# Best simple cold process soap design technique for a first time artesian soap maker?



## Saltynuts (Dec 9, 2021)

I have made a couple batches of soap that turned out pretty good.  I always made hot (well, really warm lol) process.  But I want to do a cold one and try and make a cool design.  I have the soap mold below, and have some soap pour funnels.  I want to make some cold process soap this weekend and try and get some patterns.  Any suggestions for a technique for my first attempt?  I was thinking:



That seems real easy, just color your soap, and add (for example) 10x white colored batter to a single soap funnel, 6x light blue batter to the same funnel, and 3x dark blue batter to the same funnel, in concentric circles like she did, and pour.  What could go wrong lol?


Then this is kind of similar:



Just with more than one soap funnel.

Any thoughts on what is best for a beginner?  Also, I've never done cold process, when she says she brings the soap to an "emulsion", NOT a trace, I assume that happens relatively quickly (i.e. in just a few minutes), and after you pour the soap into the mold it is still going through saponification?  I guess that does not hurt the final soap product?

Thanks!!!


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## MellonFriend (Dec 9, 2021)

If you have never done cold process before, I would highly (HIGHLY) recommend something much simpler than either of those at first.  I think that a lot of members here would recommend not even coloring or fragrance your first batch of cold process.  Understanding how your specific soap recipe reacts and what emulsion and trace look like are really important to get down pat, before you try something as complicated as either of those things.  My advice would be, try something a lot simpler (i.e. a two color in the pot, drop, or hanger swirl) before diving into those far more complex designs.  Bravo for your goals!   But I would hate to see you discouraged if something goes awry from shooting too high.  I want you to set yourself up for success!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Thank you MellonFriend, but I am going all in.  Balls to the wall.  I have no time to waste on going slow.  But I appreciate your concern.  If you have any suggestions besides that please let me know!!!  Thanks!!!

CHEW CHEW!!!!!   Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHEW CHEW!!!!  All aboard the soap making train!!!  CHEW CHEW!!!!


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## KiwiMoose (Dec 10, 2021)

If you want to do this i would recommend the top one, and i suggest you don't use titanium dioxide (white) as one of your colours because it can thicken your soap batter.  Pour the colours down the same place in the main jug for best results.  The ratios do not have to be exact ( she's done 20% of each?) just eyeball it to save yourself time and worry.  You also don't have to mix the colours like she does. You can put mica directly into your soaping jugs and mix it in that way - however I recommend dispersing it in a little oil first to make it easier to blend (more mixing in the pot will create thicker soap).

Search YouTube to find videos that explain emulsion, for example: , and stick to three colours ideally to start out.

Make sure you do not use a fragrance that thickens your batter.  Read the reviews and if it says it accelerates, then don't use it.  Florals and spicy scents tend to accelerate - but so do many others.

Good luck!


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Dec 10, 2021)

If you only want people to tell you what you want to hear, then just choose the one you like most, follow the tutorials in the videos, and hope for the best


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## artemis (Dec 10, 2021)

If you want the best first time swirl for a beginner, I would say it's a drop swirl. You just pour your soap into the mold and don't worry too much about where it falls. Or, an in the pot swirl. The colored soap is added back to the main pot and then poured into the mold.

But, if you're determined to do something complicated right out of the gate, I agree with KiwiMoose that the first one is your best bet.


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## Zing (Dec 10, 2021)

I'll add my 2 cents.  Like @KiwiMoose , use mica because you just dump and stir into the batter.  I'll plug an In The Pot swirl simply because you don't have to work at emulsion -- thin trace is fine.  Even a two color ITP swirl comes out looking cool, but use as many colors as you want.

It took me months to master emulsion and I watched a couple of videos recommended on this forum.


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## SoapDaddy70 (Dec 10, 2021)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> If you only want people to tell you what you want to hear, then just choose the one you like most, follow the tutorials in the videos, and hope for the best


I agree with the Gentleman. Why are you asking questions and ignoring the advice? If you want to go "balls to the wall" then just do it. Gotta start somewhere.


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## Megan (Dec 10, 2021)

Yeah, OPW looks easy, but is deceivingly hard. I've been soaping since 2018 and have only done one OPW that I liked the end result. To be fair I've only attempted like 3 or 4 so it's not so bad, but I'm familiar with how CP and my recipe and my FOs behave. 

A regular drop swirl is fairly easy for a beginner and if you're mix is thickening a bit quick you can also put a chopstick in it or a hanger to swirl it around. If it's really thick, a spoon works well. Then bang that sucker down good to get the air bubbles out. 
Getting to emulsion and not past to trace your first go at CP is a lofty goal. One of the hardest parts of learning CP for a lot of beginners is to not over blend.


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## Babyshoes (Dec 10, 2021)

I've been soaping for nearly a year and I'm not confident that I could achieve either of those techniques. 

Trace is a tricky thing to get right - I'm confident that I can now definitely spot it at least, but can't always achieve the right level of trace for the technique.  So many things can influence it, such as oil temperature, air temperature, volume of your recipe, oil combination in your recipe, additives like colourants and fragrances, variation in the fatty acids profile of oil from batch to batch, your stick blender speed etc. It's not as simple as saying "blend for exactly X seconds and you'll be at light trace".  

Honestly, it's as much art as science. 

My first batch I was pretty confident about, having watched many, many videos, where of course they make it look easy. My planned 2 colour swirl ended up at a thick trace very quickly, and was instead a 'plop and glop' that I tried to stir together.

However, if you do decide to go ahead and try this, the one piece of advice that might help is that less is more when using the stick blender. Once you're at emulsion, put it away. The soap will continue to thicken up even if you don't touch it, so use time rather than putting your stick blender back into the batter. Stir it with your spatula if needed, but no more blending! Just wait it out. 

Then come back and show us the result.


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## MellonFriend (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you MellonFriend, but I am going all in.  Balls to the wall.  I have no time to waste on going slow.  But I appreciate your concern.  If you have any suggestions besides that please let me know!!!  Thanks!!!


Okie dokie!  Go ahead and prove us wrong!  But if it doesn't work out don't be ashamed to let us know how it goes. We're here for you either way. (At least I am.)   My only last advice to add would be to use a recipe that is "slow moving" meaning it doesn't trace quickly, and don't use a fragrance at all unless it's one that is known to slow down trace.  That will give you more time to work with it and get the effects you want.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Thanks so much everyone!   First question - here are the cheap colors I got:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077WT912J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Thoughts on those and how they will behave in the mix?

Definitely not going to use a fragrance with this MellonFriend.


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## Megan (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thanks so much everyone!   First question - here are the cheap colors I got:
> 
> Amazon.com
> 
> ...


The reviews for cold process soap are not good. They say the colors don't hold up and that they stain.


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## dibbles (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thanks so much everyone!   First question - here are the cheap colors I got:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077WT912J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> ...


I think those are for M&P soap, so who knows what you will end up with using it for CP. Good luck with your swirl, whatever you decide to try. I'd also vote for an in the pot swirl for the first time.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Oh wow, I figured those were crummy, they were too cheap.

So does anyone know what the "Cadillac" of soap colors are, ones that will work with cold process with minimal issues?  The creme-de-la-creme?  The mero mero?


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## TheGecko (Dec 10, 2021)

Is there a purpose to you trolling this group?


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## SoapDaddy70 (Dec 10, 2021)

TheGecko said:


> Is there a purpose to you trolling this group?


I find a majority of new members are like this nowadays. I find myself coming to the forum less and less because of this type of nonsense.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

???  There is no trolling, I am seriously wanting to try a technique, I will post pictures here when I do.  Why would anyone say such a thing?


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## Cat&Oak (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you MellonFriend, but I am going all in.  Balls to the wall.  I have no time to waste on going slow.  But I appreciate your concern.  If you have any suggestions besides that please let me know!!!  Thanks!!!


It may look simple. It's not. People here are generous with their knowledge to new soapers who are willing to learn. My sense is you are not serious about learning.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Cat&Oak said:


> It may look simple. It's not. People here are generous with their knowledge to new soapers who are willing to learn. My sense is you are not serious about learning.




Well then you'd be wrong.

But, full disclosure, I was drinking when I wrote that last night and watching videos of people making these awesome looking soaps, so I was fired up a bit.


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## Cat&Oak (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Well then you'd be wrong.
> 
> But, full disclosure, I was drinking when I wrote that last night and watching videos of people making these awesome looking soaps, so I was fired up a bit.


That's fair then good luck and have fun experimenting.


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## earlene (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Oh wow, I figured those were crummy, they were too cheap.
> 
> So does anyone know what the "Cadillac" of soap colors are, ones that will work with cold process with minimal issues?  The creme-de-la-creme?  The mero mero?



As no one has responded to this question, I'll give you some recommendations for soap colorants.  First, let me recommend a good video on color mixing based on types of colorants that you can purchase:



Some good sources of quality colorants to use in CP & HP soapmaking include:









						All Colorants
					






					nurturesoap.com
				











						Save On Soap Supplies! - Micas and More
					






					micasandmore.com
				











						Mad Micas | Premium Micas and Colorants for Makers
					

Supplier of premium mica, pigments, colorants, batch certified dyes and lakes and other colorants for use in soap, for cosmetics, bath and body products, epoxy, cement, crafts and other uses.




					www.madmicas.com
				








						Mica Colorants | Mica for Soap | Bramble Berry
					

Shop mica colorants here. They look beautiful in handmade soap, bath bombs, lotion, scrubs, and more. Find your new favorite color at Bramble Berry. | BrambleBerry




					www.brambleberry.com
				




There are others I have used, as well:









						Micas, Oxides and Pigments  - Rustic Escentuals
					

Color your soaps, lip balms, and mineral makeup with professional micas, pigments and oxides! Mica pigments are the name of a group of natural occurri




					www.rusticescentuals.com
				




A place I plan to use, but have not as yet (just haven't got around to it yet, but they do have something else I want, so may give it a go soon):









						Soap Making Colors
					

Thinking of starting a home-based business making cosmetics, soaps, nail polish, or other colorful endeavors?  Visit TKB, supporting people like you since 1997.




					tkbtrading.com
				




Others here have shared other reputable sources for soapmaking colorants in many areas on the forum, (we are an international community, so some may not be viable options due to higher shipping costs internationally) so you are bound to find other recommendations as you read through the forums.  Amazon may be great for many things, (even some reputable soap supply companies also sell on Amazon) but buying soap colorants from Amazon to use in LYE soap, doesn't seem to work out well for anyone who has posted here on these forums, so I would never recommend buying colorants on Amazon.  

Good luck with your first soap. And welcome to the adventure of soapmaking.

Just to share some experience: As a beginner, I used some weird colorants, some work in lye soap and some just plain don't work at all.  Some food coloring does color and some fades to nothing (I really couldn't tell you which, so don't ask, as I truly do not remember).  Some micas work in lye soap and some fades to nothing (I tried cheap eye shadow a time or two).  I learned by trial and error that if I want color to last in soap to accept that I could rely on reputable soap suppliers, like the ones I listed above and read the reviews and look at the photos of how the colorants look when used in CP soap (a really nice feature of some soap suppliers) or I could take my changes and experiment.  And when experimenting, I had to realize that things may not turn out as I hoped if I chose to use a colorant not from a reputable supplier.


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## MellonFriend (Dec 10, 2021)

I think there is nothing wrong with plunging ahead and trying something.  If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out.  You can always learn in reverse.  If you totally fail you can always try something simpler, but hey! maybe you will succeed!  As long as you zap test and "failures" what can go wrong?

I would second the recommendations of Mad micas, TKB and Nurture soap.  I don't have any experience with the other companies that @earlene suggested, but I'm sure they are great too.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Thanks a ton earlene, and you as well MellonFriend!  I need to study your posts and the various sources more, but I note off hand that the girl in those videos I posted mentioned in one of her videos that her colors she got from Nuture soap, so I'll probably order some from there as a starting point since you both mentioned them as well.  Thanks!!!


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## dibbles (Dec 10, 2021)

Nurture is my favorite supplier. The others recommended are also very reliable. The videos you posted were made by Teri Endsley of Tree Marie Soapworks. Please understand that she is a very talented soap maker. While the One Pot Wonder and Line Pour shown in her videos are not overly difficult techniques for someone with a fair amount of experience (ie, recognizing emulsion is key) it isn't a technique that I would recommend for the first time out. I know you are excited to try swirling - start with an In the Pot swirl. It's much more forgiving. If you do decide to go ahead with the One Pot Wonder, have Plan B ready. Nobody is trying to discourage you here. We just know a few things about diving in too deep. The One Pot Wonder technique was a SMF Challenge a few months ago. You might find the threads for that interesting.





						SMF May 2021 Challenge - One Pot Wonder
					

Welcome to the May 2021 SMF Soap Challenge. This month’s challenge is the One Pot Wonder.  The One Pot Wonder technique is simple, quick, and forgiving enough for even new soapmakers to enjoy and create. The “One Pot Wonder” was inspired by a technique done by Tania of Soapish. It requires...




					www.soapmakingforum.com
				








						May 2021 Challenge Entry Thread - One Pot Wonder (OPW)
					

This is the Entry thread for the SMF May 2021 Challenge - One Pot Wonder. Please post your entry photos in this thread. Please remember not to post your entry photos anywhere else until after the challenge is finished. You can not use any photos that you have shared elsewhere already. Your entry...




					www.soapmakingforum.com


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## Saltynuts (Dec 10, 2021)

Thank you dibbles!  Oh I'm all ears, I'm looking for the easiest starter one possible and I will for sure screw it up!  So a "pot swirl" - is there and favorite video of yours showing this?  I found this one:



It looks very similar to the "one pot wonder", in that you put all your colors in one pot.  The one pot wonder looks like it is just more particular with color placement, you try and put them in concentric circles in your pitcher, whereas the pot swirl looks like its just more randomized.  Does that sound about right?  I'll check out those threads as well.  

Thanks!

It looks like you won that contest dibbles, congrats.     Some real nice soap in there!!!


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## dibbles (Dec 10, 2021)

From one of my favorite soapmakers:
 (just leave out the layer on the bottom - it will just add another whole set of learnings for your first batch)


You can stir your colors in the pot ONCE or twice around, but you don't need to. It's a very forgiving technique, and was what I chose for my first swirl. 

And thank you!


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## Primrose (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you MellonFriend, but I am going all in.  Balls to the wall.  I have no time to waste on going slow.  But I appreciate your concern.  If you have any suggestions besides that please let me know!!!  Thanks!!!
> 
> CHEW CHEW!!!!!   Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHEW CHEW!!!!  All aboard the soap making train!!!  CHEW CHEW!!!!



You were given some really good advice here, and it answered your question, yet you responded really rudely. MF at least deserves an apology. If you are going to just disregard people's good advice either don't ask for it, or at the very least don't be rude to people. Alcohol is no excuse for poor behaviour. 

Good luck with your soap.


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## MellonFriend (Dec 10, 2021)

Primrose said:


> You were given some really good advice here, and it answered your question, yet you responded really rudely. MF at least deserves an apology. If you are going to just disregard people's good advice either don't ask for it, or at the very least don't be rude to people. Alcohol is no excuse for poor behaviour.
> 
> Good luck with your soap.


Oh no, it's okay.  I don't require an apology.  I did not take offense at Saltynuts comments.  I did not take her response as rude at all.  It's hard to get intention out of only words when we cannot hear each others' intonation (that's why emojis are so important), so I really don't think Saltynuts meant to be as rude as she came across.


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## Peachy Clean Soap (Dec 10, 2021)

Nurture Soaps has many mica color's & works well.  Good luck w/ your soap design.


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## Zing (Dec 10, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Well then you'd be wrong.
> 
> But, full disclosure, I was drinking when I wrote that last night and watching videos of people making these awesome looking soaps, so I was fired up a bit.


LMAO!!  So, whatever you do, do not SUI, that is shop soap vendors under the influence, er, um, yeah, just passing along some advice I've heard....


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## lenarenee (Dec 10, 2021)

If don’t have a problem if beginners want to jump into the higher levels of soap making….as long as they learn and follow safety procedures.

Thing is, even if successful with the jumping, a person always ends up having to backtrack and hit those basic skills anyway.  Baby steps are NOT just for children, they are a vital part of any learning process.

To the OP: I’ve used those molds for many years and still keep a couple around. The newer silicone inserts tend to bow in the middle and affect the shape of the center bars. I suggest using some plastic strapping tape to tape the center areas to the outside of wood. The soap batter won’t hurt it. (Like the clear 3M mailing tape)


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## KiwiMoose (Dec 11, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you dibbles!  Oh I'm all ears, I'm looking for the easiest starter one possible and I will for sure screw it up!  So a "pot swirl" - is there and favorite video of yours showing this?  I found this one:
> 
> 
> 
> It looks like you won that contest dibbles, congrats.     Some real nice soap in there!!!



I actually find the tone of voice really patronising in that video - like I’m a baby learning to make soap


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## Dana89 (Dec 11, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you dibbles!  Oh I'm all ears, I'm looking for the easiest starter one possible and I will for sure screw it up!  So a "pot swirl" - is there and favorite video of yours showing this?  I found this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




You in the bottle again? No one is being rude to you. You are outraged that a lot of us doubt that you can pull it off. Most people here are trying to save you time money and frustration. I wouldn't try and I have been soaping for years.  
Go ahead and learn backwards. I would love to see the results!


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## Hope Ann (Dec 11, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thanks a ton earlene, and you as well MellonFriend!  I need to study your posts and the various sources more, but I note off hand that the girl in those videos I posted mentioned in one of her videos that her colors she got from Nuture soap, so I'll probably order some from there as a starting point since you both mentioned them as well.  Thanks!!!



While at Nurture Soaps, you might also get a jug of their soap mix, or at least look at their formula, as it's been designed to be slow moving for making designs.  It helps to know how your particular formula moves, something that either takes previous experience with the formula or enough knowledge for a good guess.  In addition, it takes 2-3 times longer to do all the steps in soaping when first beginning.  Rarely does anyone actually make what they intended for their first few soaps.  You'll see for yourself.  Good luck.

Hope


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## TheGecko (Dec 11, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> ???  There is no trolling, I am seriously wanting to try a technique, I will post pictures here when I do.  Why would anyone say such a thing?



Because on one hand you say you want help as a beginner soap maker, then ignore all the advice 'cuz you are going to do whatever the heck you want.  Flat out, you are a danger.  Your deliberate and willful ignorance, the whole "Balls to the wall. I have no time to waste on going slow", could injure someone.  And then what, you going to brush that off too because you'd been drinking?


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## artemis (Dec 11, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you dibbles!  Oh I'm all ears, I'm looking for the easiest starter one possible and I will for sure screw it up!




Don't forget to share a picture. Success or failure we love to see each other's soapy creations!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 11, 2021)

MellonFriend said:


> Oh no, it's okay.  I don't require an apology.  I did not take offense at Saltynuts comments.  I did not take her response as rude at all.  It's hard to get intention out of only words when we cannot hear each others' intonation (that's why emojis are so important), so I really don't think Saltynuts meant to be as rude as she came across.




Thanks MellonFriend, I was indeed just trying to be funny, like I was crazed with soap creating desire and wasn't going to listen to your good advice.  Guess few if any found it funny.  But thank you for the advice and not being offended, and apologies if it came off bad!

Hoping to take my stab either tonight or tomorrow, will post pictures.  It will be bad, I can assure everyone.


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## Sarouche (Dec 11, 2021)

You might want to make a castile soap then with just olive oil to make sure it is slow moving. Don't water discount and soap at around 90 degrees. Just be sure to add sodium lactate to the lye water so you don't have to wait weeks to unmold it. I would recommend a hanger swirl as being pretty forgiving if your soap starts to thicken. Good luck.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 12, 2021)

Thank you Sarouche!  Olive oil, check, I think I'll do just that.  So for the amount of water, what calculator do you use?  Because I mentioned in another thread soapcalc.net gives me a very big difference in the amount of water to use versus the brambleberry calculator (the brambleberry one tells me to use a lot more, I am just using their default calculations by the way).

Sodium lactate, check I got that tip from my main girl Tere at Tree Marie Soapworks, had some show up just yesterday!

Hanger swirl I need to check out, will do so. 

Thanks!!!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 12, 2021)

Dana89 said:


> You in the bottle again? No one is being rude to you. You are outraged that a lot of us doubt that you can pull it off. Most people here are trying to save you time money and frustration. I wouldn't try and I have been soaping for years.
> Go ahead and learn backwards. I would love to see the results!




LOL, just LOL...


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## lenarenee (Dec 12, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you Sarouche!  Olive oil, check, I think I'll do just that.  So for the amount of water, what calculator do you use?  Because I mentioned in another thread soapcalc.net gives me a very big difference in the amount of water to use versus the brambleberry calculator (the brambleberry one tells me to use a lot more, I am just using their default calculations by the way).
> 
> Sodium lactate, check I got that tip from my main girl Tere at Tree Marie Soapworks, had some show up just yesterday!
> 
> ...



Actually I think I can safely say that most people here would recommend you NOT make a Castile soap since this is your first batch - especially one with full water.  1. It's very slow to trace and can confuse newbies who haven't experienced the differences between emulsion, light trace, medium trace and false trace. 2. it can be difficult to gauge when your batter is at a thick enough trace to perform the type of swirl you want without either becoming so feathery it disappears, or mixes so much it gets muddy. 3. Castile needs a very long cure time (a year), it doesn't lather like typical soap, absorbs a lot of water and easily makes a sticky, snotty lather.   4. I really doubt sodium lactate is going to do much here; 100% olive oil and full water?  My 50/50 water/lye Castile takes 4 or more days to unmold with sodium lactate.

If you aren't averse to animal fats, lard is a new soapers best friend.  Even something as simple as 75% lard and 25% coconut oil will give you lots of working time, soaping at 80 degrees or lower, with 36% water. Although for you, if would be very helpful to learn how to recognize at least light trace, and to stop stick blending at that point.  (many beginners stick blend too much).


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## Benjifrazer (Dec 12, 2021)

For the one pot wonder you need your batter traced enough so that as you pour your colours together in one pot they remain separate BUT thin enough it will pour beautifully into the mould.

if you want to play around with a similar technique why not try a ombré pour. This still requires a good knowledge of trace but you work with one colour that you slowly add uncoloured batter to in order to lighten said colour incrementally creating a gradient through the bar.

It’s still a very satisfying pour but it is more achievable in my opinion than working bc with multiple colours.

I’d suggest using mica from a reputable company (Resin8/micamoma in the UK or Mad Micas US). I always disperse my mica first by which I mean I mix my mica with a little light oil (olive or avocado) which means it blends better into my batter (less stick blending means slower trace )


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## Professor Bernardo (Dec 12, 2021)

It is my humble belief that Saltynuts is of the X-Y chromosome pairing.  The comments, attempt at humor(?) etc., seem to lean that direction.  

Also the "CHEW CHEW!!!!! Chugga chugga chugga chugga CHEW CHEW!!!! All aboard the soap making train!!! CHEW CHEW!!!!" sounds like a fraternity chant from the 1980's or earlier.



Saltynuts said:


> Thanks so much everyone! First question - here are the cheap colors I got:
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077WT912J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
> 
> ...


Ah yes... the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten!


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## Microchick (Dec 12, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you Sarouche!  Olive oil, check, I think I'll do just that.  So for the amount of water, what calculator do you use?  Because I mentioned in another thread soapcalc.net gives me a very big difference in the amount of water to use versus the brambleberry calculator (the brambleberry one tells me to use a lot more, I am just using their default calculations by the way).
> 
> Sodium lactate, check I got that tip from my main girl Tere at Tree Marie Soapworks, had some show up just yesterday!
> 
> ...


Use the soapmakingfriend calculator at the top of the page.  To access it if you aren't on the forum just add .com.  ITPS was my first and still favorite design.  Good for beginners because beginners use the stickblender too much resulting in a thicker trace which works well for ITPS.
Check this video for education about trace


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## SavonP (Dec 12, 2021)

KiwiMoose said:


> I actually find the tone of voice really patronising in that video - like I’m a baby learning to make soap


 It’s funny they a lot of people say that about her.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 12, 2021)

Hi everyone.  Well, I apologize, I was not able to make it today.  I was, but my significant other wanted to go out with friends, so I had to watch the kid, I was not really comfortable making soap with him around this young (and wet under the ears) in my soaping career so I just took him to Chuck E Cheese and when I got back earlier I was just too tired.  

So hopefully tomorrow will be my big day!

But I did manage to look at the soaps I have (and bought).  Here is what I have, probably more as well:

Olive oil (Sarouche mentioned maybe using just this, but *lenarenee disagreed whole-heartedly) - I have a ton of it.*
Lard (I had one pound of it, but I bought a second on lenaranee's comment that lard is a new soapers best friend) - so I have 2 pounds of it.
Coconut oil - I have a very big amount of it.
Avacado oil - a good amount of it.
Canola oil - a ton of it
vegetable oil - a ton of it (but I am wary of the word "vegetable", that can be a lot of different oils that are covered by that description LOL).
sesame oil - at least a little bit
jajoba oil - at least a litte bit
pumpkinseed oil I think I have some around as well.

My sodium lactate arrived as well!

Can anyone suggest a good recipe?  Lenarenee suggested 75% lard 25% coconut, is that a good way to go?  I'm fine with that, and fine using other oils as well, whatever works!

Thanks so much everyone!!!


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## Babyshoes (Dec 13, 2021)

Looking at that list, I'd say keep it simple. A reasonably balanced, nice soap can be achieved with just 3 of those. Some of the others can be used in soap, but many with caveats so best to stay away from them until you fully understand the properties of each in soap.

From your list, I would personally use 40% each lard and olive, and 20% coconut. 5% superfat, 33% lye concentration/ 2:1 lye ratio. (Water to oils setting is more useful for hot process, best avoid it for cold process.) 

Stick with plain distilled water to start with. If you want to do coloured swirls, ideally avoid fragrance in this batch. 

A useful test batch size is around 500g/a pound of oils. Weighing out less than that will amplify tiny inaccuracies in your scales, but it's a small enough amount that you won't feel too bad if it goes totally wrong. 

If you don't have a suitable mould in that size, you can use a plastic or cardboard box and line it carefully with freezer paper. My first few batches were made in a well washed plastic cat food tub, but a margarine tub would work well too. You can also use a Pringles tube.

This should give you a perfectly decent finished bar of soap which isn't too drying on the skin for most people, but still has a reasonable amount of lather in use. 
As long as you don't work too warm and avoid over-blending, this recipe should stay at the level of trace where you stop stick blending for quite a while before it thickens too much. Certainly it would be long enough for all the basic swirls that I've tried so far... 

I use a similar recipe which also includes a bit of Shea butter and castor oil, and of I've worked at a very light trace, that often needs to sit on the counter for a good 10-15 minutes after pouring before I can add texture to the top and/or move the mould anywhere. It's more likely to happen in cold weather.


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## Professor Bernardo (Dec 13, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Can anyone suggest a good recipe?


Why don't you purchase a book on cold process soapmaking?  IF someone suggests a recipe you probably won't follow it to the "T" anyway, or you won't like this or like that or whatever.  We are here to help you with issues or problems or friendly suggestions, but not to give you the whole kit and kaboodle in one fell swoop. 

Click the following link to get this book at Amazon: 
*The Natural Soap Making Book for Beginners*







Personally I make bar soap with coconut oil, palm oil and/or lard, shea butter, cocoa butter, sodium hydroxide, distilled water, sodium lactate, sodium citrate, sorbitol or sugar, kaolin clay or French clay, and sometimes titanium dioxide.  The proportions are mine to keep.

Use the Soapmaking Friend Calculator associated with this forum.  If you scroll to the top of the page you will see a tab on the far right titled "CALCULATOR".  As Babyshoes stated, stay around 500 grams for your first batches.  The calculator defaults to 500 grams or since you have a silicone mold and wood box for it, plug in the dimensions in the area on the calculator and it will automatically calculate the total amount needed to fill the mold.  Plug in some different oils and varying amounts and see how the calculator works and what the net result will be for your intended batch.

Use the KISS principle, don't get all fancy and try to become an artisan soapmaker overnight.  Many of the contributing members on this forum have been making soap for years, and many of those sell their products too. 

BTW, you misspelled artisan as artesian, which is a type of water well that flows under it's own pressure from the aquifer it's associated with.


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## Hope Ann (Dec 13, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Can anyone suggest a good recipe?  Lenarenee suggested 75% lard 25% coconut, is that a good way to go?  I'm fine with that, and fine using other oils as well, whatever works!
> 
> Thanks so much everyone!!!



Lots and lots of nice recipes in this forum using those oils of if you use the search feature.

Hope


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## Benjifrazer (Dec 13, 2021)

I’d suggest running the following through a soap calculator

30% Olive
30% Coconut
5% Avocado
5% canola (rapeseed in the UK)
30% Lard

It gives you 60/40 split in favour of hard oils -which should help you with a harder bar (but i think you may need to leave it in the mould for a couple of days.

Lard soap is a slow trace so i think this recipe should be slower to trace.

I would recommend making a 500g batch to start - review the recipe and the making ( you should make notes at every point)

this would then give you an idea of how the soap behaves, how it feels to work with and the 48 hours means that saponification will have certainly occurred.

and when you unmould you can test it for later and bubble (and also compare the later and bubble after cure too) - and then you can tweak the recipe... add in other oils and play with the %

ALWAYS ALWASY ALWAYS run each recipe through a soap calculator EVERY TIME

Oh plus have fun, and warn your significant other / friends / work colleagues you are going to be come a soaping addict!


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## ResolvableOwl (Dec 13, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Canola oil - a ton of it
> vegetable oil - a ton of it (but I am wary of the word "vegetable", that can be a lot of different oils that are covered by that description LOL).
> sesame oil - at least a little bit
> jajoba oil - at least a litte bit
> pumpkinseed oil I think I have some around as well.


Only use one of these at a time, and at first at maximum 10%. Only go higher when you have an otherwise proven recipe, and you know how to make these behave well.


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## Zing (Dec 13, 2021)

My 2 cents is to save jojoba oil for other bath and body products.  It is expensive and does not retain its characteristics during saponification -- and soap washes off right away.  It feels great on skin and can be used in lotion bars or lotion.  I know you're just getting started on soap, but once the addiction starts you'll soon find yourself making homemade everything!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 13, 2021)

Well, I got it made, I can say that at least.  But it was a complete failure.  I was going to do a "one pot swirl" or "one pot wonder", but against good advice I did add fragrance, and when I added that and sodium lactate and the colors my soap went from what I think was a "heavy emulsion" - it was not trace yet but not far from it probably - to the consistency of play-dough in like 13 seconds, not sure if it was the fragrance, the sodium lactate or the colors that did it, or all three.  But wow.  So I ended up just making a 3-color soap and mashing the 3 colors in the slab one at a time.  Dear lord.

Well, I'll post more details or the recipe and exactly what I did, and pictures of the monstrosity, in the next day or so.

Thanks for all the help everyone.


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## CreativeWeirdo (Dec 14, 2021)

I know I'm late to the thread, but this is the video that first made me think to myself "Hey!  I could [eventually] do this!" and that is what started me in the learning process.


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## lenarenee (Dec 14, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Well, I got it made, I can say that at least.  But it was a complete failure.  I was going to do a "one pot swirl" or "one pot wonder", but against good advice I did add fragrance, and when I added that and sodium lactate and the colors my soap went from what I think was a "heavy emulsion" - it was not trace yet but not far from it probably - to the consistency of play-dough in like 13 seconds, not sure if it was the fragrance, the sodium lactate or the colors that did it, or all three.  But wow.  So I ended up just making a 3-color soap and mashing the 3 colors in the slab one at a time.  Dear lord.
> 
> Well, I'll post more details or the recipe and exactly what I did, and pictures of the monstrosity, in the next day or so.
> 
> Thanks for all the help everyone.



Hey, congratulations on your first soap!!  What was the fragrance? (If it went from fluid to play - doh in 13 seconds, I'd say it was the fragrance. Or false trace, but you'd know that soon after because you'd see oil and lye separating). Any idea what the general temperature of your lye and oils were?


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## KiwiMoose (Dec 14, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Well, I got it made, I can say that at least.  But it was a complete failure.  I was going to do a "one pot swirl" or "one pot wonder", but against good advice I did add fragrance, and when I added that and sodium lactate and the colors my soap went from what I think was a "heavy emulsion" - it was not trace yet but not far from it probably - to the consistency of play-dough in like 13 seconds, not sure if it was the fragrance, the sodium lactate or the colors that did it, or all three.  But wow.  So I ended up just making a 3-color soap and mashing the 3 colors in the slab one at a time.  Dear lord.
> 
> Well, I'll post more details or the recipe and exactly what I did, and pictures of the monstrosity, in the next day or so.
> 
> Thanks for all the help everyone.


Did I or did I not tell you to watch your fragrance?   You did not listen did you - you just chew chewed right through the station!  LOL.  Oh well, you will still have soap, and it's fine to use it so long as everything else is fine recipe-wise.


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## TheGecko (Dec 14, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> But it was a complete failure.



One of my jobs at work is to train folks as to processes and procedures. Folks that choose not to listen don’t last long…not because of me as an individual, but because the processes work, because it makes everyone’s jobs easier. FYI - I am a Senior Staff Accountant for a CPA firm. When I train someone in how we do things, I also explain why we do it this way and the benefits gained. I also explain why we don’t do it a different way, the problems that it can cause. There is a certain amount of flexibility built into the processes because every client is different, every person works differently, but the end result has to be the same. 

Soap making is about processes and procedures. There is a lot of flexibility…so many oils and butters and additives and colorants and scents and molds to choose from; hot process, cold process, cold process oven process, melt & pour, rebatch; to gel or not to gel; to make every batch from scratch or to master batch; but the end result has to be the same…soap.

We are here to help you.  We want you to be successful.  There is literally hundreds of years of experience here and it’s not just local…it’s world wide.


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## Professor Bernardo (Dec 14, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> consistency of play-dough in like 13 seconds, not sure if it was the fragrance, the sodium lactate or the colors that did it, or all three.


Usually it is the fragrance oils that cause a fast trace.  At least in my experience.  These days I add the fragrance oils to the warmed oils and stick blend them in before adding the lye solution.  This method has, for me at least, given very good results in that trace is slowed down quite a bit and overall easier to work with.  I doubt the colors caused the quick trace issue.  Also, in cold process soap, add the sodium lactate to the cooled lye water prior to adding the lye to the oils.


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## Benjifrazer (Dec 14, 2021)

You got through your first batch. Well done! Hope you wrote everything down so next time you can adjust your process.

by the way. If you use citrus essential / fragrance oils they tend to behave better than warm / spicy / floral notes.


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## Cat&Oak (Dec 14, 2021)

You are going through what we all have been through. "Soapmaking how hard can it be? That looks simple anyone could do that!" 
You are obviously hard-headed and stubborn and learn things the hard way 
As long as you can afford to waste a bunch of money (Soapmaking is expensive!) And don't mind wasting ingredients you will eventually learn.
You are finding how soap can humble you real quick. Hopefully you are developing an appreciation for those that do it well and start to listen to sage advice.


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## Babyshoes (Dec 14, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Well, I got it made, I can say that at least.  But it was a complete failure.  I was going to do a "one pot swirl" or "one pot wonder", but against good advice I did add fragrance, and when I added that and sodium lactate and the colors my soap went from what I think was a "heavy emulsion" - it was not trace yet but not far from it probably - to the consistency of play-dough in like 13 seconds, not sure if it was the fragrance, the sodium lactate or the colors that did it, or all three.  But wow.  So I ended up just making a 3-color soap and mashing the 3 colors in the slab one at a time.  Dear lord.
> 
> Well, I'll post more details or the recipe and exactly what I did, and pictures of the monstrosity, in the next day or so.
> 
> Thanks for all the help everyone.


 
That doesn't sound like a *complete* failure. You made soap, you got it in the mould, it's multiple colours and scented. 

As others have said, the rapid thickening was most likely your fragrance oil. Why not try again soon without fragrance and see if we're right about that?


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## RevolutionSoap (Dec 14, 2021)

I'm curious to know what FO you used and where you purchased it?  

People here can be very helpful if you listen!  I spent 6 months perusing this forum and reading books and watching videos before I even attempted my first soap.


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## artemis (Dec 14, 2021)

Sometimes it's fun to just try. I recommend a small mold, one that will hold about 16 oz. That way, you can experiment all you like without accumulating too many bars.


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## Peachy Clean Soap (Dec 14, 2021)

Zing said:


> LMAO!!  So, whatever you do, do not SUI, that is shop soap vendors under the influence, er, um, yeah, just passing along some advice I've heard....


What is SUI?  .


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## Zing (Dec 14, 2021)

CreativeWeirdo said:


> I know I'm late to the thread, but this is the video that first made me think to myself "Hey!  I could [eventually] do this!" and that is what started me in the learning process.



I just bookmarked this!  Thank you.  I've never seen this design, and that soaper just cracked me up!


Peachy Clean Soap said:


> What is SUI? ⚠ .


Uh, Shopping Under the Influence, duh!


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## TheGecko (Dec 14, 2021)

It was right there:  Shop Under influence.


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## RevolutionSoap (Dec 14, 2021)

I assumed it was Soaping Under the Influence!


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## MellonFriend (Dec 14, 2021)

Zing said:


> I just bookmarked this! Thank you. I've never seen this design, and that soaper just cracked me up!


Not to hijack, but Katie at Royalty Soap is my favorite!  She'll cheer you right up if you are in need of a laugh.  I binge her all the time.


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## CreativeWeirdo (Dec 14, 2021)

MellonFriend said:


> Not to hijack, but Katie at Royalty Soap is my favorite!  She'll cheer you right up if you are in need of a laugh.  I binge her all the time.


I love it when she includes her daughter!


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## Ech0s (Dec 15, 2021)

I'm a newbie as well and titanium dioxide (a lot of) mixed with alcohol accelerated my first batch of cold process (which was a cpop). I'm mixing with oil now and so far so good!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

So, here is a picture I snapped last night.  It actually came out better than I expected given how poorly the process went with the soap turning so hard on me and me having to stuff it in the mold by hand.  Its like I was BORN to soap!!!!   

The 3 on the bottom right were just extra I had left over after I filled up that big bread-like mold, I stuffed the leftovers randomly in some solo-molds.  If you look at the far bottom right one, in the middle of the bar, were it came out all smooth, I REALLY like the look of that.  It might have all looked somewhat (smooth) like that if things had not hardened up on me I suppose.

I'll post hopefully tonight in detail the ingredients and my process, along with like a MILLION questions I have having been through this.  

Thanks everyone!


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## Hope Ann (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> I'ts like I was BORN to soap!!!!
> 
> I'll post hopefully tonight in detail the ingredients and my process, along with like a MILLION questions I have having been through this.



Respectfully, while it looks pretty, you haven't tried the soap yet.  You don't yet know how well it works, or if it's even safe.  One soap does not a soaper make.  Hubris and lye are not a good combination.  It also doesn't endear you to the soaping community, who may not be as eager to answer your questions now since you have repeatedly blown off previous advice.  Learning a new craft requires humility and appreciation.  Keep in mind that most advice you receive had a cost to the giver - in time (studying the craft) and in materials (whether the soap turned out well or was a failure).

Hope


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

Hope Ann said:


> Respectfully, while it looks pretty, you haven't tried the soap yet.  You don't yet know how well it works, or if it's even safe.  One soap does not a soaper make.  Hubris and lye are not a good combination.  It also doesn't endear you to the soaping community, who may not be as eager to answer your questions now since you have repeatedly blown off previous advice.  Learning a new craft requires humility and appreciation.  Keep in mind that most advice you receive had a cost to the giver - in time (studying the craft) and in materials (whether the soap turned out well or was a failure).
> 
> Hope





That was sarcasm...


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## TheGecko (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> That was sarcasm...



Hard to tell given your previous posts.


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

TheGecko said:


> Hard to tell given your previous posts.




Groovy.


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## MellonFriend (Dec 15, 2021)

I think your soap looks really nice, all things considered!   I think maybe more people would understand your sarcasm with different emojis.  Maybe the upside-down smiley  Or one of these guys: .  

What's next on your soaping agenda?


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

MellonFriend said:


> I think your soap looks really nice, all things considered!   I think maybe more people would understand your sarcasm with different emojis.  Maybe the upside-down smiley  Or one of these guys: .
> 
> What's next on your soaping agenda?




Thank you!!!  Take 392 showers a day so I can use it all up to justify making some more.


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## Martha (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> Thank you!!!  Take 392 showers a day so I can use it all up to justify making some more.


Wait 4-6 weeks before taking all those showers


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

Martha said:


> Wait 4-6 weeks before taking all those showers



Hahaha, I know that is what I am supposed to do, but I could not resist, I tried it last night and it seemed just fine.  

Recipe coming here in a bit!


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## Saltynuts (Dec 15, 2021)

So I went with just what Baby Shoes said as far as the basic oils, using 40% lard 40% olive and 20% coconut (just a few grams off on occasion, as you will see below).  

I used the default soapmakingfriend soap calculator.  So I didn't change any settings as to the lye/oil/water things, I just went with the default.  I went with a 0% superfat, but you will see below I had just a few grams extra oil/less lye in places so I have just a very, very slight superfat.

Lard:  459 grams (which is interesting, I bought a pound, which I think is 457 grams).

Olive (extra virgin, like me, if that matters haha):  459 grams

Coconut:  236 grams

Lye:  168.51 is what the calculator said, I put in 167

Water:  calculator said 337.03, I put in 344, because that is what I poured in and I just left the extra in since Brambleberry calculator seems to say to put much more water in.

Sodium lactate:  2.51 teaspoons (at 1 teaspoon per pound of oils I read) - I converted the 2.51 to ML and put that many ML in but I forgot what that number was, but I matched it basically exactly.

Fragrance:  35 grams (soap calculator said 34.32 grams).

Fragrance was a "Green Irish Tweed" copycat, I'll see if I can find it.  I'm sure this is what killed the whole deal (yes KiwiMoose I should have listened, but you know how I am .

I mixed the oils together, and since 2 of the 3 are solid at room temperature, I microwaved them together.  In 30 second increments.  I wanted to melt the oils, but not get them any hotter than necessary to do that.

I added the lye to room temperate water, stirred with a spatula until it was all dissolved.  Then let it sit there while I got everything else ready, all the different pitchers for the different colors and what not.

When everything was assembled, I added the lye water to the water and basically instantly started stick-blending.  I do not know the respective temperatures of the oil/water solution but I would guess neither was that far above room temperature.

I stick blended almost constantly, constantly checking for emulsion.  I was basically looking for the point where when I pulled the stick blender out and let some drops drop back in, I would see some tension when they hit the better, indicating that a trace was close.  I then added the sodium lactate, and the fragrance, and blended some more for just a few seconds.  

I then poured it out into 3 separate funnel pitchers, with the intent to do the one pot wonder or pot swirl.  

I then started to add the mica colors to the three separate pitchers.

Here are my micas:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YNW3GC2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1 

Now, I know yall are going to be harsh on me about using those cheap things, but here is what happened.  In another thread yall told me about the colors and nurture soap and a couple other places.  I literally spend a few hours browsing through all those tons of colors, almost ordering different ones at different times.  But the prices kept adding up because it was just so hard to pic only a few.  So I figured I'd just get a cheap amazon mica set to start with, I knew this project was not going to come out good anyways.  So that is why I got those.  In the future I will definitely order better colors!

It was when, or maybe slightly before, I added the colors that I realized everything had gone to muck.  The batter in the 3 pitchers was SO hard.  It was impossible to really stir in the colors good, the stick blender would not work at all, I had to use a spatula, and that was VERY hard and I never really got it done completely.  Next time I will definitely do what Tree Marie does and mix them in some oil ahead of time to make it easier (and it should also be easier when the batter is not basically a solid LOL).

And what several of you asked about - the fragrance.  Here is exactly what I ordered:

Green Irish Tweed Type Soap / Candle Making Fragrance Oil 1-16 Ounce  | eBay

I can take a picture of the bottle if that is helpful to diagnose.  I am sure yall will say that is horrible and filet me over it.  

So that is what I did, criticism is fully accepted and desired, I am trying to learn!  Next up are my like 1 million questions, although not sure I'll get to that tonight, might be tomorrow.

Thanks so much everyone, it was a fun time even if it turned out nothing like I wanted.  



MellonFriend said:


> Not to hijack, but Katie at Royalty Soap is my favorite!  She'll cheer you right up if you are in need of a laugh.  I binge her all the time.




That funny you and others like he so much.  She is good, but I just find her jokes not that funny and her tone of voice a little irritating to me.  Tere from Tree Marie has the best soap videos I have seen, almost hypnotic with how beautiful her soaps come out and her easy going voice.  To each her/his own!!!


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## AliOop (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> That funny you and others like he so much.  She is good, but I just find her jokes not that funny and her tone of voice a little irritating to me.  Tere from Tree Marie has the best soap videos I have seen, almost hypnotic with how beautiful her soaps come out and her easy going voice.  To each her/his own!!!


I have to agree, Katy is so sweet and creative but not someone I enjoy watching or hearing. Besides Tree Marie, watching Holly of Kapia Mera is also a relaxing experience.


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## MellonFriend (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> That funny you and others like he so much.  She is good, but I just find her jokes not that funny and her tone of voice a little irritating to me.  Tere from Tree Marie has the best soap videos I have seen, almost hypnotic with how beautiful her soaps come out and her easy going voice.  To each her/his own!!!


I'm sure Katie wouldn't appeal to everyone.  I'm of a very similar background to her, so I really _get_ her humor.

Tree Marie is amazing.  Very relaxing to watch.



Saltynuts said:


> Hahaha, I know that is what I am supposed to do, but I could not resist, I tried it last night and it seemed just fine.


I'm going to jump on this before anyone else does.     Did you do a zap test?  You are really taking a risk if you didn't.  You do not want unreacted lye contacting certain places of your body, if you catch my drift.  If you didn't zap test, before you go and start licking all the soap you just made, please look at how it's done on This Thread.


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## Zing (Dec 15, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> So, here is a picture I snapped last night.  It actually came out better than I expected given how poorly the process went with the soap turning so hard on me and me having to stuff it in the mold by hand.  Its like I was BORN to soap!!!!
> 
> The 3 on the bottom right were just extra I had left over after I filled up that big bread-like mold, I stuffed the leftovers randomly in some solo-molds.  If you look at the far bottom right one, in the middle of the bar, were it came out all smooth, I REALLY like the look of that.  It might have all looked somewhat (smooth) like that if things had not hardened up on me I suppose.
> 
> ...


Isn't it exciting and addicting?  Just wait til you start using it in 3-6 weeks!  Congrats.  Great colors.


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## Quilter99755 (Dec 16, 2021)

I'm a little late to the party...as usual. For what you've said was a "glop and plop" situation you have some fairly pretty soap. It looks far better than my first attempt at colors. 

And I would have to agree that it is very hard to resist the urge to use your soap. In fact, I was one of the HP people who followed the advice of those HP bloggers who said you have soap, go forth and use it! I didn't even know there was such a thing as curing soap until I found this forum. Even my harsh soap was 1000% better than the stuff I was buying out of the store, so I thought I'd died and gone to heaven with my wonderful hand crafted soaps. 

Luckily after finding this site, I experimented with all of the reading that I did the first few months so had plenty of soaps to leave on the curing rack. I found that people on this forum knew what they were talking about as far as curing. 3-6 months from now you will have some awesome soap. 

My advice would be to listen to what the wonderful people here are telling you. They are speaking from their hearts. But cut the sarcasm or you might find that you will no longer get that wonderful advice.


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## Michelle0803 (Dec 17, 2021)

Saltynuts said:


> So I went with just what Baby Shoes said as far as the basic oils, using 40% lard 40% olive and 20% coconut (just a few grams off on occasion, as you will see below).
> 
> I used the default soapmakingfriend soap calculator.  So I didn't change any settings as to the lye/oil/water things, I just went with the default.  I went with a 0% superfat, but you will see below I had just a few grams extra oil/less lye in places so I have just a very, very slight superfat.
> 
> ...



It is so exciting to start the soap making journey!  Good luck to you.

You need to follow the recipe exactly.  Not kinda.  Not sort of.  Exactly.  We do not add a pinch of this oil or a dash of that.  When you run your recipe through the calculator most tell you what kind of bar you will get.

Soaping is expensive.   Don't buy inferior ingredients just to save a buck.  The results can be disheartening.

I fully realize that you want to make the pretty fancy soaps but start with the basics.  Perfect that.  Then move on to the next.

Would you try to make a fancy, expensive dinner if you had never cooked before.

You asked for input. You have gotten tons of great advice.  Don't ignore the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before you


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