# Newbie making soap for the first time... questions!



## msarro (Jan 25, 2016)

First, hello!

I just ordered everything I need to make my first batch of soap (i think)! 

A long time ago I fell in love with a menthol/eucalyptus body wash. It was rather expensive, and sadly didn't stay in stock. It had a wonderful cooling feeling on the skin, and the aroma that it made not only woke me up in the morning, but it was intense enough to clear my sinuses (great to get rid of the morning grogginess).

I recently found a new bodywash that was similar, but it is 9 dollars a bottle, and I go through a bottle in about 2-3 weeks. Cheap bar soap is about 10 dollars for a pack, but I don't really like it.

I'd considered making bar soap before, and I decided it was time to make the plunge. My goal is to have a bar soap that has a strong enough aroma to "clear me out" in the morning, and to have a cooling effect on my skin.

Right now here is my planned ingredients:


lard
coconut oil
sweet almond oil
camphor essential oil
peppermint essential oil (twice distilled)
eucalyptus essential oil
lye

I am guessing about the ratios of the fats, and tweaking them with soapcalc. I was thinking along the lines of 26% sweet almond oil (skin conditioning), 48% lard (hardness, creaminess, low cost), 26% coconut oil (hardness, cleansing, bubbles). Does this sound about right? The numbers I get from soapcalc look like this:

Hardness: 43
Cleansing: 18
Conditioning: 51
Bubbly: 18
Creamy: 25
Iodine: 56
INS: 159

Does this sound "good"? Would it work as a daily washing soap? It seems to fall in the ranges soapcalc recommends.

And for my second question - what should I be looking at for essential oils? If I did a 1 or 2lb batch (what I will probably start with), how much should I be looking to add? I was aiming for around 45% peppermint oil, 35% eucalyptus oil, 20% camphor oil. Does this sound like it will provide what I am looking for? About how much essential oil should I be adding? I've found numbers ranging from 10 drops to 15-20 drops each.

Sorry if these are really silly questions, but for something "simple," I'm finding this is actually more complicated than I ever would have expected


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## shunt2011 (Jan 25, 2016)

Hello and welcome!   

Your recipe looks pretty good, the only thing I would add if you have it is Castor at 5%.  It helps stabilize the lather.  What superfat are you using?  I would do 5-6% personally as your CO is a tad high but some folks aren't bothered by it.

As for your EO usage, check out www.brambleberry.com   They have a calculator for FO/EO and it will help with usage rates.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.


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## KristaY (Jan 25, 2016)

Hi there and welcome! It looks like you have a good plan and know exactly what you want to achieve so that's a great start. I'm anxious to hear how it works out for you!


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## msarro (Jan 25, 2016)

shunt2011 said:


> Hello and welcome!
> 
> Your recipe looks pretty good, the only thing I would add if you have it is Castor at 5%.  It helps stabilize the lather.  What superfat are you using?  I would do 5-6% personally as your CO is a tad high but some folks aren't bothered by it.
> 
> ...



Hi! Sadly I don't have any castor on hand, and it isn't readily accessible without ordering from amazon (not out of the question if it's really necessary). Superfat is currently set at 5%.

I tried the brambleberry calculator, but it will only calculate for a single oil. Do I add the recommended amount for each oil independently, or should I cut the amount down if I am adding multiple?



KristaY said:


> Hi there and welcome! It looks like you have a good plan and know exactly what you want to achieve so that's a great start. I'm anxious to hear how it works out for you!



I'll definitely be posting about this little adventure  Any tips you can provide would be very much appreciated!


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## dixiedragon (Jan 25, 2016)

Your recipe looks pretty good to me. Your coconut is a bit high - 20% is the "average" around here, but lots of folks use more and love it. If you enjoy soap making, maybe after you make Batch 1, you make Batch 2 with 20% coconut instead.

BTW, I thought this might be of interest to you:
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/education/recipes/shower-tub-tabs-sinus-blend.aspx


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## Seawolfe (Jan 25, 2016)

A recipe with those oils that I have been very happy with (and it has a surprising amount of lather considering I was out of Castor Oil - everyone loves the lather on this bar) is:
65% Lard
20% Sweet Almond Oil
15% Coconut

5% superfat

1 TBSP of sugar PPO dissolved in the water before the lye
(I did also add citric acid for my hard water, but I dont think you need to worry about that this early in the game).

Be VERY careful with the amounts of camphor and mint EOs or you will burn rather than tingle.


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## DeeAnna (Jan 25, 2016)

"...I tried the brambleberry calculator, but it will only calculate for a single oil. Do I add the recommended amount for each oil independently, or should I cut the amount down if I am adding multiple? ..."

The BB weight is for the TOTAL amount of scent. If the total is, say, 30 grams, then you would want your individual EO weights to add up to 30 g.

If you have a specific blend of EOs or FOs that you like, just make up a masterbatch of that blend and measure out the 30 grams of the blend. Voila! Working with a single scent blend can reduce measuring errors and "brain fog" mistakes.

You don't say how big your soap batch is (or I missed it, which is entirely possible!), so it's impossible to say whether a "few drops" of scent will be enough. I rather doubt it. I'd follow the BB calculator's recommendation and err on the side of low to moderate scent.

As far as the relative proportions of the EOs and camphor ... you need to do some trials before hand to figure out the blend you prefer. Cut up a paper towel or a coffee filter into strips. Then test your idea of "45% peppermint oil, 35% eucalyptus oil, 20% camphor oil" by putting, say, 1 drop camphor, 2 drops eucalyptus, and 3 drops mint on a strip. Smell the blend off and on for a few hours and see what you think.


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## shunt2011 (Jan 25, 2016)

msarro said:


> Hi! Sadly I don't have any castor on hand, and it isn't readily accessible without ordering from amazon (not out of the question if it's really necessary). Superfat is currently set at 5%.
> 
> I tried the brambleberry calculator, but it will only calculate for a single oil. Do I add the recommended amount for each oil independently, or should I cut the amount down if I am adding multiple?


 
Castor is good but if you don't have any no worries.  I would add about 1 tsp of sugar to your water per pound of oils and dissolve it well before adding your lye to the water.   It will help with bubbles too.

Give your recipe a go and see how you like it.

I'm not good with EO usage rates as I don't use a lot of them.  You'll want to remember that all of them could possibly cause some discomfort in the nether region is using too much.

Hopefully someone with more experience will pipe in with their suggestion.


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## paillo (Jan 25, 2016)

Castor oil is usually easy to find in the laxative sections of Walmart or your local drugstore. Ask if it isn't in that section.

I also agree about being careful with the camphor and peppermint essential oils usage rates. They can definitely sting the delicate parts. I love eucalyptus in anything. I like your recipe too and the fact that you have researched what you want to do


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## msarro (Jan 25, 2016)

Well, while my wife is "receptive" and I've already got a foot in the door, I ordered some castor oil off amazon (it's JUST another few dollars dear!).

So, after poking around a little more on soap calc with folks suggestions, here's what I am looking at:

60% lard (awesome because lard is super cheap!)
20% coconut oil
15% sweet almond oil
5% castor oil

superfat is 5

I get these numbers:
Hardness: 42
Cleansing: 14
Conditioning: 51
Bubbles: 19
Creamy: 33
Iodine: 55
INS: 154

For a 1lb batch, it looks like 13 grams of essential oils (I will start light, I can always add more on the next batch - probably safer than starting strong and cutting back). I'll definitely try the test strip idea!

I also like the idea of adding sugar.

Also, can I say that the geek in me is loving the fact that there is hard science here that lets me rely on things like calculators?


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## Seawolfe (Jan 25, 2016)

msarro said:


> Also, can I say that the geek in me is loving the fact that there is hard science here that lets me rely on things like calculators?



Ok the hook is set, we just need to reel him in nice and easy...



I think that will be a nice soap  Just remember sugar BEFORE lye! Otherwise it doesn't dissolve.


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## shunt2011 (Jan 25, 2016)

I think you are well on your way.  And quickly drawn to the lard side.


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## msarro (Jan 25, 2016)

shunt2011 said:


> I think you are well on your way.  And quickly drawn to the lard side.



LOL! I grew up on a farm, so lard doesn't phase me in the slightest. The nice thing is how cheap it is - the rest of these oils can get super expensive super fast. We live near pork processors, so lard is plentiful!

My wife is used to it now too - but it took her a little while to get used to having jars of bacon fat and rendered duck fat in the fridge all the time. Compared to that, storebought lard is a walk in the park!


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## penelopejane (Jan 25, 2016)

shunt2011 said:


> I think you are well on your way.  And quickly drawn to the lard side.




Get them early and you have them for life, you Lardy fiends! [emoji49]


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## shunt2011 (Jan 25, 2016)

penelopejane said:


> Get them early and you have them for life, you Lardy fiends! [emoji49]


 
You know we have a Lardy Cult. :twisted:


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## Arimara (Jan 25, 2016)

penelopejane said:


> Get them early and you have them for life, you Lardy fiends! [emoji49]



I'd much rather see lard in soap than for it to go to waste or worse: some pet's junk food. The meat industry isn't going away; why not cut the waste even more. :mrgreen:


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## Susie (Jan 25, 2016)

I make soap like that on a regular basis.  It is not quite strong enough to open your sinuses, but it certainly yields a "cooling" sensation to the skin.  I would not suggest your wife try it on her ... lady parts... as it can be very irritating to "delicate" tissues. 

Here is the thread I made:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=55372&highlight=menthol+soap


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## msarro (Jan 29, 2016)

Well, I made a test batch just a little while ago. 1 pound of soap (same recipe) but instead of using all of the other essential oils, I used .5oz of lemongrass essential oil. I wish I could have been a tiny bit more precise, but the brambleberry calculator seems to be dead at the moment 

Everything seems to have gone well (I'll know for sure tomorrow I suppose). 

I'm glad I picked up a vinyl apron and vinyl dishwashing gloves. There was a bit more splashing than I expected when I tried using the stick blender to start mixing the lye water and the fats (my stupid mistake, I should have tried it in water first to see how it would behave, lesson learned). When the rest of my ingredients arrive later next week I may try a 2lb batch instead of 1. For some reason i think it may splash a little bit less.

I got it to a light trace and then added the essential oil, and it immediately thickened. I had read about the possibility that it could thicken or seize but I was surprised it did. It was actually a little difficult to pour out of the bowl into the bar molds. It ended up about the consistency of good lemon curd.

I got it in and smoothed it with a silicone spatula, covered with plastic wrap and cardboard, and have it swaddled in towels.

My wife is a little sketched out by the lye, but I think she'll get over it.

For a first time out, that wasn't that bad. I'm sure it'll be even easier next time!

Plus my whole work area smells like lemongrass right now, which is lovely.


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## Susie (Jan 29, 2016)

Where did you get your lemongrass EO?  Normally lemongrass is so well behaved that I tell newbies to use it.


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## KristaY (Jan 29, 2016)

Susie said:


> Where did you get your lemongrass EO?  Normally lemongrass is so well behaved that I tell newbies to use it.



Really good point, Susie. I just did a blend of lemongrass, tea tree & spearmint and trace took forever. I had to hit it with the SB a bit to move it along.

Just an FYI on the lemongrass. I have no probs with it in wash-off products (soap) but a slight sensitivity in leave-on (lotion). On the other hand, my sister breaks out in a whole body rash no matter the product. Since I've heard others say the same, try it out washing your hands first instead of running off to the shower for a total scrub down, just in case!

I'm glad things went well for your first time out of the soaping gate and can't wait to see pics of the cut soap!


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## msarro (Jan 30, 2016)

Susie said:


> Where did you get your lemongrass EO?  Normally lemongrass is so well behaved that I tell newbies to use it.



I used an aura cacia essential oil that I picke up from our local natural foods store. It smells great, and strong, but like I said it tightened up.

Watching through some of the soap queen videos, she mentions adding essential oils and stirring by hand. I used the stick blender - I wonder if that could have been what caused an issue?



KristaY said:


> Really good point, Susie. I just did a blend of lemongrass, tea tree & spearmint and trace took forever. I had to hit it with the SB a bit to move it along.
> 
> Just an FYI on the lemongrass. I have no probs with it in wash-off products (soap) but a slight sensitivity in leave-on (lotion). On the other hand, my sister breaks out in a whole body rash no matter the product. Since I've heard others say the same, try it out washing your hands first instead of running off to the shower for a total scrub down, just in case!
> 
> I'm glad things went well for your first time out of the soaping gate and can't wait to see pics of the cut soap!



That's great to know, I'll definitely take care. Especially since my wife can have slight issues with skin conditioning (especially in sensitive areas). We ended up with enough for 6 full bars (I'm using bar molds), and about a 1/3rd full bar. I'll see if the partial bar works ok for her hands, and we can take it from there!

I'll take some pictures tomorrow night once they're set up a little bit. I did sneak a peek though and they seem to be firm already. I guess that means no soap volcanos?


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## Susie (Jan 30, 2016)

I think your lemongrass EO was adulterated with something else.  It should not cause any issues with seizing or ricing.  Next time, you may want to try EOs from a soaping supply company.  WSP usually has decent prices.


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## Steve85569 (Jan 30, 2016)

Soap, wine and cheese all need to cure . While you _can_ use soap before it has aged it will not be what it should be at 4, 6 or 8 weeks aged. The soap you just made ( congratulations on your first batch) is really really going to get better as it ages so try and be patient. You have mentioned that DW has sensitive skin and she may not like the harshness of "fresh" ( raw) soap.

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your first soap.
Welcome to the lard side. We have cookies!


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## msarro (Jan 31, 2016)

Just some photos!

In the molds:






Ready to cure (and make our main bathroom smell nice):





I removed the soaps from the molds today. Everything looks good, but they're a little tackier than I expected them to be. I'm hoping that gets better with aging.

Some things I think I need to do:
1) Get a better scale. Mine kept getting cranky, and it's rather imprecise. For a 1lb batch I was probably off by anywhere from 2-10 grams on each ingredient.
2) Get some colorants. As it stands, I'll have no way to tell my next batch from this one other than sniffing everything 
3) Not mix quite so long OR hand mix when I add EO's so it can be poured more easily. I think it'll help fill the molds a little more nicely. It was so thick that even some good whaps wouldn't remove the air bubbles on the sides.


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## Susie (Jan 31, 2016)

I add my EOs to my oils, so I get no surprise accelerations.  

You can use coffee as a colorant.  Just substitute it for the water.  Makes a lovely cafe` latte color.  

Or you can infuse paprika into OO.  Place 1 oz paprika and 6-8 oz OO into jar.  Cover with loose lid. Put into saucepan with 1 in water and heat gently for half an hour.  Allow to cool, then just pour off the oil from the solids (do not shake or stir).  Use about 1 oz of this to substitute for 1 oz OO in your recipe for nice sunshiny yellow.  Use more for darker color.

Or you can use just a bit of dry paprika mixed into your oils before the lye to get a speckly effect. 

Or you can use 1-3 tsp PPO of cocoa powder for a rich brown.  Add that to the oils, also.  Or you can make a cocoa line with it.

There are many things you have around the house that can make good colorants.


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## Steve85569 (Jan 31, 2016)

"I removed the soaps from the molds today. Everything looks good, but  they're a little tackier than I expected them to be. I'm hoping that  gets better with aging."
"As it stands, I'll have no way to tell my next batch from this one other than sniffing everything 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




"

They will firm up over the next few days. The silicone doesn't allow any air to assist in the curing.

One of the things I do to tell plain colored batched apart is to take the small bar ( or end cut) and using a paper clip write a short story on the bar. That way I can track when it was made, what is in it, etc....
Otherwise I find myself asking me what was in that batch that everyone likes sooo much!:think::Kitten Love:


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## cmzaha (Jan 31, 2016)

msarro said:


> Well, I made a test batch just a little while ago. 1 pound of soap (same recipe) but instead of using all of the other essential oils, I used .5oz of lemongrass essential oil. I wish I could have been a tiny bit more precise, but the brambleberry calculator seems to be dead at the moment
> 
> Everything seems to have gone well (I'll know for sure tomorrow I suppose).
> 
> ...


thesage.com has a good fragrance calculator. They also have great fragrances but the prices are on the high side, although I find them worth the cost


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## msarro (Feb 3, 2016)

Made another batch this evening - same recipe, but this time using eucalyptus, camphor, and peppermint. I ended up using 4ml of peppermint, 2ml of camphor, and 2 ml of eucalyptus. It has a light, spearmint kind of smell. I based those numbers off of the fragrance calculator on thesage.com. I also added a tiny bit of blue and green oxide. It ended up being more of a grey green, but that's not far from what I was going for so I think it's ok 

My wife is still unnerved about the idea of using lye in the house, lol.

She'll get used to it I guess


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## DeeAnna (Feb 3, 2016)

I was just looking at http://soapee.com tonight and I see it has a fragrance calculator too.


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## Arimara (Feb 3, 2016)

DeeAnna said:


> I was just looking at http://soapee.com tonight and I see it has a fragrance calculator too.



Wanna be a member? Wanna be a member? Lol, I watch too many cartoons. :mrgreen:


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## Natural-ayurveda (Feb 12, 2016)

*Great soap recipes*

I am new to making soap as well. Initially I had no clue about what I was doing so I did a search and found a few recipes for homemade soap. The best recipe I have found so far was www.metiista.net. I have been using their products and my skin is finally starting to heal from the damage caused by the chemicals I was using. The imbalance created by store bought products caused havoc on my face. I have been using Metiista and my acne is clearing up and my skin finally has its natural glow back.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 12, 2016)

Natural-ayurveda said:


> I am new to making soap as well. Initially I had no clue about what I was doing so I did a search and found a few recipes for homemade soap. The best recipe I have found so far was on www.metiista.com. I have been using their products and my skin is finally starting to heal from the damage caused by the chemicals I was using. The imbalance created by store bought products caused havoc on my face. I have been using Metiista and my acne is clearing up and my skin finally has its natural glow back.


 
The link is to a remodeling site and not in English.  I've removed it from your post.


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## Natural-ayurveda (Feb 15, 2016)

I'm sorry the link is www.metiista.net


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## Obsidian (Feb 15, 2016)

Natural-ayurveda, I looked all over that site and couldn't find a soap recipe. Could you link directly to the page its on?


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## paillo (Feb 15, 2016)

Obsidian said:


> Natural-ayurveda, I looked all over that site and couldn't find a soap recipe. Could you link directly to the page its on?



Ack, I tried to look at that site but gave up, the scrolling images don't allow a reader to focus on anything. I too see nothing about soap.


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## amd (Feb 15, 2016)

The closest I found on the site was a recipe that used soapnut powder to make a face cleanser.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 15, 2016)

That site is not user friendly at all.   I couldn't take all the scrolling didn't see anything soap related either.


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## Obsidian (Feb 15, 2016)

I agree, not a user friendly site at all but did you see any of the food recipes? check the blog if you haven't, so much healthy yummy looking things.


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## penelopejane (Feb 15, 2016)

Msarro
In your photo you have your soap on something that looks like metal mesh. If it is metal you will have to put a thin cotton cloth between the soap and the metal or it will react with the soap.

Be careful with peppermint EO some people are very sensitive to it in soap especially when it is used on sensitive areas. 

I number each batch and keep an excel sheet of notes. In my soap drawers I have a piece of paper with the number and date next to the soap.There are many ways to do this but you will probably be moving your soap around as they cure and get used so you will need a simple system.

Lye (caustic soda) is a common household cleaner - often used as an oven or drain cleaner. Not something to fear just to be careful with. 

Your soap looks great. Congratulations on 2 batches already [emoji2][emoji2][emoji2]


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## msarro (Feb 26, 2016)

penelopejane said:


> Msarro
> In your photo you have your soap on something that looks like metal mesh. If it is metal you will have to put a thin cotton cloth between the soap and the metal or it will react with the soap.
> 
> Be careful with peppermint EO some people are very sensitive to it in soap especially when it is used on sensitive areas.
> ...



Hello! It's not actually metal, it's a plastic cross stitch sheet. It was a suggestion I saw because it allows the soap to cure/breathe on all sides, and it does seem to work pretty well. It should be available in the fabric section of any crafting store, possibly even wally-world 

Here's what I'm referring to:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DEGKMO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

*And now for the announcement I've been waiting for* - I tried out the soap this morning, and it works GREAT. Both batches work wonderfully. They passed the zap test, they seemed nice and firm, so I figured it was time to try them out.

Lots of lather, a wide range of bubbles, and combined with a pouf it makes for a KILLER shower. It's way better than the soap I've gotten at the store! I may cut down the superfat just a touch, depending on reviews from the wife and one or two other friends. It took a TINY bit of extra rinsing to get the "soapy" feeling to go away after using it, but it's by no means a problem.

The lemongrass smells amazing, although I think my wife will be using that one more than me.

The second batch with the peppermint/eucalyptus/camphor really doesn't smell like anything sadly. I think I went a bit TOO low (only about 8ml total of essential oil). I'll be cranking that up a bit.

Additionally, I have friends starting to ask to trade homemade goods for soap, which is awesome. It's a great stepping stone for me!

I want to stick with the same recipe for folks who don't care, but several folks are vegetarians and aren't big fans of the idea of using lard so I need to do something different. I really don't want to use palm oil, so I need to see how crisco/soy oil work in larger amounts. Otherwise I may just go with a mostly olive oil recipe.

Also, can anyone recommend a good scale? While ours can do ounces or grams, it offers no precision on grams, and only tenths of an ounce. It also has problems taring reliably. It needs to have about 10-16lb capacity (I'm using heavy pyrex/anchor bowls).


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## Steve85569 (Feb 26, 2016)

Another one hooked!

I got my dime scale from eBay for about $25. I can weight up to 3000 grams and it weighs to the tenth of a gram. Be careful of what you buy on eBay though!!!


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## dokpm0 (Feb 26, 2016)

msarro said:


> Also, can I say that the geek in me is loving the fact that there is hard science here that lets me rely on things like calculators?


 
I'm what I guess might be called a pre-newbie. I have a book and some lye on their way to me. I still have some other equipment and supplies to acquire, and lots of research to do. It'll be at least a little while before I'm ready to tackle my first batch of soap. The geek in me is also loving the science and calculator aspects of soaping.



Susie said:


> Normally lemongrass is so well behaved that I tell newbies to use it.


 
That's good to hear. I'm a Thai food fan, so I suspect lemongrass scented soap would appeal to me. It'll be a while before I'm ready to venture into the world of scents and/or colorants. When I get there I'll be needing to find some newbie friendly, and guy friendly, scents and/or colorants.



msarro said:


> I want to stick with the same recipe for folks who don't care, but several folks are vegetarians and aren't big fans of the idea of using lard so I need to do something different.


 
Or just tell them not to eat the soap.  Sorry, I couldn't resist. That thought has come to mind every time I've seen lard based soap and vegetarians mentioned in the same sentence. I just had to say it and get it out of my system.


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## ReddWing (Apr 4, 2016)

Have smelled or tried Clinic's (spelling ?) Body wash the name is Awake or Awaking ---fantastic great scent, awesome tingle, and mood elevator. It's got Ginger & Grapefruit EO's 
Just in case you want to try another similar one-my whole family has trouble waking up & in horridly bad moods-but this snaps my sister & me in "happy, awake, 'normal' " people before we've had caffeine ! lol


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## Susie (Apr 4, 2016)

dokpm0 said:


> That's good to hear. I'm a Thai food fan, so I suspect lemongrass scented soap would appeal to me. It'll be a while before I'm ready to venture into the world of scents and/or colorants. When I get there I'll be needing to find some newbie friendly, and guy friendly, scents and/or colorants.



Lemongrass smells for all the world like lemon.  It is the most gender neutral scent I can find.  It has never accelerated on me or caused any other issues.  I normally add it to my oils before the lye/water.  



dokpm0 said:


> Or just tell them not to eat the soap.  Sorry, I couldn't resist. That thought has come to mind every time I've seen lard based soap and vegetarians mentioned in the same sentence. I just had to say it and get it out of my system.



Love this!  I agree.  Even they have to understand that we are using a by-product of the meat industry that would otherwise go to landfills.


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