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Being a complete soapmaking n00b, but wanting to get started in the hobby, I've 2 questions: why is it a bad thing to whip air into soap? I thought that was made Ivory soap float. And when it comes to adding scent(s), some scents are more powerful than others, how do you determine the proper amount(s) to add? Do you just use your nose?
Regards, GF.
 
gratus fermentatio said:
Being a complete soapmaking n00b, but wanting to get started in the hobby, I've 2 questions: why is it a bad thing to whip air into soap? I thought that was made Ivory soap float. And when it comes to adding scent(s), some scents are more powerful than others, how do you determine the proper amount(s) to add? Do you just use your nose?
Regards, GF.
Click to expand...

There are calculators for the scents. Some scents react with the lye which is why smelling the soap up front doesn't always mean what it is going to smell like after saponification.
 
No pictures yet, but I just made a new batch of salt soap. It is made with goat's milk and white sugar (just 1 tsp ppo). I used Lemon Creme fragrance oil from Bulk Apothecary, and it smells divine. I love using fresh, fruity scents with salt soaps.

gratus fermentatio said:
Being a complete soapmaking n00b, but wanting to get started in the hobby, I've 2 questions: why is it a bad thing to whip air into soap? I thought that was made Ivory soap float. And when it comes to adding scent(s), some scents are more powerful than others, how do you determine the proper amount(s) to add? Do you just use your nose?
Regards, GF.
Click to expand...


Whipping air into soap isn't bad! Some people actually use a kitchenaid mixer or electric handheld mixer to make whipped soaps specifically! It isn't something I've tried personally, but it seems very nifty.

A lot of companies that produce the scents also have recommendations on the amounts to use per pound of oils. I know the fragrance oils I buy from Bulk Apothecary are particularly strong, so I use less of their scents than other suppliers I've gotten fragrances from. Their essential oils are pretty good too, but I just use the same amounts in soap as I do EOs from other places.

Just ask a supplier what they recommend if they don't have it on the product description. They usually have enough experience making soap or discussing the topic with soapers who've used it that they know how much works with soapmaking. I find most companies respond to an email quite promptly and thoroughly (especially helpful when I want a copy a product's MSDS).
 
Yooper said:
They set up HARD and FAST, so using individual molds or a single small block mold is recommended. You can usually cut within a couple of hours of making them. If you wait, you can't cut them at all.
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I have definitely ruined a batch of salt soap by waiting too long to unmold it and cut. I did that quite recently, actually! Thankfully it still works wonderfully, despite not being very pretty. I am sure I could call it "rustic" and that would be fine, hah!

Bay Rum Salt Sugar Soap.jpg


Bay Rum Salt Soap 2.jpg
 
I think I'm going to stick with individual cavity molds for salt soaps in the future. I love big, hand cut bars, but I unmolded and cut this while it was only a couple hours old. Still warm, managed to break some bars.

Ingredients: Coconut oil, coarse kosher salt, goat's milk, NaOH, white sugar, Lemon Creme natural fragrance oil.

The milk came from my own goats. The two girls I have in milk will be dried up soon, so alas, soon I will be without their lovely milk. My first doe due to kid this year will hopefully bring kids into the world on April 22nd, so not too long to wait (all my kids are dam raised though, so I don't get to steal milk from their mother for a while so the kids can get most of it).

Lemon Creme Salt 2.jpg


Lemon Creme Salt 1.jpg
 
Man, I have to build a mold for my soap!

Visited FIL in AZ last week and it turns out his wife makes her own soap too. She does the store bought soap and rebatches it with her own touches, but she also makes her own laundry soap and whatnot. Small world.
 
Taiin said:
I think I'm going to stick with individual cavity molds for salt soaps in the future. I love big, hand cut bars, but I unmolded and cut this while it was only a couple hours old. Still warm, managed to break some bars.

Ingredients: Coconut oil, coarse kosher salt, goat's milk, NaOH, white sugar, Lemon Creme natural fragrance oil.

The milk came from my own goats. The two girls I have in milk will be dried up soon, so alas, soon I will be without their lovely milk. My first doe due to kid this year will hopefully bring kids into the world on April 22nd, so not too long to wait (all my kids are dam raised though, so I don't get to steal milk from their mother for a while so the kids can get most of it).
Click to expand...

Nice soaps! I do molds and cutting on my most of my cold process soaps, but salt bars are mold only these days lol. For me they just come out much nicer and easier to deal with. 3" PVC pipe cut into 11/2" pieces make nice salt bar (or soap in general ;)) molds. I tape butchers paper to the bottoms and line them up on trays and pour.

Pumpkin Salt Bars:




@Melana, nice bars!
 
@Melana - being the rockhound that I am - your bars remind me of some beautiful slabs of cut rock!

@chunkwagon - great job - love your molds, what an easy way to make perfect rounds, and be able to just push them out of the molds.
 
Melana said:
Thanks! I'm just getting my business off the ground here. My family blames @Yooper
Click to expand...

I know. Tell them I'm sorry about that. But it could have been worse- I could have got us into scuba diving or sky diving, both of which are far more expensive!

And, your family has very nice skin as a benefit.
 
chunkwagon said:
Nice soaps! I do molds and cutting on my most of my cold process soaps, but salt bars are mold only these days lol. For me they just come out much nicer and easier to deal with. 3" PVC pipe cut into 11/2" pieces make nice salt bar (or soap in general ;)) molds. I tape butchers paper to the bottoms and line them up on trays and pour.

Pumpkin Salt Bars:




@Melana, nice bars!
Click to expand...


Chuckwagon, that is an awesome way to make salt soaps! I bet those smell amazing, it looks great.

Melana, definitely could have chosen worse things to get into. Soap making is rather tame! And as Yooper mentioned, it certainly results in nice skin.

I wasted some beer this weekend by turning it into soap. Well, it was half beer and half goat's milk. I took what I needed from the growler, and the rest was quickly polished off (not by me, I just took a small amount to taste but didn't want to be soaping and drinking at the same time. Seemed logical.).
 
We haven't talked soap in ages on this forum.

I am still loving the spa salt bars, and so I had a friend come over yesterday and we made some. I'm doing them mostly in silicone loaf pans, pouring them thin, and making four bars out of the one loaf. One 16 ounce (oils only) batch makes 8 bars this way.

One of my favorite combos is still 90% coconut oil, 10% castor oil, 20% superfat, with 50% salt (of the oils' total weight). So, in this case it's 14.4 ounces coconut oil, 1.6 ounces castor oil, 2.28 ounces of lye, and 8 ounces of salt. I used rosemary essential oil, but not much- just enough for a small amount of "fresh" scent.
IMG_4996[1].jpg

IMG_4998[1].jpg
 
Yooper said:
We haven't talked soap in ages on this forum.

I am still loving the spa salt bars, and so I had a friend come over yesterday and we made some. I'm doing them mostly in silicone loaf pans, pouring them thin, and making four bars out of the one loaf. One 16 ounce (oils only) batch makes 8 bars this way.

One of my favorite combos is still 90% coconut oil, 10% castor oil, 20% superfat, with 50% salt (of the oils' total weight). So, in this case it's 14.4 ounces coconut oil, 1.6 ounces castor oil, 2.28 ounces of lye, and 8 ounces of salt. I used rosemary essential oil, but not much- just enough for a small amount of "fresh" scent.
View attachment 348810

View attachment 348811
Click to expand...

I think I'm just starting to come out of my soaping overload mode from the holidays lol.
I do have a hemp oil liquid soap base in the freezer that I made months ago that I need to get out and play with.
 
B-Hoppy said:
Melana's are nice on their own, mine need props, haha! Soaping is a lot of fun and can't wait to retire to have more time to spend with it.
Click to expand...

I don't see anything shabby about those. But I do like the props along with the bars themselves.
 
B-Hoppy said:
Melana's are nice on their own, mine need props, haha! Soaping is a lot of fun and can't wait to retire to have more time to spend with it.
Click to expand...

Yours look like you got inspired by your "hippie" t-shirts! Don't you always wear psychedelic t-shirts? At least every time I've seen you, you've had those t-shirts on, I think!

I love it.
 
Thanks dcrog & yooper. The props are what they are - things to get folks over to the hop candy booth! I do really like making them but usually prefer to wear the more earth toned ones. The (controlled) randomness of the final patterns always amuses me. Like you say, the soaps that you make are usually much easier on your skin than the detergent bars they sell at the store!
 
Are the silicon bread pans reusable for food??
Yoopers recipe on the 2nd page shows 2 full bread pans.Is that a double batch or will the recipe make 2 bread pans..Getting ready for our first soapmaking!!
 
JONNYROTTEN said:
Are the silicon bread pans reusable for food??
Yoopers recipe on the 2nd page shows 2 full bread pans.Is that a double batch or will the recipe make 2 bread pans..Getting ready for our first soapmaking!!
Click to expand...

You could wash them and use them for food, I guess. But I don't. Just in case there is some residue or something.

If I use 25 ounces of oils, that is enough for one loaf pan.
 
$5 online soap making class. Figured Id share.As a noob for $5 its worth taking a look

Cant paste link for some reason.Google "groupon online soap making class" and it should come up if your interested.7 days remaining as of today
 
Those are great, Mouse!

It's funny that once you start using handmade good quality soap that you can't believe you ever used that detergent stuff from the store.

Bob noticed that when we travel, I don't usually bring a bar of soap for the motel stays and he hated the soaps in the hotel. He actually came to me and told me that he never realized how much he loved our soaps at home, until he was using hotel soaps and noticed how harsh they felt. I guess it's like brewing in that aspect- home made is often the best.
 
Yooper said:
Those are great, Mouse!



It's funny that once you start using handmade good quality soap that you can't believe you ever used that detergent stuff from the store.



Bob noticed that when we travel, I don't usually bring a bar of soap for the motel stays and he hated the soaps in the hotel. He actually came to me and told me that he never realized how much he loved our soaps at home, until he was using hotel soaps and noticed how harsh they felt. I guess it's like brewing in that aspect- home made is often the best.
Click to expand...


Bob is spoiled.
 

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