things where they are not saponified and are staying on the skin. Hope I have been informed correctly...

Regarding last night's flops, they turned out awesome! Phew! (wiping forehead). When I unmolded later that night, they were already firm. I cut my long log (soy milk container shape) in half, and the center was still gooey. Stuck them back together, and this morning it looked perfect. Incredibly forgiving.

They have a very dense, almost wet look to them. The choc-mint-coffee kitchen soap looks exactly like fudge. The carrot-yogurt-oatmeal unfortunately has a darker orange color and is more like scours...

On to chamomile-tea salt soap colored with paprika. This is way too much fun! And way too expensive!

Just sold the first few bars today of soap I made in Nov and had time to test and retest. Having a really hard time asking the "going price", though. Can anybody give me some great selling points so I can look people in the eye when giving the price? I mean, soap is pretty heavy stuff.

 

[valmom]

I actually gave away my first bars of soap! My in-laws were visiting and wanted some when I showed them what I was up to. And my MIL said she tried it and it was very nice, moisturizing soap. I don't think I ever intend to sell my soap, but I do want it to be good enough for presents to people.

 

[valmom]

Next batch is made! I ordered silicone molds online today- maybe they'll get here for next weekend and my next free time for soaping! And, I found coconut oil at my local food coop, along with (very expensive) safflower, sunflower, and of all things, walnut oil. I feel the urge to branch out, even though it could be expensive!

 

[Bettacreek]

Check Walmart. They have coconut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower, peanut, olive (of course) and others. Check the oriental food section, check the cooking oil section, etc.

Personally, I have to get a mold built. I finally made my first bar soap in baby cereal containers, lol.

 

[valmom]

We have a very old Walmart- no super walmart around here. Very little food, mostly candy and a few staples. I already looked because I wanted to try peanut oil that they sell for frying turkeys- I figured it would be cheap to make mistakes on! They had a sort of generic "vegetable" oil, and Crisco and nothing else.

Oh- I used quart milk (OK, half and half) cartons for my bars- peels right off! I want to buy some fancy molds, too. My MIL was looking over my shoulder and "suggesting" molds she would like There is a curled up sleeping cat that is very cute!

 

[savingdogs]

Valmom I used just crisco for my first two batches of soap. It came out awesome! Everyone loves it. It is a little soft. You can easily find the recipe on the internet under "easy crisco soap".

 

[Carolyn]

We have a small Walmart also-but we can get coconut oil there, but we live in Sunflower country, but can't get sunflower oil anywhere. We use lard for hardness and now instead of coconut oil we happen to get a box of palm kernal flakes which makes a very hard bar that has nice lather. so right now we use lard, palm kernal flakes, olive oil, goats milk, lye and fragrances. But I do have an old goat friend from 17 yrs ago and she always made gm soap with lard, lye and goats milk. Doesnt' like the coconut oil or palm kernal flakes because she says it is way too drying. So I made her a batch just that way. You most likely can find the ingredients in any grocery store.

 

[Carolyn]

oh and for the 2 oz bar molds, we use the Rubbermaid utility trays-they last for several hundred batches.

 

[Bettacreek]

oh and for the 2 oz bar molds, we use the Rubbermaid utility trays-they last for several hundred batches.

Do you have a picture? I'm trying to figure out what this is...

 

[valmom]

I'm making soap for ourselves so, 2 ounces is sort of small. I like big chunky bars. (I also can't picture what the Rubbermaid utility trays are? Like silverware drawer organizers?) The quart milk cartons work great! Not fancy, but makes nice large bars.

I think I am going to order that sleeping cat mold.