Soap Makers Help!

[ninjapoodles]

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Me, too.

I uncover at just about the point in my picture above--by then, it's got enough momentum to keep heating into the corners. Then I get aggressive about cooling.

 

[cheeptrick]

I prevent gel phase in milk based soaps because when the soap goes thru gel phase the milk heats UP again and completely kills any properties in the milk that would be beneficial to our skin that the first heating in the lye didn't kill. Many soapers prevent gel in milk based soaps...it is like NP stated...just a personal preference. But I just want to reiterate for those folks just starting out, that soap is forgiving and you can work with it during setting up stage. I do have a commercial mold that I have actually put in the refrigerator that prevents the soap from gelling completely. If I desire a bar of soap that is full of glycerin....I actually speed up the GEL phase. And yes...I have put my molds out in the sun on a HOT HOT July day and achieved GEL without blowing up the mold.

So the stages can be sped up or slowed down to achieve different textures/hardness of soap.

Soap does not need to gel to become soap...it is a common misconception with some. I know many in the industry who prevent the gel in their milk based soaps and this was taught to me. No milk is spoiled in my milk based soaps by the gel phase and you truly can tell by the smell of the soap when you cut it. The lather is very CREAMY white. Try it...both ways. I have customers who like the browner milk soaps...and customers who prefer the white bar. And my essential/fragrance oils do not flash off during the 2nd heating of gel phase. I notice the bars that I prevent gel phase in actually hold on to their fragrance much longer than my gelled soap.

So try either way....take a bath...test the bars...see which one you like better.

 

[redhead83402]

I got this great recipe for homemade laundry detergent from a friend of mine, it costs a total of $7.59, and you get 5 gallons of laundry detergent, which, if you use 1 cup, for heavy duty dirty loads, you get 80 uses, for less dirty loads, at 1/2 a cup, you get 160 uses!

And it's a detergent, not an actual soap, which is better for wash, not so good for skin.

Homemade Liquid Laundry Detergent at least as good as Tide, with NO fillers or scent allergens

In a 5 gallon bucket:

2/3 Naphtha Soap bar ~ grated into 6 cups of warm water

Stir until dissolved

1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1 cup Borax

Fill 5 gallon bucket with HOT water

Stir

Finished product of laundry detergent should look like ~egg soup~

Use anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on the size of the load & how soiled the laundry is.
~Red

forgot to add ~ those boxes of Borax & Washing Soda will make at least 7 more recipes of this soap, all you will have to purchase more is a few more bars of Fels Naphtha, which cuts the cost a great deal more. ;-D Also forgot to add, all these products can be found right in your grocery store laundry aisle! :-D

 

[redhead83402]

So I found some ~Rooto ~ at my local hardware store, & it says 100% lye, caustic soda, sodium hydroxide. It was only $3.56 a 16 oz container! I looked around on the internet, and found that only the pre-2006 stuff has other additives, and that this indeed does have 100% lye, & ONLY lye, so I think I am in business!!!! WWOOOHHOOOO!! Off to Wallyworld for that stick blender & a separate pan.....

Now to the business of soapmaking ~

~Red

 

[cheeptrick]

Quote:
Keep us posted Redhead...WE LOVE PHOTOS...so post some when you get into it. I'll post a photo of my curing rack....I've soaped so much it is filled from floor to ceiling!

 

[Backyard Buddies]

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That's awesome!!! I see that they carry it at Ace Hardware and I can do free ship to store if they don't have it in stock. It's a bit more than your price, but maybe I can try to do a price matching deal with them. It'd save a bundle not having to pay shipping fees!

When are you going to start????!!!

I have a natural batch going right now (waiting for everything to cool down). This one is just oils, no scents. I did infuse the olive oil with the chamomile from my garden and with some lavender buds. I cut the coconut oil down, upped the olive, and added a bit more avocado oil.

 

[redhead83402]

Thanks ladies!! I am going to do it tonight,when my husband & kids are all tucked in for the night ~the kitchen is clean & quiet...lol~
I am going to do a soothing essential oils batch, with lavender, sage, thyme,& eucalyptus ~ & I have some lavender buds from my mother's garden, and some rubbed sage I think will give a nice natural green look to it. Maybe it's a tad ambitious for a first batch, but if I have everything ready in advance, perhaps I can pull it off.

coconut oil ~ 10 oz
sesame oil ~ 2 oz
soybean oil ~ 30 oz
tallow ~ 70 oz
lye ~ 15.05 oz
milk ~ 38 oz

~Red

 

[ChickenToes]

I use Rooto as well for soaping. It's actually nice to have around, I had a clogged drain the other day.

 

[Backyard Buddies]

So redhead83402, how did it go????

 

[Jenlyn9483]

Hi everyone, Im glad we found some more Lye at Ace, I'm going to have to ck that out because I was buying the Roebics drain cleaner from Lowes and now they are Clearancing it out.

MissPrissy, or anybody that can help please, I am having trouble figuring out the calculator you linked to us. Can you please help me figure out a good mixture based on what i want to use??

I want to use a pint of Goats milk (im going to weigh it and get oz wt before I use it)

I have about 4 fl oz of Coconut oil and about 5 fl oz of Olive oil left.

I want to add ground oatmeal

And I want to use the rest of the fat in Lard however much else I need. Thanks so much.