# Newbie in need of some advice



## Unicorn (Oct 20, 2014)

Hi. I am new to soap making, as in I haven't made any yet. I cannot find any courses near me and am basically wanting to know if you think taking a course would be advisory or is this something I could learn from a book? I live in Hamilton Ontario, if anybody knows anywhere I might be able to do classes that would be wonderful. Thank you in advance


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## TheOneWhoSoaps (Oct 20, 2014)

I did a one on one class with a well established soapmaker to begin with. It was nice to do, but I felt like it was something I could have done on my own with a basic recipe and clear instructions from the internet (and saved myself $200 in the process, haha!)

The biggest issues are there are many different ways to create soap, and everyone has their own methods which can vary greatly from each other, which might be confusing or come across as an information overload to someone new to soapmaking.


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## KatieShephard (Oct 20, 2014)

Unicorn said:


> Hi. I am new to soap making, as in I haven't made any yet. I cannot find any courses near me and am basically wanting to know if you think taking a course would be advisory or is this something I could learn from a book? I live in Hamilton Ontario, if anybody knows anywhere I might be able to do classes that would be wonderful. Thank you in advance



I'm a newbie too  I started by watching A LOT of soaping videos on YouTube.  Soaping101 channel on YouTube is a great place to start.  And reading old threads on this forum is very helpful.


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## Unicorn (Oct 20, 2014)

I always forget about YouTube.
I will check that out, thank you


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## cmzaha (Oct 20, 2014)

If you are looking for some good recipes and information try this website. www.millersoap.com


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## snappyllama (Oct 21, 2014)

Welcome!

I second Soaping101 videos as an excellent resource. Start with her oldest videos since she builds on the basics from there. Soap Queen also has some good beginner safety videos. There are a ton of videos out there. Some folks do not exhibit safe practices... though they make artistic designs.

My tips from a newbie (me) from the best resource I've found: the folks here
1. Wear safety goggles (eyeglasses do not count)
2. Wear gloves
3. Do not inhale lye fumes. Mix somewhere well ventilated. Remove kids/pets. Do not leave lye water unattended.
4. Soaping containers shouldn't be reused for food
5. Fragrance oil can eat through plastic cups (don't ask me how I know that) 
6. Lye Water only belongs in stainless steel or plastic (I use #5 painters' buckets I got from a hardware store).  Do not use Pyrex. It gets HOT. 
7. If you get lye on you, rinse with a lot of water (not vinegar).
8. Always run recipes through a lye calculator (soapcalc is great). Even books or recipes that you see here might have typos
9. Weigh everything - preferably in grams for accuracy
10. Don't assume a batch is ruined. Check here first. Much smarter folks than myself can advise on how to save things.
11. Never use anything with aluminum.  That includes spoons and hangers...
12. Be prepared to gain an addiction!


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## Susie (Oct 21, 2014)

I watched videos on YouTube.  I did not find this forum until later.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have started playing on soapcalc. net and looking at the numbers before making soap.


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 21, 2014)

For number 7, why not use vinegar?


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 21, 2014)

I used to write out my own recipes by hand and double check with a soap calculator. I believe it's important to know how to do the math and to understand the principles behind the science. Now... I'm just lazy and do it all through Soapcalc, but if I was stranded on a deserted island with a SAP chart, I could still make soap because I know how to formulate a recipe.


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## snappyllama (Oct 21, 2014)

Vinegar + Lye creates heat and is more violent a reaction. You don't want a regular burn in addition to chemical burn.  Water will dilute lye and rinse it from your skin.


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 21, 2014)

Ah, interesting. I just searched the web for more information on it. I can't say I've ever doused lye with vinegar to see a violent reaction first hand. Not all acids and bases react violently. I'm thinking of milk (a base) and vinegar (an acid). The reaction is curdled milk, not an explosion. It makes sense once it's explained, but it's not intuitive.

Hold on, I'm thinking more about this. One example I read about a violent acid/base reaction was vinegar and baking soda, while it may be violent, I don't believe its gets hot. I guess that means I need to learn what constitutes as a "chemical burn" as it sounds like it's something different than heat. With acid reflux, a remedy is taking baking soda to neutralize the stomach acid. Violent? Yes. There are plenty of burps from the carbon dioxide. However, I don't recall anyone ever getting burned. I have more research to do on this topic obviously!


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## snappyllama (Oct 21, 2014)

Vinegar has a pH around 2. Water is 7. Lye is 13.  

You know that adding lye to water produces a lot of heat (room temp water gets up to 200ish F): 13pH to 7pH reaction

Adding lye to vinegar produces EVEN more heat (past boiling temp): 13pH to 2pH reaction

MSDS and chemical spill/medical experts say to rinse lye burns with water for 15 minutes. Some older books and websites will say otherwise, because they are just worried about stopping the chemical reaction. The danger is in getting a thermal burn on top of the chemical burn you just got.  You don't want to cook yourself!  Water is the best way to dilute lye and rinse it from your skin.

Note: I'm probably butchering this explanation. Sorry about that...


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Oct 21, 2014)

No, those are great points on lye safety.

Another great benefit of using water, other than the major issue of heat, is that a tap can run for a longer time than a bottle of vinegar can.  

We use very dilute lye solution in eating so getting the lye diluted whilst cooling the affected area is all idea.  Neutralising while heating it up is the worst option of the two.  It would be better than doing nothing, but far worse than using water.

To other posters, vinegar-on-lye reaction isn't something that you really have to know first hand or be able to relate to in other ways - it's the sort of thing that you generally wouldn't want to be around so the sort of reaction that you don't usually stumble upon.


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## Susie (Oct 21, 2014)

I have made the mistake of getting lye solution on my skin more than once(I am a klutz).  Then I intentionally sprayed vinegar on it ONCE.  Never, ever again!  Use the cold tap water.  It just rinses that lye away with no additional heat or pain.


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## Unicorn (Oct 21, 2014)

Wow, thanks everyone. I know I am going to be addicted. I love making things and will be looking in to lotions and balms too. I will be planning to sell eventually which is why I am wanting to make sure I get things right, not making things that will burn or irritate anyone's skin. I will be picking up some supplies this week, what would you suggest as essentials?


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## snappyllama (Oct 21, 2014)

Here's an article that goes into good details on equipment you'll need.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/basicequipment.html

Soaping101 also did a video with stuff you can get from the dollar store.
[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYhH20vWxvc[/ame]


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## Cindy2428 (Oct 21, 2014)

Also a newbie learning more everyday. This forum is an excellent timely resource that if you do even simple searches will answer your questions as you go along. Check out the stickies - especially the Abbreviation one so you don't get lost. There are some great channels on You-tube, but beware, I'll just say it - there are also a bunch of idiots as well. Until you learn a little bit, it's hard to figure out who is who. Amazon is a great resource for books and there are quite a few free ones (reputable) which you can download to a Kindle/tablet. Lastly, I can only speak to this class because I am taking it; Check out Bath Alchemy. Classes are not cheap, low end $75.00; 14 Week Soap Making Academy $1,200.00. I just finished Week 8. The material is professionally organized and I have found it to be worth the $$. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the course. (I am only a student, and have no other affiliation with Erica or her company). I went ahead and invested in this course because there is so much information and so many considerations that I wanted a consistent, structured/formal education.  Finally, I see you are from Canada. Check out the Canadian Professional Guild. I joined as a "hobbyist" in the US Guild - The Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetic Guild, and the membership discounts alone have basically paid my membership cost. Good luck with your new found addiction!


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## Seawolfe (Oct 21, 2014)

Check to see if there are any soapy meetups near you on http://www.meetup.com/
I have some near me, that I still need to find the time to get to 

+ 1 on the soaping 101 videos on youtube.
I also love the tutorials on http://www.soapqueen.com/


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## judymoody (Oct 21, 2014)

To answer your initial question, Alicia Grosso's Everything Soap Book is a great comprehensive introduction if you want all the basic information in one reference work.  Aside from youtube videos, you can also learn just about anything you need to know right here!


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## cmzaha (Oct 21, 2014)

Any msds sheet I have read for lye on the skin tells you to flush the area with copious amounts of cool water. No mention of vinegar


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## marilynmac (Oct 21, 2014)

MSDS sheet for NaOH:  http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9924998

Please don't look up how to handle a NaOH spill on the internet; all sorts of people tell you to put vinegar on it.  They are wrong.  It is dangerous to do that.


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## Unicorn (Oct 23, 2014)

Thanks everyone. Great info!!
 Right now I think I am just going to be starting on the melt and pour. Not what I wanted, but with a 2 year old and nowhere in my house that is properly ventilated that I can work in, I will have to hold of on the CP soap, even though it is what I am DYING to do. We are renovating our house so I am hoping to have a designated spot for my soap making once it is all done.


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 24, 2014)

Haha, yes, yes. I got it. Vinegar + lye = heat. 

The other thing I was going to mention. People say not to use soaping equipment for cooking. Why is that? I use soap on my dishes all the time. In fact, my food-grade lye touches my dishes when I make bagels and pretzels. (Yes, food grade lye is for food. Pretzels and bagels are boiled in lye water giving them their distinct flavor.) So, that being said, what's the problem with using those same utensils to make soap?


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Oct 24, 2014)

Having zap tested soaps with FOs, I can see very clearly why I wouldn't want to cook in anything that has been used for making that!

It is basic process safety - nothing from the soap in the food and nothing from the food in the soap, other than what you actually plan.  Plus, if anything goes wrong you don't risk your best pan set.


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## Susie (Oct 24, 2014)

girlishcharm2004 said:


> Haha, yes, yes. I got it. Vinegar + lye = heat.
> 
> The other thing I was going to mention. People say not to use soaping equipment for cooking. Why is that? I use soap on my dishes all the time. In fact, my food-grade lye touches my dishes when I make bagels and pretzels. (Yes, food grade lye is for food. Pretzels and bagels are boiled in lye water giving them their distinct flavor.) So, that being said, what's the problem with using those same utensils to make soap?



I make my own bagels, could you possibly give me the proper amount of lye to put in the water?  I am dying to try this!  

Two issues with using food equipment for soaping:

1.  The amount of lye is much higher with soapmaking.  It can etch Pyrex and glass.  Not to mention splintering wooden spoons.  

2.  If you are using EOs or FOs, you can't really ever get the smell out of anything the least bit porous.  

I bought a $1 set of plastic spoons and a $1 set of silicone spatulas at the Dollar Tree just for soaping.  Cheap enough for non-stinky food.


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## Unicorn (Oct 24, 2014)

Where do you guys get your ingredients from? I went to Michael's today but found it pretty expensive. Ideally I'd like to buy some small quantities to do some small samples at home. What are your suggestions?
 Thank you in advance


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## KatieShephard (Oct 24, 2014)

Unicorn said:


> Where do you guys get your ingredients from? I went to Michael's today but found it pretty expensive. Ideally I'd like to buy some small quantities to do some small samples at home. What are your suggestions?
> Thank you in advance



Are you looking for MP?  I think all the big soaping supply companies carry it...Brambleberry, WSP, etc.  And if you order from them, you can also order colorants and FO's...just sayin   WSP ships pretty quickly...Natures Garden did as well.  Brambleberry took 2 weeks to get to me


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## Meganmischke (Oct 24, 2014)

girlishcharm2004 said:


> Haha, yes, yes. I got it. Vinegar + lye = heat.
> 
> The other thing I was going to mention. People say not to use soaping equipment for cooking. Why is that? I use soap on my dishes all the time. In fact, my food-grade lye touches my dishes when I make bagels and pretzels. (Yes, food grade lye is for food. Pretzels and bagels are boiled in lye water giving them their distinct flavor.) So, that being said, what's the problem with using those same utensils to make soap?



I don't like using plastic for both food and soap but stainless steel I have always used for both. Just me though I am sure not everyone else feel the same.


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 27, 2014)

Susie said:


> I make my own bagels, could you possibly give me the proper amount of lye to put in the water?  I am dying to try this!



1 tsp lye + 1 quart water = bagel water

1 Tbsp lye + 1 quart water = pretzel water

Don't let the lye water boil down and concentrate too much or you'll have round pretzels.


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## girlishcharm2004 (Oct 27, 2014)

I guess I mainly use stainless steel, too! I don't think I would plastic for both.  I'm leery of plastic around my food in general. Ha.


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## Stacy (Oct 27, 2014)

Not to completely hijack your thread, Unicorn, but wow, thanks guys.  I was one of those people who had a supply of vinegar on hand to deal with a lye emergency. Everything you said makes a lot of sense, and I guess the vinegar is going back to the kitchen!

Unicorn, I'm still quite new to soaping as well, but I think the best thing I ever did was buy the Soapmaker3 software. It might be a little pricey if you're starting small, but for me it was worth it just to keep all my purchases and batch variations in one spot. In addition it's a build in soap calculator so (to date) I've had a very hard time messing up a batch due to incorrect lye amounts...because of fragrance colour, or oils, sure, but not lye!

I just realized I didn't finish my thought on that...for me, I'm much happier having spent money on the program which helps me to learn than on a class that shows me one technique.  With resources that others suggested like Youtube, I can take knowledge from a bunch of different styles and figure out what works for me. The thing I find most helpful about this approach is that you can learn something from one person (ie. the vinegar above which I learned from a couple of youtube videos very early on) and it can be completely wrong. By sampling a bunch of different teachers I think you get a bit more rounded knowledge.

The thing is I'm self taught in a lot of things and it's how I learn best (I swear sometimes I'm happiest when I'm jumping headfirst into the deep end). If you feel more confident with a classroom for your first hands on experience, then it's worth the money!


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## Seraf (Oct 30, 2014)

Cold pressed soap is fantastic! It's so easy and I get so many compliments on it!... Perfect for beginners, you can just google it!


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