# Made the first move



## Smellynewbie (Apr 14, 2016)

Well today I made the first move in my soap addiction. I've ordered lots of supplies I just hope I have everything needed to make a start 
Here's what I have up to yet 

Lye ,olive oil ,castor oil ,coconut oil ,jojoba oil,Mica, fragrance oils ,shea butter ,avacardo butter,moulds, bowls spoons jugs 

Do you think I have everything I need to get started ? Xx


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## Soapmaker145 (Apr 14, 2016)

Goggles?


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## Navaria (Apr 14, 2016)

gloves and scale?


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## lenarenee (Apr 14, 2016)

Googles. The best you can afford. Splashes can get sneakyou and eyes are delicate.

Gloves....and extra gloves if you don't but boxed nitrile gloves. I love being able to whip off my gloves if I suspect something got inside and have a clean  replacement at my side.

Memorized knowledge of lye safety.

A plan of action  if you have a horrible spill on yourself.

Boy, I'm in safety mode today aren't I?

ETA: by best googles I mean best fitting so there's no spaces around the eyes for splashes to get in.


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## Smellynewbie (Apr 14, 2016)

*Thanks all*

Yes  gloves mask and googles I have to get this week whilst I'm waiting for my supplies xx


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## Navaria (Apr 14, 2016)

Distilled water? I'm trying to go through my process in my head step by step and see what I use that you don't have listed lol. Maybe an extra roll of paper towels or some old rags. And if you're like me, an apron. I dumped a whole container of disbursed blue mica down the front of me. Ruined my apron and sweatshirt. So maybe a vinyl apron


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## kumudini (Apr 14, 2016)

How about a stick blender? You will definitely need one. I love the cuisinart one.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 14, 2016)

I agree with goggles but I don't think you need high quality ones. I got mine at the dollar store.


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## TeresaT (Apr 14, 2016)

Did anyone else laugh when they read "jugs" or am I the only immature idiot here?


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## dixiedragon (Apr 14, 2016)

BTW, I think you will find that avocado butter and jojoba oil are wasted in CP. If you want to try them, no harm - but maybe make a small batch. Jojoba is wonderful in lip balm.


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## Arimara (Apr 14, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Did anyone else laugh when they read "jugs" or am I the only immature idiot here?



Nope, sorry. those types of jokes fly over my head.


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## RobertBarnett (Apr 14, 2016)

Good fitting goggles
Long gloves
Stick blender
Good scale, you will want one that can do at least .01 oz, this won't be cheap but when you need to weigh 3.45 ounces and your scale won't do it you have a problem. I would also recommend one with a tare feature and at least an 11 pound weight limit.


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## penelopejane (Apr 14, 2016)

RobertBarnett said:


> Good fitting goggles
> Long gloves
> Stick blender
> Good scale, you will want one that can do at least .01 oz, this won't be cheap but when you need to weigh 3.45 ounces and your scale won't do it you have a problem. I would also recommend one with a tare feature and at least an 11 pound weight limit.




If you use a metric scale you can buy a glass topped one that tares very cheaply.


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## kc1ble (Apr 14, 2016)

I'm fairly new at this hobby and I can tell you it doesn't matter how much you've ordered, your gonna want some more after your first batch.  It's gotta be unhealthy...lol, have fun!


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## Barbsbreakingbath (Apr 15, 2016)

*Stuff you need*

I have a non contact thermometer that I got from Amazon, I use it for a lot of stuff, any questions about your oil and lye temp you know instantly. Also ph strips (I'm not licking any soap, sorry). I also got a cheap lab coat. Why? Cause if you spill on it you just TAKE IT OFF. You aren't trying to get lye of your sleeves
Now I can feel like a mad scientist. Also got a cheap mask because it looks like I'm sensitive to lye fumes. And vinegar for clean up.
I mix my lye out on my apartment balcony. With my goggles, lab coat and mask, I think the neighbors are really starting to wonder about me.


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## lenarenee (Apr 15, 2016)

lenarenee said:


> Googles. The best you can afford. Splashes can get sneakyou and eyes are delicate.
> 
> Gloves....and extra gloves if you don't but boxed nitrile gloves. I love being able to whip off my gloves if I suspect something got inside and have a clean replacement at my side.
> 
> ...


 
BTW: yes I know that g o g g l e s is misspelled in this post. But my stupid computer insists on turning eye safety gear into google!!!!  I thought it was funny - and a little scary since Google seem to be taking over the world.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Apr 16, 2016)

Barbsbreakingbath said:


> I have a non contact thermometer that I got from Amazon, I use it for a lot of stuff, any questions about your oil and lye temp you know instantly. Also ph strips (I'm not licking any soap, sorry). I also got a cheap lab coat. Why? Cause if you spill on it you just TAKE IT OFF. You aren't trying to get lye of your sleeves
> 
> Now I can feel like a mad scientist. Also got a cheap mask because it looks like I'm sensitive to lye fumes. And vinegar for clean up.
> 
> I mix my lye out on my apartment balcony. With my goggles, lab coat and mask, I think the neighbors are really starting to wonder about me.





If you aren't licking the soap, you are rejecting the best testing method for a home soaper out of hand-

pH strips are bad at measuring the pH of soap. 

The pH of soap tells you very little about whether or not it is safe to use

So please, don't throw out one of the best options that you have just because it sounds like an icky thing to do


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## cmzaha (Apr 16, 2016)

RobertBarnett said:


> Good fitting goggles
> Long gloves
> Stick blender
> Good scale, you will want one that can do at least .01 oz, this won't be cheap but when you need to weigh 3.45 ounces and your scale won't do it you have a problem. I would also recommend one with a tare feature and at least an 11 pound weight limit.


A KD7000 or KD800 are great scales that last years. You really do not need a scale that weighs down to 0.01  0.05 is sufficient for soap. http://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-kd8000.html. The KD7000 is on sale for $31.00 ^^

I agree that jojoba and avocado are wasted in soap. I prefer nitrile gloves over larger playtex type gloves. Gloves that are to loose or thick are not safe in my opinion.


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## RobertBarnett (Apr 16, 2016)

I have the the kd800 and I have to say that I wished it weighed in finer amounts. But you are right they work and are 90% a good option for the money. You can always get a small pocket Scale that handles a couple of pounds for finer amounts. I picked one up for less than $10 on Amazon.

As far as exotic oils go as long as 100% of oils remain unconverted I will continue to use them because they offer a benefit.

Robert


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## Susie (Apr 16, 2016)

Barbsbreakingbath said:


> I have a non contact thermometer that I got from Amazon, I use it for a lot of stuff, any questions about your oil and lye temp you know instantly. Also ph strips (I'm not licking any soap, sorry).



Most experienced soapers have long since either stopped using their thermometers, or stopped using them for soap.  pH strips are not at all effective in telling you if your soap is safe.  Zap testing does.  And after all, if you aren't willing to risk your tongue on your soap, why should anyone else be willing to risk their skin?

OP- I think you have the best tool already, a willingness to study and learn this craft.  And you have the best supplier also- this forum.  You may hate what we tell you, you may even hate how we tell you or that we even find it necessary to tell you, but you can count on it being truth.


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## dixiedragon (Apr 16, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Did anyone else laugh when they read "jugs" or am I the only immature idiot here?



Premature fizzing ALWAYS gets me. (tee hee)


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## Barbsbreakingbath (Apr 17, 2016)

*Susie*

Thanks for the advice, I'm just thinking that the gun thermometer has been very helpful for me as a beginner. i started out making lotions and layered melt and pour soap. So it was just a habit to make sure stuff was the right temperature.
Also, regarding ph, I would never sell a product to anyone that I did not use on myself first. To me, that's one of the perks of the job. So yes, I do put my skin on the line. I do understand that I now need to find a better method of ph testing. I thank people for taking the time to tell me, and I understand now as a new person, I have no business giving anyone advice about anything.
I am actually on a learning curve, and in selling some of my other products I made a few mistakes that I feel terrible about. 
 It was appearance related. But it made me realize that that I didn't know what the heck I was doing, and that I would learn everything I could about Good Manufacturing Practices. If Heaven forbid, someone had a reaction to my soap,  do I tell my insurance company, a court, and maybe the FDA "I tounged the soap and didn't get zapped?" Wouldn't it be better to have a batch number and the date you tested the ph, inside and outside the soap? Just asking? 
I hope that I have not offended anybody. In the short time I've been here, I've gotten really good advice. I will start getting intimate with my soap. But I am still going to document the ph with a better method than test strips just for rear end covering purposes. That's just me.


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## LisaAnne (Apr 17, 2016)

Barbsbreakingbath, I don't think you have offended. I've made a lot of soap and I believe I know a lot on the subject. But I stay away from any kind of advise myself  I just do not have the background or the whole picture to be able walk a new person through it. I'm like you, people convinced me to sell early on and that is my biggest regret, now I have an expensive hobby and that is just fine with me.


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## Barbsbreakingbath (Apr 17, 2016)

Lisa, thank you for your kind response. I'm starting to understand that maybe you can get too many sources of from books and the web, and get conflicting information. You can also start to think that you know a lot when you don't ��. . I also think that some of the wholesalers out there might sometimes encourage people to jump into business, because of course they do. You sell more stuff that way. i started out as a chem major in college, and I love the chemistry of soapmaking and cosmetics. I love feeling like I'm concocting things in a laboratory, even if it's just my kitchen. But it's also an art.
So I'm going to take a deep breath, try not to give any more advice, listen, learn, and HAVE FUN!!!!


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## LisaAnne (Apr 17, 2016)

Barb, lol... I have a blast making soap. Yeah I agree. Lots of bad information out there. Here there are checks and balances. 
After I mow I'm going to attempt the challenge again. Crazy


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## TwystedPryncess (Apr 18, 2016)

Get a boyfriend/husband who also has an expensive hobby. That way, when you order 600$ of supplies (I have)  he doesn't bat an eyelash...


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## galaxyMLP (Apr 18, 2016)

Barbsbreakingbath said:


> Thanks for the advice, I'm just thinking that the gun thermometer has been very helpful for me as a beginner. i started out making lotions and layered melt and pour soap. So it was just a habit to make sure stuff was the right temperature.
> 
> Also, regarding ph, I would never sell a product to anyone that I did not use on myself first. To me, that's one of the perks of the job. So yes, I do put my skin on the line. I do understand that I now need to find a better method of ph testing. I thank people for taking the time to tell me, and I understand now as a new person, I have no business giving anyone advice about anything.
> 
> ...




I use an IR thermometer every single time I CP soap. It's the scientist in me. I want to control every aspect that I can about soaping. I've been doing it for 4 years and I don't think I'll ever stop! But I also use the thermometer when I cook food in the microwave so you could just say I like using it for everything. 

On the topic of pH strips. I agree that zap testing is best for us. If I had access to a lab easily I would titrate my soaps to see if I had excess base as that would be the best way to see if any is present. 

However, because I've worked in a QC lab I know that sometimes you want multiple verifications without having the best way. I've always zap tested my soap and I'm starting to pH test them even though I know that it's not accurate. That's not what I'm looking for. Good QC is about consistency. I use the same brand of pH strips and same brand of distilled water and make a 1% soap solution with the soap completely dissolved. Then, I drop 2 drops of the solution on my strips, wait 1 minute and record the result. This is for each batch with the same ingredients and process. Then I can start to establish control limits and know when something is wrong by pH and zap test. It's not perfect but it makes me feel better that I'm recording as much as I can about my batches. 

The reason pH/indicators don't work well for soap is because of the micelles that soap forms in water.


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## penelopejane (Apr 19, 2016)

No matter his new one is it is good to share your experiences and understanding because you will either help yourself or someone else. I never have and hope I never will have to zap test a soap. [emoji2]


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