Soap Makers Help!

[Morgaine]

I think the only rule is full sized bars(at least 3 oz). I am not hosting this one, but feel free to contact the hostess, Amy. I am sending my Grease Monkey soap.

 

[MSDeb]

I posted a request for more information on FB. Just in case I decide to participate I made a batch of Oatmeal, Milk and Honey with Raspberry and toasted oats and colored with turmeric. I always seem to get my hands saturated with the FO's when scenting. I smell GOOD!

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Be careful with those eo's and fo's some of them are not meant to be in direct contact with your skin.

 

[Archae]

Sorry to jump in but I have been following this thread since I joined. I have never made soap but I really have wanted to for a long time, I think now maybe the time. My reasoning is I can no longer find bars of shampoo at the store apparently they have been discontinued. I ended up buying some homemade ones online, but I am sure I could make them. I need them because my work has me on a project camping for the next 4 months and bars are so much easier to transport. Has anyone ever made shampoo or even conditioner bars?

So is your advice to a first time soap maker who wants to make shampoo? I am eager to learn I have read much of this tread but am still working my way completely through it so any help I can get would be great. I will probably start my first batch of soap in 2 weeks when I get off work again.

 

[Morgaine]

Shampoo has been talked about before on here. I do not use soap on my hair. I make my own shampoo bars out of synthetic detergents. Conditioner too. Look up syndet shampoo bar and you will find some recipes on line.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

There's a recipe in MaryJane Toths book "Goats Produce Too" for a shampoo bar. Let me know if you need the recipe. I have not made a shampoo bar yet.

 

[MSDeb]

I think Bird Brain posted one awhile back too. I just use my soap bars on my hair. Works well but I also follow up with a conditioner.

 

[MSDeb]

Please help me figure out where I messed up with this recipe.

Oatmeal, Milk and Honey

10 oz. Canola oil
5 oz. Castor oil
16 oz.Coconut oil
16 oz. olive oil
1 oz. Rice bran oil

16 oz. water
6.89 oz. lye

Toasted 1/4 tsp. oatmeal and ground it up fine. Added to oil.

FO's

1 oz. OMH
1/4 oz. Patchouli
1/4 oz. Raspberry - added to oil

1/4 tsp. turmeric mixed w/ 1 oz. glycerin -

Mixed the water & lye cooled to 100 degrees
Mixed the oils and heated to 100 degrees

Mixed the oil, water, and lye to light trace, then pulled out a good 1 1/2 cups and added the turmeric, blended w/ SB

Poured the colors back into the body of oil, poured into the mold, covered and let sit overnight (I put my soaps in the hot house from about 2 or 3 in the afternoon till morning, then bring inside).

Un-molded when I got home from work around 5:45. The soap pulled off the main body and hung onto the mold. Coroled areas look mushy. The soap smells good, it's just soft.

Will it be ok when it cures? Has anyone had this happen?

Any ideas? Did I mention it smells GOOD?

 

[saddina]

Shot you a note with how I'do it.

 

[Morgaine]

This is recipe has a lot of very soft oils in it and combine that with a lot of water I am not surprised that it is mushy. Nothing wrong with the recipe, It is just one that is going to have to sit in the mold longer.

You can help make it firmer by using less water ( I would go with 10 oz as long as you know the fo is well behaved) and by making sure that the soap goes through a very hard gell.

At almost 10.5% castor, this is still going to be soft even with the above steps. I would take 5% off the castor and add it to the Rice Bran (I love RBO!). Castor is a great oil, but unless you have 50% plus of hard oils, it is going to make for sticky soap.

I would also rethink that much canola. Keep an eye out to see if it develops DOS. Canola is known for that.

Other than that it looks like a very conditioning soap that is going great for dry skin.