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human experience
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Registered: 09/06/11
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Does anyone make Soap?
#15732482 - 01/29/12 05:13 AM (12 years, 2 days ago) |
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I am wondering if anyone has dabbled in the Art of Making Soap? I thought it would be an interesting thing to try in my spare time. I found a supply company that sells everything here in Asia.
Any good reading, recipes, or suggestions on getting started? I have been researching DIY Books.
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waterbug
just a figment



Registered: 01/06/04
Posts: 3,322
Loc: where i live they grow ou...
Last seen: 10 years, 19 days
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I make soap, its not as hard as you think. This is the first recipe I used, its really simple and you can find all these ingredients at your local super market / hardware store (in the US anyway). http://www.millersoap.com/castile.html#CastileSoyCoc here's a great youtube video:
What you really need:
A stick blender ( I found mine at the thrift store for about $3)
A pot used only for soap making (because of the lye)
Something for a mold (not metal) I've used anything from a small wooden box, to a tupperware container, it doesn't have to be fancy
Plastic wrap to line the mold
A plastic pitcher to mix the lye and the water (or any plastic container that is only used for this application)
GLOVES (lye is no joke, it burns, and it hurts)
2 candy thermometers, so your not trying to use one to measure the temp of both the lye/water solution and the oils
and of course the lye, oils, essential oils, and whatever else you plan on adding to the soap
Pretty much everything else you'll have lying around the house
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Girls Poop!
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human experience
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: waterbug]
#15796329 - 02/12/12 06:06 AM (11 years, 11 months ago) |
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Thanks for the tips and video.
I will give it a go later this week.
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madis503
psühhonaut


Registered: 07/29/09
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my mother makes soap, she adds different ingredients like tar or bark of somekind
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 Psy&Goa
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cc2
Mush

Registered: 05/15/10
Posts: 2,611
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: madis503]
#15876266 - 02/28/12 01:47 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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it's very easy. to make it worthwhile you'd need a cheap or free source of fats and just buy some Na/K hydroxide (depends if you want hard or soft soap) 
oh and if you're thinking about using Ca hydroxide, leave it alone. other metal soaps are good only blended with something else or as gelling agents, not something you'd want to clean yourself with.
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CMOS
Whats next?


Registered: 01/08/12
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: cc2]
#15882060 - 02/29/12 04:48 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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I've been wanting to try this. I've got two Folgers cans full of fats that I have been saving for like a year now in the freezer. Is there a good website you could recommend? Seems like there are alot of different recipes.
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CMOS
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15882066 - 02/29/12 04:50 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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SO I'm going out now and getting ingredients. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I'm pretty much going to be following the youtube video.
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cc2
Mush

Registered: 05/15/10
Posts: 2,611
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15882175 - 02/29/12 05:15 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
CMOS said: I've been wanting to try this. I've got two Folgers cans full of fats that I have been saving for like a year now in the freezer. Is there a good website you could recommend? Seems like there are alot of different recipes.
depending on which recipe you're going to use, I found out that some are not that practical when using fats instead of oils and vice versa, so dissolving the Na/K hydroxide in water beforehand improves soap's softness.
there's literally a ton of literature on soapmaking, from empiric oldschool manuals to carefully calculated chemical reactions. I suggest the former because it's so much easier and maniacally detailed that you may laugh thinking about how the authors were madly proud of their skill.
one of said old books, freely available Soap-Making Manual by E. G. Thomssen
a website http://www.colebrothers.com/soap/
don't forget to search at archive.org, ages old books with all their yellow pages but minus the dust and mold
Edited by cc2 (02/29/12 05:21 PM)
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CMOS
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: cc2]
#15882865 - 02/29/12 08:06 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Meh, went out looking/calling around town and couldn't find anywhere carrying lye. The closest I found was a mix of Na/K hydroxide used for drains at the hardware stores. (think it was like a 50/50 mix) Its sodium hydroxide I want right? I'll try calling some other places tomorrow.
Looks like that soap making manual has alot of good info, I'm checking it out now.
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human experience
Stranger


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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15883700 - 02/29/12 11:02 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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My first batch went well. It turned out much better than expected. It was difficult to settle on so many recipes. I wanted more of the essential oil style, so I went to the local health-food store and worked backwards from what I liked.
I made Green Tea/Mint Soap:
Lye, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil, shea butter Essential Oils: Green Tea, Peppermint, Spearmint, Juniper, Rosemary
Next batch: I may try palm oil, clove, citrus, patchouli, or sandalwood.
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human experience
Stranger


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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15883722 - 02/29/12 11:09 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
CMOS said: Meh, went out looking/calling around town and couldn't find anywhere carrying lye. The closest I found was a mix of Na/K hydroxide used for drains at the hardware stores. (think it was like a 50/50 mix) Its sodium hydroxide I want right? I'll try calling some other places tomorrow.
Looks like that soap making manual has alot of good info, I'm checking it out now.
I have seen restaurant supply stores carry a food grade version. You can also check there.
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cc2
Mush

Registered: 05/15/10
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15884391 - 03/01/12 03:32 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
CMOS said: Meh, went out looking/calling around town and couldn't find anywhere carrying lye. The closest I found was a mix of Na/K hydroxide used for drains at the hardware stores. (think it was like a 50/50 mix) Its sodium hydroxide I want right? I'll try calling some other places tomorrow.
Looks like that soap making manual has alot of good info, I'm checking it out now.
yeah you want NaOH for hard soap and KOH for soft soap  A mix of both, if there isn't anything else nasty, could still have worked. I know in some places lye is not that easy to come by due to its infamous use by silly kids, but hopefully you can google around a source or find it in 98% pure prills on a shelf.
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ManianFH
living in perverty


Registered: 07/06/04
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: CMOS]
#15892407 - 03/02/12 09:01 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
CMOS said: Meh, went out looking/calling around town and couldn't find anywhere carrying lye. The closest I found was a mix of Na/K hydroxide used for drains at the hardware stores. (think it was like a 50/50 mix) Its sodium hydroxide I want right? I'll try calling some other places tomorrow.
Looks like that soap making manual has alot of good info, I'm checking it out now.
order lye on ebay if you cant get it locally. its cheaper anyways. the only place ive found it locally is at lowes in the form of drain cleaner 100% naoh.
i make soap. a few hints:
dont use aluminum for any part of any soap making process, go with steel use gloves, eye protection, and a breather when working with lye water. have vinegar and running water nearby should anything go wrong.
olive oil makes a great fat to work with, along with avocado, castor, jajoba, and vitamin e
use post office shipping boxes if you are having a hard time finding a mold. line them with parchment paper, and not wax paper. its worth the extra money.
-------------------- notapillow said: "you are going about this endeavor all wrong. clear your mind of useless fear and concern. buy the ticket, take the ride, and all that.... " ChrisWho said: "It's all about the journey, not the destination."
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ManianFH
living in perverty


Registered: 07/06/04
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: ManianFH]
#15892410 - 03/02/12 09:01 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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also, dont use freshly made soap, wait at least a week.
-------------------- notapillow said: "you are going about this endeavor all wrong. clear your mind of useless fear and concern. buy the ticket, take the ride, and all that.... " ChrisWho said: "It's all about the journey, not the destination."
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atayia
nom nom



Registered: 02/24/08
Posts: 1,319
Loc: Canada
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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: ManianFH]
#15900651 - 03/04/12 07:41 PM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Your soap should cure for at least a month, you can do a tongue test if you want to be a bit risky - tip it on your tongue and if it does it's gentle snap crackles it still needs curing.
I have some recipes, I used to make and vendor soaps. I would prefer not to post my recipes publically but I do have some for the following oils:
Palm/Coconut/Olive blend Hemp/Coconut/Olive/Shea/Cocoa blend, primary being hemp (at about 37%)
I would alter the recipes for you but I have long ago lost the math. You can check oil saponificiation charts online though and find the correct lye/water mixture based on your amount of oils and mold sizes.
If anyone wants to purchase supplies I can recommend some suppliers in the USA but there is one called Brambleberry that has a pretty good spread of what is available for the hobby soaper. If it's not on Brambleberry then it's probably not something you can purchase in small supplies, with the exception of scents - different vendors have different scent suppliers and there are a lot of them out there so you sometimes have to hit a few to find the right scent you want if you're looking for something specific. Ebay is also a good resource.
Of course you can do everything all natural - using additives from your own pantry in soaps instead of buying fake colours and scents. A book I remember is one called The Natural Soap Book by Susan Cavitch. Her other book The Soapmaker's Companion is also good. Those two books are the ones I used to start my soap journey.
I have not worked with animal (or human a la fight club style ha ha) fats personally, and have no advice to add on that manner sorry. My perfect soap blend is one of Palm/Coconut/Olive oils - it makes a firm soap that is still soft on the skin and has a generous lather. It took a bit to find one that lathered enough for my tastes.
Here's a quick adaptable recipe before I exit this reply; one of my best sellers and a family favorite is Lemongrass Tea soap. I take organic green tea bags and make strong green tea with the water before mixing the lye in, it doesn't seem to alter it chemically and it gives the soap anywhere from a medium greeny-Brown tint to a dark greeny-Brown tint depending on the soap oils of choice. I scent it with Lemongrass essential oil, which is quite lovely but fleeting so it only stays strongly in the soap for a few months and best for small or gift batches. At the end of the process I break open the tea bags I used for the green tea water mixture and mix it in the soap for some natural additives. Waste not, want not. It looks lovely at the end.
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Spader
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Registered: 02/29/12
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ive been thinking about that as venture in the future. I do use handmade black soap from ghana a few times a week
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human experience
Stranger


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Re: Does anyone make Soap? [Re: atayia]
#15917243 - 03/08/12 12:42 AM (11 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
atayia said: Your soap should cure for at least a month, you can do a tongue test if you want to be a bit risky - tip it on your tongue and if it does it's gentle snap crackles it still needs curing.
I have some recipes, I used to make and vendor soaps. I would prefer not to post my recipes publically but I do have some for the following oils:
Palm/Coconut/Olive blend Hemp/Coconut/Olive/Shea/Cocoa blend, primary being hemp (at about 37%)
I would alter the recipes for you but I have long ago lost the math. You can check oil saponificiation charts online though and find the correct lye/water mixture based on your amount of oils and mold sizes.
If anyone wants to purchase supplies I can recommend some suppliers in the USA but there is one called Brambleberry that has a pretty good spread of what is available for the hobby soaper. If it's not on Brambleberry then it's probably not something you can purchase in small supplies, with the exception of scents - different vendors have different scent suppliers and there are a lot of them out there so you sometimes have to hit a few to find the right scent you want if you're looking for something specific. Ebay is also a good resource.
Of course you can do everything all natural - using additives from your own pantry in soaps instead of buying fake colours and scents. A book I remember is one called The Natural Soap Book by Susan Cavitch. Her other book The Soapmaker's Companion is also good. Those two books are the ones I used to start my soap journey.
I have not worked with animal (or human a la fight club style ha ha) fats personally, and have no advice to add on that manner sorry. My perfect soap blend is one of Palm/Coconut/Olive oils - it makes a firm soap that is still soft on the skin and has a generous lather. It took a bit to find one that lathered enough for my tastes.
Here's a quick adaptable recipe before I exit this reply; one of my best sellers and a family favorite is Lemongrass Tea soap. I take organic green tea bags and make strong green tea with the water before mixing the lye in, it doesn't seem to alter it chemically and it gives the soap anywhere from a medium greeny-Brown tint to a dark greeny-Brown tint depending on the soap oils of choice. I scent it with Lemongrass essential oil, which is quite lovely but fleeting so it only stays strongly in the soap for a few months and best for small or gift batches. At the end of the process I break open the tea bags I used for the green tea water mixture and mix it in the soap for some natural additives. Waste not, want not. It looks lovely at the end.
Thanks! Great Post!
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Cancer-Homo
Explorer
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I make my own laundry detergent. Nothing special, its just a combination of 3 different soaps mixed in water. I got the recipie from a Guy at work. I am able to make 5 gallons for $2 in raw materials.
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