Kathy's Soapmaking Links: Canadian

[This page is part of Miller's Homemade Soap Pages]
http://millersoap.com/index.html
  

The busier I've gotten with the web page, the harder it is to check these links. If you have any problem with them, please email me so that I can make the necessary adjustments. Thanks!

NOTICE to those who wish to request a link here... I have tried to keep the emphasis of this site on COLD PROCESS soapmaking, but have included other methods and links as a service to those folks who want to try other ways. I feel I'm getting more melt and pour links than I really want and would discourage you from requesting a link if that's the main thrust of your site. I also don't list links with the goal of increasing web traffic. I try to list links pertinent to cold process soapmaking for those who want to make their own (not sites that are selling finished soap and toiletry products).

I've been receiving a lot of RECIPROCAL LINK REQUESTS and no longer want to take the time to answer each one. I hope you will see this and understand if you didn't hear back from me.

Thank you!

-Kathy Miller

 

Return to Kathy's Soapmaking Links Page.

 
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General:

Better Living Through Soap Chemistry Forum - Drop in and check out this forum... "This board is primarily dedicated to cold process soapmaking, to the science behind it (e.g. troubleshooting, experimentation, making soap with other alkalines, etc.), as well as to discussion of general chemistry as it applies to soap, experimentation in other toiletries, and anything else you'd like to discuss!" - Sara, Founder
Candle and Soap Making - About.com - TONS of great soapmaking links!
 

I'm listing the following page for those who speak German, but am not planning to carry many foreign sites that are mainly commercial (and I don't want too much emphasis on melt and pour)...

Der Seifenkünstler (The Soap Artist) -"We are a small family business specialising in melt and pour products for sale via internet.We serve the European Community and hope that you will like the homepage we've put together! The site offers complete step-by-step instructions for various MP techniques (Anleitungen) as well as a large picture gallery (Bildergallerie) that might also be of interest to non-German speakers :-). Yes, the site is unfortunately in GERMAN only and can be found at www.seifenkuenstler.de.We hope you will have a bit of fun looking at what we've put together! Best wishes to you, Tara Kneitz.
Fragrance Oil Finder - What a GREAT resource... a list of any number of fragrances, their descriptions and suppliers who stock them! The wonderful lady who maintains this site has now added a search feature.
Houston Soapmakers Forum - Hosted by Yahoo! and founded by John M. Krafka
Ilmiosapone - This is a new soapmaking page that is in ITALIAN! Many thanks to Patrizia Garzena for making it available. :-) ..."My site is a sort of virtual compendium where I have listed whatever I have learnt about soapmaking in my brief soapmaking career. :-) I do not know if in Italy there are many soapmakers as in the USA or in the UK but I hope that my little, humble site will become a *meeting point* for people who share the same hobby." -Patrizia
LATHERINGS Soap Forum (hosted by Sugar Plum Sundries) - A great soapmakers forum with lots of participation and helpful information. Be sure to visit!
Majestic Mountain Sage Soap Forum
Naturseife - - "In AUSTRIA we also have a very good private soap site with much information about CP soap with a soapforum. I hope you like this site too." -Michi
Sabrina Downard's Soapmaker's Resources - Delightful and helpful page for new soapmakers. I loved reading her soapmaking journal!
Soapmaker's Web Ring - Tap into this ring and visit many soapmaking sites...most of them commercial
Soapnuts Library - This is chock full of helpful tips, instructions, and recipes! Some of the latter include how to make soap rocks. Scroll to the bottom of the main page for the index and be sure to check out all the helpful tips on using colorants, a non-comodogenic chart of oils for lotionmaking (don't think it much matters for soap), etc.
The Saponifier - This is a printed trade publication, available by subscription. Articles are submitted by people who are in the business of soapmaking.
The Scent Review Board - Great looking forum where you can post or read other people's comments about scent companies and individual fragrances. Also a place to post favorite blends with particular scents.
U.S. Box - For the serious soapmaker/seller. Soap packaging such as exclusive Net Bags, Plastic Covered Boxes, Printed Ribbon, Gift Pouches in Fabric & Vinyl, Cello Bags, Gift Basket Boxes, Printed Tissue and exclusive Gourmet Colored Shipping Boxes. Minimum order of $100 or $10 penalty for smaller orders.
From an email: I'd like to suggest a link for your Canadian Soapmaking Links page: www.usbox.com. I'm not sure if you're interested in listing companies based outside of Canada, but I've found US Box to be a good resource for creative/eye catching packaging supplies. They'll even do custom printing on most of their bags and boxes.
YAHOO! Groups: SOAPMAKING - Here is a whole list of groups from which to choose... for those who have the time!

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Canadian Sources for Soapmaking Supplies, Etc.

(Many courtesy of the Toiletries Page. Please Email Kathy if any of these links don't work.)

 
Ambrosia Natural Products 501-8260
20445 62nd Ave., Langley, BC, V3A 5E6
Essential oils
 
Aquarius Aromatherapy & Soap
URLs: http://www.aquariusaroma-soap.com OR http://www.esoap.ws
Email: adriana@telus.net
Owner: Adriana Notte
Mission, British Columbia Canada
AND U.S. location: Sumas, WA USA
They ship over 90% of their orders to the United States ... "we can almost see the U.S. from our shop ^smiling^."
 
Canwax 1-877-670-6002
URL: http://www.canwax.com
Email: info@canwax.com
114 Lindgren Road West, Unit #1B (Middle Unit), Huntsville, ON P1H 1Y2
"Canada's premier site for candle and soapmaking supplies." Email from a customer, April 2010 ... "Canwax company in Huntsville, ON, will ship 1 kilo packs of lye or sodium hydroxide within Canada. I think the charge is 8.00 for a kilogram, which is 2.2 pounds. I searched for a long time on the internet before I found them so I just wanted to pass it along to all the soapmakers."
  
Cranberry Lane
URL: http://www.cranberrylane.com
Everything for the "all natural brigade" (i.e. no pigments, dyes or FOs). EOs are pricey, but everything else is reasonable and very high quality (submitted by Jules).
 
Creations from Eden NEW!
URL: http://www.CreationsfromEden.com
Email: orders@creationsfromeden.com
Phone: (780) 451-0280
Director/President: Randi Carr
Edmonton, AB, Canada
Canada T5L 4N8
From Randi Carr: "We are an online store located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada that sells both CP and M&P soapmaking supplies. We carry both NaOH and KOH, which I know many people have problems finding in this area. We also have colorants, exfoliants, fragrances, essential oils, base oils, sodium lactate, stearic acid, gum rosin, molds, books, etc etc… basically everything you could think of for CP soapmaking as well as lotion making and M&P. We currently do not have a storefront, however order pick up is possible to save on shipping."
 
FPI
URL: http://www.fpi-america.com
From Jules: "The site can be viewed in either US or Canadian - and for Canadians they package in metric! They're located here in Richmond, but they do most of their shipping to the US. A LOT of their FOs are bad in CP, but their EO prices make up for it - their fixed oil prices aren't bad either! Lots of the local suppliers get their stuff from FPI! Minimum order is, I think, $100. They're the north american office of FPI Products in England, a HUGE supplier to the industry there.
 
Harlan Fairbanks Co. Ltd.
Unit 300 - 819 Cliveden Place
Delta, B.C.
Phone: 604-525-0400
Hours: 8:00a.m. to 4:30p.m. (Pacific)
Island Artisan Supply
URL: http://www.islandartisansupply.ca
Phone: (250) 218-1280
Box 458
Merville, BC
Canada V0R 2M0
For those who have been missing the Prenty's, this is their old business, but new name and new owners (not the former "new" owners). They'd love to see people get behind these nice folks and help make the business a success. Soapmaking and packaging supplies, the original tutorials provided by Des and Pat... they're all here at this site. Store front office hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please check them out. :-)
K & W Specialties
Phone: (613) 653-7627 (Soap)
Toll-Free: (888) 285-7627(Soap)
Box 524
Westport, ON
Canada K0G 1X0
Fax: (613) 653-7626
Email: info@kwspecialties.on.ca
URL: http://www.kwspecialties.on.ca
No minimum order, low shipping rates, and fast lead time. Payment can be
made by cheque, money order, VISA, Mastercard, COD or deposit in a CIBC
account. Essential oils, fragrance oils, fixed oils, colourants, books
and much more.
 
Lyndenhouse International, Inc.
URL: http://www.lyndenhouse.net
Email: order@lyndenhouse.net
50 Greenveiw Cres.
Strathmore, AB T1P 1L6
Phone: 403-934-9449
Fax 888-845-1430
We are a supplier of melt and pour soap, cold process soap making ingredients, oils and butters, fragrance and essential oils, color additives, cream and lotion making bases, toiletry additives and emulsifiers, salts and powders, molds, container and packaging supplies. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff can assist you with all your needs. Many recipies to choose from. Same day ship.
 
Nelsie's Cupboard
168 Swanwick Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. M4E 2A6
Tel: (416) - 693-7025, Fax: (416) 693-2696
Sylvia Genders LeReverend
Amounts (4 oz.) of pine tar, lecithin, neet's foot oil, neem leaves, citric acid, or other ingredients people need for test batches before you 'buy big'!
 
New Directions Aromatics
URL: http://www.newdirectionsaromatics.ca/
21 Regan Road, Suite B, Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C5
Tel: (905) 840-5459, Toll Free: 1-(877)-255-7692, Fax: (905) 846-1784
This supplier has a leaning to melt and pour, but carries a lot of items that can be used in cold process soap... colorants, fragrances, essential oils, additives, etc.
 
Northern Scents
URL: http://www.northernscents.com
Owner: Kim Richards
Email: nscents@northernscents.com
Phone: (250) 961-1779
Fax: (250) 614-7211
Northern Scents is located in Prince George, British Columbia. We carry a number of different essential oils and fragrance oil, as well as our own soap lines. Retail and wholesale pricing is available. Come and check us out!
 
Oshun Spirit Arts Ltd.
Phone: (250) 832-1099
Salmon Arm, BC
Fax: (250) 832-1079
Email: info@oshun.ca
URL: www.oshun.ca/us.html
Essential & fragrance oils, vegetable oils, bottles & jars, soapmaking supplies
 
Planet Botanix
Owner: Heather Garrod
301 Bank St
Somerset, Ottawa, Ontario
KP2 1X7
Phone: 613-567-4444
Email: info@planetbotanix.com
URL: www.planetbotanix.com
 
Poya Naturals
 
Ontario
URL: http://www.poyanaturals.com
From Angela M.: "Another great place for eo's, all oils, fancy bottles, floral waters, aromatherapy stuff and many other things that I have forgotten."
 
Quality First International, Inc. - Prime Ingredients (division)
335 Laird Rd., Unit 9
Guelph, ON
Canada N1G 4P7
Email: info@primeingredients.ca
URL: www.primeingredients.ca
Phone: (877) 870-1018
Supplier of carrier oils, extracts, botanicals and specialty oils, selected essential oils, organic ingredients

Saffire Blue Inc
538 Highway # 3
Courtland, ON
Canada N0J 1E0
Phone: 519.688.0546
Fax: 519.488.1114
Toll Free: 877.248.1115
Email: info@sapphireblue.ca
URL: www.saffireblue.ca
Saffire Blue offers an extensive selection of high quality soap making and cosmetic formulation supplies. Saffire Blue is your source for quality Shea butter, mango butter and other exotic butters, as well as carrier oils, fragrance oils, cosmetic bases, cosmetic packaging, salts, clays and so much more. From the hobby soap maker to professional soap maker, we have high quality ingredients to make your products stand out.

Slippery Soap
Address: The Slippery Soap Company Ltd.
103-2633 Vidking Way
Richmond, B.C., Canada V6V 1N3
PHONE: (604) 279-0050
FAX: (604) 279-0056
Email: info@slipperysoap.com
Manufacturer/wholesaler of clear glycerin Melt and Pour soaps and cosmetic bases, including lotions, bath oils, shower gels, shampoos, conditioners, toners, cleansers, body milk & shaving cream. They will also create your own custom blends to your specifications for quantities of 1/4 ton and up.
 
Soap and More
URL: http://www.soapandmore.com
Maureen Oliver
Email: info@soapandmore.com
We are a Calgary supplier of soapmaking ingredients. Both CP and melt and pour. Both retail and wholesale. Soap & More the learning centre Inc. has been in business for more than a decade. We carry everything from hard to find carrier oils, essential and fragrance oils, molds, books, kits, botanicals, salts, containers, colorants and several natural ingredients. There are ongoing workshops and we do mailorders.
 
Soapmaker Software - A couple in Canada has developed this software program for soapmakers. It does recipe calculation and organization, including recipe costing and graphic display of predicted soap qualities. It also provides complete inventory control for tracking supplies and products made.
 
Suds N' Scents
Owner: Tanna Hardy
URL: http://www.sudsandscents.com
Email: info@sudsandscents.com
Phone: (604) 859-7837
Fax: (604) 859-1805
Retail Address: Abbotsford, B.C.
Natural soap making supplies, liquid and solid carriers, melt & pour soap base, molds, packaging items, essential and fragrance oils, clays, pigments, liquid dyes, botanicals, mineral makeup and more. Offers a recipe section on their website. Business focus is mainly website ordering and retail business is by appointment only.
Tub O'Soap
Owners: Karen and Peter Sheldon
URL: http://www.tubosoap.com
Email - custserv@tubosoap.com
Phone - (519) 742-6292
Fax - (519) 742-8575
9 General Drive
Kitchener, ON
N2K 1R1
Canada
Melt and pour glycerine soap, fragrances, colourants and moulds. Visa, MasterCard and American Express, cheque, money order and COD.
 
Voyageur Soap and Candle
URL: www.voyageursoapandcandle.com
Website not the main attraction, but they have a store in Surrey, BC and the staff are very helpful. Prices on everything are good. (Thanks to Jules for this feedback!)
  
Well Now...Glassware, Aromatherapy, Essential Oils, Soap Making, Remedy
URL: http://www.wellnow.on.ca/prod.html
Email: wellnow@wellnow.on.ca
 

 

Here are some more submitted links... I'm not familiar with these so am leaving them in a separate list for your consideration.... any feedback is welcome!

Hello Kathy,

My name is Tara Christie and I have really enjoyed your site, and just stumbled on some suppliers you don't have so I thought I would pass on the information. You have the best Canadian suppliers list there is, and your site has been more helpful than anything I know. So without further ado, here they are:

Acqua Vita
85 Arundel Ave
Toronto, Ontario
M4K 3A3
(416) 405-8855
URL: http://ww.acqua-vita.com
Supplier of essential oils, hydrosols, and carriers
 
Natural Sense Aromatherapy
Their store address:
53 King Street
Bowmanville, Ontario
1-888-Tea-Tree
Essential oils and supplies
 
Nature's Essence Aromatherapy
44 Chaparral Drive S.E.
Calgary Alberta
(409) 254-1184
Fax (403) 201-5800
URL: http://www.naturesaromatherapy.com
EOs and other supplies
 
Hope this is helpful. ~Tara.

 

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Conversion Calculators Online (Ounces, Grams...etc.!)

Majestic Mountain Sage: Measurement Conversion Calculator

These next two are thanks to Anna Merhoff!:
http://www.therepertoire.com/ccc/conv.htm
http://www.foodwine.com/cgi-bin/hts?convcalc.hts+usequiv+new
 
"For Mac users, there's a wonderful little utility called Macverter." - Scott Rothstein
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/mac/7361

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Information and Recipes

Check this out! :-) - Some generous soapmakers contributed this delightful soapy explanation with illustrations in order to visually explain the process of Saponification and Lye Discounting. I just love this! Thanks to Pat B! and Jennifer Davis of Canis Art! Here is the link: http://www.canis-art.com/soaping.htm
Beginner Soapmaking Tutorial - NEW! This is the old tutorial put together by Des and Pat Prenty. It's now found at Island Artisan Supply. Great directions with pictures.
Calculators Online Center - All sort of scientific calculators available here. This is the repaired link. :-)
Camden-Grey Essential Oil Information - This page lists the various oils, describes them and suggests what to mix them with.
Chestnut Farms - Online plans for making your own SOAP MOLD.-This link had been lost for awhile when they were reorganizing their site, but I just found it and am posting it again.
Colonial Soapmaking: Its History and Techniques - This is a wonderful overview of how soap is made the old fashioned way, using wood ashes. The first site I had posted for this type of information is no longer available.
FDA/CFSAN Cosmetics: Soap - Read what the FDA has to say about soap (and what isn't really soap!).
Felicia's Fragrance Finder - An interesting and useful compilation of sources for many fragrance oils and feedback on some of their behaviors in cold process soap. Worth a visit! Also lists Canadian sources.
Fragrance Descriptions by Parfums Raffy - Here's a great link posted by Jules on Latherings... it describes many famous perfumes and what their "notes" are. Might be a good study for those who want to experiment with mixing scents.
Glossary for the Modern Soap Maker - A nice resource provided by Coconut Coast Natural Products.
Hot Process and Rebatching from Diane's Naturally Site (Australia)
Hot Process Information from Sabrina Downard - A handout you can print out if you are interested in this process.
Hot Process Soapmaking - This is an instructional link for making soap the old fashioned way...by cooking it on your stove. Complete with witty dialogue and photos. The author, Melanie Dunstan, resides in Australia. Check out the rest of her site while you are there.
Introduction to Soapmaking - This is a helpful tutorial on cold process soapmaking provided by Pat Prenty... with great photos and lists of needed materials!
Irene's House of Soap - This site was posted on Latherings and has some good instructions for marbling, as well as photos of beautiful marbled soaps.
Liquid Soapmaking Instructions - Part of the About.com site. Be sure to click on the link for the photos... and don't expect to email me if you get stuck. ;-) I don't do liquid soaps.
Liquid Soapmaking Tutorial - NEW! This is the old tutorial put together by Des and Pat Prenty. It's now found at Island Artisan Supply. Great directions with pictures.
Lovena's Soapmaking - Lovena Harwood uses the Oven Hot Process method (OHP) of soapmaking and has written several tutorials to explain these techniques. Both her Swirling and Swirl-Layer Combo tutorials describe the "swirl-in-the-pot" technique. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find just how easy it is to create swirls and layers using the Oven Hot Process method. If you have questions about these techniques, be sure to direct them to Lovena and not to me! (Kathy M.)
Majestic Mountain Sage - Home - Soapmaking supplies, recipes and books, plus lye and fragrance "calculators" to help you in designing your recipes. A Great Site!
Majestic Mountain Sage: Scent Blends - Some creative ideas!
Majestic Mountain Sage: Fragrance Calculator- Develop your own recipes with this great tool or test new ones to be sure of their proportions and mildness. After you enter your data, you can print it out and have the whole thing at your fingertips. Neat!
Majestic Mountain Sage Lye Calculator for Creating Soap Formulas
Majestic Mountain Sage: Measurement Conversion Calculator - What a handy device this is!
Majestic Mounbtain Sage: Understanding Specific Gravity - Please read this if you are interested in using volume measures in your recipes as opposed to weight.
Oils4Life Essential Oil and Aromatherapy Information - Great description of how essential oils are extracted, some of their applications and an alphabetical listing of oils and their properties, etc. UK supplier of pure essential oil, carrier oil, massage oil, sport massage oil and many other Aromatherapy gift items.
Pine Meadows-Recipes for Sweet Smelling Soaps and Lotions - A great looking assortment of soap and lotion recipes... also fizzing bath bombs. Check them out! :-)
Rainbow Meadow Inc.-Info Center  - All kinds of helpful information can be found here!
Rebatching - Judy Scher's (formerly of Cat Dreams Soap) rebatching method posted here... you'll need to scroll down.
Salt Soap Tutorial - NEW! I don't know how long this will be available, but it's an instruction on how to make "salt soap." A reader shared the link. I've not tried this one myself but people are starting to ask about it. The gal who prepared it is from Ladybug Soapworks.
Sappo Hill: A History of Soapmaking ... Through the ages
Soap and Related Recipes - Sabrina Downard's website.
Soap Impressions - Hints and Tips for Stamping Soap
Soap Naturally - New website resource which is based in Australia. Lots of good links and be sure to check out the amazing photos of "confections" made from soap that has been decorated using cake frosting tips and whipped soap 'frosting'.
Soapnuts Library - This is chock full of helpful tips, instructions, and recipes! Some of the latter include how to make soap rocks. Scroll to the bottom of the main page for the index and be sure to check out all the helpful tips on using colorants, a non-comodogenic chart of oils for lotionmaking (don't think it much matters for soap), etc.
SoapTeacher: Advanced Tips for Melt and Pour Soap - While I don't do melt and pour, some of the techniques shown here can also be adapted to cold process.
Soul Gazer Sundries - Kat K. has put her own changes into the Chris Mathes Spreadsheet Calculator and you can visit her site and download her version here. Also, check out her tutorial for making your own soap labels in Microsoft Word.
Summers Past Farms - Another Online Lye Calculator that looks easy to use! All fits on one screen, unlike the Majestic Mountain Sage one.
TeachSoap.com - The thrust of the soapmaking instructions here is melt and pour, but there are many excellent articles on things like scent, colorants, pricing, insurance, etc. Be sure to check it out!
The Soap Factory - Colonial Soap Making...Its History and Techniques - Talk about a comprehensive history lesson! Very interesting. Check out the other information on this site...they also sell homemade soaps.
TKB Trading-What is Glycerin? - I've reformatted this slightly so that it won't take up too much paper if you want to print it. It is another informative article by Kaila Westerman.
Uses for Various Oils in Soapmaking - Sabrina Downard has a very informative website and took the time to make a list of many soapmaking base oils, special oils and additives. Next to each is a description of what qualities they impart to the finished bar.

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Shipping Calculations

Want to find out how much the shipping is going to boost your cost on supplies? Check out these online calculators.

Canada Post
USPS (Postal Service) Domestic Rate Calculator
Quick Cost Calculator (UPS)

This page last updated on 17 May 2012
If you still have questions, please read through the information on the Troubleshooting Help page, MOST Frequently Asked Questions and Modern Procedures. More can also be learned through the Botched Batches and Soapy Success pages. Many common problems have already been addressed on the site and it's difficult for me to keep up with emails these days and get anything else done. If your question involves my looking up information that you can also research, or going over numbers and recipe calculations, I might not respond if in the middle of a project around our home and garden. I apologize for this, since I've enjoyed my correspondence with people and don't like to ignore emails of any kind. Thanks! :-)