Soap Makers Help!

[ChicksterJo]

The link doesn't work but if it's the Lou-Ana brand that is the one I've been using and so far so good

For your first one you might want to just focus on doing a very plain recipe, no additives. It was hard for me to NOT add anything, but I didn't anyway and it is still one of my favorites after doing 7 or 8 (I lost count) batches. I'm still a newbie so I will wait for the experts to help you lol.

 

[itsy]

I fixed the link, Jo! Thanks!

I'm just so antsy to dive into this that I want to add everything!

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

Just curious... what does everyone here use for gloves? I use Playtex Disposables Great Lengths. They are chemical & puncture resistant and latex-free, but the backs of my hands are still soooo irritated after making soap. It took days of keeping lanolin on the backs of my hands the last time I made soap before they were back to normal. There's got to be something better, or maybe something to coat the backs of my hands so they're not as irritated in the end. Help?!?!

 

[ChicksterJo]

I don't know what gloves I've been using but they are kind of thick (they're made out of some kind of plastic) and they go past my wrists. I just found them around the house

 

[WomanInTheWoods]

Quote:
Like the thick cleaning gloves, right? I can't wear those, they drive me nuts. Too heavy I guess... I was happy to find these thin ones; it's as close to bare as I dare to get working with lye. I guess I'll try moisturizing the heck out of my hands early in the day and then apply some baby powder or something in the gloves. A couple hours is too long to have anything on my hands! I don't even like wearing gloves in the winter. I guess my hands are claustrophobic. lol

 

[Renee']

Quote:
Try putting Bag Balm on before you don the gloves. The ingredients in the bag balm plus the warmth from the gloves will work like a sauna and your hands should be soft an not irritated.

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

WitW,
Although I wear a full face shield, I do not wear any gloves anymore.

I had one too many experiences with a piece of lye getting inside my glove (which was damp from my hands sweating) and getting burned before I could get the glove off and rinse my hand with water. I do remove rings, watches & bracelets and I wear short sleeves or roll my sleeves up so they do not catch any lye or lye dust that could un-expectantly burn me. I keep my hands very, very, very dry as lye & lye dust is attracted to moisture.

Since I make milk soaps exclusively, the lye solution is the last thing I make. My oils are ready to go, my frozen milk is weighed up and chunked into 1" or smaller pieces. I'm able to mix up the lye and milk within a couple of minutes and pour it into the waiting oils, give it a burst of the stick blender. Since my hands are not encumbered by gloves, at the first tingling of lye, I'm able to turn on the faucet and rinse that spot all the while stirring my lye solution or mixing my oils and lye solution.

Someone mentioned heating their liquid oils and then adding the weighed solid oils. Just a suggestion here. Back when I weighed up oils for individual batches, I didn't heat my liquid oils. I weigh out my solid oils and put them on a low heat, then weigh my liquid oils. When I remove the melted solid oils from the heat, I add them into my liquid oils, make up the lye/milk solution and I'm ready to go. Now a days, I use a 'master batch' method where I will weigh up enough oils for 5-6 batches (about 90 lbs of oil) and combine them all & store it. When I go to make soap, I merely have to stir up my master batch, weigh out the total amount of oils needed and away I go! It sure is a time saver.

Post about vinegar & water on lye spills. WATER is ALWAYS the best method to use. Picture this ... baking soda is a weak base (lye is a much stronger base). Grab a cup and put a couple teaspoons of baking soda in it. Now pour vinegar into that cup. What happens?? Yup, you get a chemical reaction that cause the baking soda to foam and froth. Grab another cup and put in a couple teaspoons of baking soda in it. Pour water into that cup. What happens?? Nothing ... no chemical reaction, just a dilution of baking soda.

Lye reacts the same way only stronger since it is a stronger base. Putting vinegar directly on lye will produce an exothermic (heat producing) chemical reaction which will cause that lye burn to burn more. Rinsing with water will only dilute the lye, making the base weaker.

eta:
Oh, and as for what to put on your hands ... try a bit a lard, a real thin coat. You'll be surprised!!!

 

[tamsflock]

Hello, I am new to soap making have 3 small batches under my belt here is a picture of the first three batches I made molds out of batch 1 and 3. I think I may have used too much Pam on the molds and they made oil pockets resulting in the holes on the soap. They stuck just a little the first time around eye, ear and tits so I used more guess I will not use that much again.. This is the recipe I used but split the water amount with goats milk for first and third batches. second batch with the light green had the most goats milk and castor oil was in that recipe so it is a little diff. Added yellow dyy to the third batch looking at picture the one to the right and it didn't go yellow a darker tan? Woops but its ok with me. I like the creamy white color of my first batch the best and that was my learning experience batch. Got the oils too hot had to wait fo them to cool down mixed the oil and lye at 115 now I mix at 100 like that temp a lot better.

Base Ingredients Ounces Percentage
Coconut Oil 9.524 oz. 30%
Olive Oil 12.699 oz. 40%
Palm Oil 9.524 oz. 30%
Distilled Water 11.502 oz. I split the water 5.5 fresh goatsmilk and 6 water for my first batch
Lye 4.432 oz.

 

[Morgaine]

Very pretty!!

 

[ChicksterJo]

They are very pretty..I love the goat ones!