Soap Making 101

[freemotion]

1. You can wash your hands with a bar, and if you have any little cuts on your hands, it will really sting until it is cured. Or you can touch your tongue to the bar... Or just let it sit for a month!

2. Make a guess by adding the two ounces as another oil to get the volume right and run it through the calculator to get the lye amounts correct.

3. Throw your extras in at trace but understand that the chemical process can change things in yukky ways. So do a thorough search online for each ingredient you would like to use and see what happened for other people when they tried it. For example, I've read that some herbs can get really strange in soap, and rosemary can be like splinters and quite unpleasant. Other things create colors that you might not like. You will probably want to run some of those plant items through a grinder or food processor to make them much finer. Back when I was buying homemade soaps, the two I dislike the most were bars with what looked like quick oats and bars that had lavendar blossoms. Both were icky to use, as the bits of oatmeal and the lavendar blossoms worked their way out of the soap. If they were ground into a powder, it would've been better, imo.

 

[me&thegals]

True about the additives. I have a wonderful bar of soap with all sorts of chunky things, wonderful until I actually use it in the shower. Then, I have twigs and chunks all over my skin!

Thanks for all the info. I always have cuts on my hands, so these bars must be cured. They have that very simple, unscented, wonderful soap smell that I haven't sniffed for so many years. Mmmmmmm.

 

[freemotion]

I really love unscented soaps, and the few I made a few months ago sold like hotcakes, and I keep getting requests for more, more, more!

 

[me&thegals]

I really love unscented soaps, and the few I made a few months ago sold like hotcakes, and I keep getting requests for more, more, more!

Me, too! I used to buy natural and unscented soaps when I was a teenager, and the first whiff of these soaps took me right back. I know I will enjoy playing around with EO, too, but what a lovely, uncomplicated scent pure soap has! For me, my nose almost gets more from the soap experience than anything else.

 

[19Dawn76]

Hi! I am thinking about making soap! I found someone whos parents make it and they are going to ask if I can come watch someday. I really want to see it done before I do it myself. The lye is a bit scary.

 

[me&thegals]

Welcome to SufficientSelf, 19Dawn76!! I was a bit concerned about the lye, too. I can't work well with gloves, even with beekeeping. So, I keep a spray bottle of vinegar on the counter and if anything gets on me or the counter I spray it right away with the vinegar to neutralize it. Also, better equipment with spouts for pouring would help a lot. Have fun observing!

 

[me&thegals]

Help!!

I just made 2 batches. The first one turned out great. The second one also appeared great, but I just checked on it in the silicone bread pan mold I am using for it. The edges are white and hardening, but the center turned from a creamy color to a tan, and it is very soft. What's going on?!?

 

[Farmfresh]

Have you insulated your soaps to retain heat and waited about 12 to 24 hours before checking on them?

Sometimes they change color some as they cure and if it was not well insulated the edges might be curing faster than the center. Give it some more time.

 

[me&thegals]

Have you insulated your soaps to retain heat and waited about 12 to 24 hours before checking on them?

Sometimes they change color some as they cure and if it was not well insulated the edges might be curing faster than the center. Give it some more time.

Do you mean I have to have patience?!?! I covered with Saran wrap and then tucked in with a towel. I'm starting to understand that I need to do a lot better job of insulating until they reach gel, right? I think I will set up a table next to the woodstove for this step.

This morning, the color looks better, not as dark. One batch was a 1-lb batch and went into cupcake-sided silicone molds. They look great. The 2nd batch was a 2-lb batch and went into a silicone bread pan, so it is a lot deeper and wider. Maybe that is why the center is curing differently than the edges.

Thank you for your help

Could you all tell me how you insulate your soaps? Also, what types of around-the-house items do you use for molds?

 

[Farmfresh]

My very favorite mold is made from a 12 inch section of 3 inch diameter PVC pipe with a PVC fitting on the bottom end that allows me to screw that end open as well. I grease it lightly with Vaseline and then fill it with soap. After filling it I just stand it in a big old insulated 52 oz refill mug that I got at the local gas station and top it with a second insulated mug. If I am filling multiples I stand them inside of a deep old insulated cooler that I have, supported by old towels. After the insulation period I pop mold and all into the freezer for a bit. When removed from the freezer the soap has contracted a bit from being cold and condensation is formed between mold and soap. I then take off the bottom plug and simply push it out. Slicing as it comes out with a bit of jewelry wire wound on sticks makes beautiful round bars!

My other favorite mold is a 13 X 9 Gladware plastic baking dish. (You know the black plastic ones) They are cheap, work great and easy to un-mold. I insulate this mold by first putting on the lid that comes with it and then wrapping it first in aluminized bubble wrap (used for insulation I got mine at the hardware store) or an old blanket.

The secret with the insulation period is to learn to wait long enough ... yet not too long or the soap will get too hard to slice well.

After I slice my bars (with the wire) I place the bars on shelving made of wire with plastic coating (like for closets) and let it air dry at least a week or so. For long term storage I simply stack it into a plastic (dollar days) storage basket. I have cut some plastic needlepoint mesh for the bottom of each basket just to allow for extra air flow. Then I store them in my soap cabinet in the workroom of my basement or my linen closet.