Soap Making 101

[grannyB]

I have a question. I have been following this thread since it started but waited to make my own soap until I had other projects finished.

I bought several bars of homemade soap from a local soapmaker to see if I would like it. One of the bars she calls "olive oil and aloe." I love that soap!!!!

Does anyone use aloe? What form of aloe would you add? And would you add it after it traces? I need to do my own research but haven't noticed anyone mentioning aloe.

BTW, when we returned from Kansas City last Monday, my chin was all red, itchy, and raw feeling. I stopped using all the commercial face "stuff" and have just been using the homemade soap and a vitamin E cream for moisturizer. It cleared up in 3 days.

I had to get after DH this morning for using my soap. He is sooo cheap, I told him he would have to buy the next bars at $5 each. He about had a cow!!!

He is definitely supporting my plan to make my own. He likes the soap, too.

I have made soap with aloe juice before. I just sub it for all the water in the recipe. Me personally, I did not notice that big of a difference of soap made with aloe and that made with just plain water. But, I think everyone should try it our for themselves and see what they like! Just be warned that it makes a neon gatoraid colored lye and makes slightly softer soap than all water.

I notice a much bigger differene when I add cream to soap. Sub out 1 oz of water with 1 oz of cream for each pound of oil you use. Making 3 pounds of soap? Use 3 oz cream. Lovely stuff!

Hmmm.....the soap I have is perfectly clear with no color at all. I could ask the gal I bought it from, but since this is her business, she may not want to tell me. I have to call her and get some more before I get my supplies ordered and have time to make soap.

Thanks for all the help. I found instructions online for making wood molds. I have a lot of small wood scraps (never throw anything away) so need to make molds, too.

I bought 2 books....The Soapmaker's Companion and Basic Soap Making. They are really good with a lot of recipes. The Basic book has a lot of pictures that show what each step should look like.

 

[Morgaine]

If it is clear, then it is most likely and melt and pour pour. Do you have the ingredients for it?

You can make transparent soap with the CP method, but when I hear that a soap is clear, 99% of the time it MP. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I think that Brambleberry has an Olive and Aloe soap base, or might be Elements. Can't remeber right off the top my head.

Making your own wood mold is pretty easy too if you have some basic skills. My hubby made some of mine. Some time he is going to make me some silicone ones when he gets a little time. Already have the silicone rubber.

I also wanted to say, unless you are making Hot Process, there is no need to to wait until trace to add anything. The Saponification process is not complet until several days or even weeks in the case of ungelled soap, and during that time, ou can't control what the lye bonds with or not. Only in Hot Process can you control what is not eated up by the lye because you have basically forced the Saponificaion process to happen faster than it would on it's own.

 

[savingdogs]

I'm the one who asked about the "fragrance oils"...
I did write to the manufacturer of the oils but haven't heard back. They were meant for burning in one of those fragrance burners. My daughter was really into that for awhile and then her burner broke and she doesn't feel like replacing it, so she has all these oils.

I suppose I could just scent the air....I have a woodburning stove and I put scent into some old fashioned iron coffee kettles (that we never drink out of, of course).

I was more interested in making soap though!

 

[freemotion]

If you can tell us everything that is written on one of the labels, we could give you more information. If you have lavendar, start with that one, as it is a common one. Does it say fragrance, perfume, absolute, or essential oil?

 

[savingdogs]

They are all the same company, Love is in the Air. There is just the name "fragrance oil" on each bottle and the same disclaimer, do not use near flame, blah blah blah. It says do not consume. The contact information for the company (that I've written) and the different names of the scents. It doesn't list ingredients.

I'm getting scared to use it now, unless I hear from the company that it has been used for soapmaking.

I am one of those sensitive individuals, I have Meniere's disease and tons and tons of allergies, that is partly why I wanted to make soap myself, to avoid things with multiple ingredients. Hubby also has sensitivity to soaps, scents and gets skin rashes. I was actually trying to work my way up to making goats milk soap (our baby dairy goats are still only 7 months old, so we have a while to wait on that one)

I actually am allergic to lavender but want to make lavender soap for my sister as it is her favorite. Maybe when I find some soapmaking lavender scent, I'll have my husband handle that batch for me. I didn't realize the fragrances could be so strong.

It made me want to wash my hands with my soap!

 

[freemotion]

If you are making the soaps because you and your loved ones are sensitive to chemicals.....well, I'd toss those in the trash. Fragrance oils are very poisonous, they are just chemical soups. I got suspicious when you said the company had ignored your request for more information.

Have you ever been near REAL lavendar, or real, pure, lavendar essential oil? Years ago, I thought I was allergic/sensitive to all scents, then I met an aromatherapist and was happily set straight. Now I enjoy many wonderful fragrances in my home and in my massage therapy office. It was the chemicals and solvents used to make artificial fragrances or to extract plant fragrances that was the problem. As long as I use only pure essential oils, I am just fine. They are also used medically in some European countries!

 

[grannyB]

If it is clear, then it is most likely and melt and pour pour. Do you have the ingredients for it?

You can make transparent soap with the CP method, but when I hear that a soap is clear, 99% of the time it MP. Not that there is anything wrong with that. I think that Brambleberry has an Olive and Aloe soap base, or might be Elements. Can't remeber right off the top my head.

If it is a MP soap I may have trouble trying to duplicate it. The ingredients listed are olive, aloe, and glycerin. I'm assuming the olive is olive oil. I also bought a Honeybee Soap that lists glycerin, honey, and beeswax. DH is using this one. Also have a Patchouli (sp?) bar that I use by the kitchen sink. Don't like that one so well.

BTW, the Olive and Aloe bar seems to be a rather soft bar, but I haven't used enough homemade soap to make a good comparison.

 

[savingdogs]

If you are making the soaps because you and your loved ones are sensitive to chemicals.....well, I'd toss those in the trash. Fragrance oils are very poisonous, they are just chemical soups. I got suspicious when you said the company had ignored your request for more information.

Have you ever been near REAL lavendar, or real, pure, lavendar essential oil? Years ago, I thought I was allergic/sensitive to all scents, then I met an aromatherapist and was happily set straight. Now I enjoy many wonderful fragrances in my home and in my massage therapy office. It was the chemicals and solvents used to make artificial fragrances or to extract plant fragrances that was the problem. As long as I use only pure essential oils, I am just fine. They are also used medically in some European countries!

Unfortunately I have vertigo attacks and hearing loss brought on by my allergies (Meniere's disease). I was actually working with lavender plants and in the middle of it had to go in and wash it off. My skin was all rashy and then I had one of my vertigo attacks, so that was a pretty clear sign to me I had better stay clear of that lavender patch. I didn't have to ask my allergist to test me on that one but I sure wouldn't want to wash in lavender soap.

I see so many soap recipes that use lavender and chamomile. My allergist told me to stay clear of chamomile too.

I'm sure you are correct however, that the chemicals and solvents are more irritating, especially for someone like my husband. We are making (and loving) the homemade laundry soap too. But in my first two batches of soap, we just used a tiny bit of fragrance, like 1/2 ounce to three pounds, and that was perfect.

 

[Mackay]

Check out this site. Somebody is making money off of our favorite soap recipe
http://www.soapsgonebuy.com/Household_Spray_Bottle_p/access01.htm

 

[savingdogs]

Heh, but they grate the Fels Naptha for you!