Yet another new hobby.......soap!

[Mirilis]

But while I was googling for soap making, I found some recipes for making homemade body lotion. So, I think I want to do that, too.............

This time next year you will be starting your own line of woman's products!!

Let me know how the soap turns out if/when you put the hops in it ill have to try to beg a bar from you!

 

[android]

I've been reading lots about soapmaking, and seen the soap calculators. I'm still reading about ingredients. Some of the ingredients are expensive, so I'm going to play around with some basics first before I invest in too many ingredients.

The first batch is cut and curing. It sure ain't pretty, since I used a cake pan for a mold and just cut with a knife. But I think it was worthwhile.

I have plenty of goat's milk, so I am looking into using that milk for some of the soaps.

you can use cheap ingredients like crisco, cheap regular old olive oil (which is actually better for soap than EVOO), coconut oil (solid from wally, very cheap and awesome for soap), canola oil and good old 100% lye from a local hardware store (usually sold alongside the drain cleaners, but make darn sure it states 100% lye on the label). and then you can add botanical stuff like dried rosemary, coffee, oatmeal, etc. and it's awesome that you have a source for goat's milk, that will make great soap. a nice oatmeal goat's milk sounds nice! anyway, my point is that soap making can be really cheap and make really nice soap at the same time. the only stuff i had to invest in really was a hand-mixer from wally (like $10), which if you haven't read about using yet makes soap making a helluva lot easier, and a cheapo stainless steel pot (i got the set of 4 from wally a long time ago for like $20). the essential oils are where you can spend a lot, but i just tend to get the cheaper ones in bulk like peppermint, tangerine, eucalyptus, etc. glad to hear others are interested in it, it can be super addictive also! you seem to have some handy skills, so building a simple box is nice for a mold. i have one that fits a 3 lb. batch perfectly and if you're interested, i'll be happy to give you the dimensions for it. i usually end up with 8-10 nice sized bars from that size batch.

forgot to add that i definitely wouldn't recommend milling (rebatching) soap, it just doesn't turn out very good with homemade soap equipment, i've tried it a few times with shoddy success (then again, maybe i just didn't find a good method for it).

 

[thataintchicken]

But while I was googling for soap making, I found some recipes for making homemade body lotion. So, I think I want to do that, too.............

Teresa ( aka SWMBO ) sez : 1 medium size jar of Vaseline, 1 large bottle of the cheapest lotion you can find plus, any essential oil you can find --- then , whip it with a hand blender till it's thoroughly mixed and whippy ( high tech term ) and there ya go. It's not super greasy and great for right after a shower.
:rockin:

 

[BlueSunshine]

People still IM?

Yes, via Gmail.

I hope you don't think I was using that prehistoric technology called AIM.

 

[Yooper]

you can use cheap ingredients like crisco, cheap regular old olive oil (which is actually better for soap than EVOO), coconut oil (solid from wally, very cheap and awesome for soap), canola oil and good old 100% lye from a local hardware store (usually sold alongside the drain cleaners, but make darn sure it states 100% lye on the label). you seem to have some handy skills, so building a simple box is nice for a mold. i have one that fits a 3 lb. batch perfectly and if you're interested, i'll be happy to give you the dimensions for it. i usually end up with 8-10 nice sized bars from that size batch.

Well, I can't seem to find cheap olive oil, but I have all the other stuff. I know I'm looking for the refined, or pomace, one. I'm going to travel next week to the NHC, so maybe I'll find a GFS or store with cheaper oil. We're very limited here in stores. I'd love to see a picture of your box, and have the dimensions!

Teresa ( aka SWMBO ) sez : 1 medium size jar of Vaseline, 1 large bottle of the cheapest lotion you can find plus, any essential oil you can find --- then , whip it with a hand blender till it's thoroughly mixed and whippy ( high tech term ) and there ya go. It's not super greasy and great for right after a shower.
:rockin:

That sounds great! I'll have to try it.

 

[JayInJersey]

I'd love to see a picture of your box, and have the dimensions!

Mark my words.
This is gonna end up in a signature...

 

[Homercidal]

forgot to add that i definitely wouldn't recommend milling (rebatching) soap, it just doesn't turn out very good with homemade soap equipment, i've tried it a few times with shoddy success (then again, maybe i just didn't find a good method for it).

Hmm... I have not tried it yet, but the book I have made it look extremely simple. Although I did read on the internet recently that the actual method of pressing the soap between rollers is called milling, whereas the process in my book is grating and reheating with some water. It looks like a melt and remold process.

This is going to have to be a nice summer project for me once the kids are out of school and I get my sht together.

 

[Yooper]

Mark my words.
This is gonna end up in a signature...

Well, you know what I mean!

 

[android]

yeah, sorry yoop, i forget that you're in the yoop... i don't specifically look for pomace or refined, but just get the stuff that says 'olive oil' without the virgin/extra virgin designation, it works great. i'll shoot a pic of that box this afternoon and measure it up.

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

No one has responded to my reply regarding using hop extract/oil. As I don't know anything about soap making I'm legitimately curious if this is a viable option.

 

[Homercidal]

No one has responded to my reply regarding using hop extract/oil. As I don't know anything about soap making I'm legitimately curious if this is a viable option.

Not only viable, but there is one hops grower who makes it, and there is at least one lady online who makes it at home. Just google hop soap...

 

[ShortSnoutBrewing]

Good to know. But google isn't getting me anything. Closest thing was someone selling "Beer Hop Soap". No actual hops used except for what's in the beer she uses.

 

[Homercidal]

http://paperandpaint.net/tag/soap/

First hit on google "Hop Soap" search.

http://www.hopsdirect.com/hops/shop.html This place used to sell hop soap, but I don't see it on the website now.

 

[android]

yeah, it would definitely work. just like any essential oil. this is a superb idea.

 

[android]

yooper, i'll keep trying but i'm having issues connecting my camera to my computer. anyway, the box is 8 x 10.25 in (10 would be fine) and the sides are about 3 in tall (it never fills it all the way up). also, here is a site where the manufacturer lists the size of their molds and they look pretty easy to recreate (gotta scroll down a bit to the actual molds):

http://www.soap-making-resource.com/wooden-soap-molds.html

i've been wanting to make one of these as you could just use a bench scraper or something around the house to cut bars with and that slot would get you nice, even bars.

 

[alexacuna]

Thinking about trying this next week. Excited.