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Cleaning Up:  Home Made Soaps  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 25 2005 : 12:47:51 PM
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Hi ladies!
Well I just finished step 1 of making my first batch of homemade soap!! I am so excited!
I used coconut oil, olive oil, and vegetable shortning and lye. Oh and Sweet Orange essential oil for some scent, although that coconut was smelling pretty good!
Right now it is on my back poarch "setting up" as I like to say :). I can hardly wait for Monday so I can see what I get out of it. I am a bit afraid to mess with it sooner because I want all the lye completely gone!
Ciao
Alee |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Jun 25 2005 : 11:45:20 PM
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Congratulations Alee...I love making soap..such a miracle to me!! Sweet orange..now that sounds nice!
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things! |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 04:32:15 AM
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Good Morning! I am warning you soapmaking is addictive! Just a little note on your choice of fragrance. You will probably find that after a little while you will no longer smell the orange. Cold processed (I am assuming that is what you made)soap eats up citrus scents like you wouldn't believe. You can get the orange scent but not from essential oil. You would have to buy and use a skin safe fragrance oil. Not wanting to burst your bubble (no pun intended!) just thought I might help you some when choosing to scent your soaps.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 07:06:37 AM
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I think I may have goofed...I did not have the money to go buy a scale for weighing the lye, so I did a calculation and tried to use dry measure to get approximatly close- just so I can know how strong my soaps are (I don't want to sell/give them out as hand soaps if it could burn people- not that I have noticed a problem with me yet)
But could some kind soul tell me how much 5/6 of a cup of lye weighs? That would be 2/3 and then .5 of a 1/3 cup. :) I think I made them extra strong, but that would be okay too because I would use them to start my cleaning product line and probably laundry soap too.
BTW- I am glad I am addicted! I am thinking of making another batch today if I can con my BF to buy me the scale. :)
Ciao
Alee |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 08:47:07 AM
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I hope I don't sound negative but you have got to measure properly. ESPECIALLY if anyone besides yourself if going to use the soap. Lye heavy soap can be very VERY harsh to a persons skin. And god forbid they get it in their eyes or on other delicate areas.
I just want to advise you to make lots of soap and perfect your craft before you even give it away much less sell it. A postal scale will work good. Digital--available at lots of places for $25 or so. WORTH every cent. I have been making soap for 18 years and I can tell you there is a lot of work, calculating and measuring goes into every batch. I made soap for 12 years before I ever sold it or even gave it away.
Saponification values vary on each oil and all that has to be calculated. You need to find a saponification chart and lye calculator before you make another batch. They are both available online. Saponification is a very precise chemical reaction. Any left over lye after saponification can be trouble - real trouble.
Good luck...keep learning.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 08:52:18 AM
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Don't worry- That is why I was asking for someone to double check my measure- I don't want to hurt anyone.
Also I have already looked at all the charts and the measurement guides. I already knew about the scales- but if you read my post above- I couldn't afford to buy one this weekend. I just need to wait a week until I can afford my own scale and check my own measure or have some kind soul measure and check for me.
Thanks for your well-meaning advice, but I am not about to endanger myself or anyone else. All of my measurements were carefully done and thought out- and I AM concerned- thats why I asked someone to double check it for me.
I value my reputation as a good buisness woman here in town and I am not about to ruin that by selling bad soap!
I know your comments were probably well intentioned, but they did seem negative and hurtful. I am not the type of person that would endanger anyone or would not research things before doing them. |
Edited by - Alee on Jun 26 2005 08:54:41 AM |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 09:01:21 AM
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I certainly didnt mean anything hurtful. You said in the earliest email that you made your first batch. So I assumed you were a novice. Maybe I misunderstood. If you already have a business established then I was definitely out of line and I apologize. I will measure for you in a moment and let you know the weight.
I am a kind soul. Just misunderstood your experience.
Hope I am forgiven.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 09:06:55 AM
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5/6 of a cup equals 8.3 ounces - the way I arrived at this is dry measure so I hope that is what you wanted.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 09:20:10 AM
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I am a novice at making soap, but I did not just decide to do it on a whim, I did research and looked at many recipies and cautions and all sorts of things for about 2 weeks before even attempting to make my first batch.
Since I was aiming for between 8-9 ounces of lye ( for the style of soap I wanted) I am happy my measurement was so close. That was the only thing I was worried about, but since this was my only free weekend for about a month it was either now- or August! :)
My long term goals is to develop a line of homemade soaps, cleaning products ect to sell to the public along with my current buisness which is House Cleaning buisness. But I already have my housekeeping buisness going and I have (if I do say so myself) a pretty good reputation that I would not want to spoil by selling shoddy goods...thats why the homemade soaps ect are a LONG term goal.
This batch was just the first of many- I was shooting for a harsher soap for doing laundry- dishes- washing floors ect but that would still be organic and smell good. So the lye content is slightly higher than if I was going to be using it say in the Bathroom.
I am excited to see how it does washing clothes.
I appreciate you help in measuring out the lye for my double-checked peace of mind. I get a bit obsessive about making sure everything is perfectly the way I want it when I am creating things and since this was my first batch of lye soap I wanted an expert to double check my calculations.
So anyway- Thank you very much for your advice about not selling until I have more experience- I promise you this is a long term goal...not something I will be selling next saturday at the Farmers Market! :)
And also thank you for double-check on the measurment.
Ciao
Alee |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 09:25:39 AM
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You are most welcome. I really meant no harm by what I said. I too am very cautious about what I put out there. So I understand your concerns. Good luck with your business and the addition of soaps. Sandy Maine has a great book that has all sorts of recipes for home cleaning products. Some of the recipes may contain ingredients you don't want to use...such as SLS, but with some research you could substitute for organic ingredients.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 09:34:14 AM
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Thank you for your great advice! I appreciate it!
Ciao
Alee |
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Coffee and a Muffin
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Kim
GA
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 10:15:31 AM
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| Susan, thank you for the warnings. I've never made soap, but I've wanted to for a long time. I'm a little nervous because of the lye, but I imagine that's a GOOD thing! ;) I need all the advice I can get. Would you please recommend a book or two for me to get started? Also, I was wondering if essential oils can be used for scenting the soap. I've got quite a few that I'd love to find a good use for. Thanks for any help you can give! Blessings, Kim |
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TheSoapMaven
True Blue Farmgirl
691 Posts
Susan
LA
USA
691 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 10:56:32 AM
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Kim if you will email me your address privately, I will send you a copy of a little book I wrote...Soapmaking 101 ~The Science of Saponification. It will get you started...small batches and the essential information. There are also TONS of web sites with recipes and information. Anything by Sandy Maine is good. Many essential oils won't hold their properties past aromatherapy in lye soap. And many won't hold that very well. There are so many fragrances made especially for cold processed soapmaking that are skin safe and specifically for soaps and lotions. And really not all essential oil are skin safe. Some cause photosensitivity, should never be used by pregnant women, nursing mothers etc. Natural/essential oils doesnt always mean safer. Anything that can be absorbed should be used with caution.
I really hope what I am trying to say is coming across as I mean it. I have been at this a long time and still have so much to learn. I am not trying to sound like I know it all...I certainly don't. But there are a few things that need to be considered.
Blessings & Bliss!.· ´¨¨)) -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨))
((¸¸.·´ .·´ -:¦:-~Susan~
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´*
Wife, Mother, Natural Woman, Savonnière, Writer, Baker, Gardener.
Soulmate to Jerry for 30 years
Mom to Zach, Gesikah, Nathan, Hannah, Rachel and Benjamin
Yetta to Sam
"It's no bad thing to celebrate a simple life" ~ Bilbo Baggins
If your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you need to seriously re-examine your life. |
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Coffee and a Muffin
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Kim
GA
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2005 : 2:05:43 PM
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| Thank you, Susan! I just emailed you. I think you sound very knowledgeable and I appreciate you sharing your wisdom here. :) |
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LJRphoto
True Blue Farmgirl
760 Posts
Laura
Hickory Corners
MI
USA
760 Posts |
Posted - Jul 13 2005 : 11:48:38 PM
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| Hello thesoapmaven/Susan. I'm hoping you can guide me to the safest first soap project. My daughter and I do melt and pour soaps together and have a great time doing it. We made 100 lovely little glycerine soaps as favors for my recent wedding. I know that any project involving lye is not a safe endeavor for a child, so both my children will be safely away when I do work up the courage to try my hand at "real" soapmaking. I've done enough research on the process to be a little bit frightened by the process, so I'm hoping you can guide me to the safest possible first soap project. I don't mind if my first 100 batches can only be used for household cleaning, I just like the idea of being less dependent on one more corporation. |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Jul 14 2005 : 11:48:08 AM
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I too had problems with orange oil. And the smell did not stay after the process was finished. It was the first scented oil we used and not only did it not smell but it also affected the saponifiation. So we got a little intimedated about using essentail oils. But after talking to a few a of you gals were going to try again, this time using lavender.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 3:39:55 PM
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We did our soap today!!! I was scared to death of the lye but once we got through one batch I was ok. The lye is the only thing that has kept me from making soap all these years. But now that I know to just be very careful I'll be making soap like crazy. We did a batch of rosemary/mint and one of lavender. The book we had said it would take at least 15 minutes to trace but ours traced in about 5. We have it all covered up on the kitchen counter. I looked at one of the batches and it actually feels hotter than when we poured it into the mold. And down the middle it actually like it has melted. Is that a normal thing?
Kay - Living in Beautiful Washington State
North Clark County Farmgirls and
Sisterhood of the Traveling Art |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 9:20:49 PM
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As the soap saponifies (changes the oil and lye to soap) it can heat up quite a bit. One article I read said it could go up to 180 degrees. I had my soap outside today as it saponified and it never set up and had the melted look all day until the sun set and it cooled down to less than 100 degrees outside...then it set up quickly. Perhaps your kitchen was a bit hot? As long as it sets up it should not be a problem (in my somewhat limited experience)
Good Luck!
Ciao
Alee |
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Coffee and a Muffin
Farmgirl in Training
38 Posts
Kim
GA
USA
38 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 9:25:07 PM
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| Kay, you made me feel a bit more brave with your post. I am also chicken about the lye. I have to quit being such a ninny about this! |
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citygoatlady
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
82 Posts |
Posted - Jul 16 2005 : 10:04:14 PM
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Scent for Soap: put your favorite scent, oil, scented hand lotion, etc., on some absorbent paper. Put your soap which is finished aging, into a plastic bag with the scented paper. Close up the bag and leave it long enough. The soap will absorb the scent. You avoid cooking the scent out this way, and you can choose from a lot more scents.
Find local raw milk on www.localharvest.com. "If you complain about farmers, don't do it with your mouth full." |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2005 : 4:47:27 PM
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I can't believe it but our soap was totally cool and ready to cut this AM. The book that we had said to wait 48 hours but it was less than 24! So we cut it and it is now curing. However, we didn't get enough EO in either batch. We were afraid to overdo it and only put about 15 drops of lavender in a 4 lb batch. But we'll just sell this as "lightly scented".
Kim -- go for it!! I was literally sweating bullets yesterday as I was pouring the lye into the water. The main thing I was worried about was the fumes but they go away after about 2 minutes. I mixed the lye and water outside, waited for it to clear, and then took it inside.
Kay - Living in Beautiful Washington State
North Clark County Farmgirls and
Sisterhood of the Traveling Art |
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citygoatlady
True Blue Farmgirl
82 Posts
82 Posts |
Posted - Jul 17 2005 : 5:56:34 PM
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I watched a soapmaking demo where the lady mixed the lye into the stuff, and the whole thing was sitting in another container of ICE WATER. The ice water cooled it off real quickly, so you didn't have to stir for 45 minutes waiting for it to cool. She said there's no need for it to be hot a long time. The whole batch was done in an hour, and the soap was nice and mild. She sold loads and loads of it through the year.
Find local raw milk on www.localharvest.com. "If you complain about farmers, don't do it with your mouth full." |
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Graeme
Farmgirl at Heart
1 Posts
Graeme
Thunder Bay
Ontario
Canada
1 Posts |
Posted - May 08 2006 : 3:03:08 PM
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Hi there everyone,
My name is Graeme, I have just finished making a website for a woman named Elizabeth. She is a retired nurse who makes her own soaps and sells them. She has been doing it privately for years and I decided to help her take it to the internet by putting together the website. She does soaps (all homemade), bath salts, lotions (hand and foot), lip balms, bath bombs, and also sells mechanics hand cleaners!
Right now I am looking for people to give feedback on it - you all seem to have an interest in home made soaps - I would appreciate any input. As well, Elizabeth has contact information on her website - so if you want to ask her questions or give comments feel free.
Just click this link below:
http://www.scentsationalsmells.com/bath-bombs-soaps-gift-baskets-homemade-lotions-bars-hand-foot-salts-for-sale.htm |
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therusticcottage
True Blue Farmgirl
4439 Posts
Kay
Vancouver
WA
USA
4439 Posts |
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momdrinkstea
True Blue Farmgirl
180 Posts
Elizabeth
Ozark
AL
USA
180 Posts |
Posted - Jan 08 2011 : 10:20:06 AM
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Any other books to recommend for beginners to soapmaking?
THANKS!
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: To prove to the opossum that it could be done!
Stacked Stone Farm www.stackedstonefarm.blogspot.com |
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Cleaning Up: Home Made Soaps |
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Home Made Soaps
