Soap making?

[PrettySquareGal]

I'm thinking about experimenting with making soap. Has anyone tried this?

 

[scotrace]

The acknowledged expert:

 

[Becky]

a few times . . .

I have made soap on occassion, just out of curiosity. It can get very techinical with the lye to fat/oil ratios (these are amounts you can look up on the net) I used corn oil and lye. Remember, lye is very caustic when the water is added; wear protective clothing if you think you'll be even a little clumsy or shaky with the mix. It used to take days to set up and you had to babysit it by stirring, but I spend up the process to an hour by using a stick blender. It then has to set up and finish saponifiying for at least a month, to adjust the alkalinity. You can add most anything to the soap for color, feel, or smell just before you pour it into molds. Look up instructions online and good luck !

 

[pretty faythe]

When getting the ingrediants make sure that it is LYE and not drain opener crystals that you are getting, I think red devil is who the drain opener is, I cant think from the top of my mind right now. The drain opener has added chemicals that are bad bad bad!!


The following link will take you to some basics, Tonys is a good one for beginners. Don't forget to read about the safety!! Lye is very casutic and burns like a son of a *&^% Also, dont forget about trial and error, it takes time to get it right.
http://www.homeschoolzone.com/pp/crafts/soap.htm

After some practice, you can go here and create your own recipie. Put in the amounts of oils you want and the calculator will tell you how much liquids and lye you need.

http://www.brambleberry.com/lye_calc_1.php

If you were talking about melt and pour here is a link
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/dc_soapmaking.html

Hope this helps!

 

[PrettySquareGal]

Yes, I was thinking about a melt and pour type thing.

Thanks, all.

 

[Small Town Girl]

The acknowledged expert:

A wonderful example!I have never made soap.Do any of you know how to make glycerine or castille soaps??

 

[pretty faythe]

An easy fun to play with idea for melt and pour would be to buy a few bars of glycerine soap (or buy a block of it from wal-mart or jo-anns or what not) and a round luffa sponge. Grab an empty veggie/soup can, oil the sides and bottom with veggie oil, put luffa in said can. Cut the glycerin bar into small blocks or slivers, nuke in micro for like 30 seconds at a time, always checking and watching, when melted, pour into can over luffa. When hardened, open the other end of can and slide out. Cut into slices and you have a nice scrubby soap. You can also buy essential oils or body quality frag oils (if they are not stated that they are safe on skin, dont buy, other wise you hurt your skin, rash, etc) to mix into the melted soap before you pour it into the luffa.

I know wal-mart will occasionally sell the blocks of gycerian/mel and pour soaps in their craft section, and sometimes they sell soap kits. Jo-Anns carry the soaps more often. Along with fragrences, molds, etc.

 

[Small Town Girl]

Thank you for the information!

 

[Rosie]

Some friends of mine and I are playing with the idea of soap making.

 

[Phil]

This might help a little bit. Who doesn't love the Paper Street Soap Company?

 

[pretty faythe]

lol...oh my gosh!!

 

[Jay]

This might help a little bit. Who doesn't love the Paper Street Soap Company?

My first thought at the title of this thread.

"This is a chemical burn."

 

[Lady Day]

This is so cool! This thread makes me wish there were a Home forum for all things vintage related for the house/office and the like


LD