Beginners CP recipe

[Homemade Mommy]

Hi Everyone,
I have made M&P soap and want to attempt my very first CP soap. Does anyone recommend a recipe for a beginner or a link to a recipe
Thanks

 

[Hazel]

What oils do you have?

There's also recipes listed in the recipes and tutorials section and soapqueen/teachsoap also lists recipes. You can also find recipes through the link below.

http://smftutorials.com/drupal/

 

[Maythorn]

Millersoap.com should show you a whole world of recipes you can try. Or google "beginner's soap recipe."

 

[TuxedoKat]

Have you checked out The Everything Soapmaking book? It has some great 1 lb. recipe's for beginners to get started with. I've tried a few now from the book and have just started using soapcalc to make my own recipe's, but this book got me started. I'd really recommend it, I haven't had any problems yet.

 

[ToniD]

I like some of David fishers recipes. http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapr ... ecipes.htm


Just a note, run anything you find in a book or on the web through a lye calculator like soapcalc. Some recipes that you find are wrong, and anyone can make a typo.

Enjoy your first batch!

 

[TuxedoKat]

I just googled to see if any of the recipes were publicly available, and I found this link:

http://www.netplaces.com/soapmaking/the-cold-process-technique/getting-started.htm

This is the first recipe I tried, and it worked wonderfully.

 

[Homemade Mommy]

THANKS!

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for your links

I have coconut oil & olive oil right now. I was looking for a basic recipe to start with so that I can actually experiment as I learn

I do actually have the book Everything Soap Making book lol & had yet to read it cover to cover, I got on this forum and have been addicted to checking out all your information.

What a great forum & group of people!! THANKS!

I made a few M&P soap and wanted to give some for gifts this year but thought that the CP soap may be a nicer gift! Wish me luck.

Thanks again, HM

 

[Homemade Mommy]

Lye?

Where would I get Lye?? Just at Bramble Berry? Wondering if there are any issues with shipping Lye? I live in Canada.

 

[Hazel]

Saffire Blue http://www.saffireblue.ca/granular_item ... oxide.html

Voyageur
http://www.voyageursoapandcandle.com/Ly ... /62190.htm

Creations from Eden
http://creationsfromeden.com/store/prod ... cts_id=261

Suds N Scents carries it but I think it might be for pick up only.

HTH

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Re: THANKS!

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for your links

I have coconut oil & olive oil right now. I was looking for a basic recipe to start with so that I can actually experiment as I learn

I do actually have the book Everything Soap Making book lol & had yet to read it cover to cover, I got on this forum and have been addicted to checking out all your information.

What a great forum & group of people!! THANKS!

I made a few M&P soap and wanted to give some for gifts this year but thought that the CP soap may be a nicer gift! Wish me luck.

Thanks again, HM

75% Olive Oil
25% Coconut Oil


Run through a lye calculator to get your lye and water amounts. :wink:

 

[TuxedoKat]

Re: Lye?

Where would I get Lye?? Just at Bramble Berry? Wondering if there are any issues with shipping Lye? I live in Canada.

I bought my lye from Home Hardware. It's a blue & white 3kg container called Lye Crystals.

 

[Homemade Mommy]

ok so I started reading the Cold Process method last night in my book and OMG I am nervous LOL....Lye has me totally nervous...don't get it on your skin, don't use NON-stainless steel ugh!

I am so excited thou and once I think I am totally prepared it wont be so scary lol

What type of pot/bowl do you use? How do I ensure it is stainless? Guess I just have to buy something new to specifically use...

 

[judymoody]

You can use plastic too. I use an HDPE sterilite pitcher to mix my lye and wide mouthed HDPE plastic containers that look like giant measuring cups for most of my batches. I got these at WalMart for a few dollars apiece. I bought a stainless steel pot from a thrift shop for larger batches. I have also used quart sized yogurt containers for smaller quantities and I use silicone spatulas and spoons for mixing.

Gloves and goggles! I set my container of lye solution in the garage utility sink for mixing and cooling - just in case! So far, no mishaps.

 

[TuxedoKat]

I bought some new things specifically for soaping and I keep them seperate from everything else. The lye is a bit intimidating, but I haven't had any problems yet. I just make sure there are no humans or fuzzy feeted guys around when I'm soaping and the kitchen is calm.

 

[fiddletree]

Practice good safety (good gloves, goggles, covered feet, mask if you have sensitive lungs),use caution, don't get distracted, and you will be fine. Lye isn't scary as long as you treat it with respect!

Also you should know that if you are using a lot of olive oil, it's better after it has cured at least a few months, so it probably won't be ready to use by Christmas. I have done 75% OO 25% CO, and it turns out nice, if not very bubbly.

You can tell if your pot it stainless steel if it says 'stainless steel' on the bottom. The main thing is keep anything with aluminum far far away from raw soap because they create a violent reaction. If you aren't sure if your pot is stainless steel, use thick plastic. Some people mix lye & water in glass, but I don't recommend it because the fast heat change can crack or explode glass..... for one of my first soaps I mixed my lye solution in a glass measuring cup and it cracked and later burst, though luckily after I had finished using it. Ikea has some cheap big stainless steel pots that I use for mixing my soap, and I have a smaller stainless steel pot I got at the grocery that I use for mixing my lye solution.

 

[Homemade Mommy]

Just reading up on HP soap. Do you think this would be the type to try after M&P? I want to make something more natural and my own base rather then just melting down what I purchase.

What do you suggest??

 

[Fragola]

HP is more work, less time you need to wait for cure, less smooth, less pourable, and maybe makes some mistakes are easier to fix.

Your choice, depends also on what tools you have. If you don't own a blender, HP may be better, if you don't own a crockpot/double boiler, CP is easier.

 

[Homemade Mommy]

Thanks!

I have both a blender & Crockpot, of which I have spares so don't mind keeping them specifically for soap making.

I want to start out on the right foot and develop a good product. I originally thought about giving out my first attempts to forgiving family members for Christmas LOL.

But as mentioned the curing time becomes an issue with CP. I read HP is ready to use after making...but don't want to rush this process just for the holidays, I am sure anyone would be willing to be my test subjects lol on whatever I make & whenever its ready.

I truly enjoyed the M&P soaps but didn't feel like I was truly making them homemade with just melt & pour....even though they were really fun & made beautiful soap, I want to be more in control of what goes in my products.

As I have read on here, it takes time to develop a good product & I want to start off on the right foot.

With CP it seems like you can tweak the recipes to your own version...is it as easy to do with HP?

 

[Hazel]

You can use the same recipe for HP as you use for CP. HP is very easy but a little more time consuming than CP.