Soap Making 101
- Thread starter me&thegals
- Start date
Gallina Vecchia
Power Conserver
Re batched the 4% for non-laundry use. I made a 4 pound batch of laundry soap with about 0% super fat. Have been using it already and it works great. Now I won't have to purchase the Fels. Thanks for the help!Farmfresh said:
Farmfresh
City Biddy
See even the "mistakes" are usually pretty easy to fix! 
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
Please don't think I'm being rude, but I've read the first 8 or so pages of this huge thread and decided that its all way to complicated. The pioneers never used a percentage calculator, and yes, probably burned themselves with mixing chemicals. However, I don't think they went to the story and bought canola oil, or the 35 other ingredients to make their soap.
Ok, that came out pretty harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't wrap my head around it all. I found a recipe that uses lye, borax, ammonia, sugar, salt, and lard. Its extremely easy. Can I add goat milk? no idea, probably. For my personal use, I don't think I need 4 kinds of "superfat" or 10 other oils, essential or not. I also don't need a percent calculator, I just follow the recipe and call it good. I'm sure I can put a drop or 2 of Patchouli oil into it, but there again, I'm not selling it, or even giving it away.
Ok, I'm done now, feel free to beat me up for my rudeness this morning, I'm ready
Ok, that came out pretty harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't wrap my head around it all. I found a recipe that uses lye, borax, ammonia, sugar, salt, and lard. Its extremely easy. Can I add goat milk? no idea, probably. For my personal use, I don't think I need 4 kinds of "superfat" or 10 other oils, essential or not. I also don't need a percent calculator, I just follow the recipe and call it good. I'm sure I can put a drop or 2 of Patchouli oil into it, but there again, I'm not selling it, or even giving it away.
Ok, I'm done now, feel free to beat me up for my rudeness this morning, I'm ready
Why not go whole hog oh pioneergirl and save and leach you wood ashes for your lye? Borax was unknown until the Death Valley deposits...I could go on... but what works for you is your choice.pioneergirl said:Please don't think I'm being rude, but I've read the first 8 or so pages of this huge thread and decided that its all way to complicated. The pioneers never used a percentage calculator, and yes, probably burned themselves with mixing chemicals. However, I don't think they went to the story and bought canola oil, or the 35 other ingredients to make their soap.
Ok, that came out pretty harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't wrap my head around it all. I found a recipe that uses lye, borax, ammonia, sugar, salt, and lard. Its extremely easy. Can I add goat milk? no idea, probably. For my personal use, I don't think I need 4 kinds of "superfat" or 10 other oils, essential or not. I also don't need a percent calculator, I just follow the recipe and call it good. I'm sure I can put a drop or 2 of Patchouli oil into it, but there again, I'm not selling it, or even giving it away.
Ok, I'm done now, feel free to beat me up for my rudeness this morning, I'm ready
Farmfresh
City Biddy
Actually I hear you! Most of my recipes are just for basic oils and such. I do measure things and am aware of how much extra fat is present. Mostly because I used to watch my Grandma Nettie make soap as a kid without using a set recipe or a scale. Her soap was lard based and cleaned like a champion, but the bars were never consistent.pioneergirl said:Please don't think I'm being rude, but I've read the first 8 or so pages of this huge thread and decided that its all way to complicated. The pioneers never used a percentage calculator, and yes, probably burned themselves with mixing chemicals. However, I don't think they went to the story and bought canola oil, or the 35 other ingredients to make their soap.
Ok, that came out pretty harsh, and I'm sorry for that, but I just can't wrap my head around it all. I found a recipe that uses lye, borax, ammonia, sugar, salt, and lard. Its extremely easy. Can I add goat milk? no idea, probably. For my personal use, I don't think I need 4 kinds of "superfat" or 10 other oils, essential or not. I also don't need a percent calculator, I just follow the recipe and call it good. I'm sure I can put a drop or 2 of Patchouli oil into it, but there again, I'm not selling it, or even giving it away.
Ok, I'm done now, feel free to beat me up for my rudeness this morning, I'm ready
Once I have a recipe I like I usually don't jack with it too much. If you have a basically nice bar of regular unscented soap you can always Hand Mill it and make it fancy as you want in its second incarnation.
One of my favorites is the Homesteader soap which I use to make my laundry soap from. It is 106 oz of tallow or lard, 14 oz of lye and 44 oz of water.
My favorite bath bar is Nineteenth Century soap = 44 oz tallow, 30 oz olive oil, 28 oz lard, 14 oz lye, and 41 oz cold water. Both recipes are in the book "The Complete Soapmaker" by Norma Coney. Both are simple, use simple ingredients and work really nicely! Soap making is a lot like cooking - it can be five star gourmet or eggs and bacon.
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
FarmFresh: Thanx! I know it was a rude post, and I appreciate you being kind enough to understand that I wasn't trying to be a smart***.
You're right, it was, and I just might do that, since I've already read up on it.....but thanks for sharing your wealth of knowledge on something I wasn't addressing you about.
Farmfresh
City Biddy
When making a lye solution from your wood ashes you will be needing a fresh egg. The solution is right when a fresh egg will hold in suspension in the lye water solution.
Does it work? I have no freaking idea - never tried it. Just one for the notebook.
pioneergirl
Wannabe Pioneer
Now THERE is something for me to try! Thanx girl!
Thanx girl!I always wondered how you tell if your wood ash lye is strong enough! Now I know. (I have actually wanted to try to make my own lye- just didn't really know how to make it strong enough.)
I do like the calculators so I am not washing my face with lye heavy laundry soap. I love coconut oil and the suds it makes. I like the soothing ness of olive oil. (my basic is Crisco- cheap and hard, canola- cheap filler, coconut and olive) And, I love experimenting- if I add *this* oil, what will it do to my bars and the suds? It's a hobby that is useful.
If I just winged it, many of my batches would fail, and I don't have the time or patience to do something over and over hoping it will work.
I do like the calculators so I am not washing my face with lye heavy laundry soap. I love coconut oil and the suds it makes. I like the soothing ness of olive oil. (my basic is Crisco- cheap and hard, canola- cheap filler, coconut and olive) And, I love experimenting- if I add *this* oil, what will it do to my bars and the suds? It's a hobby that is useful.
If I just winged it, many of my batches would fail, and I don't have the time or patience to do something over and over hoping it will work.
