A couple of questions about paul's walmart recipe

[JessicaB903]

I've decided that I want to start with this for my first recipe, but I want to do it with milk and add some fo and liquid silk. So my question is how do I calculate for the mild and silk? I used soapcalc.net for the oils and everything, but do I need to discount the liquid for the silk? Also, how much silk should I use and how much milk? Could I do part water part milk or would all milk be better?

Thanks

 

[IanT]

I've decided that I want to start with this for my first recipe, but I want to do it with milk and add some fo and liquid silk. So my question is how do I calculate for the mild and silk? I used soapcalc.net for the oils and everything, but do I need to discount the liquid for the silk? Also, how much silk should I use and how much milk? Could I do part water part milk or would all milk be better?

Thanks

dont take my word as final on the silk, but i believe you just add it at trace or to your lye mixture depending on what form of silk you are using... im not experienced with silk...

as far as milk, you would count this as a liquid, so it would be part of your "water" for the batch, you could do half water/half milk or whatever percentage youd like, even full milk.. just make sure you mix it in an ice bath, and its ususally better not to gel milk soaps from what I have seen since it tends to turn a brown color with excessive heat.

EDIT: to add... if you wanted to use powdered milk, you could use that, and add it to your batch at trace, instead of counting it as a liquid...people do this sometimes when you say...use aloe juice as your liquid and not put any liquid milk.

 

[JessicaB903]

Awesome, so for powdered milk how much would I use? I don't want to get too complicated so that seems a little easier then trying to do liquid milk.

 

[IanT]

Im thinking maybe about 1/8th a cup ppo but everyone has a different thing they do yanno?

the benefit of powdered milk is it usually doesnt cause the soap to turn brown, and youll still get all the qualities of the milk

 

[dagmar88]

For your first recipe I'd advise you to keep it as simple and cheap as possible!

 

[JessicaB903]

Ok here's the recipe I'm going to try, I ran it through soapcalc to be sure:

Water 4.623oz 131.055 grams
Lye - NaOH 2.277oz 64.549 grams

Coconut Oil, 76 deg 4.8oz 136.078 grams
Crisco 4.0oz 113.398 grams
Olive Oil 3.7oz 104.326 grams
Canola Oil, high oleic 1.6oz 45.359 grams
Safflower Oil 1.1oz 31.751 grams
Castor Oil 0.8oz 22.68 grams

1 oz of powdered milk
1 oz of fragrance oil

I was wondering if I could use RTCP for this (first time) I've heard it's easier then CP and better for unknown fragrance oils?

 

[ewenique]

I RTCP and mix GM powder with the oils. I use 1-3 Tbs of GM powder for a 16 - 20 oz batch, and try not to let the soap gel.

 

[honor435]

I would use more castor, more bubbles, but thats just me!run it through soap calc of course.

 

[JessicaB903]

Thanks, I am going to try that and tweak it as I see fit later. I will be making small 1lb batches as testers until I get a formula I'm happy with as well as figuring out which FOs I like and how they behave since I can use sample sizes for a small batch.

I am going to be testing and learning anywhere from 6months to a year before maybe trying to sell? Do you think that is long enough to learn enough to sell or should I wait longer? I plan on making lots and lots of soap during this time and my husband is going to help, I also have commissioned all my friends to help me test and find out which we all like best. I am going to try lots of different recipes and just experiment a lot first though.

 

[honor435]

6 mths is ok. Try this, it is my fav
oo, co, po, shea, castor or same with cocoa butter or hemp, you only really need small amt of spec. oils to make it nice.
We can rec good places for oils and fos.

 

[JessicaB903]

Sounds good, I have an order from bertsheavenscents.com on the way, as money allows I'm going to try wsp, peak, and brambleberry next. I have a whole list of suppliers made up but those are the ones I want to try most as they come so highly reccomended.

I also have one more question. If I do the RTCP with that recipe and the milk powder is it ok to do the oven at 170 and turn off as soon as you put in to force gel?

Also I was thinking of using a PVC pipe for my first adventures, but that doesn't sound too oven friendly any suggestions on getting soap to gel that way?

 

[honor435]

wsp good, no shipping on fos and molds. Peak-good, wait til feb they are having a 40% off on sampler package. bram good, but spendy.
I tried pvc, it was hard to get out, not worth it to me, you have to line with something. Maybe others have ideas?

 

[gekko62]

Ok here's the recipe I'm going to try, I ran it through soapcalc to be sure:

Water 4.623oz 131.055 grams
Lye - NaOH 2.277oz 64.549 grams

Coconut Oil, 76 deg 4.8oz 136.078 grams
Crisco 4.0oz 113.398 grams
Olive Oil 3.7oz 104.326 grams
Canola Oil, high oleic 1.6oz 45.359 grams
Safflower Oil 1.1oz 31.751 grams
Castor Oil 0.8oz 22.68 grams

1 oz of powdered milk
1 oz of fragrance oil

I was wondering if I could use RTCP for this (first time) I've heard it's easier then CP and better for unknown fragrance oils?

My recco would be,if yr gonna use grams,go back into soapcalc,wipe those decimals,then recalc. Hate the decimals!

Seeing its yr 1st batch I reckon follow the recipe re temps. Just so you get a feel for the process yanno? RTCP is great,but has its own little foibles n such.If you try n force gel with a GM soap you can risk overheating if you're not careful,& this one will gel all on its ownsome soaped at reg temps.

 

[JessicaB903]

I was under the impression that when using grams you can just round down the decimals?? If not how do I get rid of them?

Thanks for the tip about peak's sale I will def. be getting some in Feb!!

 

[gekko62]

I was under the impression that when using grams you can just round down the decimals?? If not how do I get rid of them?

Thanks for the tip about peak's sale I will def. be getting some in Feb!!

Yeah you can do that no worries. I just find looking at the printout with all those numbers is a headache & a pita to read. :roll:
To do on soapcalc click on the weight column n take it from there.

Sooo...when's soaping day??

 

[JessicaB903]

I'm not sure, a few more weeks! I'm waiting on income tax to buy the rest of my supplies. I will be soaping at my grandmas house 2 hrs away so that I don't have to have the lye around my kids plus she has a large storage room where I can cure my soaps at. My house is stuffed to the brim as we have my mom in law and bro in law staying with us plus 3 kids. My mom in law also has a ton of plants which are taking up every spare corner until spring gets here I'm so excited I've been dreaming of soap every night lol. I can't wait!

 

[JessicaB903]

Oh I thought of one more question

When using powdered milk instead of liquid would you still have to worry about overheating problems if you try to force gel?