A little clueless

[tekmaster500]

So, I purchansed a bar of soap for my itchy dog at the Riverside Arts Festival in Jacksonville last weekend (I am not from jax). I washed my dog with it and I have not seen her scratch since and she smells amazing.
I forgot to get the seller's information and Ive searched all over the internet and emailed around with no luck.

So, I wanted try to make my own since it seems I cannot find the original. It has a smorgasboard of ingredients. The one I know of forsure was neem oil. I had the soap in my living room and it was very aromatic and pretty much filled up my entire home. The soap also created lots of studs and even after i washed my dog twice with it, it did not change in size.

I have friends who make their own soaps and they didnt look or smell as great, didnt create suds and are kind of mucousy.

I would like to make soaps that have an organic, earthy quality to them that smell and sud up nicely.

Also, Ive seen some recipes, but they are just lists of ingredients, not sure what todo with them.

Any suggestions as to where to get essential oils at a good price?

Where do I start?

 

[sistrum]

Research, research and more research. Watch all the soaping videos, read everything you can find in books and online and read lots of soap forums from back to front. Not everything you read or watch will be good advice, in fact some of the information out there is down right dangerous. But after a while you will pick up on some common practices and with your new knowledge will be able to start making soap. After a lot of time, lots of money and many failed batches and wasted supplies you should be able to come up with a formula that is at least close to what you have been searching for. Good luck and enjoy the journey.

 

[sistrum]

Or you could ask your friends to show you how and then improve the formula with the oils you need to get the results you want.

 

[lsg]

Did the seller list the ingredients?

 

[tekmaster500]

I only remember that there was neem oil and goats milk. Does anyone know any good goat milk recipes?
Are goats milk recipes usually cold process or hot?
What factors make soaps sudsy?
Can anyone recommend a good tutorial, video or written?

 

[lsg]

You can use any cp soap recipe and substitute the water for goat's milk. Make sure to freeze the goat's milk before adding the lye to it. If you are a novice soap maker, I wouldn't recommend making milk soap as my first soap. CP soap has a pH that does not always agree with a dog's sensitive skin. I have made a neem oil shampoo bar for my dog with success. I think it is the neem oil that helps with the itching and hot spots.

 

[houseofwool]

As for good tutorials, I highly recommend watching the series of videos by the Soap Queen on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/user/soapqueentv

There is a series of 5 or so videos on how to make cold process soap that is geared towards the neophyte. I think I watched them a dozen times before I got up the nerve to actually make a bar of soap.

 

[OliveOil2]

Do you know who organized the art festival? I'm sure they would have a list of vendors, worth a try if you haven't done this already. You may also enjoy making soap, there are many talented soap makers here that can help you with your questions. If you decide to learn how to make soap you will also enjoy the way your skin feels!

 

[moonbeam]

OliveOil2 had a fabulous idea, then you can get the exact soap, then if you decide too that you want to pursue making soap yourself you'll have a better idea what oils to use. Soap making IS a lot of fun, just make sure you do your research and use gloves/protective eyewear and work in a well ventilated area. The lye is dangerous if you're not careful and must be respected! That being said, I do hope you start to make soap, it's alot of fun and there's just no end to it! Good luck!

 

[OliveOil2]

You are asking some great questions about soap making, and I think you would really enjoy making soap. I was curious and found the phone number for your Arts Festival market organization:
(904) 389-2449
I have to say I am jealous, we don't have anything like that where I live. Another thought is that your soap maker may be a regular for this event, so you may be able to find her there again.

 

[AndreaMakesSoap]

Don't go into soap-making too willy-nilly. There is a lot to know, especially involving lye and safety. With that said, you could make a really good bar of soap optimized for your dog. Here's a YouTube video for starters: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN62bLJ8tyo[/ame]
Google "essential oils for dogs" to get an idea - but beware, some essential oils are dangerous for dogs. I haven't done a lot of research around this, so I'm not sure. I know some are more bug-resistant, like citronella, but I don't know if that's safe for Fido.
A harder bar of soap would probably include more solid oils, like Coconut Oil or Palm Oil - however Olive Oil (which can make a softer bar) is better for sensitive skin. Here's a video for sensitive skin soap:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjcX8LG6bD8[/ame]

Good Luck!!

 

[Sboylan2012]

I'm already a soap maker. I'm familiar with making soap. I just have no idea where to start. I've watched some videos and read a lot of great info but I can't find a recpie!


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