# Might get into this.



## Renraw9002 (Sep 24, 2019)

Hello, all. I started seeing the dr. Squatch commercials online and as usual I thought "I could just make this myself... probably. " 1k websites and videos later I think I'm ready to shop for ingredients. I have questions which obviously led me here.

I'm a 31 year old Male and I have really sensitive skin. My wife and I have to use free and clear detergent otherwise I break out and even some free and clear detergents cause me to break out. I get dry skin, but perfumes and dyes in body wash cause me to break out as well. I've seen the melt and pour bases that seem crazy simple, but mixing lye and water with your ingredients is also do-able.

To keep it short I guess I'd like some advice on what I should use to keep my skin clear and moisturized. I know olive oil is supposed to be good at moisturizing, but I'd like what other oils and essential oils I should start with.


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## lsg (Sep 24, 2019)

Soap does not moisturize the skin.  You can make a milder soap that does not strip as much natural oils from the skin.  My advice is to find a recipe for mild soap and a good moisturizing lotion recipe.


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## IrishLass (Sep 24, 2019)

Welcome, Renraw! I love the Dr. Squatch commercials. They crack me up with laughter.

Ditto what lsg said- soap is a cleanser that strips away your skin's natural oils along with the dirt, but having said that, it's definitely doable to tailor your recipe to be very gentle/mild on the cleansing level to the point where you can either lessen or eliminate the need to use a moisturizing lotion afterward. Don't get me wrong- soap will always be cleansing -that's the nature of the beast- but you can definitely make it less cleansing/beastly. That is, afterall, one of the reasons why we all make our own.

I guess a good place to start is to take a look at the ingredients of the soap you are using now. Is your skin is happy with it? If so, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a somewhat comparable recipe based on the oils/fats listed in the ingredients. 

If you are using the Dr. Squatch brand soaps, they use the same oils that many of us that make our own soap use i.e., olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil and shea butter.....pretty standard stuff. But no matter what oils/fats you choose to use, the trick is going to be tailoring the oils in such a way that will make your particular skin happy, which will take a bit of trial and error on your part......something we all have to do when coming up with our favorite formulas. Everyone's skin is different in what makes it happy/not happy, so what works for one person may not work for someone else. 

This is just me, but if you want to use the oils/fats that Dr. Squatch uses, I would start with something along the lines of the following basic recipe (which, for what it's worth, my own skin would consider to be a fairly mild soap), and then tweak from there .....making sure to fully cure your batches at least 4 to 6 weeks before using:

Olive oil 40%
Palm oil 30%
Coconut oil 20%
Shea butter 10%

Superfatted at 5%

Leave it unscented.

To make it even nicer, you can switch out the palm for lard if you are not averse to using animal fats. 

Keep your batch sizes to 1lb of oils maximum until you hit upon the tweak that works for you. No sense making large batches if they don't make your skin happy.


IrishLass


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## penelopejane (Sep 24, 2019)

Great advice from Irish lass and the others.
Just remember they essential oils may react with your skin just as badly as Fragrance oils.

Search on the forum for recipes and also look at  soaping 101. They also have some great YouTube videos.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 25, 2019)

I currently use Bath and Body Works cause my wife gets it for dirt cheap.  I landed on a few different scents of theirs that either don't cause me to break out or it's only a little bit on my back.  

I'll google what lard will do as I'm sure that's easy enough to find, but I tried googling superfat and if anything I'm more confused now about what it is, how to add it to a recipe, and what it's supposed to do.

I'll likely only ever make 1lb batches since I don't think even my wife will use anything I make so I'm sure even a 1lb batch will last me a good long time, but still good advice for sure.  Thank you all very much.  I'm sure I'll have many more questions to come.


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## penelopejane (Sep 25, 2019)

When you mix lye and oil it saponifies.  You can put the exact amount of lye to saponify the oil in a recipe = 0% superfat.  But a lot of people prefer to give themselves a little leeway to ensure all the lye is used up in a recipe so they add a bit more oil (superfat).
Look at soapcalc and you see that the default amount is 5% but you can change it.

If you add too much superfat your soap will be a bit mushy or slimy.  Depending on the oils you used soapers may use a different SF amount.

It used to be thought that if you add the superfat at trace that oil would be the superfat but this isn't the case. If you want to choose your superfat oils you can use HP soaping method and add the oils of your choice at the last minute.


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## Arimara (Sep 25, 2019)

By the way, since you were using B&B products and a few of them did not set your skin off, I'd narrow down what scent family they are, if you can. If they were EO blend, that would help. This way, should you feel inclined to do so, you can scent your soap lightly with whatever you want that works with you.

On a side note, does adding vinegar to your rinse cycle help you any? In my case, it helps minimize the likelihood I'll have itchy skin within minutes of putting on freshly washed whatever.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 25, 2019)

Arimara said:


> By the way, since you were using B&B products and a few of them did not set your skin off, I'd narrow down what scent family they are, if you can. If they were EO blend, that would help. This way, should you feel inclined to do so, you can scent your soap lightly with whatever you want that works with you.
> 
> On a side note, does adding vinegar to your rinse cycle help you any? In my case, it helps minimize the likelihood I'll have itchy skin within minutes of putting on freshly washed whatever.



My skin's not quite that sensitive.  I've never gotten itchy skin from using dyes and perfumes right after putting on freshly washed stuff.   I just break out in zits mostly on my back.... which then of course becomes itchy as heck.

Also now that you point it out I think it does help.  We've been using vinegar in our washes for a few years now and I never really considered it was doing anything besides softening the clothes.  Maybe it does help considering my breakouts are rare anymore.



penelopejane said:


> When you mix lye and oil it saponifies.  You can put the exact amount of lye to saponify the oil in a recipe = 0% superfat.  But a lot of people prefer to give themselves a little leeway to ensure all the lye is used up in a recipe so they add a bit more oil (superfat).
> Look at soapcalc and you see that the default amount is 5% but you can change it.
> 
> If you add too much superfat your soap will be a bit mushy or slimy.  Depending on the oils you used soapers may use a different SF amount.
> ...



ohhh so say if you have say 4 oils/fats in your recipe the calculator will automatically add 1.25% of each oil to = 5% extra oil essentially and whatever doesn't saponify becomes your superfat since lye will saponify whatever oil/fat is easiest first and just keep going until all the lye is gone.


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## penelopejane (Sep 25, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> ohhh so say if you have say 4 oils/fats in your recipe the calculator will automatically add 1.25% of each oil to = 5% extra oil essentially and whatever doesn't saponify becomes your superfat since lye will saponify whatever oil/fat is easiest first and just keep going until all the lye is gone.


Read the explanation for this by DeeAnna - our resident scientist - at post 12:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/sponification.52034/


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 25, 2019)

penelopejane said:


> Read the explanation for this by DeeAnna - our resident scientist - at post 12:
> https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/sponification.52034/



Oh ok.  That's what I was trying to say essentially.  She just worded it a lot more eloquently than I could lol.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 30, 2019)

After a few more thousand videos, research, and playing around with making soap I think I'm ready to try something besides playing the game "Will this turn into soap?"  I landed on trying this recipe and before I bought the ingredients I don't have I figured I'd ask if anyone thought this recipe would be unpleasant.  I think it's a fairly easy recipe and probably the hardest thing will be the beeswax, but I'm sure I'm overlooking something.


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## amd (Sep 30, 2019)

For your first soap batch, I would hold off on beeswax. It needs to be held above the melting temp to get properly incorporated into the soap. It's just one more thing to keep track of when you're learning a new process. I've never used beeswax, but I think I've read that it speeds up trace, so it might not be the best learning recipe when you're not sure what you're looking for.

I would also hold off on the argan oil - it's expensive, and would be a shame to waste it if your first batch fails. I think overall the recipe will be nice for personal use, but I would wait to try it until you've had a few batches under your belt and know the processes better. It will need a longer cure with 52% OO, I would probably let this one cure at least 8-10 weeks.

There is a thread in the beginners forum that has some really nice starting recipes that don't require a lot of ingredients. I teach a class that uses "grocery store" ingredients, and it makes a nice starting soap:
20% CO
40% OO
35% shortening or lard/tallow
5% castor

This makes an easy to work with soap batter, sets up in about 24 hours, cures in about 6 weeks, and has a stable shelf life of 14 months, which makes it great for a personal use soap.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 30, 2019)

I've done a couple batches with just CO and OO just to get some practice and get a feel for things.  I did 50/50 CO and OO in really small batches, let them sit a few days, and tried them just to see if I made garbage or soap.  The first batch was kinda wonky cause I probably didn't stir long enough; the second was better.  I think if anything I let the oil cool a bit too much.  I mean it worked and all, but something felt weird about it; the third was definitely soap, lathered up fine and everything and definitely cleaned, but that CO dried the heck out of my hands. 

  Beeswax does indeed speed up trace and apparently it's prone to causing false traces.  The jist of what I got with using beeswax was keep the oils above 150 to make sure it melts and mixes properly with the other oils and if you think it's becoming trace stir more cause it's probably a "haha just kidding" moment.

Good to know about the argan oil.  If it's expensive I'll probably just eliminate it altogether cause I'm nothing if not frugal.  I also don't really know what it's supposed to do because I just keep reading that it's supposed to be good for sensitive skin.  Why it's good for sensitive skin I have no idea.

I went with 52% OO cause I think more than 25% CO will probably be unpleasant and I just use those two oils as the bulk oils to make everything = 100%.

Thanks for sharing that recipe.  Lard/tallow or shortening are other things I'm not entirely sure what they're supposed to add to soap other than making the bar harder.


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## amd (Sep 30, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> I did 50/50 CO and OO in really small batches, let them sit a few days, and tried them just to see if I made garbage or soap. ... I mean it worked and all, but something felt weird about it; the third was definitely soap, lathered up fine and everything and definitely cleaned, but that CO dried the heck out of my hands.


For a 50/50 soap like that, it will become a nice soap if 1) you give it a slightly higher superfat - like 12-15% and 2) a good long cure, maybe 9 months. Olive oil needs a longer cure to become a nice soap, and CO needs longer to become milder. The combination of the two [time and superfat] will make the soap less cleansing, at just a few days the OO hasn't had time to properly become soap so it's not offsetting the harshness of the large amount of CO.



Renraw9002 said:


> Lard/tallow or shortening are other things I'm not entirely sure what they're supposed to add to soap other than making the bar harder.


They'll affect the lather and cleansing of the soap as well. Lard is a bit more gentle, tallow is more cleansing compared to lard, both add lather stability. It will depend on which shortening you use, most shortenings are a combination of palm/soy or tallow/soy. Palm will also add lather stability. All three will make a harder bar, as well as add to the usage life of the soap. My personal experience is that animal fats are better at making a long lasting bar than palm - at least I can tell the difference by how long a bar lives in my shower. Usually one that goes quickly will be a vegan soap (that I've bought from someone else).


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## penelopejane (Sep 30, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> After a few more thousand videos, research, and playing around with making soap I think I'm ready to try something besides playing the game "Will this turn into soap?"  I landed on trying this recipe and before I bought the ingredients I don't have I figured I'd ask if anyone thought this recipe would be unpleasant.  I think it's a fairly easy recipe and probably the hardest thing will be the beeswax, but I'm sure I'm overlooking something.


If I was going to use this recipe I’d replace the beeswax and Argan oil with avocado oil or sweet almond oil. 

Beeswax is a pain to use at 2 or 3% at 8% it’s going to be a nightmare. You don’t have to soap that hot. Melt the beeswax separately. Then heat the other oils to about 110*F. Mix a bit of the heated oils into the beeswax stirring then add it into all the oils and FO and SB. Then add the lye and water at 110*F and SB until light trace. Don’t go just to emulsion but watch it really carefully because it will speed up just sitting there so go slowly with the SBing and handstir in between. You probably won’t be able to do multi colours or swirls or anything with 8%.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 30, 2019)

amd said:


> For a 50/50 soap like that, it will become a nice soap if 1) you give it a slightly higher superfat - like 12-15% and 2) a good long cure, maybe 9 months. Olive oil needs a longer cure to become a nice soap, and CO needs longer to become milder. The combination of the two [time and superfat] will make the soap less cleansing, at just a few days the OO hasn't had time to properly become soap so it's not offsetting the harshness of the large amount of CO.



This cure time thing is odd.  I often see people saying let it sit for a month or two like yourself and then others say maybe a few days is all you need.  It's good to know though that adding time will actually do anything besides allowing the bar to become harder which is more or less all I've read that adding time will do.  I'll likely throw out these first couple batches since I didn't really superfat at all, maybe 5% at most and likely not even that, and they were meant merely for practice.



amd said:


> They'll affect the lather and cleansing of the soap as well. Lard is a bit more gentle, tallow is more cleansing compared to lard, both add lather stability. It will depend on which shortening you use, most shortenings are a combination of palm/soy or tallow/soy. Palm will also add lather stability. All three will make a harder bar, as well as add to the usage life of the soap. My personal experience is that animal fats are better at making a long lasting bar than palm - at least I can tell the difference by how long a bar lives in my shower. Usually one that goes quickly will be a vegan soap (that I've bought from someone else).



I'll probably try lard or palm/soy combo shortening since CO seems to be an effective cleanser by itself.  Adding life to a bar of soap was a concern of mine cause I didn't think a homemade bar of soap could survive long in a shower.



penelopejane said:


> If I was going to use this recipe I’d replace the beeswax and Argan oil with avocado oil or sweet almond oil.
> 
> Beeswax is a pain to use at 2 or 3% at 8% it’s going to be a nightmare. You don’t have to soap that hot. Melt the beeswax separately. Then heat the other oils to about 110*F. Mix a bit of the heated oils into the beeswax stirring then add it into all the oils and FO and SB. Then add the lye and water at 110*F and SB until light trace. Don’t go just to emulsion but watch it really carefully because it will speed up just sitting there so go slowly with the SBing and handstir in between. You probably won’t be able to do multi colours or swirls or anything with 8%.



What does SB mean?  I think I get it through context, but I'm not sure.  I like your idea of using avocado or almond instead of argan since avocado has more vitamins in it and almond is supposedly gentle on skin, at least from my brief googling of what all three will do.  Also heating up the beeswax on its own seems like a no-brainer and I feel silly for not thinking of it.

I get a lot of small cuts and scrapes from riding my motorcycle, woodworking, and just general life things.  I liked that beeswax helps hold in moisture which I definitely need with my dry skin and I was hoping it would assist with healing small cuts and scrapes.  Plus I like the smell of beeswax.  I don't really plan on using any FO since I work in pharmaceutical production and you can't be overly scenty.


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## Arimara (Sep 30, 2019)

amd said:


> There is a thread in the beginners forum that has some really nice starting recipes that don't require a lot of ingredients. I teach a class that uses "grocery store" ingredients, and it makes a nice starting soap:
> *20% CO
> 40% OO
> 35% shortening or lard/tallow
> ...



I have made soap with the GV  shortening from Walmart. It is a bit waxy for my liking if I use more than 30% but it's a good basic soap all around.


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## penelopejane (Sep 30, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> This cure time thing is odd.  I often see people saying let it sit for a month or two like yourself and then others say maybe a few days is all you need.  It's good to know though that adding time will actually do anything besides allowing the bar to become harder which is more or less all I've read that adding time will do.  I'll likely throw out these first couple batches since I didn't really superfat at all, maybe 5% at most and likely not even that, and they were meant merely for practice.
> 
> I'll probably try lard or palm/soy combo shortening since CO seems to be an effective cleanser by itself.  Adding life to a bar of soap was a concern of mine cause I didn't think a homemade bar of soap could survive long in a shower.
> 
> ...


SB = stickblend.
High OO soaps only get better over time.
I use < 2% SF.
Use salt to harden any soap. 1tsp ppo (per pound of oils) sea salt is best NOT Himalayan or Dead Sea.
Try honey in your soap instead of beeswax. 1 tsp ppo. Your soap will have a much nicer feel and will be bubbly and Manuka honey might help with infections and healing.

People want to/used to believe that Hot Process soap meant that it didn’t need to cure. This has been shown to be incorrect.

Curing soap over time changes the molecular structure of the soap. Try a soap you’ve made at 2 weeks then once a month and you’ll be amazed at the difference. High OO soaps are especially good examples of this because OO gradually changes from a fairly soft, harsh, non bubbly bar to a very mild, hard, abundant lather bar at 9-12 months and continues to get better after 2 years.

It is amazing the difference time makes to all handmade soap.

I don’t throw out soap unless it’s a complete disaster. A lot of guys like high CO soap as it gets them clean. I don’t like high SF soaps, but that’s just me. No one can tell if a weird soap might not just be the perfect soap for your skin. Wait for a year and see.


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## Renraw9002 (Sep 30, 2019)

penelopejane said:


> SB = stickblend.



Thank you.  I kinda thought it meant blending of some kind, but couldn't figure out what.



penelopejane said:


> High OO soaps only get better over time.
> I use < 2% SF.
> Use salt to harden any soap. 1tsp ppo (per pound of oils) sea salt is best NOT Himalayan or Dead Sea.
> Try honey in your soap instead of beeswax. 1 tsp ppo. Your soap will have a much nicer feel and will be bubbly and Manuka honey might help with infections and healing.
> ...



Guess I'll save these beginner soaps for a rainy day to see if they're any good months from now.  I did play around a bit more on the calculator after the tips here.  Let me know what you think of this recipe.

Guess now's as good a time as any to ask this by the way.  Where on earth do people buy the oils and butters?  I mean lye, distilled water, CO, and OO are easy enough to come by, but where would you go for pure shea butter or pure avocado oil?


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## Martha (Sep 30, 2019)

I get avocado, olive oil and coconut oil at Costco. The shea and cocoa butters I get from a local shop in Brooklyn that has a lot of natural bath and beauty products and ingredients.


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## Microchick (Sep 30, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> Guess now's as good a time as any to ask this by the way.  Where on earth do people buy the oils and butters?  I mean lye, distilled water, CO, and OO are easy enough to come by, but where would you go for pure shea butter or pure avocado oil?


For butters and soft oils other than what I can find at Costco or grocery store I use Amazon.


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## Mobjack Bay (Sep 30, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> Guess now's as good a time as any to ask this by the way.  Where on earth do people buy the oils and butters?  I mean lye, distilled water, CO, and OO are easy enough to come by, but where would you go for pure shea butter or pure avocado oil?


In Virginia, I can get Avocado oil for a reasonable price at Walmart.  If you don’t shop at Walmart, some grocery stores have it, but it tends to be pricey.  You can buy 100% Shea in some drugstores, but again, it will be expensive.  If you shop Amazon, Essential Depot sells unrefined Shea and avocado oil, and other companies sell butters, but you may want to read the recent reviews to try to get a sense of the quality of the product. The ED unrefined Shea I bought makes soap that is distinctly unrefined Shea in terms of scent, which I like, but not with some Fragrance oils.  I also have refined Shea that I ordered from Soapers Choice, which does not impart a distinct scent of it’s own.  Soapers Choice sells in bulk.  In my recipes, the unrefined Shea speeds up trace.


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## penelopejane (Oct 1, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> I did play around a bit more on the calculator after the tips here.  Let me know what you think of this recipe.


I don't use the numbers on soap calc for tweaking soap formula because I use high OO soaps and they just don't work for OO.  DeeAnna has a better system for hardness etc of soap in her blog.

That recipe looks ok.  I personally don't go over 10% for Coconut and don't go below 10% for any oil other than castor.  Try it though and see what you think.  Try a 1 lb loaf and test, test, test. 
It is so annoying but honestly making the perfect soap is such a personal thing that you have to make it and try  it.  There really is not other alternative.

I live in Oz so can't help you with suppliers.


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## Renraw9002 (Oct 1, 2019)

So I really shouldn't have to go to a specialty store for say shea butter or avocado oil? I've seen avocado, grapeseed and some other oils in the cooking aisles of my local grocery stores. If they simply say 100% avocado oil or similar than it's ok to use? I was just assuming stuff was added to cooking oils to make them cooking oils.


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## penelopejane (Oct 1, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> So I really shouldn't have to go to a specialty store for say shea butter or avocado oil? I've seen avocado, grapeseed and some other oils in the cooking aisles of my local grocery stores. If they simply say 100% avocado oil or similar than it's ok to use? I was just assuming stuff was added to cooking oils to make them cooking oils.


There is pharmaceutical grade, food grade, cosmetic grade (lips and skin safe) and non skin safe products which include artists clays.

Food grade is great, generally. There are some food additives that some people won’t eat or use in soap like BHT and there are some processes that some people won’t eat or use in soap like pomace. But it is a personal choice.


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## soapmaker (Oct 1, 2019)

Great advice from everyone. Don't forget about this shampoo bar as a mild soap. I love it.
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/shampoo-bar-thanks-lindy-30946/


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## TheGecko (Oct 1, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> This cure time thing is odd.  I often see people saying let it sit for a month or two like yourself and then others say maybe a few days is all you need.  It's good to know though that adding time will actually do anything besides allowing the bar to become harder which is more or less all I've read that adding time will do.  I'll likely throw out these first couple batches since I didn't really superfat at all, maybe 5% at most and likely not even that, and they were meant merely for practice.



I liken soap to making whiskey.  If all you want to do is get drunk, go for the moonshine; but if you want to warm the soul, let it sit in the barrels and age.

Don't toss those beginner soaps, but them in half, let them fully cure and then donate them to local homeless shelters.  I buy the 36-packs of Mainstay Washcloths from WalMart, wash them in hot water because they bleed, and then put them in a store-brand ziplock bag with a half bar of nicely trimmed soap.  I do this with soaps that I don't like for one reason or another (color, design, scent fail).


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## soapmaker (Oct 1, 2019)

soapmaker said:


> Great advice from everyone. Don't forget about this shampoo bar as a mild soap. I love it.
> http://www.soapmakingforum.com/f11/shampoo-bar-thanks-lindy-30946/



I just noticed the link I gave you cannot be found. Try this one:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/shampoo-bar-thanks-lindy.30946/


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## TheGecko (Oct 1, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> Guess now's as good a time as any to ask this by the way.  Where on earth do people buy the oils and butters?  I mean lye, distilled water, CO, and OO are easy enough to come by, but where would you go for pure shea butter or pure avocado oil?



Originally I bought everything except Distilled Water from Bramble Berry, but have since branched out:

  Olive Oil, Coconut Oil - Costco
  Palm Oil, Castor Oil, Sodium Lactate - Bramble Berry
  Cocoa Butter, Shea Butter, Kaolin Clay - Rustic Escentuals
  Sodium Hydroxide - Amazon (Essential Depot)
  Distilled Water - Local Grocery Store

Because I have Prime with ‘free’ shipping, I will check out other Essential Depot ingredients.


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 6, 2019)

Well I've learned a couple things so far. 
1. Mixing lye is not nearly as scary as I expected. It's a lot like mixing salt except it gets hot. 
2. Even with a stick blender you have to mix and stir a lot longer than I expected. 
3. It's a lot easier than I expected. 
And finally 4. Never zap test only 24 hours after pouring into the mold and don't stick your tongue directly onto the soap itself. It's gonna be like licking a 9v battery.


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## TheGecko (Nov 6, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> 2. Even with a stick blender you have to mix and stir a lot longer than I expected.



Depends on your ingredients, size of batch, room temp, temp of oils and lye, scents and colors.  

I make one and two pound batches and that was my mistake in the beginning...too much stick blending and ending up with pudding all the time.


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 6, 2019)

TheGecko said:


> Depends on your ingredients, size of batch, room temp, temp of oils and lye, scents and colors.
> 
> I make one and two pound batches and that was my mistake in the beginning...too much stick blending and ending up with pudding all the time.



I just made a 1lb batch and the lye was still at least warm when I touched the bowl, same with the oil.  I just did the zap test again today and there was no zap so I washed my hands with the soap to see if it would lather up and see how it felt on my skin.  The lather was meh which is probably to be expected for such a young soap, but my skin feels weird.  This is my first time using homemade soap and it almost feels like something is coating my hands.


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## TheGecko (Nov 6, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> This is my first time using homemade soap and it almost feels like something is coating my hands.



That’s because you are used to washing with detergent...which is what commercial soaps are.  Washing with a true soap is going to feel for awhile, but after awhile you won’t even notice.  BUT you will notice how dry you hands are after washing with commercial soaps.  I even have a bar of my soap in the ladies room at work.


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## KiwiMoose (Nov 7, 2019)

This is a helpful link too:
https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/


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## Michele50 (Nov 7, 2019)

KiwiMoose said:


> This is a helpful link too:
> https://www.modernsoapmaking.com/the-most-popular-fatty-acid-profiles-in-soapmaking/


Sorry, I thought I was on a different thread so I deleted my comment.



Renraw9002 said:


> Oh ok.  That's what I was trying to say essentially.  She just worded it a lot more eloquently than I could lol.


Hi, @Renraw9002 
Yes, DeeAnn is wise/knowledgable and able to explain everything in an organized and easy to understand manner.


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 11, 2019)

My wife already has essential oils for her diffuser. Is there a way to tell if they can be used in soap as well?


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## Dawni (Nov 11, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> My wife already has essential oils for her diffuser. Is there a way to tell if they can be used in soap as well?


Check this thread out: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/can-you-use-diffuser-oils-in-soap.77107/


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## penelopejane (Nov 12, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> I just made a 1lb batch and the lye was still at least warm when I touched the bowl, same with the oil.  I just did the zap test again today and there was no zap so I washed my hands with the soap to see if it would lather up and see how it felt on my skin.  The lather was meh which is probably to be expected for such a young soap, but my skin feels weird.  This is my first time using homemade soap and it almost feels like something is coating my hands.


You need to cure handmade soap for 6 - 12 weeks depending on the recipe before really working out if you like it or not.


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## paragon (Nov 13, 2019)

penelopejane said:


> There is pharmaceutical grade, food grade, cosmetic grade (lips and skin safe)...


Just in case anyone isn't are, food grade may be less pure but is safer than pharmaceutical grade. There are so many pharmaceutical grades, and they don't all mean you can consume it. For example my local pharma grade 75% ethanol is not for drinking and doesn't even burn with a clear blue flame.



Renraw9002 said:


> And finally 4. Never zap test only 24 hours after pouring into the mold...


I never wait that long with HP, but touching the soap with a wet finger then tasting the finger is a crucial first step.


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## Jennifer Horne (Nov 14, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> My wife already has essential oils for her diffuser. Is there a way to tell if they can be used in soap as well?




Probably not  bc most of those are therapeutic grade and not body safe


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 15, 2019)

Most of the ones she has says they can be used topically, but should be mixed with carrier oils.  They're Doterra brand mostly if that helps.


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## Jennifer Horne (Nov 15, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> Most of the ones she has says they can be used topically, but should be mixed with carrier oils.  They're Doterra brand mostly if that helps.


I doubt they will hold up but i guess its worth a try


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## penelopejane (Dec 2, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> Most of the ones she has says they can be used topically, but should be mixed with carrier oils.  They're Doterra brand mostly if that helps.


Topical ones should be ok. They are going to be hugely expensive to use in soap because you need to use them at about 4% and the vast majority of them fade really quickly so it's a bit of a waste in soap.


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## TheGecko (Dec 2, 2019)

> "Renraw9002, post: 790406, member: 34015"]I'll likely only ever make 1lb batches since I don't think even my wife will use anything I make so I'm sure even a 1lb batch will last me a good long time, but still good advice for sure.



My 1lb mold gives me 4 bars of soap.

A fairly decent beginning recipe:





I rounded the weights since I resized it.  It’s what I started with though I have now adjusted it to include Cocoa and Shea Butters.

I would start with an unscented soap since you have more sensitive skin and let it cure a full six weeks.  Surprisingly, my husband likes cantaloupe.  My preference is Black Raspberry Vanilla Goat Milk Soap and I made a killer batch this weekend.



Renraw9002 said:


> Guess now's as good a time as any to ask this by the way. Where on earth do people buy the oils and butters? I mean lye, distilled water, CO, and OO are easy enough to come by, but where would you go for pure shea butter or pure avocado oil?



I get my Olive and Coconut Oil from Costco, and if my Avocado Oil experiments works out, I will buy it from there also.  But I got my first bottle from the ‘oil’ aisle at the local grocery store.  I get my Cocoa and Shea Butters from Rustic Escentuals, and Palm and Castor Oils from Brambleberry.  I am looking at getting a new supplier for Palm Oil as I want a ‘no-stir’ oil.

Where I purchase my Essential Oils, Fragrance Oils, Micas, Clays, Oxides, etc vary as do additives.  I only buy small quantities the first time I use something new...a little speedy up front, but a savings if I don’t like it.  Currently I buy from Brambleberry, Rustic Escentuals, BeScented and Nurture Soap.

Oh...and I get my Sodium Hydroxide from Amazon, Essential Depot brand.


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## Jennifer Horne (Dec 2, 2019)

I get my OO at sams club and castor oil,lye, palm, shea and coco butters from essential depot on amazon, FO and micas from nurture soap and natures garden


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## cmzaha (Dec 2, 2019)

penelopejane said:


> There is pharmaceutical grade, food grade, cosmetic grade (lips and skin safe) and non skin safe products which include artists clays.


At least here in the US Cosmetic grade oils are mixed oils that make up the fatty acid profile of the main oil such as Avocado Oil. Soapers Choice sells some Cosmetics grade oils. 



Jennifer Horne said:


> Probably not  bc most of those are therapeutic grade and not body safe


I really think you are confusing EO's with non-body safe FO's. Maybe I am incorrect but I have not heard of non-safe body EO's other than restricted usage EO's per FDA. There are certainly burning fragrance oils that are not body safe.


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## Jennifer Horne (Dec 2, 2019)

cmzaha said:


> At least here in the US Cosmetic grade oils are mixed oils that make up the fatty acid profile of the main oil such as Avocado Oil. Soapers Choice sells some Cosmetics grade oils.
> 
> 
> I really think you are confusing EO's with non-body safe FO's. Maybe I am incorrect but I have not heard of non-safe body EO's other than restricted usage EO's per FDA. There are certainly burning fragrance oils that are not body safe.




Doterra oils are for burning and diffusers, i was a doterra sales agent for two years but if anyone wants to waste the money, as they are pricey and soap with them go ahead.


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## Deb Walker (Dec 2, 2019)

A multilevel company (think it was DoTerra) came up with a sales term, "for therapeutic use" this implies that "other" essential oils may not be. Herbs are either organic or not, or wildcrafted or not (any herb that is wildcrafted has far higher medicinal qualities - not that planted herbs don't have therapeutic benefit). Oils from these are either pure or not pure. 

Because of the aggressive marketing strategies by multilevel marketing groups many people have some confusion over what can be used.  Its all about money and justifying the extraordinary high prices multilevel marketing companies charge.

DoTerra like other ML companies say their oils are the best in the world - well... good marketing but there are many other companies that do good oils and I have found several issues with theirs (eg Peppermint is refined and Lang lang should always be labelled as 1st 2nd or 3rd press) so this puts a question mark over things I don't know - not that this is an issue with soap making.
If you are very sick and are using Aromatherapy to get better, yes find the best, but I'm not going to concern myself unnecessarily when using EO as a soap additive.  A company I buy from sells bottles between 10ml and 5 Litres.  They are happy to show you their chemical profile tests they take of their oils (to satisfy them that they are pure).  It is far cheaper to buy this way.  So just because an outlet sells in bulk - or bigger bottles, doesn't mean they are not pure oils. 
Even so, my EO price doubles the cost of the soap ingredients (I only use basics) which I am still happy with.

I have read the marketing advice from an Australian government initiative recommending Australian companies only sell in small bottles so they can charge higher prices

Essential oils enter the body easiest via the lungs, this is why it is called aromatherapy - smelling them works best, so diffusers are used.  Using them on your skin also works.  All essential oils work this way, its not company specific. Essential oils in soap do have an effect and it is positive (outside of allergies etc). 

Yes, there seems to be confusion between Essential oils and Fragrances (because of perfumers secrecy laws there is no requirement to show what chemicals are in them and many do have toxic chemicals).


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## Renraw9002 (Dec 3, 2019)

Oof maybe I should come here more often.  


penelopejane said:


> Topical ones should be ok. They are going to be hugely expensive to use in soap because you need to use them at about 4% and the vast majority of them fade really quickly so it's a bit of a waste in soap.





Jennifer Horne said:


> I doubt they will hold up but i guess its worth a try





Jennifer Horne said:


> Doterra oils are for burning and diffusers, i was a doterra sales agent for two years but if anyone wants to waste the money, as they are pricey and soap with them go ahead.



Thank you all. I was still on the fence about using them. I did a lot of googling and saw both sides of the argument for and against using doterra, but the biggest deterrent is definitely price. I suppose it's time for an update. 

I got two 42oz silicone loaf olds from Amazon, made a wooden frame to hold them steady and love them. Best purchase ever. 

I also bought some titanium dioxide and black mica cause I wanted to try a black and white swirl. I made a batch for my mother that's eucalyptus scented (her choice) for a Christmas present and attempted the swirl. It came out... ok-ish. When I cut it up into bars it's definitely sorta swirly inside.  So I come bearing more questions. 

What's the proper way to use titanium dioxide and black mica?  I'm not positive I did it right. 

I attempted, unsuccessfully (twice), to make a cutter, planer, and beveler with leftover wood and wire I have lieing around. I just can't seem to keep the wire taut enough to plane soap without snapping it. Guess I need an actual blade for that operation. 

On a positive note I've been using my first real batch for a few weeks now. My acne is gone, my skin is almost as smooth as a baby's behind, and my back doesn't itch like a bear's every night. I'm still a hairy man beast so the back itching is unavoidable, but it's definitely lessened. I'm officially hooked on making my own soap. 

I also gave a couple bars to my brother-in-law who has a worse skin condition than I do and he called me the other day to say how much he loves the soap too. This is impressive in itself cause he's usually a giant grouch.


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## TheGecko (Dec 4, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> What's the proper way to use titanium dioxide and black mica? I'm not positive I did it right.



It would help to know how you 'did it' to be able to properly advise you.  With that said, first...it your TD water or oil soluble?  Mine is water and I have it premixed in a bottle (previous lesson learned); I use 1 tea TD to 1 Tab Distilled Water and shake the bottle well before using.  How much I use is dependent on 1) the natural color of my oils/butters, and 2) how 'white' I want the soap to be.  And don't forget that TD will accelerate trace and it has to be stick blended in.  When it comes to black...I just used Activated Charcoal for the first time and despite what I heard about it, that it doesn't come out truly black, mine did.  Of course, there was an accidental spillage and I didn't gel.    I was told for a true 'black', you should mix Black Oxide and AC together (I would recommend dispersing in oil first).


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## Jennifer Horne (Dec 4, 2019)

Most people use one teaspoon per pound of oils u are trying to color


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## Renraw9002 (Dec 4, 2019)

TheGecko said:


> It would help to know how you 'did it' to be able to properly advise you.  With that said, first...it your TD water or oil soluble?  Mine is water and I have it premixed in a bottle (previous lesson learned); I use 1 tea TD to 1 Tab Distilled Water and shake the bottle well before using.  How much I use is dependent on 1) the natural color of my oils/butters, and 2) how 'white' I want the soap to be.  And don't forget that TD will accelerate trace and it has to be stick blended in.  When it comes to black...I just used Activated Charcoal for the first time and despite what I heard about it, that it doesn't come out truly black, mine did.  Of course, there was an accidental spillage and I didn't gel.    I was told for a true 'black', you should mix Black Oxide and AC together (I would recommend dispersing in oil first).



It says it disperses well in oil or water, but I weighed out my distilled water then took out  2 Tsb to 2 tsp titanium dioxide, heated the water a bit, then mixed the TD in the hot water, then put it in half of my oil/ butter mixture. I repeated this for the black mica, but I don't think it worked as well. It came out more grayish than black.


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## TheGecko (Dec 4, 2019)

Renraw9002 said:


> It says it disperses well in oil or water, but I weighed out my distilled water then took out  2 Tsb to 2 tsp titanium dioxide, heated the water a bit, then mixed the TD in the hot water, then put it in half of my oil/ butter mixture. I repeated this for the black mica, but I don't think it worked as well. It came out more grayish than black.



I use room temp distilled water for my TD, Oxides and Clays and whatever oil for my Micas.  Unless I’m doing a single color with Mica and then I had it dry to my oils.


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 1, 2020)

wow it's been almost a year since I've been on here.  Came back with more questions.  I updated my soap recipe and the attached recipe is what I've made a few times now and have given some to a few coworkers who all seem to like it.  I forgot to add honey to this current batch I'm using and I can tell the difference cause my hands feel drier than before.  Probably doesn't help my new job has me constantly wearing latex gloves and washing my hands every time I come in or leave the lab.  Apparently the hair and beard nets we wear also cause dryness in your hair, as told to me by a few women I work with who were noting the bald spot over a scar on the back of my head is growing, I never would've thought a hair or beard net could do that.  anyway onto the questions.

does honey really make that much difference?  if so is there really any benefit to using say manuka honey as opposed to the regular cheapo honey you get from the regular grocery store?  the cheap stuff seems to work fine for me.  didn't think the massive uptick in expense for manuka would be worth it.

has anyone here tried using borage oil?  I'm reading that it's a really good oil for people (like me) who have sensitive skin.  I'm tempted to try it, but again it's a lot pricier than the oils I've been using.

Since I shower literally every day, sometimes twice, can I swap coconut oil out for something else or should I keep it in there to do some actual cleaning of my skin?

Also curious about wheat germ oil.  I attached a "possible soap recipe" I'd like some feedback on.

Finally I'm at getting to the age where my thinning hair is an actual concern, plus I'm trying like heck to find a recipe for beard oil and butter to make my beard nice and soft cause no matter what I do it's dry and scraggly, same with my head hair.  I also shared a possible beard oil and butter recipes I wrote up just from researching stuff online.


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## TheGecko (Nov 1, 2020)

You might want check into a leave-in conditioner for your hair.  My BIL wore a ball cap when he went to work for a concreate company when he was 16.  Less than a decade later, he had lost most of the hair under the ball cap.  It wasn't the cap, but the dust from the aggregates used in making concreate that got trapped under the cap and wore away his hair follicles.  If you ask older ladies who have worn slacks/jeans for a number of years, you will find that we have little to no hair on the backs of our legs...same thing.

One thing I have learned about soap making is not use a lot of expensive ingredients as the saponification process destroys almost all of the benefits.  Best to save those ingredients for lotions.  And not to forget, soap is a wash on/off product...how long is it actually on your skin, before it is rinsed back off.


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## AliOop (Nov 1, 2020)

Wheat germ oil does not make nice soap. Likewise, jojoba and borage are best used in beard oils and balms where you can get more benefits from the high cost. For soaping oils, think about using lard, which combines well with tallow to make a very gentle soap that is easy on sensitive skin. You might also consider adding some neem oil or pine tar.

I also started making soap because of very sensitive skin, both my own and that of others in my family. What works best for me in soap is high lard, low CO, no OO, vinegar for the lye water, colloidal oat powder, and powdered goat milk. I have used honey but prefer regular sugar or sorbitol because they are both easier to use and create just as many bubbles, if not more.

But cheap honey is just fine, although many of those are mixed with HFCS, which is very controversial as to its health effects. Aloe vera juice for the lye water is a another nice way to add sugar, although I prefer vinegar since it also hardens the soap and, IMO, softens the lather a bit.


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## Renraw9002 (Nov 1, 2020)

TheGecko said:


> You might want check into a leave-in conditioner for your hair.  My BIL wore a ball cap when he went to work for a concreate company when he was 16.  Less than a decade later, he had lost most of the hair under the ball cap.  It wasn't the cap, but the dust from the aggregates used in making concreate that got trapped under the cap and wore away his hair follicles.  If you ask older ladies who have worn slacks/jeans for a number of years, you will find that we have little to no hair on the backs of our legs...same thing.
> 
> One thing I have learned about soap making is not use a lot of expensive ingredients as the saponification process destroys almost all of the benefits.  Best to save those ingredients for lotions.  And not to forget, soap is a wash on/off product...how long is it actually on your skin, before it is rinsed back off.



I ordered some leave-in conditioner that was on sale.  garnier.  only $3 so if it doesn't work I can't be upset.  Thanks for the tip.  Wonder if it'll help with my scraggly beard hair too.... oh well i'll give it a try.  That's good to know that saponification destroys most benefits.  I'll just stick with my normal recipe cause it's definitely not broke so I'm not gonna fix it.   That definitely makes sense and I kinda assumed that those expensive oils won't do much more good than the cheaper alternatives since the soap's only on your body for a few seconds.  Thanks again.



AliOop said:


> Wheat germ oil does not make nice soap. Likewise, jojoba and borage are best used in beard oils and balms where you can get more benefits from the high cost. For soaping oils, think about using lard, which combines well with tallow to make a very gentle soap that is easy on sensitive skin. You might also consider adding some neem oil or pine tar.
> 
> I also started making soap because of very sensitive skin, both my own and that of others in my family. What works best for me in soap is high lard, low CO, no OO, vinegar for the lye water, colloidal oat powder, and powdered goat milk. I have used honey but prefer regular sugar or sorbitol because they are both easier to use and create just as many bubbles, if not more.
> 
> But cheap honey is just fine, although many of those are mixed with HFCS, which is very controversial as to its health effects. Aloe vera juice for the lye water is a another nice way to add sugar, although I prefer vinegar since it also hardens the soap and, IMO, softens the lather a bit.



I've actually been reading and watching several places mentioning jojoba specifically for beard oils/butters.  I'll have to give it a try when I place my butter order.  adding vinegar, oat powder, and milk is probably a bit out of my depth atm.  I've only made around 3 batches so far.  

Thank you two for the advice


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## AliOop (Nov 1, 2020)

Good on you for taking it slowly! I will say that adding colloidal oat powder and goat milk powder is very simple - just stick blend both as dry powders right into the oils before adding the lye solution. If you can do honey, you can definitely do one or both of those powders if you want to try them. 

Vinegar is a bit more complex due to the extra lye needed, so it is not a bad idea to wait on that till you feel more comfortable. All in due time, right?


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## Dawni (Nov 1, 2020)

I've sent out a few testers of beard oil... Mind you, Filipinos aren't known for their beards, more like well known for a lack of em hahaha but some do have em. Mine currently has sunflower, rice bran, sweet almond, jojoba, Pili nut (our local, similar to olive, oil), Moringa oils and a teensy amount of castor, and marula Tetradecane (natural silicone replacement supposedly).

I'm sure even just one of those will help. Cold pressed sweet almond and sunflower are popular with most face oils, beard oils and body oils, and are easy to source and not very costly where you are I think.


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## KiwiMoose (Nov 2, 2020)

@Renraw9002 - how about trying an oat milk soap?  I make my own oat milk and then freeze it into small containers or bags. Then I haul it out when i want to make an oat milk soap.  I use this recipe: How to Make Oat Milk
I use the oat milk as half of the water content  for the soap.  If I use it at 100% of the water it goes too gluggy and I have to pass the lye solution through a sieve - but it is doable.
The other item I use a a lot of is aloe juice ( I cut it off my own plant, peel it and juice it - then freeze it too).  This can be used as 100% of the water in your soap and is great for adding bubbles.


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## artemis (Nov 2, 2020)

KiwiMoose said:


> how about trying an oat milk soap? ...
> I use the oat milk as half of the water content  for the soap.  If I use it at 100% of the water it goes too gluggy and I have to pass the lye solution through a sieve - but it is doable.



I made a batch this weekend and used oatmilk as 100%. I just scraped the "glug" into my oils without straining. It very easily blended right into the oils. I even had time for a simple swirl.


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## Megan (Nov 2, 2020)

About your possible recipe: if it does not get DOS while curing, it will probably have a very short shelf life. You have a lot of polyunsaturated oils in there.

For the beard oil: no honey in there, what you are making is an anhydrous product. It will not combine correctly.


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## Renraw9002 (Jul 10, 2021)

So a question. I just made a new batch of soap a few days ago, but I goofed and made too much. My molds said they could hold 42oz each so I made an 80 oz batch thinking that would be about right for 2 molds. 

However it turns out they definitely don't hold 42 oz, not sure how much they hold, but it's not 42oz.  

Anyway, I used honey and to prevent the soap from possibly heating up too much I put both molds in the fridge after pouring.  I just left the leftovers in the bucket and threw it on top of a cabinet figuring I could just cut up this oddball disc eventually and use it anyway. I'm not selling anything. 

A few days go by and I notice the soap in the fridge looks normal, nice consistent color, still slightly soft as expected, but the soap that was left in the bucket kind of looks like there's moisture on top of it. Like an amber colored sweat, not a lot, but enough to make me curious. I'm 99% positive my soap reached trace. Whenever I thought I reached trace I've learned to quit stirring for a minute and then pull the stick blender out and see if the drippings go back into the mixture like water again or if they sit on top like it does when trace has been reached. 

I was a little short on beef tallow for my recipe so I just made up the amount I was short by using a mixture of other oils and butters I still had plenty of. Including a bit of argan and jojoba oil.  I know they're kinda wasted in cp soap, but I figured what the heck?  I still had a lot left after making my beard oil. 

Anyway I digress. Did I goof something up?


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## AliOop (Jul 10, 2021)

You can’t just sub in one oil for another without adjusting the lye. Each oil requires a different amount of lye to saponify. By not recalculating, you could end up with lye-heavy soap. If you had a decent superfat, you are probably fine. But definitely zap test the soap to be sure.

As for the dewy soap on the fridge, it’s probably the honey. It often makes dew spots in soap, especially if the soap got pretty hot. Honey itself can cause that, but you added the heat from the fridge motor and the room heat that rises to your ceiling. This would have created a much warmer environment for that soap.

The soap inside the fridge probably won’t have that issue since it was kept cooler.


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## soapmaker (Jul 10, 2021)

I have one soap that does that every time. For my soap I believe it's the blend of E.O.s


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## Renraw9002 (Jul 10, 2021)

AliOop said:


> You can’t just sub in one oil for another without adjusting the lye. Each oil requires a different amount of lye to saponify. By not recalculating, you could end up with lye-heavy soap. If you had a decent superfat, you are probably fine. But definitely zap test the soap to be sure.
> 
> As for the dewy soap on the fridge, it’s probably the honey. It often makes dew spots in soap, especially if the soap got pretty hot. Honey itself can cause that, but you added the heat from the fridge motor and the room heat that rises to your ceiling. This would have created a much warmer environment for that soap.
> 
> The soap inside the fridge probably won’t have that issue since it was kept cooler.



I always do 5% superfat.  I also zap test at about a week so I guess I'll find out come Monday. I didn't know you had to adjust lye for different oils. I always assumed it was just a matter of ratios.

I didn't put it on the fridge just on top of a cabinet across the room, but either way I see your point.  I put the soap in the fridge because of the extra heat I knew honey can cause. 



soapmaker said:


> I have one soap that does that every time. For my soap I believe it's the blend of E.O.s



Oh maybe that's it. I used brambleberry's made to measure which is new to me.  On a side note I think they're too expensive especially after shipping. However this made to measure scent smells really good. Definitely my favorite so far.


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## AliOop (Jul 10, 2021)

Renraw9002 said:


> I always do 5% superfat.  I also zap test at about a week so I guess I'll find out come Monday. I didn't know you had to adjust lye for different oils. I always assumed it was just a matter of ratios.


With 5% SF, you should be fine. Yes, each oil has a different saponification value. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have to list them separately in the lye calculator; you could just list the total amount of oils and be done, right? 

Regarding the mold size, the difference can come from using more or less water, more or less additives, etc. It can also be that the mold description was for the total mold volume, whereas the recipe was referring to the amount of oils only. Most of us have been tripped up by that once or twice.

A word about trace: what you describe as trace, I would call medium or medium-thick trace. If you ever want to do swirls or designs, you will need to stop blending at thin trace, or better yet, emulsion. There are some good YT videos on how to spot the different stages.  Usually it is way less stick-blending than you think, especially for smaller batches.


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## Renraw9002 (Jul 10, 2021)

AliOop said:


> With 5% SF, you should be fine. Yes, each oil has a different saponification value. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have to list them separately in the lye calculator; you could just list the total amount of oils and be done, right?



...I had not thought of that.  I assumed it was a convenience thing since I always read stuff like "we recommend this oil/butter at x%".  So I figured it was just doing the basic math for you.  Not also calculating how much lye you'd need for a given combination of oils/butters.



AliOop said:


> Regarding the mold size, the difference can come from using more or less water, more or less additives, etc. It can also be that the mold description was for the total mold volume, whereas the recipe was referring to the amount of oils only. Most of us have been tripped up by that once or twice.



Ohhh I see now.  I use soapcalc.net.  I did not see that the spot I've been typing in my batch sizes actually reads "weight of oils".  uhhh woops lol.



AliOop said:


> A word about trace: what you describe as trace, I would call medium or medium-thick trace. If you ever want to do swirls or designs, you will need to stop blending at thin trace, or better yet, emulsion. There are some good YT videos on how to spot the different stages.  Usually it is way less stick-blending than you think, especially for smaller batches.



I tried a swirl once and I'll likely never do that again.  I'm actually kind of glad I mixed until medium trace so now I know in my limited experience that I'm definitely emulsifying everything.  That's been my biggest concern since I started making my own soap has been not mixing enough.  I only ever make soap for myself so I can do without pretty colors or swirls.  I don't even square up the bars.  I just cut the logs into roughly soap bar sized pieces and call it a day.

The one time I tried a swirl was as a gift for my mother for christmas the year before last.  Was aiming for a black and white swirl, what I got was a large grey mass with random pockets of darker grey and white lol.  

On the rare chance I'll ever try a swirl again I'll do more research.  For now I'm happy knowing I'm reaching medium trace.  Pretty sure if I only went to a thin trace I'd get paranoid I didn't mix enough.

Thank you for the knowledge.


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## AliOop (Jul 10, 2021)

@Renraw9002 sounds like you know what you want to do and are very good at researching how to do it. 

Yes, those swirls can be tricky. We've all had our share of soaps with muddied colors, for sure. Like you, I also had trouble stopping sooner rather than later. There are some really good YT videos that explain what to look for... but if you are happy where you are, then soap on and have fun with it.


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## Zing (Jul 12, 2021)

I'll just add that you can calculate how much oil you need by measuring your molds.  For rectangular molds, do L in inches x W in inches x H in inches.  Then multiply that number by 0.4 and that equals how many ounces of oils you need.  I always have a coupla single cavity molds and yogurt cups handy for my overflow.

For other shaped molds, read the pinned posts.

What's your EO blend?


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