Soap Making 101

[krisac]

If you're using evaporated goats milk for whatever you're doing..lotion soap..whatever, Should you re-evaporate (is that a word) to use it so it is regular goats milk?

 

[krisac]

So the first batch of disaster i made...Since I've now figured out that I was totally screwing up the calculator....has a low amount of lye in it. the bars are now hardened. disgusting brown on the outside and light tan on the inside. Threw caution to the wind and tried a small chunk and got a nice hand wash still have my skin without any burning. too bad it looks so horrible I don't think anyone would buy it, I don't think I could give it away even with a good excuse for the horrid look like "It's fall coloring" Any suggestions for what to do with 4lbs of soap? I've heard of rebatching but don't understand and don't want to jump into the deep end again.

 

[krisac]

OH I forgot..how long was the cure time on the Crisco recipe??? And where are good places to cure soap? I have kitchen cupboards but could make room in my closet it has a high long wide shelf, also have a laundry room with a closet full of shelves but it's half outside or rather open to the outside...does it mater after you unmold if it gets cold...really cold.?

 

[hillfarm]

My beer soap was a fail. I went to cut a bar in trial size chunks and the inside was still soft. They have been curing for 8 weeks. And it burned. Im thinking I didnt get a full gel. It was a pvc mold.

I did bag up all my other soaps, to sale at the flea market this weekend. Maybe I can sale a few and have money to buy more stuff to make more soap.

 

[valmom]

OH I forgot..how long was the cure time on the Crisco recipe??? And where are good places to cure soap? I have kitchen cupboards but could make room in my closet it has a high long wide shelf, also have a laundry room with a closet full of shelves but it's half outside or rather open to the outside...does it mater after you unmold if it gets cold...really cold.?

I cure all my soaps 4 weeks before expecting anyone to use them except me. And we have so much cured at this point that even I don't need hand soap that badly. I freeze my soap to unmold it easily after the 2 days in the molds, but I *think* for the curing process part of it has to be water evaporating out of it, literally, to harden it. It probably won't do that if your outside freezes like mine, but if it is cool and dry it would be fine.


Too bad about the beer soap. I was looking forward to hearing about that one.

 

[hillfarm]

me too. Its really pretty, all marbled and stamped. Smells good too. Dang it.

 

[me&thegals]

Wow, did this thread devolve!

Krisac, I would like to gently but firmly suggest you not consider selling ANY soap you make until you have made quite a few perfect batches. Pockets of undissolved lye can actually burn quite badly (as well as lye-heavy soap), and it takes a fair amount of practice to know when you have truly good soap. I would consider this a liability issue for you, and it sounds like your business is already a bit shaky.

I would even more strongly suggest not selling lotion. Being hydrous, lotion can grow a LOT of nasties in it. This is one place where "all natural" can be deadly. It takes people a LOT of time to develop safe lotion recipes, and they must be tested for bacteria to be considered safe.

Truly, go to the class and read everything you can on a special, specific soaping forum. I would recommend reading The Dish for a long, long time. I have gotten more information on there than all of my soapmaking books combined.

I don't want to sound patronizing, but seriously just find a very simple recipe and follow it exactly. Trace, by the way, looks like pudding consistency. You can first notice it beginning when your soap "batter" develops a sheen on the surface. There is thin trace, thick trace, and everything in between.

Good luck!

 

[krisac]

I wasn't planning on selling any of the first batches I made until I came up with something I was satisfied with. As for the lotion...it being a cosmetic" item, there is a lot of research to be done into it and how to prevent the bacterial growth. Hence the class andbooks and hours on the internet. Ovbviously a customer who burns their skin off won't be repeat business or spread the good word.
Kristina

 

[me&thegals]

Sorry about that--I misread hillfarm's post about selling at the flea market as being your post.

The thing with lotion is that it won't burn your skin off or in any other way be obviously dangerous.
I make lotion for myself, but I'm way too freaked out to give/sell to anyone else since it has no preservatives...

 

[krisac]

it's okay I'm pretty used to the adivce by now. I am researching preservatives as well. hence the class. I really don't go about things like a chicken with my head cut off. This has been in the planning stage since July.
Kristina