Soap Makers Help!

[bockbock2008]

Gordonhill is waaaayyyy farther along in reading this thread than me but I can tell you with the ONE

batch of coffee scented soap I've been able to make since I started making soap a week and a half ago that even with triple strength coffee, and added grounds, the small did not come through so I'm guessing you will have to add a FO.

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

When I make a coffee & cream soap, I use triple brewed coffee (I'm too frugal and will pour brewed coffee thru the same grounds 3 or more times), then I freeze the coffee. I use this in 2 different ways.

Sometimes I will make a layered soap. The bottom layer using the frozen coffee as the only liquid for the lye solution and the top layer using whole (raw) milk with the cream as the only liquid for the lye solution. (You could duplicate with store bought milk by adding 2 pints of heavy cream to 2 quarts of milk and freezing). Additionally, for the coffee layer, I grind coffee grounds extra fine in a spice mill.

The other way is using 1/2 frozen coffee & 1/2 whole (raw) milk as the only liquid for the lye solution (not making layers.

I do NOT scent this and no scent comes through.

This is my 'Kitchen Sink' soap. It is there to remove odors from your hands!!

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

WOW I'm on post 538e Boy I have a pile of notes here

I have learned so much just from all the experinces from those who have shared on here.

For those who are just starting out -- I strongly advise you too go to the beginning of this thread and start reading

make sure you have a note book there are plenty of recipes and information on scents and coloring and packageing and ... honestly everytime I read someone asking what book they should get -- I think WOW you you really ought to just read the information in front of you

better than any book I've ever bought ( think about it -- you don't understand something you have someone to ask )

Now for a couple of things --1( am I right in what in what I think learned --most natural colorings tend to fade or distort durring cureing time ?
2( fuseing herbs gives the oil some of the plants properities but doesn't transfer scent or color very well ?
3( no matter where I look I cann't seem to find a answer to these questions so please if someone could answer or direct me to where I might find a answer--
What is the purpose of putting raw food in our soaps ? does it give the soap a value for our skin or is it just for the label ( to say it contains )
and cocoa powder -I know it is used for coloring - but does it last for any real length of time ? And by useing these ingredients does it change the way soap is
stored ? And what is the difference in the shelf life of say milk based soap as to water based soap and say pureed food milk based soap ?
oh yes and what does the cocoa powder do to our pores? ( just a guess but I would think be very clogging ) My friends teenage daughter asked me this one.

I'm really kinda sad I'm already at the end

I really have enjoyed reading this thread a great deal

and hope that some of the people that started it are doing well still . Morgaine you are such a gift . Thank you for all your hard work in searching out resources to share and incouraging others to share also . MullersLaneFarm your purtty awesome also -- every so many pages I've read a newbie ask the same questions that the one before did and you always answer with such patience like it was the first time some asked . Well enough jibbering i guess I'll go finish my last couple of pages and go to bed -- By the way I hope your NEW YEAR is brite and full ~~~ Tammy

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

finished ~~~ Good night ~~~ Tammy

 

[Sooner]

Quote:
X2 Very well said. Thanks to all of you that help out the rest of us that are learning.

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
X2 Very well said. Thanks to all of you that help out the rest of us that are learning.

Yes, Tammy nailed it...Ladies mentoring others with patience.!!

 

[NanaKat]

Quote:
I answered in bold face.

 

[Gordonhillfarm]

Thank you

NanaKat

 

[ChicksterJo]

I have a question..it's not about soap but about body butter. I want to make my own..I love body butter and I've tried this shea-based one at a natural foods store near me and I always sneak to the tester jar when I go lol. I want to know if a preservative is needed for a body butter that doesn't contain any water.

 

[Morgaine]

If it is just a whipped shea kind of thing and you are using this for only you and not selling it, I would say it is fine with no preservatives. What was on the ingredient list?

I have a sample of body butter base from The Sage and I am just in love with this stuff. OMG it is amazing!! My sister in law was fighting me for it, lol.

I have not been able to get a scent when infusing oils or using herbs. The only exception has been bananas. I swear they add a banana bread note to my Fruity Oaty soap. The scent is a mix of berry, melon and OMH scents but the final soap has that banana bread note to it. But I haven't made banana soap without scent to compare.

Now, coffee grounds will add a VERY strong scent to scrubs. And they will also turn your tub brown lol. I haven't had the scent make it in the soap though.

As far as cocoa powder, a little goes a very long way. I use it all the time for swirls and lines. I haven't had any experience with it clogging pours and I have very sensitive skin. I have had good results with cocoa powder not fading. yes it did lighten, but did not fade out completly. As long as you are not too heavy handed, it shouldn't stain either.

I do think that somethings like cucumber add something to the soap. Some of it is added for label appeal. bananas were added beacuse I wanted a Fruity Oaty bar and I was kinda going with a granola theme with that one. I thing they are fun to make too. I do not change the way I store the soap at all. I do make sure that any food I use is pureed very fine though!

If you have a stable soap, it will be fine if made with water, milk or cucumbers. I have bars of milk soap from 2008 that are DOS free.