Calling all SOAPMAKERS!

[redhen]

good question sundownwaterfowl!..now i wanna make soap!!....

.LOL...another question..will the food dye stain your skin when you wash with it?.and what scents are best and where can you find them?..Wendy

 

[redhen]

are there any sites where there is info on making glycerin soap?

 

[Jessika]

This was in reply to the oil question......

If you have a few dollars burning a hole in your pocket...go on amazon.com and find Potpourri, Incense and other Fragrant Concoctions by Ann Tucker.

Oil by evaporation is pretty easy....but there are others like sun extracted oil. I don't know much on the subject besides where to point you to...

 

[Rosalind]

Quote:
As long as you want, really. They keep for years.

Do you have any good soap recipes?

A good "cookbook" is Norma Coney's The Complete Soapmaker.

Also, is it easy to make soap, or hard?

Very easy once you get the hang of things. No more dangerous than cooking with a hot stove, it's just a matter of being careful. That said, you might not want to use your very first batch as holiday gifts--I made a batch of herb soap for holiday gifts once and seriously underestimated the curing time, which depends on humidity and how you insulate the primary mold. Try making a practice batch first.​

 

[ChickenToes]

I wanted to make lye soap, but I got annoyed with how precise everything had to be, i.e. everything has to be weighed with a digital scale, etc.

So I looked up how they made soap back in the day. Easy peasy. Measure out your water, add the lye, let it cool. Heat up the fats, whir everything together with a stick blender and you're done. Adding fragrance and color is optional.

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
Food coloring will change in the lye soap...you will not get the intended color. You must use Oxides....try this website...

www.brambleberry.com

 

[cheeptrick]

From start to finish in cold process it will take 48 hours...unmold then cut....and then 6 week cure/air dry. My cold process bars last 1 year or so...while I do have soaps over 2 years old that will lather...the essential or fragrance oils dissapate over time. If you are adding organic materials to your soap for exfoliation etc....expect that these things will put a shelf life on the soap. Your soap can go rancid and MOLD. So keep them dry and store appropriately.

Good luck...have fun...

 

[MissPrissy]

I make cold press soap. I allow 4 - 8 weeks for curing time. It really depends on the soap. If it is still hot (burns a little at 3 - 4 weeks) I let it go to 6 or 8 weeks before packaging for use.

I use only natural ingredients and additives and limit the frangrances and essential oil.

I did a batch of jewelweed soap today.

 

[mizauntcathy'shenhouse]

I made homemade soap for the first time about a 1.5 years ago. It has been a big hit with my family and friends. I make it using the traditional lye method.

This is the website that I found to be the most helpful with questions, recipes, etc.
http://www.millersoap.com/

The lye is hard to find, but can be found at local hardware stores. Some soapmakers order online.

Essential oils can be purchased at local health food and herb shops.

Plan to start on your soap no later than the end of October. This should give you plenty of time to make and cure the soap. Good Luck!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

What I dont understand about lye, is how come when making the soap, dont breathe the lye in, wear goggles and gloves, but then it is okay to use it as soap on your skin?