# Newbie: Basic and simple hot/cold process soap making



## timmy76 (Feb 7, 2016)

Hi everyone!  i'm from Belgium and i have tried making soaps with MP but very interested in trying cold or hot process soap. But since i'm a complete beginner i was wondering if anyone can give me or point me to a simple/easy recipe? Appreciate the help!  thank you!!


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## Susie (Feb 7, 2016)

Hey and welcome!

If you will wander through the beginner section, it is loaded with recipes and tips.  And you will learn much that you did not even know that you needed to know!  Be sure to pay attention to the stickies in there.  They have loads of info that you will need to understand.  Basic ideas from the acronyms we use to zap testing that you need so that you will begin speaking the language.


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## timmy76 (Feb 7, 2016)

Thank you for the tip Susie!!


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## dixiedragon (Feb 7, 2016)

I like www.millersoap.com.

What ingredients do you have access to? We can help you come up with a simple recipe based on those.


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## Steve85569 (Feb 7, 2016)

Welcome to the forum.
You already got some real good advice ( no surprise) .

If you have no aversion to animal fats lard in combination with olive oil ( pomace works just as well as the more expensive) and coconut or palm oil will make a nice soap. One of the stickies is a soapcalc tutorial and is very much worth bookmarking for recipe use.

Each one of us uses their own blends after a bit . Several of them are very similar. 
You may notice that the lardinators replied quickly to your questions.


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## Seawolfe (Feb 7, 2016)

Hi Timmy  One of my best internet friends is from Belgium, but he lives in China. I call him "Belgish" and he yells at me, lots of fun!!
Yes, tell us what oils you have available to you, and what you want from a soap, and we can help you with a recipe. Oh and let us know if you are willing to use pig fat / lard in soap, some of us just looooove lard and like to spread the joy


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## timmy76 (Feb 9, 2016)

Hi dixiedragon! I have virgin coconut oil, olive oil and canola. I have basil, mint, lemon, lavender, grapefruit d a whole bunch of other EO's. 

Hi Steve85569! Thanks for the info  yes i really don't understand how the soap calculator works.. But no surprise there as i have never really been (ever) good in math! Yes even with the help of a calculator!

Hi Seawolfe! Hahaha that's funny.. :-D is he a soaper too? It's not too easy getting hold of soaping ingredients in BE unfortunately.. :-/

I have to be honest, i would love to try both vegetable and animal fat on 2 separate recipes. Just so I get to try it and see for myself. The thing is, i will be using it myself. I seem to be allergic to certain things so I have to find the best recipe that would work for me. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out! Appreciate it


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 9, 2016)

A good basic recipe is made with Coconut oil/fat, lard and olive oil.  If you can get hold of those, you're don't need much else in the way of oils*


* but since when do we stick to only what we need?


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## Seawolfe (Feb 9, 2016)

I think animal fat would be easier to get than say Palm.

A good basic recipe to try is:
40-50% Lard / Palm / Tallow
30-40% Olive oil 
15% Coconut Oil
5% Castor oil (see if your pharmacy or chemist has it, if you cant find it, increase your other oils)

5% superfat

My friend in China needed soap recipes to use up lots of Lard during the fall (Pig killing season). So his recipes were mostly lard with a little coconut to boost the lather. He and his family, and the village, are really happy with the soap


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## dixiedragon (Feb 9, 2016)

Do you have access to lard? It's an excellent oil for soap making, and very cheap in many places.


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## Arimara (Feb 9, 2016)

As you can see, the Soapiehood of Lard & Tallow is in full effect. We encourage the use of rendered animal fats to combat waste while encouraging those in fear animal fats to embrace the dar... er olden luxuriousness of lard and tallows in soaps. Remember, life is better with a little bit of SoLT.


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## timmy76 (Feb 9, 2016)

Thank you! I'll have a go at the recipe with lard and tallow. I think lard is easier to get hold of but i'm not sure about tallow. I might have to check with a local butcher. I don't even know how that's called in Dutch or French! But i'll keep you guys posted.  I'll get the rest of the ingredients over the WE and hopefully make them too if and when time permits. Cross fingers... Thanks again!! x

I found my tallow! Now to find the lye in belgium 

Seawolfe, what is superfat? Sorry...


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## IrishLass (Feb 12, 2016)

Welcome, Timmy! :wave:

I'm not Seawolfe, but to answer your question, 'superfat' is an extra cushion of fat in your formula to prevent the possibility of lye-heaviness. Most online lye calculators, such as *SoapCalc* have a built-in/default superfat of 5% (which you can change manually if you so desire). 

If you click on this link and scroll down to question #6, it will explain what a superfat is: http://soapcalc.net/info/FAQ.asp ....also see the answer to question #7.


IrishLass


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## timmy76 (Feb 13, 2016)

Thanks for answering my question IrishLass  i'll try to give the soap calc a go and see. Have a fab weekend!


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## Susie (Feb 13, 2016)

Google translate says lard is "reuzel".

I found this on Amazon.eu

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B014HK4TXM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## houseofwool (Feb 13, 2016)

Graisse de boefe is definitely tallow.


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## Soapmaker145 (Feb 13, 2016)

While you're shopping, don't forget your protective gear, eye goggles in particular.  Read the precautions about using lye carefully.  Always add the lye to the water, a little at a time until you are comfortable making the lye solution. 

Once you have your first recipe picked out, post it here if you want some feedback.  It may help you avoid obvious problems. 

We all start making soaps for ourselves or immediate family......


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## timmy76 (Feb 13, 2016)

Thanks Susie and houseofwool! I'll try the tallow first and then try lard after and compare them. Is there much difference when you make the soaps?

@Soapmake145 yes I will! I'm still looking for Lye Crystals. It's not so easy to find them here so i'll buy the protective gear when I've found the Lye. Will surely post the recipe i'll try and hope to get reactions  thank you!


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## Arimara (Feb 13, 2016)

timmy76 said:


> Thanks Susie and houseofwool! I'll try the tallow first and then try lard after and compare them. Is there much difference when you make the soaps?
> 
> @Soapmake145 yes I will! I'm still looking for Lye Crystals. It's not so easy to find them here so i'll buy the protective gear when I've found the Lye. Will surely post the recipe i'll try and hope to get reactions  thank you!



Nitrile gloves is a good start. They're better suited for chemicals than vinyl gloves. If you're not allergic to latex, you may be able to use that too but I can't remember how much protection you would have with latex dish gloves.


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## Soapmaker145 (Feb 13, 2016)

timmy76 said:


> @Soapmake145 yes I will! I'm still looking for Lye Crystals. It's not so easy to find them here so i'll buy the protective gear when I've found the Lye. Will surely post the recipe i'll try and hope to get reactions  thank you!



Look for your local chemical supply companies, the ones that supply chemistry and biology labs.  Their lye is much more expensive and much higher quality than anything you can get in a hardware store. It can get you started until you find something cheaper.


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## penelopejane (Feb 13, 2016)

If you are allergic to things one good soap to try is Castile which is 100% olive oil. Very easy to make with no fragrance or additives. 

Unfortunately Castile needs 6 months to cure before it doesn't just dissolve away and at 12 months cure time it is a far superior soap. 

You can add honey to make it a little bubbler and salt to make it a little harder a little quicker. 

If you want to go use the OO and coconut oils you have you can use 15-20% coconut oil and the rest olive oil.


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## topofmurrayhill (Feb 16, 2016)

timmy76 said:


> I found my tallow! Now to find the lye in belgium
> 
> Seawolfe, what is superfat? Sorry...



I should probably give up on this one, but I like to use the correct meaning of words. What you are looking for is sodium hydroxide. Lye is the liquid solution that you will be making with it.

Another name for superfat, especially in CP soaping, is a lye discount.

Welcome to soaping.


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## Susie (Feb 16, 2016)

Just be sure that you purchase sodium hydroxide with no added ingredients.  Some drain cleaners are mostly sodium hydroxide with other stuff added.


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