Beginners! What're your favorite soap methods?

[coastmutt]

Personally, I love cold process making, and hanger swirls! My favorite colors to use are greens and blues, I find my batches to be more attractive when I use them together. Brambleberry's mica powders are my personal favorite.

 

[Zing]

Welcome aboard! I'm partial to blues, grays, blacks, greens, white (titanium dioxide). Of all the colorants, I am partial to micas because I can just dump them into batter without dispersing ahead of time. I'm lovin' the Ione Swirl and alternating wall pours with mica lines. Do you have photos of your work?

 

[bookreader451]

I usually try to match my colors to the FO and I love a ITPS. There are so many variations and my current favorite is a Clyde circular pour.

You might find that on your journey your color pallet changes. I love the brights from the Nurture Soap epic collection and have gone more dramatic recently. I generally use micas for colorants. I use Nurture and Mad Micas. I do have some BB mica but loath paying their shipping charges.

 

[shunt2011]

I too try to match my colors to the fragrance. I use Nurture Soap micas or Micas and More. I’ve never used Brambleberry.

 

[coastmutt]

I've heard some good things about Mad Micas! I'll have to give them a shot sometime, they seem to have a really nice selection.

 

[Megan]

I have always been partial to a really good drop swirl since I started soaping. Or ITP, an easy-peasy one! Usually four or less colors. If I really want to get fancy with swirling, I might take out a chopstick...but it's not really my favorite look as it is.

 

[bookreader451]

I've heard some good things about Mad Micas! I'll have to give them a shot sometime, they seem to have a really nice selection.

They have sample collections that go a long way and from several color group samples I picked the colors I really loved and ordered in large sizes. Nurture soap and TBK Trading have samples too. I recommend samples first.

 

[Melysg25]

I make hot process soap and I'm just trying to get a grasp on natural colorants so everything is not drab and off green or grey. Lol

 

[SusieSoap]

I love hot process but love the way cold process looks. I really wish I could make nice looking soaps doing hot process like cold process if y'all know what I mean . Lol

 

[Melysg25]

I love hot process but love the way cold process looks. I really wish I could make nice looking soaps doing hot process like cold process if y'all know what I mean . Lol

I know what you mean. I think CP soap looks beautiful but it's not my thing to make it. I am working on making hp soap more appealing to the eye. But that comes with experience.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I love hot process but love the way cold process looks. I really wish I could make nice looking soaps doing hot process like cold process if y'all know what I mean . Lol

Welcome Susie! LOL Yes, I do know what you mean! I do mostly liquid soap and CP hard bars but here's a tip I learned early on to give HP a smoother finish. Add an oz of sunflower oil after the cook; stir for one full minute to fully incorporate, then pour.

 

[bookreader451]

I love hot process but love the way cold process looks. I really wish I could make nice looking soaps doing hot process like cold process if y'all know what I mean . Lol

We have a couple of members here who do amazing designs with hot processed. Search for threads and you can see some of their results.

 

[coastmutt]

yes yes yes! i know exactly how you feel my friend.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

I love both methods for different reasons. currently i'm CP. Happy soaping

 

[rdc1978]

I really like the zig zag swirl from soaping 101. It's my total go to because the design is cool and its pretty easy. So you get a lot of payoff for relatively little work.

I love purples greens and blues. Also with a titanium dioxide. I recently bought some lab colors from. Brambleberry but I'm so scared!!!!

 

[Ruby Soho]

CP soap over M&P for me so far. I really like texturing the tops!

I'm waiting for my specific coloured micas to arrive so I can try my first attempt at flat layers, I'll be attempting to make a pride flag soap!

 

[melonpan]

I have only done CP so far and happy with the results - but I didn't know that HP would get you a different result. Off to research differences now

 

[rdc1978]

CP soap over M&P for me so far. I really like texturing the tops!

I'm waiting for my specific coloured micas to arrive so I can try my first attempt at flat layers, I'll be attempting to make a pride flag soap!

That sounds lovely, melt and pour or cold process?
I once made a rainbow soap out of some trial size fragrance oils I had and it remains one of my favorite soaps for its mix of scents and festive look!

 

[Ruby Soho]

That sounds lovely, melt and pour or cold process?
I once made a rainbow soap out of some trial size fragrance oils I had and it remains one of my favorite soaps for its mix of scents and festive look!

Cold process, I'll be doing the 5-layer lesbian pride flag so thankfully not quite as many layers as a full rainbow!

 

[rdc1978]

Cold process, I'll be doing the 5-layer lesbian pride flag so thankfully not quite as many layers as a full rainbow!

Very nice! Having done it, the biggest trick was having a totally level and flat mold on a completely flat surface. I had used an old Amazon box lined with freezer paper and it worked okay, but the lines weren't as perfect as I would have wanted! I think had i used the smaller slab mold that I have now the lines would have been straighter.

I hope you post pics when you finish!