# Where should I buy these items?



## jennyannlowe (Feb 14, 2016)

Yea!!!! My darling husband tells me Happy Valentines day and says instead of flowers and traditional gifts, I can have more soap spending money if I prefer. 

Do I prefer? Well of course!!!

So...I have all my base oils and butters, I have mica powders, natural colorants, some herbs, oatmeal, coffee grinder, silicone loaf mold with wood box is being shipped already, so is my soap cutter, and I have plenty of fragrance oils for now,....

What I want is to buy the last bit of luxury items on my wish list that I have left for last. 

Stearic acid ( what is the difference between this and sodium lactate? For adding hardness? And who uses which?)

Sodium laurel sulfate - for adding lather and foam. What's the difference between this and SLSulfoacetate? And are there other options for bubble makers besides increasing castor? Any options that are of this type? And do you use them?

Vanilla stabilizer - which do you prefer?

Silk -  can someone recommend a source?

Mango butter - same question

Beeswax - which kind should I get? I have a sample of yellow beeswax. Should I get more of the same? 

Kaolin clay - same question 

Lanolin

Vitamin E liquid

Herbs - to sprinkle On top for decoration - rose petals, camomile buds

I have made enough successful batches that I am starting to research other areas of soap making. 

I was already an artist and crafty kind of person for many years. I guess this is why I started learning soap making so easily. It combines arts and crafts in such a way that I love. 

Anyway...I have obtained most of my  ingredients and supplies from various sources. I always research the options available.  I want to purchase all of this from one source. Need to make sure it's the best deal. 

I've spent quite a bit of money starting all this and my husband is reigning me in on the spending. (pooey!)  So for the moment this has to be my final purchase for awhile. 

Need some input on these items and a recommendation on where to buy.

Thank you!

I guess I should add that I do not want to buy a great deal of these items. Not in bulk. And not a sample either.


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## snappyllama (Feb 14, 2016)

What a nice present! Hubby, if you're watching...

*Stearic acid ( what is the difference between this and sodium lactate? For adding hardness? And who uses which?)*
Stearic Acid is used to harden up a recipe and give long lasting, foamy lather. Primarily, folks use it for shaving soaps. You'll need to HP it since it tends to instantly solidify once it hits anything cool. Melt over a double boiler to save your microwave. It's also used in lotions and other B&B stuff...

Sodium Lactate is mostly used to harden up a bar and keep HP batter fluid longer. I use it in every CP batch.

*Sodium laurel sulfate - for adding lather and foam. What's the difference between this and SLSulfoacetate? And are there other options for bubble makers besides increasing castor? Any options that are of this type? And do you use them?*

SLS is a somewhat irritating bubble maker for B&B. I haven't really seen it being used in CP.

SLSA is a mild bubble maker commonly used in bath bombs, bubble bars, etc. This is more commonly used in homemade B&B than SLS due to it being less irritating to the skin. It goes very airborne, so a mask is recommended when using it.

Castor works to enhance with the other bubbling oils in CP (CO, PKO, Babbasu). It actually doesn't do a lot on its own. If you have CO and Castor already in your recipe, you might want to try out swapping from PKO for about half the amount of CO, the combination really works nicely to give even more bubbles.

*Vanilla stabilizer - which do you prefer?*
None. I've tried a few and they smell funny, plus the brown eventually comes back. Maybe folks have better experiences, but I'm going to end up chunking my bottle...

*Silk - can someone recommend a source?*
I picked some tussah silk off of an etsy yarn shop. A little goes a long way...
Soap Making Resource also sells it.

For the most of the other items, I'd look at (Nature's Garden or Wholesale Suppliers Plus) and Soap Making Resource. I think between the two you can find everything you're looking for.

Happy Valentines Day!


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## jennyannlowe (Feb 14, 2016)

To I have to HP sodium lactate too? If I wanted to add hardness but didnt want to hot process....which could I use? I'm just getting familiar with cold process. Would like to stick with this for now. So I could use sodium lactate?

And for bubble maker, I should choose SLSA but wear a face shield?

Instead of Vanilla stabilizer, I read somewhere that a color stable vanilla is now available. How well does it work?


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## Seawolfe (Feb 14, 2016)

Sodium Lactate is a liquid salt solution and very easy to use.  

Stearic Acid is a pure fatty acid made from animal &/or vegetable fats. It melts kind of like beeswax only worse, and does not work well in CP recipes because it turns into soap instantly.

SLS and SLSA are both synthetic detergents, SLS is (to my tiny mind) the harsher of the two. While people do make soaps and add synthetic detergents, I dont think castor helps syndet lather.

I don't use vanilla stabilizers, and I dont think Ive ever heard of one working over the entire cure.

For most of that list I would use Soap Making Resource, and for the rest Id look at Wholesale Supplies Plus


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## IrishLass (Feb 14, 2016)

jennyannlowe said:


> Stearic acid ( what is the difference between this and sodium lactate? For adding hardness? And who uses which?)


 
I use stearic acid in my shave soap, where it's a star attraction in providing wonderfully stable, long-lasting shave lather, and I also use it in one of my liquid soap formulas- to give it a creamy, opaque, somewhat pearly look and oomphy-feel.

In my regular CP bar soaps, I use sodium lactate instead of stearic acid, because if it was the other way around, I'd have to HP instead of CP...... and I really hate doing HP. 



jennyannlowe said:


> Sodium laurel sulfate - for adding lather and foam. What's the difference between this and SLSulfoacetate? And are there other options for bubble makers besides increasing castor? Any options that are of this type? And do you use them?


 
The above ingredients are actually not needed whatsoever. I've been making super bubbly soap for 10 years and have never used any of the sulfates......although I should mention that I do have a small 8-oz jar of Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate on hand with which to experiment (a couple of years ago I got it into my head to try a bit of it in a 100% olive oil soap, but I haven't done so yet.)

I get my super bubblage from coconut oil, PKO flakes, and or babassu oil. Castor oil actually doesn't produce any bubbles on it's own., but it does add a certain amount of lovely 'body' to already existing bubbles produced by other oils.



jennyannlowe said:


> Vanilla stabilizer - which do you prefer?


 
I really like BitterCreekNorth's vanilla stabilizer. I only use it with 2 FOs so far, but for what it's worth, it works great with those particular 2. Your mileage may vary, though, depending on the total vanillin content of your FO. Always test.



jennyannlowe said:


> Silk - can someone recommend a source?


 I buy mine from Miss Babs: http://www.missbabs.com/?utm_source...149839393&mc_cid=f573af25ba&mc_eid=491cd9b4bc



jennyannlowe said:


> Mango butter - same question


 
I buy mine from either Soaper's Choice or in smaller quantities from OregonTrailsSoaps (Suz from OT gets in some beautiful, quality mango butter at times) 



jennyannlowe said:


> Beeswax - which kind should I get? I have a sample of yellow beeswax. Should I get more of the same?


 That's really up to you. I have used both the yellow/natural and the refined/bleached and they both work great- no difference in the 'feel' of my products. The yellow does smell pretty awesome, though. I usually buy mine from Peak's or MMS.



jennyannlowe said:


> Kaolin clay - same question


 
I have some on hand, but I don't use it very often anymore. I think the last package I bought of it was from Brambleberry. 



jennyannlowe said:


> Lanolin


 
I actually use the pure lanolin made by Lansinoh that one can find down the baby-supply aisle at the grocery store. I like it because it doesn't smell like sheep. It only comes in a 1.4 oz tube and is expensive when compared to buying other lanolins in bulk, but I only use it in my lip balms where not a lot is needed. 



jennyannlowe said:


> Vitamin E liquid


 
I use vitamin E T-50 from LotionCrafter's.



jennyannlowe said:


> Herbs - to sprinkle On top for decoration - rose petals, camomile buds


 
After having used a couple of herb-sprinkled soaps, I confess that I'm a "sprinkled herbs on my soap"-hater. :mrgreen: It's a real pet-peeve of mine, so I'm probably not the best one to answer that question. Sure it looks cool, but I don't like bits of food-stuff going down my shower drain or getting bits of it stuck to my skin. Also- I don't like the way that sprinkled herbs get in the way of me experiencing my soap's lather (_nothing_ comes between me and my lather! lol)


IrishLass


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## cmzaha (Feb 14, 2016)

I would certainly save my money and not buy Vanilla Stabilizer. Learn to work with the browns the soap will turn. VS is expensive and useless over the long term. I am assuming most products will be for personal use and does a brown soap really matter to you? 
SlSA is milder and more accepted than SLA.
Most if not all of these products are available at Wholesalesuppliesplus.com
not my main supplier but at least you know upfront what your shipping cost will be since they build shipping into the price and you can purchase small amounts. Purchasing from them will keep you from paying ship costs from several different suppliers


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## navigator9 (Feb 14, 2016)

Sounds like you are well on your way. I would recommend that you soap for a while longer before you buy the things you think you need. Your list may change. I'm just saying this, because I bought a whole boatload of stuff in the very beginning, that I wished later I hadn't. A lot of what I bought was things like beet root powder, rose and lavender buds, carrot powder...and I dried a lot of my own rose and peony petals. The flower petals (other than cornflower (blue) and calendula (yellow)), turn black. Lavender buds look like mouse turds. The carrot and beet powder didn't do anything for the soap. I bought a crinkle cutter and later decided that I don't like the look. So I wasted a fair amount of money that could have been much better spent. So personally, I would take that money and put it aside and keep soaping and thinking.  Just FYI, if I were just starting out, but knowing what I know now, I'd put my money into good silicone molds, a back up stick blender, doesn't have to be expensive, but it's always good to have a back up.  And a good scale. And I'd be thinking about a multi bar soap cutter. Having good tools to work with, is as important as your soap making supplies. Just my two cents.


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## lenarenee (Feb 14, 2016)

Are you a new soaper? (I see you recently joined the forum)  Does your Valentine's gift need to be used asap or can you wait a few months?

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, but if you are a new soaper you've got quite an impressive list of ingredients already - lots of stuff for experimenting right there. Maybe wait and use your gift later? I got the impression this gift will be the end of your soaping funds for a while, and I know you're excited to have everything right now, but after a few more batches of cp, you may have a more definitive list of what you want...even branching out to lotions and bath bombs.

I also don't want to squash your interest in experimenting with different ingredients like stearic acid and vanilla stabilizer because there's just no better teacher than doing something yourself. But I agree that vanilla stabilizer is a waste of money. I didn't like adding stearic acid to cp soap because of how quickly it traces, but I love it in lotion bars.

Depending on your recipe, you may not need sodium lactate unless you hot process. However many people like it for better unmolding, and for added bubbles (I don't, I find it makes my high lard or tallow bars softer and rubbery) and I think that it is worth trying it for yourself.

Whatever you decide...enjoy! And Happy Valentine's day!


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## cmzaha (Feb 14, 2016)

^^^I never use Sodium Lactate in soap because my recipes are hard enough. I was assuming you might be wanting to try some lotions bars. If you have a local Farmers Market you may be able to source some beeswax to start experimenting with. It is not necessarily cheap, but sometimes no more than when adding on shipping. If you have any local candle suppliers they will have stearic acid cheap and usually have beeswax. These are not items you  need for making soap. In fact, stearic acid and beeswax are tricky in soap. Butters really do not add anymore to soap than lard in my opinion, if you are not opposed to lard. I only use it in a few soaps for label appeal. Some think silk add a silky texture, but I simply do not feel a big difference. Lard also give a silky texture. Beeswax, Oils and butter will give a nice lotion bar, but to save money palm or shortening also give a nice lotion bar. Just a thought. I always have graining problems with Mango in lotion bars so I simply do not use it. I like coco butter or tucuma butter


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## Judiraz (Feb 14, 2016)

If you are a new soaper I would invest in a couple of good molds. I couldn't do without my Tall & Skinny from Nurture Soap and I love my loaf mold w/ dividers from them as well. 

I use SL in every batch and Tussah Silk in most. Soap Making Resource or BB are good sources for silk. As said before, a little goes a long way. I bought two small bags many months ago & I'm still on the first bag.

Hate herbs or anything scratchy on my soap, so can't help you there.

I've found that castor and sugar in my lye water really help bubbles. Never tried SLS or SLSA.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 14, 2016)

Herbs - even sprinkled on top, most will go brown. Some options:
Rosemary - I don't like this, it's scratchy and too big. If you want to try it, just raid your spice cabinet!
Calendula - this is about the only one I recommend. The petals actually stay yellow in CP. Make sure you get calendula petals, though, not the whole flower. It's a PITA to sort through.
Rose petals and lavender buds will turn brown.
Good mold - yes yes yes. What is your budget? Might be worth springing for a custom Soap Hutch mold.
Beeswax - my preference is for yellow pastilles. Pastilles are little dots, so easy to measure vs trying to cut a block of beeswax. I love love love the scent of the yellow ones.


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## LisaAnne (Feb 14, 2016)

I agree, you will find you won't use a lot of the things you think you need. I have spent most of today going through my supplies and boxing them up to give to a woman that wants to start soaping, I have been  shaking my head all day  at myself. Hundred of dollars worth is not an exaggeration. Save your money for the things you will know you need.


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## jennyannlowe (Feb 16, 2016)

I've decided to restrict my only purchase right now to sodium lactate. But can someone recommend the cheapest place to buy it? like a 8 or 16 ounce bottle? 
I placed an order yesterday with wholesale Supplies Plus. the bottle was only 3:29 but then they charged 7.25 + shipping and $5 for handling. 
I canceled the order.

 I refuse to pay that much money for shipping and handling. There are cheaper bottles on ebay but unless they have a label I just don't trust them. Can someone recommend an eBay store that is reliable? Or somebody who sells supplies supplies that has a better price? If I must I'll buy it from Amazon or something. I just couldn't see paying like $13 in shipping and handling for a $3 bottle. I won't be needing that much just a small amount to begin with.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 16, 2016)

You may want to call the supplier. Somebody here said they called the supplier and got their stuff shipped in a flat rate box and just paid the cost of the box. They might be willing to do that for you.

Honestly, though, I think I'd save up and place a larger order.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 16, 2016)

I too would place a larger order when you have a list large enough to avoid the shipping if you purchase from WSP. 

You are smart to wait.  I have so many things that I've purchased.  I'm getting ready to get everything together (molds, botanicals, FO's, bottles etc) and list it on Craigs List.  I'd really like to unload it all at once.  That's actually how I got some of my stuff when I started.   Can only hope to be able to get a bit of money back from things.

Once you get more batches under your belt then you'll know what you need and what you might want to splurge a bit on.


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## jennyannlowe (Feb 16, 2016)

Actually I've heard good things about silk and beeswax. But I'll wait. 

So far, I have only purchased a few things brand new. I bought my mold with wood box and silicone liner new, bought soap cutter new, bought mica sample set new.

All my base oils I bought from Craig's list. This guy was selling soap, quit due to illness. For oils, butters, lye...really good deal. Then another woman, same thing. She bought $1000 worth of supplies from bramble berry. Never used most. I got a lot of stuff I wouldn't have bought right away....full jars of mica for $2, bag full ground pumice $3, bag of titanium dioxide $3, clay, oils, run shea butter $3...etc. She was trying to sell to other soapers but the shipping costs were a problem. It was an awesome deal. I am a firm Craig's list fan. I always check it first!


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## cmzaha (Feb 16, 2016)

If you are wanting to use it in all your soaps Soapers Choice has it for $18.99 per gallon. After adding an item to your cart you can check shipping costs


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## penelopejane (Feb 16, 2016)

C 
Meeee


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## dixiedragon (Feb 16, 2016)

So jealous you got such good deals!

Brambleberry is having a sale on fixed oils Feb 23-25. 

https://www.brambleberry.com/Fixed-...utm_content=25995683&utm_campaign=feb+11+2016

And they have sodium lactate.


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