What? No other soap makers here??

[Pakhet]

My favorite right now is a sandlewood/ylang-ylang essential oil blend I make myself mixed into the cold process batch. I mixed ground loufah into that (not too much, the first batch I made about took the hide off my karate instructor). I'm trying to get up the nerve to try a goats milk soap, but I'm really afraid it will curdle and I don't usually have the supplies for more than a batch or two at a time.

Anyone else make lye soap?

[stubtoe]

1. Hey there! another soapmaker here.

I was too chicken to start the thread. :)

Where oh where do you get your sandalwood eo? In my neck of the woods it's prohibitively expensive.

I've been making soap for about 4 years now. Same recipe. I'm math challenged and am afraid to calculate saponification values for other oils!

[femmedem]

14. I use amaryis. It smells sandalwoodish w/o being endangered.

[katsy]

2. I'm not a soapmaker...

but I really want to learn!

[Katherine Brengle]

3. I would like to learn...

The closest I've gotten was the melt and pour I did for my Christmas baskets lol...

[stubtoe]

4. To the both of you:

There are some books out there (The Soapmaker's Companion, by Susan Miller Cavitch is one) that have recipes and step-by-step processes. But I think it's best to have someone show you how, your first time through. Critical steps are safe handling of the lye, and what "trace" actually looks like.

That said, once you have the know-how and the proper equipment, it's not hard at all and you get to play with fragrances, colors, textures, .... and the soaps make wonderful presents.

[Pakhet]

5. That's a very good book.

When I have a minute, I'll look up the email address of my oil place. I buy online from CA. I'm at work right now

[femmedem]

15. It is a good book, but most soapmakers do one thing differently:

She mixes her lye into her fats when they're both around 80 degrees. Most soapmakers mix at more like 100.

[katsy]

8. Thank you!

Off to Alibris to see if I can pick it up.

[eridani]

6. I always buy soap from local craftspeople at summer street fairs

High quality, interesting variety, and I like that my money is going directly to the producer. Also a fun variety of molds and wrapping styles. I'm addicted to beading--no time to do soap myself.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. I've been making all of my soap for the last 12 years. I use a basic

'lye' soap recipe with beef tallow, olive oil, and coconut oil added. Very mild, very sudsy. I live alone, so a big batch about every 4 years does it. The part I dislike the most is 'cleaning' the beef fat and melting it down.

[stubtoe]

9. If you're interested, I have a nice, small-sized all-veg oil recipe

to share. Mainly coconut and olive oils. Makes about 10 bars. Very silky and nice on the skin.

I'd be interested to learn how to use tallow sometime.

[sinkingfeeling]

10. I'll have to remember to find my recipe when I'm at home and post it.

The use of tallow helps to reduce the cost of the oils. That's why my batches make something like 80 to 100 bars of soap! I think, from memory, that it calls for 2 bottles of olive oil and 20 oz. of coconut oil. But like 5 or 10 pounds of tallow.

[itsmesgd]

11. I hate commerical soap...then got an idea

I have been buying home made soap from local crafts people for a few months now and it beats the Dial's and Irish Spring's with a stick. I have bad hard water with tons of chlorine at my house and it's nice to not be so dry- especially in winter. I have seen soaps from 2 dollars a bar to 10 dollars at different places and I was wondering if anyone here has had any luck making and selling their own. Also are there any suggestions on a good starter "how to kit"? I have ordered a couple of books from Amazon (I cant remember the titles off hand) and I am looking forward to getting started "doing it myself". If I could make a few dollars on the side that would be a benefit, but it's not the main reason I'm doing it.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. I've never tried to sell my soap, because I used boxes and cookie

containers, etc. to mold it. I finally bought some soap molds off of Ebay, but haven't used them yet. I still have about 2 dozen bars from my last batch.

The book I recommend is "Soap: Making it Enjoying it" by Ann Bramson. One recipe I have makes coffee soap or kitchen soap, which will take the smell of onion or garlic off your hands. Here's the recipe:

8oz. Canola Oil
8oz. Coconut Oil
8oz. Olive Oil
8oz. Crisco
12 FL oz. triple-strength brewed coffee
4.5oz. Lye

Add 1 Tablespoon coffee grounds at trace.

[femmedem]

18. My kitchen soap recipe

uses baking soda added at trace to cut odor. I also use an extra rich formula with mango butter to moisturize frequently washed hands.

My customers rave about it.

[kestrel91316]

13. I make unscented cold process soaps every few years for personal use.

I have made a little scented, too, for sale. My skin is sensitive so I prefer unscented all-vegetable oil soaps for myself.

[femmedem]

17. I make an unscented oatmeal/honey olive oil soap

Other ingredients: coconut oil, palm oil, avocado oil, shea butter, castor oil. I use baby oatmeal and local honey.

[femmedem]

16. Soapmaker here, too.

I've been selling my soaps and lip balms since last July. Last year I just did the Farmers Market in my own city, but this year I'll be at three different markets. My soaps are also in 5 local stores.

I think I'm going to have to start making bigger batches. :)

I haven't tried goats milk, but I made a lemongrass/lime/coconut milk soap last year.

[agates]

19. Cold process soap -- suggestion -- DU Marketplace

For those of you who make and sell CP soap, please list some on DU marketplace. I don't make soap (soap making is on my to do list of things to learn someday), but I buy a lot of it online, both to use and for gifts. I'd love to buy from DU'ers!