Soap Makers Help!

[greenfamilyfarms]

In case anybody is interested, I have a wooden loaf mold and a slicer with 2 cutters (1 straight, 1 wavy) available in the auction section .

 

[SloCrevs]

After X many years of being gone, this is my first post back, and I am proud to say that I have read This. Entire. Thread.

And I made my first batch of soap 2 nights ago.
Because money is super tight and I used what I had on hand, here is my recipe:

Castor Oil: 9.38% 6oz
Coconut Oil: 26.56% 17oz
Lard: 18.75% 12oz
Olive Oil: 6.8% 4.35oz
Soybean Oil: 38.52% 24.65oz

I meant to grab 100% OO while at the store...well, turns out I grabbed the wrong jug and ended up with 85% soybean and 15% OO. Yeah, not too pleased with that.
My original plan was to make the Basic White bar from the recipes thread, but the soybean threw that out the window. Anyway, I infused the Soybean/OO combo with rosemary, and when I sniff the bar, I don't smell anything, but when in the presence of all the bars, I get a light rosemary scent, so I dunno. I made a 64oz mold all by myself with hinged sides, and lined it with a garbage bag. Chopped it up with my big butcher knife, it cut perfectly

So now it's curing in the garage, and I might be able to squeeze some OO and lard out of DH next paycheck, if not I'll have to wait till his SS kicks in again in Jan. I hope not

But I am looking forward to having an extra $800 a month (not like it's "extra" as we're barely scraping by now, but you get it) because I'll have a little extra spending money to play with!

-Sarah

ETA: My spelling/Grammar sucks...

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Sarah,
You have over 50% of 'hard' oils (coconut, lard, OO) so it should harden up nicely despite the castor & soybean.

Do you have a butcher shop around you that might process deer during this hunting season? If so, check with them about extra suet that you could render yourself. You may have to pay up to $1/lb for just the suet, but deer tallow creates such a super hard bar of soap!

 

[Renee']

What do you use to bevel the edges of your soap and if possible, please post a picture of the tool. Thank you.

 

[alabama49]

I am just starting to play with adding colors to my soap. I have ordered powder colorants from Elements B&B. Haven't received it yet but would like to get any tips or pointers on using the powder for coloring my soaps. Anyone got some advise for me???

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Renee', I use aLil' Shaver from For Craft's Sake. Before that, I used a potato peeler.

Alabama49, I'm not familiar with those colorants. Do you know if they are Ultra Marines or Oxides or something else? Ultra Marines need to be mixed with water before adding to the soap batch. Oxides need to be mixed with oil before adding to the soap batch. You can use glycerin to mix either of them.

If you do not mix powdered colors before adding to the soap batch, you risk having little pebbles of dry colorant in your soap.

 

[alabama49]

Thanks Cyndi-I'm not sure but I think from reading on the description that they are oxides. It says to mix the powder with a small amount of oil then add to the remainder of oils. I got them from elementsbathand body. I am nervous about using them as I hate to mess up a batch of soap!!!

 

[SloCrevs]

Quote:
There isn't a "real" butcher shop around here, they're all inside supermarkets or traveling butchers. For the most part everybody here processes their own meat, or ships it to a different county. However, I do know many a cattle rancher that I'm going to be having a little chat with about their suet. I've seen all your tuts multiple times, and I cannot wait to render some tallow myself! I'll have to ask around to see if any of my husbands buddies are hunting deer this year, for the most part hogs is what we hunt here. I love venison, and think wild boar is gross

Oh, and I got a lye burn on my eyebrow. Just a little speck, but I rinsed it immediately, and its just a teeny tiny scab this morning. I blame my hand blender. Thankfully I was wearing gloves and safety glasses otherwise it might have gotten my eyes. I posted about my soaps on facebook, and now a girlfriend of mine wants to come over and make soap with me!

 

[NanaKat]

I have finished my soaps for Christmas for the family. There are twenty soaps. This year I tried some more manly fragranced soaps and some traditional ones the family always requests and some new bars like the Cucumber, Apple Cider, shampoo bar and shaving bar. I have been tweaking my recipes and working on a more balanced lather/conditioning recipe. Some of the recipes are castile (all vegetable) and the others have lard mixed with up to six different oils. The most expensive was the shampoo bar costing $2.25 to make per bar. Made 401 bars averaging $1.25 in supplies per bar.

Picture 1: Left to right - Two bars Sage Mesquite, back Greentea Palmarosa Vanilla, White bar is High Country (Sandalwood, Lemongrass and Pine), in front is Rock Quary (Pinion, Campfire Mesquite, Lemongrass and Palmarosa). Next pair is Applecider Cinnamon in two shape. Far right is Rosemary with ground rosemary. The small round bar is a shaving bar.

Picture 2: Six bars - Left to right back row - Butcher's Blend (blend of citrus with Teatree oil and fine sand like a Lava bar) Petals (Ylang Ylang and Lavendar) and Tropical Cooler (Citrus EO with Coconut milk and Aloe Vera Juice). Front row: left to right Rosemary Peppermint, Poison Ivy Soother, Vanilla Almond Castile

Picture 3: Seven bars left to right - Left pair - Citris Honey Oatmeal )cleansing bar. My girls won't use anything else on their faces) and Lavendar (swirled bar)
Center three back to front - Orange Blossom Neroli, Castile CucumberLemon, and GreenTea Lavendar Patchouli. The right pair in back is a Shampoo bar scented with Lemon Verbena and in front is a Castile bar scented with Lemon Verbena

 

[ChicksterJo]

Wow NanaKat those are beautiful soaps!! and 401 bars?

I have a question for all of you...Do you think that the seasons make a difference on how your soaps turn out? Just that it's winter now (or almost anyway) and the humidity is really very low inside the house (at least in mine). Just a thought