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Miller's Homemade Soap Pages |
Dear Ms. Miller,
Thanks for an excellent website on soapmaking. I make soap occasionally here at the Jarrell Plantation Historic Site in Juliette, Georgia, where I work. I used to make it often with lard bought at the store but the last couple of times I tried it, it took hours and hours to set up instead of the half hour to hour it did in 1984. I finally decided it was the lard. The lard was guaranteed "pure" but BHA and BHT were added, so I suspect that these keep the lard soft and increase its shelf life. Since then I have had to laboriously melt beef fat scraps to make tallow, which makes authentic soap like the Jarrell family used to make. Do you know if my guesses about why the lard doesn't work properly are correct? Several years ago I wrote the companies involved but never got a response.
One more comment--I had been told by the older folks (that know these things) to avoid lard with salt added as that did something to spoil the soapmaking too. Lard was commonly salted to help preserve it.
By the way, the older folks also told me how to make soft soap by saving up chicken grease. I suppose they cooked the chicken fat down after butchering and saved the grease. Anyway, it will not make a hard soap so it was used for soft soap for washing dishes.
The people here saved all their grease for soapmaking day, and saved ashes in a barrell (only oak ashes or hickory ashes and not mixed between the two, I am told). On a cool day they poured water through the barrell to collect lye. The lye they boiled until it was strong enough, which to test they immersed a feather. If the lye ate off the soft parts of the feather, it was ready!
Wish me luck. I am making two batches of soap for about 300 kids next week. I haven't checked the farmer's almanac to see if the phases of the moon are propitious, either. I bet you know about that superstition.
Thanks.
Hi! Thanks for sharing the folklore in your area surrounding soapmaking. I'll post that when I EVER get to updating again. Hope not too far off!
I'm not sure on the lard problem, since I've used lard in the past that I'm sure had preservatives in it and it worked fine. I wonder if they messed with it in any other way. I used the Armour brand you can get in the supermarket here.
Salt added to soap will make it harder. Some folks even add salt to the recipe on purpose. I suppose you could go overboard and have brittle soap?
I never pay any attention to that superstition and have not noticed the soaps being particuarly inconsistent. We tried having a horse gelded by phases of the moon YEARS ago... was supposed to have less swelling. Well... he swelled up pretty good anyway! ;-)
Good luck with your presentation next week! Hope it goes well. :-)
Hi Kathy!
I have made a few small batches of soap and am hooked! They aren't beautiful, but I'm happy with my accomplishments so far :o) . I have a couple of questions and a couple of ideas -- sound like a fair swap?
** Questions **
My folks recently came back from a B&B that had vanilla soap. They said that it smelled like "real vanilla beans" with what they think were flecks of vanilla bean in them. I want to make a batch of this soap to give them for Christmas. From the Latherings board, I know that "real vanilla" doesn't last in soap and that I'm better off finding an FO instead. I've had suggestions of vanilla Fos on Latherings -- but none have said that it was a "true vanilla bean" scent. Should I go for real "Mexican Vanilla" w/ some chopped vanilla beans?
While slicing and "polishing" (learned on Latherings as well) my soaps, I see little holes (bubbles) throughout. I'm using a stick blender and am sure that my blending technique is causing them. Should I just use the stick blender to get the lye water incorporated and then go to hand stirring?
** Ideas **
I got a giggle out of the description of your old soap mold and the cute noises it makes sometimes :o) I purchased (no handy husband here!) a mold from Creekside soaps and found that they have drilled a couple of small holes in the bottom. This releases the vacuum and helps get the soap out easier -- I can also stick a pencil eraser through the hole and push when needed :o). Unfortunately, no cute noises :o(
Susan Ryhanen (Creekside Soaps) had a great idea for those who use a loaf-shaped mold. Put some pieces cut from a 2x4 in the mold to take up space, creating a smaller mold. I have a 4lb mold that I can make 1, 2, 3 or 4lb batches in! I think its terrific for a hobbyist who doesn't want to invest in lots of different sized molds -- especially handy for small test batches!
My friends, family and I are enjoying your soaps! Thanks for the soaps and any feedback, Mary
I've not used real vanilla bean, but if you could pulverize a little finely enough.. it might be interesting in the soap... but expensive! I'd go light on it... might be scratchy. Most vanilla fragrance oils will turn the soap dark brown. If you want light soap with flecks, you might want to try the non-discoloring vanilla from Sweet Cakes along with your bits of vanilla bean. Don't know how the extract would work out... might be disappointing.
On the problem with bubbles... maybe you need a deeper mixing container so you can keep the blade well below the surface when you blend your soap. I mix stick blending and stirring with the blender 'off'... seems to work okay for the most part.
Thanks for the ideas! My son already drilled holes in the bottom... maybe I forgot to mention that on the page... I'll have to recheck what I said. No more funny noises here either! :-( Pulls out better though...
Congrats on your soaps! It's a lot of fun to make, don't you think? I'll post your email next time I update. Thanks again!
I just ordered and received soap from you and was so excited to start trying my hand at this. I am just a beginner, so I have tried making smaller batches (just in case).This leaves me looking for something original to use as a mold. My husband thinks I'm nuts but he's a good sport and this worked so well I thought I'd share it.
I've been using the plastic tubes that Crystal Light Drink mix comes in. I had my hubby cut off the bottom but saved the lid which I used for the "new" bottom. Then I put a piece of well lubricated pipe in the container, leaving it stick out the top so I could grasp it to remove later. Filled the container around the pipe, let it set up, removed the pipe and filled the "hole" with another color of soap. When completely done I took the bottom off (which was once the lid) and just pushed it right out.
So far this has worked great. The 16 oz size makes it easy to downscale recipes, makes 5 perfectly round "hand sized" bars with a different colored center (which is not always in the center of each bar since the pipe leans in the mold, but looks interesting).
I'm hooked! My 13 year old said he never thought I could make "real" soap.
I have been making so for nearly two years now and I have *tried* and *tried* to make mine look like yours! You have such a beautiful marble effect that I just can not duplicate. I love the way you got your "ocean breeze" and "summer sorbet" to come out. I have gotten so discouraged with mine I will quit making it for many weeks at a time because I can't get it to 'do right'. If you would please, tell me how you do it. I think my soap may be too thick after I add the scent for it to be as feathery as yours (summer sorbet) but as for the marbling...I just can't do it at all. What's your secret!?
Thanks for your time :)
Warm Regards,
Victoria
Gosh... you give me more credit than I deserve. Mine don't always come out the way I wanted them to either! The more feathery ones were done with soap that stayed more fluid at trace... some recipes (noticed soybean oil in a recipe seemed to help with this) seemed better than others. Fragrance oils can be a big problem and when I'm using those and they thicken the soap, I do the "swirl in the pot" method. I describe this on the "Modern Procedures" page. You only pour the contrasting color into the pot ... around ... and then take a spatula and drag if from the edge to the center around the pot (scraping along the bottom)... maybe only about four or five times... just working around the pot once. Then you pour it all into the mold and that's it... just smooth the top. Much of the swirl comes in the pouring process. That gives you some interesting effects.
Good luck! I hope the next one comes out well for you.
Can you tell me what the difference is for cold and hot process soapmaking? I am new to this idea and am gathering all kinds of information. Your website has been the most helpful of all. Thanks for such an informative site.
Kena
Cold process is when you melt your base oils, dissolve the lye into cold water (which heats up) and combine the two when their temperatures have dropped down to where you want them (I use a temp around 100 to 110 degrees). After thorough blending, the soap is poured, left in the mold for a day and then cut into bars. This needs to be cured for another month before use since the saponification process is not usually fully finished at the beginning. Cold process soaps are usually nice and smooth and firm if you have a good recipe.
Hot process soaps are actually blended together in a similar way as CP, but then "cooked" for a period of time to remove the excess water. Some folks like this method because the soap can be used right away after it is unmolded and cut because the saponification process is complete. The bars usually need a couple of weeks for drying out and hardening up, however or they will not last long in use. The finish is probably more similar to remelted or rebatched soap... not quite the smooth and silky as a cold process bar... but I can't speak from personal experience.
I hope this helps! :-)
Hi,
I was told of your super page by one of my newest clients and was busy checking out all your incredible information. I came across a part where you say its okay to use Crayons & just had to forward an email sent to me by Crayola - Brinny-Smith, from the Consumer Affairs Rep. Please read it, and if you choose to, you can use this for your page.
I was also checking out your links to you're suppliers... Do you have a page for suppliers who specialize in molds?
If so, could you take a look at my page and see if its okay to link up with your site?
Your page is incredible and I would like to link up both pages together. Your site offers vetrens and novists a world of information & you should be very proud of your work.
Once again, please use any of this email on your page to help soap makers with the Crayon question :)
----- Original Message -----
Subject: Re: crayons in soap
Dear Monique,
I understand your situation and wish I could help, however, Binney & Smith does not recommend the use of any CRAYOLA products for direct skin contact or cosmetic purposes. Products designed for this purpose require approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Our products do not require this type of approval.
Crayola products are certified non-toxic by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI) and earned either a Certified Product (CP) or Approved Product (AP) seal. The CP seal provides assurance to consumers that our products exceed specific quality standards, while the AP seal concludes these products meet those standards. Both seals assure the products contain no known toxic or harmful substances in sufficient quantities to be injurious to the human body, even if ingested. An independent toxicologist reviews the complete formula of Crayola products in the certification program to identify any potential health effect, including sensitivities to common allergens. It is possible for individuals to have a sensitivity to a particular ingredient contained in the product, just as an individual can have a sensitivity to a certain food.
Thank you for your interest in Binney & Smith and Crayola products. Best wishes for a colorful future!
Sincerely,
dlanceNO@SPAMdirect.ca on 06/15/2000 12:21:12 PM
My soap digest chat room is having a discussion about using Crayola Crayons for their soap colourants.
Could you please tell me if its FDA approved to use your crayons for soap colouring, or if you at all recommend colouring a bar of soap with a crayon. Id like to get this cleared up with our chat group, as it seems some of the chatters are getting frusterated with the yes-no answers!!
I figured id just go to the TOP and ask :)
Thanks.
My email address will be changing as of this 1pm pacific standard time... Please respond to: d-lanceNO@SPAMhome.com
Many Thanks,
Monique Durian
I think I talk more about this (crayons as colorants) in the Soapy Success pages. What they are saying is true.... they are not U.S.D.A. approved for cosmetics (soap is not classified as such and does not fall under the same requirements as cosmetics). Here is what I just wrote to someone else in regard to crayon and candle dyes (and it's only my opinion)...
"The candle colors and crayons are not U.S.D.A. approved for cosmetics, but I've not worried about them in the soap since they so not stay on the skin and there is very little used (and soap is not classified as a cosmetic). I figure there would be more danger in children coloring for hours and handling crayons, than having a trace in the soap that is washed down the drain... but that's not a scientific assessment! The candle colors are akin to what people use to dye their hair. Same idea. They should not be used in lotions though."
Thank you for sharing their response to you... I'll keep it on file and possibly post it in the crayons section when I update next.
I'll take a look at it after I finish the email. Thanks for the URL. :-) I don't have a special page for molds... they are listed in the "Supplies" section of the soapmaking links page (URL listed below).
Thanks for your email and good luck in your business! :-)
Hi, Thanks for getting back to me so soon, I think it is a wonderful idea for you to help me get some "down under buddies" together and I would be happy for you to give them my e-mail address, why didn't I think of that much sooner. I am not completely "au fait" with the internet as yet, as I don't have a lot of time to investigate, so it is comforting to know that there is help out there, thank you.
My Sudsy All Vegetable is ready now and I will be packaging it in the coming week. Before I package them, I put them in a plastic box of drawers, but have been closing them up tightly, I will try your suggestion and leave the drawer open a crack. My husband makes me soap boxes, including wheelbarrows and billy carts, and I fill them with a face washer and a cake of soap, anything hand make is very popular these days. They sell quite well at the markets, along with all the other things we make. Markets are a great way to meet people and make some really interesting friends.
Thank you once again for your help and I will keep you informed of my progress and also of my progress at "networking". Your help is very much appreciated, and also your prompt replies.
Regards, Marie. (a very relieved soaper :-) )
Hi! Your idea about contacting other Australian soapmakers is a good one. You might try posting on some of the Internet soapmaking forums to see how many others from your hemisphere are lurking there... maybe share what you've found out about sources. Also... if you want to send me another email and list your findings, I'll post that for you with an invitation for people to email you so you might be able to "network". Would that be okay?
As far as your "oil-like bubbles" ... my feeling is that your soap is "sweating" and it's probably glycerin that is oozing out after that much time. Some kinds are prone to do this more than others. Recipes higher in palm or oils with stearic or palmitic fatty acids don't seem to do this as much. I'll bet the Sudsy All-Veg one won't be as prone as the one that is doing it. I'd mop them off and give them a cool place with low humidity if possible and see if that helps. I had more trouble with this when I stored them together in a plastic bag than when I allowed them to have a semi-open environment (drawers that I can crack open on a plastic storage unit with nine drawers).
hello kathy! i have visited your website a couple of times and have intended to write you with my method for goat's milk soap. i've been a soapmaker for about 14 years (gracious launa! has it been that long?!) i made my first batch of soap with my grandmother, nanny mildred, and have made thousands of bars since!
goat's milk soap is particularly challenging. i read in your question and answer page about those who dissolved the lye directly into the milk. however, my method is to take my water measurement, divide by about 1/3 and substitute goat's milk for 1/3 of the total water. for example, if i'm using a soap recipe that calls for 30 ounces of water, i'd use only 20 ounces and substitute goat's milk for the rest. once i've dissolved the lye into the water, i then measure the goat's milk and set aside. i warm it slightly just to knock off the chill from the refrigerator. when my lye water and my fats reach the proper temperature i stir the milk into the lye water and stir just a second or so because it won't take long for the milk to begin curdling. then i add the lye/water/milk mixture to my fats just as you would any other soap.
this method has never failed me and the resulting soap is wonderfully creamy and gentle to the skin. it is a lovely off-white color.
i hope this helps those who want to incorporate goat's milk into their soaps.
launa morphew, langley, arkansas
p.s. - one little soap story.........my grandmother tells of an incident she recalls happening when she was a little girl. her mother, my great-grandmother, had made a fresh batch of regular, old-time lye soap. she had rendered her own lard from some pork fat from a recently-butchered hog. she had apparently gotten in a bit of a hurry and didn't strain the fat as diligently as she normally would've done. there were tiny flecks of meat that wound up in the soap. my grandmother said her mother had a heckuva time keeping the chickens from pecking at the bar she would leave outside next to the washtub! they almost ate it all up before she noticed what she'd done!
Subject: Re: Soap Stuff... Samantha... I hope you see this! :-) You have a filter on your AOL account that refuses my messages unless you put my address on your "accept" list... SO... my response to you bounced back to me.
Hi! I have an email friend in your city... he works at a TV station there and has made some soap at home.
I don't sell loaves of soap, but the 4 oz. size bars I make I sell for about $3.00 each if people buy four and for $3.50 if they buy one. If I were to sell loaves, I'd weigh them and do it by the pound... probably about $12.00 per pound retail? If you're selling wholesale it is less... maybe closer to $8 per pound. This varies depending on the market and the person making the soap and what they ask.
When my daughter frees up the line... I'll go look at your guestbook entry! There have actually been more than 1500 people that have signed, I think... but it only keeps about 250 names listed and bumps them off the bottom.
You're the same age as my youngest.. who is currently on a camping trip. She's never made soap... her mother makes too much already! ;-)
Happy soaping!
Kathy Miller
Hi Kathy,
I wrote to you some time ago, and want to thank you for your information about candle dye chips, which I managed to locate down here, and have found them to be very good and a consistent colour. However, now I want to pick your brains again. I have found that after letting my soap air for the required 4 or 5 weeks, a few weeks after that there seems to be some "oil-like" bubbles coming to the surface, I think it may be some of the essential oil. It doesn't smell "off" or anything like that, do you have any ideas as to what it may be and how I can prevent it in the future. I am at a loss to know what it is unless it is undermixed or something of the sort. The recipe I used was the one for Peachy with Almond Oil. I used 1/2 quantity of everything, and used 20ml Lavender Essential Oil. I have yet to find a good fragrance oil here in Australia, so I continue to use essentials.
The last batch I made was your Sudsy All-Vegetable, which seems to be a bit harder. It is almost ready to package now. Do you know of any more "soapies from down under" that I might be able to get in touch with. It would be nice to talk to someone who knows where I could get different things in Australia. Also I could perhaps pass on information to them as to where to get things, instead of spending days and sometimes weeks, just trying to get the contacts. Fortunately I now know where to get the Palm Oil and Coconut Oil in 20 litre containers, which is so much more inexpensive.
Thank you once again for a very informative web site which I use quite frequently to browse and see that I am not the only one to make silly mistakes. I also have copied out your recipes which I have put into a folder for referring to.
Once again, thank you,
Hi! Your idea about contacting other Australian soapmakers is a good one. You might try posting on some of the Internet soapmaking forums to see how many others from your hemisphere are lurking there... maybe share what you've found out about sources. Also... if you want to send me another email and list your findings, I'll post that for you with an invitation for people to email you so you might be able to "network". Would that be okay?
My feeling is that your soap is "sweating" and it's probably glycerin that is oozing out after that much time. Some kinds are prone to do this more than others. Recipes higher in palm or oils with stearic or palmitic fatty acids don't seem to do this as much. I'll bet the Sudsy All-Veg one won't be as prone as the one that is doing it. I'd mop them off and give them a cool place with low humidity if possible and see if that helps. I had more trouble with this when I stored them together in a plastic bag than when I allowed them to have a semi-open environment (drawers that I can crack open on a plastic storage unit with nine drawers).
You've probably been asked this a million times and I know it's somewhere on your website but I just can't find it.
How does this tongue test for mildness work?
I made a standard olive oil, coconut oil and crisco recipe and threw in a tiny bit of castor oil (why? I don't know) and while the oils were cooling and I was waiting for the lye solution to cool, the pyrex glass container I had the lye solution in just broke. I've used it dozens of times before with no problems but this time it just cracked. I pulled the oils completely off the stove and had to run to the store to get more lye and redo the lye solution. Well, I got the oils and lye solution cooled down (although it was a race for the new batch of lye solution I had to make up) and added it to the oils and later after blending for about 40 seconds with a hand blender I added an ground oatmeal/chamomile combination I like as well as powdered sandalwood for color and rosewood EO for fragrance. It thickened up REALLY quick and was pudding by the time I got it into the molds. It hardened up very nicely within two days and the color was perfect (a dusty rose with little oatmeal/chamomile flecks in it) but so far it's not real sudsy. All of my coconut oil soaps have suds up before I can even get them into the molds. I'm worried this batch is ruined from having to wait for another lye solution batch to cool down. Can you overcook the oils? I tried licking the soap bars I've cut and it doesn't burn or anything but I've never done the tongue test so I'm not real sure what it is I'm looking for.
Thanks for your help!
Pamela
I hate to tell you this... but I don't think I've ever done the tongue test! I hear that it will "bite" if it's not cured or is lye heavy.
It sounds like your fats lost their temperature more than normal and the saponification process was probably not as progressed when you poured. It should be fine but might take a few more days to be as sudsy as you are used to. Try testing a little piece again in one week and see how it is. I think it should be better by then. Maybe give it a week or two longer to cure than normal.
Hi from down under,
great website, I've spent many an hour reading through all the different pages.
I would just like to know if you or anyone can help me - can I add beeswax in a rebatch/hand milled soap to make it harder? I've been making a basic soap, remelting it & adding milk & honey.
What determines whether a soap can be remelted in the soft stage or hard dry stage?
Also a tip for soap makers regarding the amount of lye required: I have found that the quality of the water greatly effects how much lye is needed for the fats & oils. I discovered this when I switched from using bore water to using rain water.
Tracie Bird-Gardiner
Trangie, Australia
Hi! I don't know why you can't do this. As long as it all melts well enough to be incorporated, it should be fine. They often recommend a little beeswax to compensate for the fact that honey will soften the soap. I don't think it will take a lot of beeswax to be noticed in the finished bar.
>What determines whether a soap can be remelted in the soft stage or hard dry stage?
I'm not sure exactly what you mean (I don't rebatch... only to save a hopeless case!)... but I think most soaps remelt better when they are fairly fresh than when they've been drying out for a long time. Soaps that have a high tallow content are easier to handle in rebatch than those with a high olive oil content... the latter being more like gummy mashed potatoes than anything easily pourable.
I've never heard this and am trying to figure out how that would be. My only thought is that if your well (bore) water was quite acid, maybe it would tend to slightly neutralize some of your lye and you might want to use more? We have acidic well water here and I always use the recipes based on the lye calculator with no adjustments to the lye based on the kind of water. If you can provide more details on what you meant and how you thought it affected the soap... I'd be interested.
Thanks for your nice email... glad you've enjoyed the site. I gather that there are more than a few soapmakers sprouting up in Australia. :-)
Many thanks for such a quick reply,
Regarding the water quality, I had our water (bore water) tested many years ago & it contains calcium salts (alkaline), lye (caustic soda) is an alkaline chemical/cleaner. I was finding that my finished soap tended to have a bit too much lye in it, hence I cut down on the amount required, according to the lye calculator. Water quality is mainly effected by what it passes over or through (soil etc) to its reservoir or collection point. It does not surprise me that you have acidic water there, as your soils are 'considerably younger' compared to Australia, & soils are more acid in higher rainfall areas - normally. I live towards the centre of Australia where the rainfall is low & we have alkaline soils.
Regarding the question - "What determines whether a soap can be remelted in the soft stage or hard dry stage?" What I meant was I have 2 recipes which are quite similar one has 68% tallow, 29% oil & 3% cocoa butter (which can be remelted months after drying) the other recipe: 43% tallow, 29% oil & 28% lard (which can only be remelted while still soft). I was wondering if there was a ratio or limit on the amount of tallow or other fats in a soap which determines its remelting properties. As I tend to make up my own recipes according to what ingredients are readily available & not too expensive.
Also I was reading the question someone asked about the biodegradability of soaps in septic systems. I am not sure how they manufacture lye these days, but in the old days lye was made from ash (the white ashes from a fire) & water, & combined with fat made the original soaps. Hence a natural product is quite biodegradable. I'm not sure how environmentally friendly large amounts of lye would be on the septic system, that would probably kill off some of the microorganisms in the septic pit. But it would have to be quite large amounts.
Many thanks for your help
Tracie Bird-Gardiner
Good morning Kathy,
Just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful website. The extensive information you provide is extremely informative and very motivating. I've been making soap for about a month now, about 8 batches to date. The only problem I've had is using crayons for coloring, unpredictable. Just ordered some powdered colorants from SoapCrafters - hope they work well. Used nutmeg in one batch and the color/flecks are great. Does your nutmeg completely dissolve, leaving no flecks? Also, while I was on SoapCrafters site I checked out cost for their shredded soap and was surprised o see they recommend a 2 - 3 month cure time for their Castile and olive only, shredded soap noodles. Can you provide any feedback for their recommendation? I feel as if I've memorized much of the information on your website and can't recall a recommendation for such a long cure time. Does soap heavy on olive really take that long to completely saponify?
Again, thanks for your super website. By the way, I wanted to cut down (no pun intended) on cutting bars from my blocks of soap so I made my own soap molds using plywood and particle board. I used directions provided by a man, can't remember his website name right now, and adjusted the measurements a bit. I made two molds, one 20" x 4", x 5" (5" = height of sides) and the other 18" x 4 1/2" x 5". One of the molds has hinged sides and removable end caps, the other has fixed sides and end caps that are secured by hooks to the sides. They are great! I made a batch in the 20 x 4 mold and it turned out perfectly. Left a 1" lip on one end so I just push the soap out to the end and using my 10" drywall tool, cut a near perfect bar of soap. Hardly any waste! What we women can't do!
Deb Baron
Hi! When I use nutmeg in soap... it's usually to provide a fleck which it always does... I've not had it disappear. It seems to disappear in the vanilla-nutmeg soap because the vanilla fragrance turns the soap so dark... you can't SEE the fleck any longer!
I can't speak for SoapCrafters... that seems like a long time to me. Maybe it's so no one will have any problems... gives them a cushion of time. In my experience.. you can get away with using olive oil soap sooner than ones with tallow or lots of palm. I'm not sure why, but maybe just that the olive has so many conditioning oils, they mask any lingering harshness of not quite ready soap? I do know from feedback that olive oil soap is really a pain for rebatching... I'd be interested in how satisfying that actually was... especially after waiting that long! Seems that rebatch works better with green soap than fully cured stuff. Sounds like you were not actually doing that though... just checking their prices.
Great idea... sounds like you're enjoying that. I would probably still have to trim one side though... the soap is often not totally flat on the top. It's better when using EOs but with the fragrance oils it can be a bit more bumpy. With 8 batches under your belt in just a month, it would appear you are HOOKED! ;-)
Thanks for your email... I'll put it in my bulging "pending" folder and get it put up next time I update... which I hope is before school starts. Might be the last time I do it for a long time... there's plenty there for folks to wade through. I probably need to do a "MOST" frequently asked questions page for those who don't want to wade... AFTER I update. =:o
Happy soaping!
I have only been making soap for about a year now. I started out following the recipes in books, then internet recipes. I wasn't finding what I wanted exactly though. Surfing, I found the Majestic Mountain Sage Lye soap calculator. I decided to go all out with my first batch from scratch. I wanted a bar of soap that would help with a friends acne/oily prone skin & I had read that witch hazel , Tea Tree oil and some other botanicals would be good for his skin . So I set out to make some, just to experiment. I began by taking common cooking canola oil. and adding the herbs; red clover, chamomile,slippery elm,peppermint and comfrey leaves and gently heating them on the stove on low heat for about 2 hours. I strained, and set this aside to make the lye mixture- oil yield was 15oz. of the herbal oil. I wanted about 4-5% of excess fat so I used about 9oz.(9.02 oz to be exact) of Lye mixed in with 15 oz. of water and 10oz. of Witch Hazel. The lye mixture turned a yellowish color...
Then to the 15 oz. herbal oil I added; 15 oz. coconut oil, 8 oz. olive oil, 24 oz. soybean oil,1 oz. stearic acid,3 oz. of beeswax. (just stuff I had laying around :) I heated all the oils together until the beeswax and stearic acid melted and then set aside to cool. I am afraid I am not the type of soapmaker who measures the temperature of the lye/oils before she mixes. I just feel the side of both containers until they still feel warm,but not hot, to the touch. I KNOW this is not exact- but I honestly have never ever had a failed batch(knock on wood)yet. So I added the lye to the oils , it traced very very fast. I started with hand blending for 2-3 minutes, then stick blended for 2-3 min. At this stage it was fairly thick- like heavy pudding. I added 1 oz. Tea Tree oil,and 1 tsp each of Lavender & Peppermint oils. Then hand blended for another 2-3 minutes. At this point I was beginning to think this would be my first unsuccessful batch. It was way to thick to pour out of the pan so I had to spoon/scoop it into the molds. (It was a wonderful yellowish color- looked like the bars of neutrogena you buy.) I went ahead and decided to put them into the molds to see what would happen. I put half into the milky way pattern molds, and half into a box mold that would need to be cut later into bars. I was working in my basement which was a stable 65 degrees. I didn't insulate any of the molds- I just shut the light off and went to bed. I was sure the next day I would find a big mess down there but boy was I in for a pleasant surprise! The next morning I checked them and they were hard enough already to unmold, and cut. They looked great!I cured them for 3 weeks only, they had little to no ash formed on the edges.
Let me tell you - these bars are the best soap I have made to date. Both the pattern molds and the cut bars held up equally well. The bar had a wonderful yellow color- looking alot like a bar of beeswax. They smelled slightly medicinal but not too heavy, I think the lavender lightens the scent some( I added this due to reading it had a antibacterial/antibiotic property in a herb book I have). I have made this recipe 4 times now- each with equal success, and this is a best selling bar for me. My friend loved it so much, he bought 30 bars for himself and a bunch of his friends. It helps "cut" oily prone skin but leaves your skin very very soft. He swears that in combination with my Witch hazel/mint/vinegar toner- his acne problem is gone!
I hope more people will read this experience and realize that they CAN make their own recipes. If you use a lye calculator like the Maj. Mount. Sage one provides for free- it is fairly easy. It has enabled me to use whatever oils I have on hand. If I have only 3 oz. of coconut but 16 of olive oil- it will tell me exactly how much lye and fluid to use to make your soap!!!!I have found that I am now making soap more cheaply by using it too!:)
Thanks for this cool sight, it was so helpful to me when I was starting out a year ago. It has so many helpful tips!!
Happy soap making
peace,
Lisa Thomas
The recipe you like so well looks pretty nicely balanced. Some oil combinations make better quality bars of soap than others, although with the calculator, you certainly can make soap out of anything you have on hand.
You could probably cut back on the beeswax a little bit and still have it come out quite well... a little of that goes a long way.
Good luck with your soaps and thanks again for sharing! :-)
I've written you twice already with problems (for which you were very helpful--thank you) and so now I'm very happy to be writing with a success. Being the pain in my own neck perfectionist that I am, I'd been wasting a lot of time getting my bars of soap to be plumb, square and flat. Well, I've found an easy way to do just that. I use my adjustable 7 inch block wood plane! I set the plane to shave a very thin layer and set the plane upside down in a large coffee mug. A small bowl would also work. When properly positioned the knobs and handle are inside the mug and the flat surface with the blade is on top. I run my bars over the blade until the area is level. You have to be careful that you don't have your fingers in the way or you'll shave them :-/ Maybe others already found this trick out but I've been doing a lot of reading and haven't come across it anywhere yet. Hope that others find it useful. By the way, I just love your site. I feel like you're a friend sitting in my kitchen when I read your info. Thanks for all of your time and effort. Linda
You're welcome! Thanks for such a nice comment... that's about the highest compliment you could have paid me. :-)
Hi there! I just want to thank you for the wealth of info on your wonderful site. The use of the stick blender has made it soooooo much easier. You've given me renewed courage to try new things,so I used your all vegetable recipe. I cut it in half(I'm not THAT brave yet), added a lovely pink/mauve color,some rosemary, lavender and peppermint EO's and crushed up dried spearmint leaves from my herb garden. It is my best batch yet! Absolutely perfect. And while some may raise an eyebrow,(pink with green flecks?) they happen to be my favorite colors and it smells luscious! Thank you so much!
~*Sonja*~
Thanks for such a nice email! I'm glad your first batch turned out well. Those green flecks might turn to brown ones in the next couple of weeks, so don't be alarmed. Most herbs do that in cold process soap. It will still be interesting looking and smell nice.
First of all I really enjoy reading your web site on soap! I come back often and always find something new!
I have one question I can't seem to find an answer on.........
How long does the lye/water mix continue to give off toxic fumes? I have been making all of my soap outside due to the fact that I have many birds living in my home and do not want to kill them with the fumes.
thanks
Diana
)O(
I have a cockatiel (in the living room which adjoins the kitchen) and haven't had any problems... I mix the lye under the exhaust fan over the stove in the kitchen. The fumes only come off for about a minute and a half... maybe two. Then it's fine.
You helped me out a few weeks ago - just to let you know that I have just sorted my soap following its 4 week curing. It has turned out great! Of course, it's a very basic soap - good for hand use probably. It lathers like soap etc. I have taken each bar excitedly for viewing by DH which he has found amusing and I will take a couple of bars to work for two colleagues who were interested in my new hobby/saga and have helped me to get hold of coconut and palm oil at good prices for future use. I am so pleased because my first batch turned out fine... eventually. Especially considering I would have thrown it out were it not for your advice. Hope to make some more adventurous soap this weekend.
Many thanks
Vix (no longer a failed newbie but doing the 'soap dance'!)
I recently took a soap making class at our local community college. The instructor recommended buying ph test strips to test our soap so we would know if it is safe to use (completely cured). She said soap should have a ph around 8 or 9. I haven't seen any information on any of the soap making web pages or in any of the books I have read that talks about ph, so I was wondering if this is really necessary? My thinking is that just because the ph is okay on the outside of the bar, that it wouldn't necessarily be okay at the center of the bar as the outside would be dryer, I don't know if that is true or not. Also Susan Cavitches book says soap needs to cure three to four weeks. My first batch is three weeks old now and I was wondering if the ph test would confirm that it is safe to use now or if I should go ahead and wait another week? Any help you can give me would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Kris Swofford
Hi! I have never pH tested my soap and have not worried about it. From all I've read, 8 or 9 would be very low for true homemade soap... maybe not for a detergent bar, but most soaps that are perfectly mild test higher than that. Personally, I wouldn't bother. I would use the soap after it cures and let that be my guide... and maybe a tongue test if that's a person's thing (never done that either!).
I captured a post last year from someone who seems to know a lot on this subject and will paste that in here for your reading pleasure. I call it the "pH Tome". ;-)
After reading it... I decided it wasn't worth it. I've not had any problems with the soap and why go to all that hassle and stress over the pH? You might think this is interesting however, and want to try it.
Kathy Miller
-----------------------------
[Printed with Permission]
If you'd like a printout of this article by itself, CLICK HERE!
by Ann Perius-Parker, copyright 2000 (annppNO@SPAMjuno.com)
First, some background and history:
I've been a soapmaker for nearly 26 years. For more than 20 of those years, I have tested my soaps using paper pH test strips which showed the soap to be very nearly neutral (pH 7.5). Three years ago, a job change gave me access to a laboratory pH meter. Naturally I couldn't resist using it to test my soap. Imagine my surprise when the pH meter gave readings in the range of 9.5-10.5. I knew my soaps were very mild and good, (my skin told me so) and hadn't my soap tested neutral for more than 20 years? I didn't want to believe the meter, and so I tried everything to get a "better" reading. First I made sure the pH meter was calibrated, then I tried increasing the amount of superfatting, (up to 15%). I tried other pH meters in nearby labs. I tested commercial soaps and handcrafted soaps, (not only mine). But still the readings (by now more than 200 of them) hovered around 10. Something was going on here that I didn't understand. Why would there be such a wide variation between the paper strips and the lab meter? Was it the soap, the pH meter, or the pH test strips?
In the mean time I started reading everything about soap pH that I could find. The literature (see references below) suggested that a pH of 9.5 - 10 was normal for soap. While that confirmed the results from the pH meter, it didn't explain the 2-3 point discrepancy. I am grateful to a technical person at Hydrion (a major manufacturer of pH strips) who identified the surfactant nature of soap as being the potential problem. Apparently, surfactants can throw off the indicators of some pH strips by as much as 2-3 units. He was kind enough to send some samples of their products that promised to be more accurate in measuring the pH of soap.
And now a few words about pH:
pH is sometimes referred to as the power of the hydrogen ion in aqueous solution, and refers to the degree of acidity or alkalinity of a substance in water. The scale of 1-14 (with 7 being neural) is logarithmic, meaning each full unit is different by a factor of 10 from the one adjacent to it. For example, a pH of 9 is ten times more alkaline than a pH of 8. So it follows that a pH of 10 is 1000 times more alkaline than an pH of 7 (10 x 10 x 10 = 1000).
It's this logarithmic aspect of pH that makes accurate measurement so important to me. I owe it to my customers, friends and family to produce a safe product, so I test for pH. But, I would prefer my measurements to be accurate, not off by a factor of 10, 100, or 1000.
How I tested these pH strips:
Thus far I have tested six different pH strips, from three different manufacturers. I tested each strip using 3 different soaps, both commercial (#1) and handcrafted (#2 & #3), comparing the readings from the pH meter (the control) to the readings from new strips and my "old faithful" strips, using a 1% soap solution (by weight). Since most of us don't test pH using a 1% soap solution, I also tested each strip by making a slurry with distilled water directly on the bars of soap. I did each set of tests twice, just to be sure.
Products Tested:
Hydrion products tested: (All of these are rolls of paper test strips, accompanied by a color chart.)
The Test Results:
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Test Material |
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pH Meter (control) |
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"Old Faithful" paper strips |
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Paper Strips |
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Vivid 1-11 (solution) |
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Vivid 1-11 (slurry) |
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Vivid 3-13 (solution) |
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Vivid 3-13 (slurry) |
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Spectral 1-14 (solution) |
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Spectral 1-14 (slurry) |
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Plastic Strips |
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EM 7.5-14 (solution) |
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EM 7.5-14 (slurry) |
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EM 0-14 (solution) |
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EM 0-14 (slurry) |
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MN 7.0-14.0 (solution) |
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MN 7.0-14.0 (slurry) |
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The Vivid 1-11 strips consistently gave readings more like those of the expensive lab pH meter. However, if you were testing a batch that happened to be grossly lye heavy, the limited range of these strips would give a reading no higher than 11.
Both the Vivid 3-13 and Spectral 1-14 have the advantage of reading higher in the alkaline range, but don't quite measure up to thepH meter.
I find the plastic test strips give the best results, providing readings very much in line with laboratory pH meter, while covering the full range one is likely to encounter when testing soap. I especially like the Macherey-Nagel 7.0-14.0 and the EM Reagents 7.5-14, for their ability to read in half unit increments.
Conclusions:
Not all pH strips are created equal when it comes to testing soap. Some are inaccurate by as much as 2-3 units because the surfactant nature of soap can interfere with the indicator dyes used to make the strips. Others can give accurate readings that approximate those of a pH meter. Based on the pH strips I've tested, laboratory grade plastic test strips are more accurate than paper test strips for testing soap.
Recommendations for using test strips:
Some test strips need longer contact with the solution/slurry for an accurate reading. For best results, keep your test strip in the solution/slurry until the color no longer changes, perhaps 30 seconds or one minute.
Store your strips away from direct light which over time, can fade the dye indicators and interfere with accuracy.
References:
I have just discovered that Ms. Perius-Parker has a business that sells custom and ready-made soap stamps. Also for sale at her site are the kind of pH strips you would use to get a more accurate pH testing on your soap. To visit her site, click here: Soap Impressions.
I really enjoyed your site; very thorough, and very interesting. I'm interested in making my own soap, to give to family as gifts. I haven't made an attempt at it yet, but would prefer not to use animal fats. Can vegetable shortening (ie. Crisco) be substituted for tallow, in a one to one ratio? If not what is the proper ratio or amount as opposed to tallow? My second question is when hand milling vegetable soaps made with crisco, can they be hand milled when dry, or must they be moist? I'd appreciate any advice you can offer. Thank you so much, Sandy
These questions are answered on the site, but you probably hadn't delved in that deep yet when you sent your email. You cannot substitute Crisco for tallow straight across... the SAP values are different and Crisco is not the best substitute for tallow anyway. If you look at the "Design Your Own Recipe" page, you'll find the SAP chart and also a table that shows the various fatty acids contained in various oils/fats and what they contribute to the end product. A better substitute for tallow as far as contributions to the soap would be palm oil. The SAP values are different, so if you do this, you would want to run the recipe through a lye calculator first (they have a handy one at the Majestic Mountain Sage website and I have that bookmarked on the soapmaking links page). Whenever you do a recipe or find one from someone else to use, it's good to double check it in a lye calculator and make sure it's balanced. You'd be amazed at the recipes floating around that are not. I like to have about 5% excess fat (otherwise expressed as a 5% lye discount). This will all make more sense as you do more reading. If you want to do the calculations yourself, I explain that on the "Design Your Own Recipe" page and you could do it using the SAP numbers and a hand held calculator.
If you want to use shortening in a recipe, the "Rachael's Tried and True" on the all-vegetable recipes page is a good one for beginning. It's a good recipe for hand stirring... if you use a stick blender, be prepared for a hasty trace! Maybe 1 or 2 minutes?! =:o
I avoid hand milling like the plague, and if you read the posts in the "Soapy Success" section... you'll find that out! :-) It's a pain and will not be the satisfying prospect that it appears in some books. Tallow soaps are easier to handle when remelting, but all-veggie ones, particularly with olive oil in them, just don't get much past pasty and globby. You can give it a go and see what you think. There are instructions for doing this on the site and suggestions (maybe on the rebatching page of Soapy Success), but I don't promote the idea. The end product is inferior in texture to cold process the first go around.
In answer to your question... you most definitely will need to add some moisture if you do that, but what they recommend won't seem like enough and by the time you add what you think you need to make the soap more workable, you will have soaps loaded with water that will shrink and warp as they dry back out. I know I sound negative... sorry... I just hate rebatching! After talking with one particular author, I'm coming to believe that so many soapmaking books recommend this because the authors were capitulating to the publishers who want to appeal to folks who are phobic about using lye. It's about sales, not about superiority of the end product. If you get ahold of a soap book that is independently published, you will not see so much space devoted to rebatching. I don't think the Cavitch books are heavy on this.
I hope your first batch is a smashing success! I'll sign off with the sigline that has URLs for some of the more important pages on the site...
Thank you for all your great advice to us "soap beginners"! Your web page is the best by far that I've seen and I've recommended it to my other soap-making friends!
I have a quick question, which I posted on some other boards and got no response. I am hoping you can help me. I am finding it hard to purchase palm oil in my area and wanting to keep the cost of making my smaller batches at a minimum....can I substitute this oil with another? Lots of good recipes call for this oil and I'd like to substitute....but I found out the hard way that substitutions can make for a soapy mess!! Thank you,
Kelly
When substituting one oil for another, the most important consideration by my way of thinking is what qualities that oil/fat give to the finished bar. This has much to do with the predominant fatty acids in that particular fat/oil. Differences in SAP value can be adjusted for... but if you substitute olive for tallow, for instance, the end product will be very different from what the original recipe would have produced.
As far as fats and oils that have similar qualities as palm oil... in the animal world, tallow and lard would be the best, with tallow coming first. I don't think there are vegetable substitutes that are quite the same as palm, but certainly there are those fats that will make the bar hard. Cocoa butter does this and palm kernel also. Palm kernel has more in common with coconut when it comes to fatty acid profile, but can be used to help harden the bar (coconut is nice also).
Something else you might consider, is making a recipe that doesn't use palm and getting some palm stearic to add to the soap. There are suppliers on the net which sell this. It's probably a white powder, or small granules of hard dry fatty acid. It only takes maybe a couple of teaspoons for a batch (a 6# of oils size batch) and you would add that to your melting base oils. Majestic Mountain Sage carries this and I'm sure others do as well. They have suggestions for an addition rate on their website.
Good luck! I hope this helps and I've not been confusing. :-)
Your site is so wonderful. I am a newbie soaper, and just finished my first batch of CP. I am totally addicted now. I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of which candle colorant you used. Many companies say they are not safe, but you must have found one that worked. They have such a better array of colors.
TIA
Karla Marsh
Candle dyes would not be considered acceptable for a cosmetic preparation, but soap doesn't qualify as a cosmetic. If you were putting color into something that was going to stay on the skin, you would want something that was FDA approved for color and you can get those kinds of things and use them in soap also... the candle colors are nice because there are so many to choose from and they tend to make clear colors that are generally quite stable in cold process. I use such a tiny amount and since the soap washes off the skin, I have not worried about this being an issue. Have used them for years. There are lots of essential oils that one would not want to leave on the skin necessarily, or would irritate if put on the skin, but folks use them for scenting and don't bat an eye. It's interesting how we pick and choose our paranoia's! :-)
At any rate... I've used some here that were purchased at a craft and hobby store - "Michael's". I've also ordered from Pourette Company (they have a web page and are located in Seattle) and gotten some of their coloring chips in the past. The colors I like are wax based and are little wax diamonds or what I have now is a cube and I shave off what I need. I don't use loads of color... the overall percentage of color in any given batch is VERY low.
I hope this helps. Everyone needs to decide what they prefer and want to do, but I have not worried about these dyes causing a problem. There are dyes from art supplies that would be quite lethal on the skin though and I would never use art supplies as a source for color.... paints, etc.
I work at a Childrens Home and wanted to make soap like my mother and grandmother did, just to show the kids.(summer project) Well my cousin gave me the recipe she used. It said to get the lard at 100*...did that. It didn't say what temperature to get the lye and water at so I just made it anyway. I wanted to add some borax as I thought it would suds better...lol..so I did....My soap isn't bad....it took forever to stir and it was a hot day here in Pennsylvania
So I finished stirring it in the walk-in cooler...lol....but I am proud to announce I have sweet smelling (borax smelling) soap and it is as white as snow. I think it is beautiful. Then I looked up soap making on the net. I found your wonderful web page and can't wait to try another batch. This time I hope it foams and I'm gonna try some coloring. Fascinating stuff this soap business. By the way what does Patchouli scent do to the soap? There was some comment about it but I missed it's significance. Thanks so much...Jeanne Sherman
Congratulations on your maiden batch! It is really loads of fun and wonderful stuff when made and aged properly... and also keeps on with a tradition in your family. :-)
Patchouli is one of the essential oils that actually holds forever in soap! It's pretty strong and when you wash with soap that has that in it, the scent clings to the skin for awhile. Some folks love its earthy weirdness all by itself, but I prefer it as a bass note in blends. It will be really stinky in the bottle, but I've learned to appreciate its better points as I've used it in some blends. Quite earthy smelling and a little bit goes a long way.
If you lived during the sixties, you probably smelled this a lot on the flower child generation. ;-)
Recently I started a small soap business and have been storing all the soap in my sewing room. Occasionally my husband or I use that room to sleep. (snore problem) Unfortunately there's enough soap in there now that the room smells too strong. Last night I moved it all to shelves in the garage. My question is whether the summer heat or winter cold will hurt it?? We live just south of you in Vancouver.
Thanks for you help. If you tell me it's not a good idea, I guess I'll move it back into the sewing room and sleep in the garage!!
Thanks so much!
Shirley
I would keep an eye on them to make sure they don't get too hot... but unless you have air conditioning, they could get hot inside the house as well... you'll have to monitor and see which is better during hot spells. Also watch out for possible rodent damage... they might actually eat the soap if they can get to it... especially ones that smell like food!
I would not want the soap to be out there if it were to freeze in winter, but it tends to be mild here on many years, so you might be fine. You could always haul it inside if we have a cold snap.
Not a conclusive answer, but I hope this helps!
Happy soaping and sleeping! :-)
Kathy Miller
The other thing you can do is improve the ventilation in your sewing room or put a fan in the window to draw in or exhaust more air.
Peace
I am a new soapmaker and I was wondering what would happen if I substituted glycerin for lye. I recently ordered some soap that contained no lye. When I asked what was used instead of lye they replied nothing, they do not use it period, but they do use glycerin. The woman said she would send me instructions in about two to three weeks but I would like to start sooner than that.
What do you think?
Thanks
Chisa
I think you're being mislead and they probably use melt and pour base (which is probably not soap in the first place but synthetic detergent in nature) and add a bit of extra glycerin to it during remelt. You cannot make soap without lye... and you cannot make soap with glycerin... it's a soap by-product. It has nothing in common with lye as a compound and will not do anything to help turn fats into soap. Mixing lye and glycerin will not make soap either... you have to mix lye with base oils and the glycerin happens during the chemical process. The end product is about 75% soap and 25% glycerin, but all mixed together in the finished soap. Commercially, they have ways of separating the glycerin out of the mix so that they can sell it as a by-product and use it for other things. The high degree of intact glycerin in homemade soap is what makes it so mild on the skin... assuming it's been accurately made and not lye heavy.
I guess you'll need to get your instructions from her to see what they've done. I'd be interested in what they tell you... if you think about it, drop me a line and tell me what you find out. Maybe they don't know either and get it from someone else! Who knows? :-)
My name is Nancy Pyle and I've been to your website numerous times! I love it!
My married daughter and I want my hubby to make us two wooden box molds you picture at your website - the one with the Formica liner.
Is the liner part separable (as an insert?) from the wooden part of the box? If so, is it a solid bottomed Formica? or are the sides just lined in Formica? Are the outside edges also Formica that folds over the top edges? It's hard to tell from the photo :( Also, what kind of clasps did Ron use?
Thank you for any help you can give us here. Would it be possible for your reply before this Sunday, June 18? Thank you! :0
Nancy Pyle
Those boxes were made from recycled countertop and cupboard door from our old bathroom. The Formica was already bonded to the wood (with some kind of cement). Only the bottom and sides of the box are lined on the inside... the outside is just the wood. If you make a box with no hinges, you can drill 3 to 5 small holes through the bottom for air to pass through when you slide the soap out... makes it easier to get out. The hinged side really is handy though and he may want to do that.
Ron just used small hinges for the bottom of the side that swings down. Then they have those clasp things on the sides so you can open the one side. Instead of the kind of hinge he used for the bottom, a friend of mine said a piano hinge would be even better... her husband works more with wood and liked that idea more.
Instead of messing with Formica (since you may not have old countertop to recycle!), you might want to look into the laminated shelving material they sell at most hardware store. I think it's melamine they used to line the wood... it's smooth and can be wiped off. This should be easy to work with. I had Ron use a bit if silicone to seal the corners and bottom edges on the inside of the box (kind of the way you'd use grout on a bathtub... rubbing off any excess)... but if you have tight seams, this may not be necessary. I was just concerned about leaking getting to the open raw wood. Not sure it's really needed though... especially since I always line the box with freezer paper.
Kathy: I tried your favorite Castile, no palm recipe, changed it slightly and had wonderful results. Here's the recipe:
Also, for left over soap ends, and slivers, gratings from cutting -- I put them in a liquid soap bottle with a pump and water -- after a few days, shake it up and voila -- liquid soap! Much easier than rebatching!
Hi Kathy, I feel as if I know you! Reading through your web site has given me the feeling of friendship. I appreciate the hard work that it took to put this site together and to maintain it. It has greatly helped alot of soapmaking folks, including me! Also, your garden is spectacular! Well, I am still a beginning soapmaker. I found a wholesale store in my area that sells large volumes of oils of all kinds. I bought 35 lbs. of coconut oil and the last named ingredient on the label states an 'anti-foaming agent' was added. It doesn't say what kind of agent. I am thinking that with this 'anti-foaming agent' included in the oil, that my soap will not suds or make bubbles when used. Are you familiar with this problem? I would rather not use this oil if it reduces the suds too much. I appreciate any response to my question. Thank you, jan
Hi! I'm glad you have enjoyed the site and thank you for the kind remarks. I know what you mean about feeling like you know people... I've found that with some folks as well. I take it as a compliment. :-)
You don't need to worry about that foaming agent. That is probably to keep the oil from foaming up when it is used for deep frying in a restaurant setting. Once you saponify the oil and the soap compound is made... it will suds in water just fine! I think my coconut oil probably has that in it as well... I get it as our local Cash and Carry (restaurant supply).
Happy soaping! Sounds like you're all set for mass production with that big bucket of oil. :-)
Hi!
I have found your web site to be very interesting. I was just wondering if it is possible to make good quality soap out of strictly glycerin? (clear) Why is the lye so important? thank you~ shannan
You cannot make soap out of glycerin... glycerin is something that is produced when you DO make soap, but by itself, will not saponify.
The lye turns the fat molecules into soaps (saponification) by breaking apart their fatty acids and bonding with them in a different way that produces soap molecules and glycerin ones (a short definition... hope I got it right!). Finished soap made at home is about 25% glycerin, 75% soap. When you buy real soap at the store that is commercially produced, they have taken the glycerin out and sold it as a by-product. If you buy or make homemade that is not the case.
I really think that homemade soap has more glycerin in it than clear "glycerin" soaps you buy at the store. My skin tell me that when I use them. ;-)
Hope this answers your question. Glad you are enjoying the site.
Hi, I need HELP !!!!! I have received an order of germaben, and it tells me that I am to use .3% to 1% of the total weight of the lotion. the problem is how do I figure which % to use. I always make 8 ounce bottles of lotion, and unfortunately I am no mathematician. LOL I have been a nurse for 20 years, but the pharmacy has spoiled us, and we receive all our medication in premeasured doses.
The recipe I use is : 80% water ( 6.4oz) 4 % emulsifying was( .32 oz) and 16% oil( 1.28 oz, I use olive oil) 1 tsp. fragrance oil, 1/2 tsp. citric acid, 1/4 tsp. glycerin, and 1 vit E Caplet, all per 8 oz oz of lotion. I do not know how to determine which % of germaben to use. I would appreciate any information you can give me. Thank you, Marilyn Bloom
I have no experience with this.. you might consult a toiletries site (I have a good one on my links page) or if you can find a toiletries forum on which to post (even Latherings might help... some of those folks do lotions as well as soaps)... someone might help you.
I would guess the leeway would depend on what you've used in your lotion and its tendency to spoil. If you were using something unstable like hemp oil in the lotion, you might go higher with the germaben than if you are using fairly stable (longer keeping) oils. That is my guess.
If you go a bit higher than the lowest number and use .5% of germaben...
8 oz. X .005 = .04 oz.
Now the problem is converting that into something you can measure!
At this point you go to someplace like the Majestic Mountain Sage site... they have a conversion calculator on their page. You plug in the .04 oz. and hit tab or return and it gives you equivalents in metric and whatever... I'll be right back (you'll be able to do this next time... :-)
.04 oz. is equivalent to:
I know that you can convert here to teaspoons... I posted that for someone one time (or maybe it's waiting in my "pending" folder!) If you are a nurse, you might be able to use a good scale in a pharmacy to weigh out what you need and see how much that is... let me check my "Joy of Cooking" for a conversion...
1 fluid dram is equal to 3/4 teaspoon
Looking at the numbers (this is not exact)... I think HALF A TEASPOON for 8 oz. of lotion puts you in the ballpark close enough.
I hope this helps! Whew! :-)
Happy lotion!
Thank you for you excellent website!!!!!
I was so scared about making soap, I read your web site carefully then finally venture out on my own. Success!! I have now made three batches of soap and not a failure yet!
My most recent batch I decided to get courageous on....I cut down an armload of mint that was growing in my garden. I put the leaves in the lard as it was melting down...mashed them a little, strained it, and used the scented oil for my soap. I tried dying the soap a lovely green, but it just turned pink! I used a candle/soap dye, but it didn't work!
The soap has a lovely minty smell and is actually quite pretty. Can't wait for these next three weeks to go by so I can use some of it!! Now, on to new adventures with soap.
Thanks again. SWilson
Thank YOU for such a nice email! Glad you're having fun with soapmaking. Some of the wax dyes don't work very well... and I'm not sure why. Probably the same reason that some crayons come true in soap and others change.
Thank you again for the email and best wishes in your soapmaking ventures. :-)
I read on your page about the use of benzoin as a fixative - has anyone tried orris root? Would it work in the same way?
Sandie
There are concerns about the toxicity of orris root and possibly absorbing that through the skin. I think it should be avoided for skin care products.
You're not the first one to think about using it though... too bad it's not an option for soap. Would probably smell nice too. :-)
I am new to soap making, and I love your website. Lots and lots of great info. My sister is going on an eighteen month sea voyage. She asked me to make her some soap that could be used in saltwater. She said she has seen it before, but now she needs it she can not find it. Have you ever heard of this kind of soap? What would make it so different ?
If you have any suggestions I want love to hear them.
Sincerely,
Christine
I can't find my response to Christine... but what I told her was to make a batch of soap with nothing but coconut oil. That will lather in salt water. Using a lye calculator, one can make any size recipe they want with coconut. Last I heard... the soap was done and successfully "launched". :-)
I am so glad I found your site <G>. Just a note on using Goat's Milk in soap. I love it and don't think I would ever use anything else, but soap is addictive so... I'm not making any bets. It does smell though when you add it to the lye mixture (I've never tried adding the lye directly to it). My children and husband typically run for it when I am making a batch and they insist that it smells like a baking skunk! LOL But the smell doesn't stay around long and is generally gone by the time the oils are added and the f.o.'s or e.o's are in.
Also, I am a Goat's Milk Soaper simply because I got tired of listening to my husband ask what in the world they are good for other than jerky. <G>
Hugs & Kid kisses,
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