How to make plain Goat Milk Soap

[urban dreamer]

Hehe.

Urban Dreamer, in the past I have bought all organic oils online in bulk. Usually runs $75-80 for all the ingredients, and then much of it is used in multiple batches. I get about 30 bars per batch, and I sell the bars $5 each, so $150 total per batch.

Now, though, I buy non-organic oils that I find locally in bulk, and those are cheaper than those online. If you have any local health food stores you might be able to find them. Grocery stores only seem good for olive oil.

We have a Whole Foods market 20 minutes away. I think that is the nearest health food store we have. I'm going to try to google health food markets in AR and see if I get any results. I found one website that sells the oils for 5.59 for 16oz. The cheapest lye I have found is on ebay for 12 bucks a lb. I might get lucky and find some of the ingredent's locally.

 

[Farmfresh]

I have really been pleased with the supplies and the service that I have gotten from Summer Bee Meadow. Plus their website has a really handy soap recipe calculator!

 

[urban dreamer]

You know, it really bums me that there are no classes to teach this stuff. Like "Soap 101" or "How to" classes. There are many things I would love to learn, but there are no teachers. Sometimes you have to see and experience something to learn it. Im self taught chicken keeper( of course I got plenty of advice from BYC) and my GIL taught me to loom knit. But how do others learn if there is no one to show them? I really appreciate the advice and the things I have learned on here and at BYC, but sometimes it would be nice to be shown.


OOoops! Sorry, mini rant!

I will have to check that website out. My SO pointed out how it would be cheaper to just buy soap than to make it. But he also said that if I really liked it, he would let me continue. Seems the average price for 30 bars is about 35 bucks. Not bad, but still a little more expensive than going to a local store. I still think knowing where it came from and exactly what is in a product is important.

I also wanted to ask, who has a tested method and recipe for lard soap. Something tells me this would be much easier and cheaper to start with.

 

[Blackbird]

The website FF linked sells lye for soapmaking at 8.73 per 35oz, that might be a good choice.


I'm thinking you could find a lard recipe on this thread;
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3396

I agree that it might be a good idea to try a simple recipe first. I messed up my first batch, but it still turned out to be soap! Lucky me..

I bet you could find buyers pretty easily if you ever wanted to sell any, so you could definitely make a profit.


I read about making soap a couple places here and there online and one day just decided to do it. Whether I have a good or bad outcome, the experience is worth it.

 

[urban dreamer]

The website FF linked sells lye for soapmaking at 8.73 per 35oz, that might be a good choice.


I'm thinking you could find a lard recipe on this thread;
http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=3396

I agree that it might be a good idea to try a simple recipe first. I messed up my first batch, but it still turned out to be soap! Lucky me..

I bet you could find buyers pretty easily if you ever wanted to sell any, so you could definitely make a profit.


I read about making soap a couple places here and there online and one day just decided to do it. Whether I have a good or bad outcome, the experience is worth it.

Thanks! I really, really, really would like to try my hand at it! We do have a farmer's market down on the river where locals sell meats and produce and there are a couple of ladies that do sell soap. One sells gylcerine (sp?) and one sells goat's milk soap. And yea, they sell'em 5 bucks a bar. I am guilty of buying them.

 

[Farmfresh]

When I have taught people to make soap in the past I have used a basic 100% olive oil Castile soap recipe. To me this is the easiest one for beginners to try.

I would also HIGHLY recommend the book The Complete Soapmaker by Norma Coney.

Lots of great info.

I wanted to learn how to soap and there were no teachers for me at all. I hadn't even found THIS incredible forum yet. Still I read and read and jumped in with both feet. It is really not as hard as you think.