# I have a thousand dollars to spend tell a newbie how to spend it!



## lola_lola (May 5, 2013)

I have been considering soap queen's business in a box kit, because I would like to learn how to make soap without having to continuously place new orders.

My main problem with the kit it the quick mix oils.  I would rather a bunch of separate oils I could experiment with, and also I do not like the fragrances.  I don't LOVE lavender and I could live with less patchouli.

I DO want the tools...the better scale, the cute goggles, The stainless steal immersion blender is probably better than my Big Boss.  And who doesn't like a mini blender?

Anyway, what I want to do is learn how to create lots of moisturizing soaps with scents I like, and exfoliates because I love them.

With this in mind, I challenge you to spend my thousand dollars as you wish.

I already have...a kitchen aid stand mixer, an emulsion blender, a couple of silicone molds! and lots of pyrex.

This is a new hobby and I totally understand it will go the way of my other hobbies....


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## TeriDk (May 5, 2013)

I would put the money in the bank after investing in a few books on soap making, I'd visit this and other forums while reading the books, then I would start making soap with simple ingredients with appropriate tools.  Maybe attend a soaping convention (if that's what they are called).  Then as I became more experienced then I would invest in oils, butters, pigments, fragrances, and equipment  that interested me.  It won't take long to go through the money...trust me.


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## lola_lola (May 5, 2013)

Thank you!  I have money in the bank!  I am a hands on type of person, and although I have spent months reading about soap, I feel I am ready to go and make some!
I haven't heard of a soap making convention in my area, and one can not become experienced without investing in butters and oils.  
I want to create a nice all around lab!


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## lola_lola (May 5, 2013)

and even if cp is not for me, I can still use the oils and butters for my other loves, lotion and scrub bars!


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## squeakycleanuk (May 5, 2013)

I agree for some the best way to learn is by getting stuck in (I'm a hands on type too). I personally wouldn't bother with books, as you can find all the info you need on the internet these days and this forum is fantastic for any questions (if you haven't searched the archives yet, then do so, its very informative). I think the first thing to focus on is safety equipment, long gloves, mask, goggles, apron etc. You'll probably want more moulds too. I don't have a loaf mould but if I could afford one I would get one just to try. You might want a couple of thermometers and a couple of plastic buckets and jugs. I don't use the pyrex for soaping because I've heard of glass shattering, so better off with plastic. You can save the glass for lotion bars etc Then just decide which oils / butters / additives you want to work with and buy in small batches of them all. Then you can experiment to your hearts content till you have decided on you're favourite recipes. Everyone has different tastes so you'd have to decide on which oils you'd best with yourself but read some of the old threads about single oil soaps to get a general idea. HTH 
P.S. wish I had a thousand dollars to blow on soap


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## Ruthie (May 5, 2013)

I have not read any of the current soapmaking books that are available, so I can't comment about how good they are. But OTOH I've learned to soap pretty well by using the internet. If I were you, I'd play around with soapcalc and get a recipe that seems to fit your needs, then buy those oils. Start simple. There is no need to buy a bunch of fancy oils. Soap is washed off anyway! Invest in some colors, maybe the sample packs. And a few essential or fragrance oils that you think you will like. Start with small bottles unless it is one you already know you like. Same with exfoliates. Buy what you know you like, maybe smaller amounts of new ones. And of course be sure you have all the safety equipment mentioned earlier. Even if I had it to spend all at once, I don't think I would. I'd get myself started, then see where that leads me.


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## Miz Jenny (May 5, 2013)

I did a year's worth of research via internet then I got Anne L. Watson's Smart Soapmaking. Read the book coved to cover twice. First recipe was using kitchen ingredients: Crisco, olive oil, water, lye. Made it & was hooked. Of course, this was after making many batches of m&p. I also have Everything Soapmaking by Alicia Grosso. I'd keep the bulk of the money in the bank & start cheap. Buy a good scale and some sample eo's & fo's first.  Just my 2 cents...


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## cursivearts (May 5, 2013)

If you've never made soap before, I would go to your local health food store or Costco or wherever, get a few simple oils --olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, etc--  and make a batch or two, sans color and fragrance. Then try it with a fragrance or two, then a color, THEN see how you want to spend the rest of the money.  Soapmaking is really something you want to get the hang of  and make sure you enjoy before spending that kind of money.  And of course all the safety gear, as mentioned above.


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## xyxoxy (May 5, 2013)

Throwing money at it will not teach you how to make soap. Like others have said, you need to read, read, read. Whether that is from books or the forums is up to you. There is a lot of very good (and some rather suspect) information in both. There are also youtube and instructables videos which I found helpful in the beginning. But be advised there are way too many people out there who make their first batch of soap and then feel compelled to share with the world, before they have any idea what they are really doing. Don't learn their bad habits.

So first and foremost learn about safety (things like always protect your eyes and don't use glass or aluminum with lye).
Then learn about the various processes (HP, CP, CPOP...). You might only choose to pursue one or you may explore all of them.
When you are ready to try your first batch then yes, it's time to place an order. I like Columbus Foods (a.k.a. Soapers Choice) for my oils and you can buy enough CO, PO, PKO, Castor or whatever to get you through numerous test batches. If you have a stainless steel pot and any sort of mold and some plastic or stainless mixing and measuring implements then you have most of what you need. Once you have several batches under your belt you will most certainly begin adding to your shopping list.


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## soapguy (May 5, 2013)

Buy a book on soap making  and a notebook to keep your recipes. The worst that can happen is that you come up with a great bar of soap and then can't remember how you did it.  After reading a few books, make a batch of soap. Also, buy the Soapmakers program. It is a great for determining how your soap will turn out. Note... never pour water into lye. There is a little saying they say in chemistry " Do as you oughta, add acid to water" This also works with a base. Never combine NaOH and Aluminum. Do not substitute Drano for NAOH. Buy Litmus paper to test your soap PH before you give/sell them.


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## dagmar88 (May 5, 2013)

Just take it easy.
Some proper molds, basic oils (olive, coconut, palm, castor) fragrance oils and colourants will provide you with more than enough opportunities to experiment for years.


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## lsg (May 5, 2013)

You don't even have to invest in a mold, use a cardboard box and line it with thin garbage bags.  Don't waste a lot of money on expensive oils and butters, this is soap that washes off.  Buy eye goggles, rubber gloves, stick blender, silicone spatulas, a couple of mixing containers,  disposable drinking cups for measuring lye etc. Soap Queen TV and Soaping 101 are great places with free tutorials.  If you want to spend money on a video tutuorial, this one is a good investment:


http://www.soapmakingschool.com/karmasudsclasses/classj36/


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## Badger (May 5, 2013)

I have been soaping on a tight budget and I highly suggest starting off with the minimum things you need.  Your position is very different, but starting out and working as if you are on a budget can be helpful.  You might want a mold, but you can use a box or PVC pipe, goggles, gloves, stick blender, spatula(s), mixing and measuring containers.  I would get some basic oils: coconut, olive, castor and palm (great oils for starting out with).  As for colorants and fragrances, I would suggest making at least one batch without using any color or scent first before you add those to the mix.  I suggest either getting a color sampler pack to start with or maybe a couple different samplers (micas, oxides and/or natural colorants) so you can experiment a little.  You may also pick up some samplers of fragrances as well to get an idea of the scents that you would like to get more of.  I personally would not just spend that much outright.. I would do some testing first and then you can start investing more as you figure out what you like or don't like.  Just my thoughts, hope they help


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## OliveOil2 (May 5, 2013)

I would also start with the basics, once you have made a few batches you will have a much better idea of what you need. I don't think that is is better just because everything is in a kit. You will need eye protection, gloves, and a stick blender. If you want to spend money I  would say a stainless steel pitcher with a handle for your lye would be a good investment, but not necessary. Most of the items in the Business Box can be purchased on their own.


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## soapguy (May 5, 2013)

For supplies, don't neglect flea markets and thrift stores. You can generally save bowls spatulas and mixing sticks. Stuff like this sells for pennies on the dollar.


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## jeremmy (May 5, 2013)

Everyone has mentioned reading and research. Very important! However, lets say you have all the head knowledge you can get and now you want to buy supplies....I always use, and would recommend having:
a dedicated lye container
immersion blender with stainless steel stem
scale that does grams and oz down to small increments if possible
good quality gloves that cover your wrist and go a bit up your arms. i recommend at least 2 pairs.
good quality eye wear that encompasses the eyes..dont just get glasses that cover the front
mixing bowls. you should start with 1lb batches, so i personally like using glass 4cup pyrex measuring cups. 
silicone or stainless steel mixing utensils.
molds. silicone is super easy, but log molds are nice too. you could use an old box if you really wanted.
parchment paper to line wood molds with

Extras:
soap cutter...to make nice, even ones make or buy one that holds a log in place and has markings for uniform bars. or buy a nice wire one, although you dont *need* it.
veggie peeler to make the bars uniform on the edges

As for which oils and scents...all personal preference. i would start basic (coconut, lard, olive, ect) and go from there. Dont go crazy with exotic oils. Fragrance oils are cheap, but not natural if thats something you care about. Lots of additives like coffee and cocoa powder in your kitchen for color. And if you are looking for a book, i own the everything soapmaking book and think it is very informative. Oh, and keep notes! My sil just mentioned a scent she loves and i cant remember what it was because i didnt write it down...anyways, thats all i can think of, but hopefully its a starting point.


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## thinkativeone (May 5, 2013)

Full disclosure: Beginner here. I couldn't resist your thread title though. 

First of all, you need to read. Read, read, read, read, read. And then read some more. And then...okay, I think I made my point.  That point is, DON'T spend that money on books. Go to your local library. Mine has a database online where I can search for books, put a hold on them, then they deliver the books to the library of my choice. All for *~FREE~*. That's right, 100% free. If you fall in love with a library book and decide you absolutely would reference it every time, or nearly every time you make soap, then you buy it. Otherwise you end up buying a bunch of books that sit around because they looked like something you'd like, but once you read it it wasn't as good as you thought. (Speaking from experience, here.) Don't expect to find flawless recipes and exactly what you're looking for in soapmaking books either. One book I checked out I became so disappointed with it went right back to the library. I'm still checking out more soapmaking books and have another I need to go pick up right now. But don't stop there! You can read all sorts of soapmaking blogs. But always, always prepare for putting any recipe you find somewhere that you want to try through a lye calculator before you try it. Even more fun, come up with your own recipe and run it through, and post it here for feedback before diving in.

I second thrift stores for DIRT CHEAP equipment, and the use of Costco (awesome return policy, if you have one near you - I bought a scale from them that didn't measure grams right so I took it back, no problem). This is important because much of what you use you may decide to make it "dedicated" equipment. Some do, some don't. I do, because lye weirds me out like that.  Anyway, I get more organic olive oil from Costco cheaper than I have seen it on any oil website, and my Cuisinart stainless steel tipped stick blender came from there as well ($30). You also REALLY need to determine what's truly important to you in your soapmaking. Do you want organic soap? Have you investigated various types of oils/butters and their properties/how they are harvested? Everybody has different opinions on what they love, and even ethics on what they will or will not use (animal oils, palm, etc.). Only buy the EOs YOU love to start. What fun is it if you don't love what you're making? 

Thus ends my monologue. If I had a thousand dollars, I think I would see if I could get the best soapmaking scale out there (hopefully at a discount or during a sale), and perhaps invest in some SoapHutch no-line molds, maybe a few "fancy" pop-out molds I became enamored with on the side, plus wait and stock up on certified organic oils/butters/EOs when they are available at a special price. Or just buy a little extra if they're not, so I will have just enough for a few learning batches. Then I would take the rest of the money and put it into an emergency savings fund - because you never know when something like that is going to be necessary! :Kitten Love:

ETA: I LOVE reading and I'm a bookworm, which is why I use my library so much. I hate clutter and live in a 420 sq. ft. apartment, on the other hand, and have no problem with going to the library to check out a book multiple times. That's what works for me.  YMMV.


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## lizflowers42 (May 5, 2013)

I'll PM you my address, you can send me the money and I'll take care of spending it 

Seriously, not to beat a dead horse, but like everyone else, get the basics (scale, goggles, stick blender, thermometer, rubber gloves, and goggles).  I also agree to start with a simple recipe.  The one I did was nothing but a can of generic Crisco, water, and lye.  Easy Peasy.


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## bodhi (May 5, 2013)

lizflowers42 said:


> I'll PM you my address, you can send me the money and I'll take care of spending it



**** it Liz, you beat me to it!


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## lizflowers42 (May 5, 2013)

bodhi said:


> **** it Liz, you beat me to it!



I'm not greedy, we can all share it.  Think how much bulk stuff you can get for that kind of money!!


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## stargazer44 (May 5, 2013)

I am the type of person who when I decide to do something, I jump in with both feet.  When I first stated soaping, a kit may have really excited me.  But I encourage you to spend wisely.  Because it can add up quickly!  I would rather use what I have until I have to replace it, and spend my money on FO, EO, colors, oils, cutter, molds that I chose and like, etc.  Oh and books.  I bought every soap book I could get my hands on, and read them all.  I played with some of those recipes first, then expanded from there.  Internet is also your friend.  I still spend tons of time watching Youtube.  

I am by no ways an expert.  I have been soaping less than a year, so still a beginner.  I found a lot on Amazon, (prime!), like my scale.  I used a stick blender that i already had, and have been searching garage sales for more.  Ikea is a great resource for pots and glass measuring cups etc.  I got a $2 pitcher for mixing and it is awesome!  My drying racks were cheap - stackable cooling racks.  

If I had a few thousand to spend - I would get a nice cutter, a good scale, (mine is awesome and was $40 on Amazon), nice molds, books, and spend the rest on colors, scents and oils.    The other stuff you can get around the house, thrift stores, Ikea, garage sales, etc.  It doesn't need to be fancy.  Even your goggles you can find for just a few dollars.   

But the best advice I can give you?  Research the heck out of stuff, (molds, cutters, scale, etc) before you buy.  That was my biggest mistake.  I bought things I later regretted.  Taking time to research would have saved me time and money in the end.


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## OHello (May 5, 2013)

I'd buy an accurate digital scale, some nice big stainless steel pots and a stick mixer plus good goggles, a lab coat (I am a chicken about getting splashed and wear hubbies old discarded shirts over my clothes.  I would love a lab coat for soaping) and gloves.

Then I would watch a heap of tutorials on youtube - free!
Then I'd read a tonne of forum threads and recipes on CP soap making - free!
Then I would learn how to use soapcalc - free!
Then I'd stock up on some basic oils - coconut, olive, palm, castor and some shea butter.

And then I'd buy some colours, some coloured clays and some fragrances and a few molds.

And then I would make up recipes, run them through soap calc and play 

BTW - don't use your KitchenAid stand mixer as there is a fair chance that you might get splashed. 

Lucky you.  I wish I had $1000 to spend on soap stuff.  Oh the fragrances I would buy....


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## melstan775 (May 5, 2013)

Like the others I think you need to take it easy.  Enough oils from soaper's choice to make 12 batches is $300 (for the ingredients I would use). That's almost 1/3 your budget. I would think you could invest $100 into a good scale, a stick blender, soap oils, a few colorant samples and fragrances. Also hit the thrift stores for spoons, cups, and bowls. You don't want to use your kitchen equipment for this task because of the lye, but you don't need brand new stuff either. You just need clean stuff. Thrift store seconds can be sterilized in your dishwasher and you're golden. For goggles, I got some from Lowe's, I didn't trust the Bramble Berry ones to be enough protection. They look great and are padded but they were just too close to the face for me. I wanted something bigger, but this is a matter of preference. This is more then enough to get you started and help you decide if soapmaking is something you want to pursue. It is relaxing if you love it and can get into it, but it's also labor and time intensive. 

If you do decide you want to try on soapmaking, you then have enough to buy bulk oils, good quality colorants and fragrances,and a couple of good molds or the materials to make them.  This is a very expensive hobby and you really do not want to throw out $1000 and find out you hate doing it.


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## Mommysoaper (May 5, 2013)

I'm like staregazer44.  I did invest in books.  I did learn a lot on line from SoapQueenTV on youtube and from Soaping101 videos and of course from some forums, but I LOVE books.  I love to have something tangible to read and be able to look back on and if I have questions mark up my book, make a tab, make a note.  I'm a book nerd!  As for books I have the Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Miller Cavitch, Basic Soapmaking(Kindle Version) by Elizabeth Letcavage and Patsy Buck, The Everything Soapmaking Book byAlicia Grosso, Smart Soapmaking and Smart Milk Soapmaking by Anne L. Watson. After I had thoroughly dog-eared those books, I bought Making Natural Liquid soaps by Catharine Failor, and Scientific Soapmaking by Kevin Dunn.  All good books, some better than others in my opinion.  So, if you're the bookish type, go ahead and by a few!  Good luck on your new hobby but definitly take your time and decide what to buy, wait for sales, use coupons, because a thousand bucks to go so quickly.


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## AngelMomma (May 5, 2013)

I would invest in setting up my "Soaping Room"  Making soap in an organized specialized space would take away any little troublesome, time consuming hiccups while you are soaping.  Like shelving, storage space, curing racks, tables, etc.  Then I would figure out which recipes I would be using and make order accordingly.  I would think of it like a restaurant.  If you want to make Lasagna and ravioli then you have to have the ingredients.  I would order bulk oils from Soapers Choice.  If you love soapmaking, go for it.  Have tons of fun practicing and enjoy it!

I would skip the kit personally.


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## lemontongue (May 5, 2013)

If this is going to be something that you take the time to perfect and make lots of, or at least multiple times I would say invest in a wooden mold with a silicone liner.  I would recommend a slab mold to begin with but log molds are nice too.  If you're planning on trying certain designs with your soap then research that first before deciding slab vs log mold.  Try a place like Woodfields or Silvermoon Molds.  For slab molds I recommend one with cut lines.


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