# What should I use for the first M&P?



## EZ_Girl (Jan 11, 2010)

Hi everyone!
I'm new to the soap making and I've been searching for the info for about couple weeks. I'd like to make my first soap, M&P, as that what they recomend to do first. And I'm totaly lost here.
My thought was to get a starter kit, like this one and couple of molds.
Does anyone has better suggestions on whether there are better kits somewhere else?
Thanks!


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## Candybee (Jan 13, 2010)

If you want to learn to make soap you have to first decide what process you want to use. M&P soap is used by melting an already made glycerin soap base and pouring into a soap mold. CP or cold process soap is made from scratch and is completely handmade natural soap.

The two processes are different and not cheap. Its better you decide if you want to use premade bases or make soap from scratch before you start buying your equipment and ingredients.

But if you do decide you still want to make M&P then find a couple of suppliers to compare prices and shipping costs. There are some soap suppliers that may carry all the bases, butters, oils, molds, dyes, fragrances, etc that you will need to start making soap. You will find it starts getting expensive so check out several suppliers for that.

Also-- some soap suppliers have 'kits' while others don't. If you go for a kit make sure it has everything in it you need to make a finished soap.

Have fun!


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## dagmar88 (Jan 13, 2010)

Those kits are just fine to start with  :wink: Let's see if you enjoy soap making before you start doing larger investments. 
Later on you can look into finding a base you like most; I'm sure our M&P soapers are happy to help.
I think www.brambleberry.com is a nice place to start   
Watch out, cause those fragrance oils are way too addictive   



			
				Candybee said:
			
		

> CP or cold process soap is made from scratch and is completely handmade natural soap.



Soap made from scratch is not completely natural (NaoH) and Melt & Pour is jus as much handmade as any other process.


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 13, 2010)

Thank you so much for your posts!

I was actually deciding about the sample kit from Bramble Berry. I've wached her episodes on Youtube and she makes it look so easy and fun, that I can't wait till I get my stuff.   

I'd like to start with M&P first. See, if it is mine or not.


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2010)

I started at the local craft store. I bought a 2 pound block of soap, 2 fragrances & 1 mold. I think the mold had 2 diff flowers & leaf shape so it made 3 or 4 bars at a time. I used food coloring to color the soap. Food coloring is not FDA approved for soap you plan to sell but is fine for playing around.

At the craft sore you will pay probably $5.00 per pound on the soap, if you decide to buy larger qtys online you can pay as little as $1.50 per pound.

$5.00 per pound plus 2 fragrances at 3-4 dollars each & maybe 2-3 for a mold... that is just about $20.00 and it will yeald about 8 bars.


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2010)

You can pick up "Life of the Party" kits on ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Life-of-the-Party-S ... 2ea8a387ac
http://cgi.ebay.com/Life-of-the-Party-C ... 19afbdccf1


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## Candybee (Jan 14, 2010)

Its true you can get supplies at your local craft store. However their soap bases are generally not a good quality base like the ones from a soap supplier like Bramble Berry. You also take your chances ordering off Ebay.

If you have already been thinking about ordering a kit from Bramble Berry just do it. I'm betting you won't be sorry.


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 14, 2010)

Thank you everyone!
I ordered just plain white and clear soaps, sample kits of fragrances, pigments and micas. Yay, can't sit still!   

Now, I got question about mold. Does it really matter if the silicone mold is for cupcakes for instance, i.e. food approved? Can I still use it for soap making?


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## Candybee (Jan 17, 2010)

Its fine to use the mold. Just wash it carefully if you plan to make cupcakes later!

I sometimes use my bread loaf pans to make loaf soap. I also have lots of molds that I have collected over the years. I know lots of people that get creative with molds by using things around the house, from the dollar stores, or kitchen supply stores.


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 17, 2010)

Candybee,
you're going to laugh, but that what I did yesterday - went to the dollar store and bought those containers just for $4.20   
I'm thinking to do the swirl soap in the baking loaf mold first and see how that will go.
Do I need to put some wax paper before pour the soap?


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## Candybee (Jan 18, 2010)

EZ girl I love those molds and containers you bought! You are really prepared! 

Don't need to line them. M&P pops right out of molds once it is completely cooled. The plastic looking ones you should have no problem with. The bread pan may be a little tougher. I usually wait longer for the soap to cool then turn it upside down on my counter and hit it with my fist to pop it out. But the bread pan makes a great loaf soap if you don't have a soap loaf mold.

For the plastic ones I would wait for the soap to cool to 135 - 150 degrees before pouring into the mold. Plastic can warp or become brittle over time at high temps.

Have fun and tell us how they came out!!


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## carebear (Jan 18, 2010)

Candybee said:
			
		

> Its fine to use the mold. Just wash it carefully if you plan to make cupcakes later!


do NOT plan on making cupcakes later.  fragrance oils can permeate the silicone mold and leave a nasty taste in your cupcakes.  plus the fragrance oils are not typically approved for use in foods which is where they can end up.

use it for soap if you wish, but don't go back the other way

(and while I'm sure that someone will have done it and lived to tell the tale - that make it a good or safe idea).


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## Deda (Jan 19, 2010)

carebear said:
			
		

> Candybee said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Seriously.  I have 144 (12 dozen) silicone cupcake molds I use for making soap cupcakes.  

Last weekend I wanted to bake gingerbread cupcakes and I had to use paper!  I'm going to have to buy another dozen to use for baking. 

No way I'd take a chance using something I soap with for baking/cooking.


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 19, 2010)

Thank you Carebear!
I knew that molds are either for soap or baking, but not for both. That's why I went and bought those cheap containers as I didn't want to use my food molds.


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## Candybee (Jan 19, 2010)

Sorry about the bad advice. I don't use silicone molds much and wasn't aware that you could not reuse it to bake with.

I tend to buy stuff seperately for making soap and keep it that way.


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 20, 2010)

I got it! I got it! I got my box today!!! (Where is the dancing smile?   )

Ok, maybe swirling soap is not the project for the first time user   But I did it! I used black cherry and coconat FO. You were right, them FO so yammyyyy, I just wanted to eat them!

I really hope that it will come out tomorrow without any surprises!


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 21, 2010)

Aaaaaa, I'm so excited!!!!! I get the soap out first thing in the morning. Didn't even have my breakfast


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## dagmar88 (Jan 21, 2010)

That is sooo cool!


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 21, 2010)

Thanks!

And now I'm broke.   
I just placed another order


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## lauramw71 (Jan 21, 2010)

VERY cool!!!  Great job!  I'm thinking of expanding and trying some MP soap.  I think I might get the $20 swirl kit from Brambleberry.  Was that really hard?  How long did it take you to make the loaf?  Yours turned our SOOO cool!!!  Lovin it!!!


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## goddessbec (Jan 21, 2010)

that looks so awesome!!! i cant believe thats your first go!!


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## EZ_Girl (Jan 22, 2010)

Thank you!!!



			
				lauramw71 said:
			
		

> VERY cool!!!  Great job!  I'm thinking of expanding and trying some MP soap.  I think I might get the $20 swirl kit from Brambleberry.  Was that really hard?  How long did it take you to make the loaf?  Yours turned our SOOO cool!!!  Lovin it!!!



It took me about 3 hours. 
Here are my mistakes (as I think): 
- I got dry color instead of liquid. I needed more time to mix them them to pour into the soap baches.
- On the video on Youtube Anne-Maria said to melt all soap right away. Big mistake. As it was first time for me and I was really slow, soap hardened almost right away so I had to reheat it a lot of time.

Other then that it was FUN!!!

Question: I wrapped them into the clear plastic wrap. Can I use a hair drier to finish the look or I should really get a heat gun?


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## engdom (Jan 23, 2010)

wow your soaps look so cool!  you've inspired me to give soap making a try for my first time.  I think if you're not planning on selling or gifting your soaps, saran wrap should be fine without the heat gun.  but i'm sure someone else will be able to give you a decisive answer about heat gun vs. hair dryer.


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## EZ_Girl (Mar 19, 2010)

My two last batches... I really liked it! And I sold all of my soap that I did at the beginning. Those "swirly" bars and I made some hearts for Valentine's Day. All gone!!! I'm so excited!!! I also bought a heat gun. (Cheap, $25 at Amazon, nothing fancy and it works great!)

I'm thinking to try CP now. All my MP bases are gone now, I should get reading and view some tutorials on CP and give it a try.


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## cathym (Mar 20, 2010)

OMG! you are really ambitious for your beginning soaps and they look fantastic! I also like your packaging ideas.  I think I'm going to give cp a break and just do melt and pour for awhile. It's fun and quicker too. Thanks for the inspiration.  By the way, ordering online is probably best but sometimes I use my Michaels coupon when it's 50% off and get some melt and pour there. - the goat milk is good quality.  I'll check out your blog!


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## EZ_Girl (Mar 21, 2010)

I actually went to Michaels yesterday, I had 40% off from Jo Ann  and 25% from the purchase. And I got lucky and the cashier run both cupons. So I got 2 soap molds for under $4 ))


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## Half Caper Farm (Apr 7, 2010)

Wow, that loaf soap was gorgeous!  Looked like a stormy sky at sunset.


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