Soap Making 101

[Dace]

Very nice!

Can you smell the coconut along with the lavender?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Thanks! The coconut is not very strong, it's detectable, but the lavender I used is so potent it rather overwhelms the scent.

 

[Bettacreek]

Well, I need to hurry up and make some plans and get some soap molds built. I just sold out of my soap, and everyone so far seems to love it (as do I). I was running out of lye, so I had to order more, and the minimum order was 16 pounds!!! Even if I DO use it to clear the drains when necessary, or let the guys use some of it to clean traps, I still worry about it going bad sitting in storage. I bought 2lbs last time, and it lasted several batches. I'll probably go through it quicker if I get real molds made and now that I have my recipe figured out, but still, 16lbs seems like a lot!

 

[valmom]

Does lye go bad?? As long as it is capped so it can't get damp, I would think it would last.

I just unmolded my latest batch from the silicone single bar molds that I bought. I haven't made a large batch of soap yet to do a log type of mold- I have been sticking to 1 lb batches to get the feel of it without a lot of oil investment. This last batch was 2 lbs- I'm getting adventurous!

I have discovered the ease of unmolding by freezing the bars, though! No mushed corners, no stuck designs.

 

[Bettacreek]

Does lye go bad?? As long as it is capped so it can't get damp, I would think it would last.

I just unmolded my latest batch from the silicone single bar molds that I bought. I haven't made a large batch of soap yet to do a log type of mold- I have been sticking to 1 lb batches to get the feel of it without a lot of oil investment. This last batch was 2 lbs- I'm getting adventurous!

I have discovered the ease of unmolding by freezing the bars, though! No mushed corners, no stuck designs.

Do you freeze them until they're solid frozen? I had mushy corners and a hell of a time removing my soap from the carton I had used last. I was dissecting the carton the best I could and still lost some of the corners.
As for the lye, I remember reading somewhere that someone had found a great deal on like 100lbs of lye, but didn't buy it because they couldn't store it properly. I had assumed that you'd need to vacuum seal it or something.

 

[valmom]

Yes, I freeze them solid, push them out of the milky way type molds, then set them on the screen to thaw out and dry.

 

[me&thegals]

Has anybody made salt bars? They are my favorite for the shower!

 

[valmom]

Quick question- when I started making soap I saw a site that had hundreds of Milky Way molds, and, of course, I didn't book mark it. One of the molds was a curled up sleeping cat that I'd love to get for my MIL. (I love my MIL ) I went through every soap site I bookmarked this morning looking for it, and can't find it!! Anyone have a site with some favorite cat molds?

I made a new batch this morning adding shea butter for the first time. I bought it before I knew SO hates the smell of shea butter. So, I may give this whole batch away to my MIL when she comes up for Easter next weekend. I scented it with my cedar and sage EO- I think it smells good, but probably if I tell SO which soap it is she won't like it. If I don't tell her she will.

 

[Bettacreek]

Valmom, definately don't tell her, lol. You really shouldn't smell the shea in it once it's all said and done with anyways.


Does anyone use wooden molds? I bought the stuff to make my own molds, and as soon as we get the chance, we'll be making them. But I was wondering if I could do anything so that I don't have to use wax paper each time I make soap. I think I've heard of oiling them with stuff like Pam, but I don't want to add that junk to my soaps. Can I freeze them in a wooden mold just as easily as the milky way molds? I plan on having hinges and two swing-down sides to help in releasing everything.

 

[Morgaine]

When I was using wooden molds, I cut craft foam to fit inside my molds. You have to be really acurate when cutting it ( I used my quilting stuff to cut it) and you have to bring the soap to a pretty thick tace before you pour so it kinda limits swirling. But the soap NEVER stuck to it. Just peeled right off like a dream. You have to store the strips flat or else they will warp and you have to wash them cause they can hold in scents. I would get 15-20 batches out of each set that I cut.

I personally would not pour pour raw soap into a wooden mold without some kind of liner.