Bonjour from India!

[momoha]

Hello everyone!

I am originally from Québec, the french part of Canada, but I moved to India around five years ago. I have been introduced to soap making as a child by my mom, who had a brief interest into that, but turned out to love the chemistry of essential oils much more !

When I moved to India, the lack of « natural » products made me very frustrated (oh, my dear aleppo soap and Weleda products, how I missed you!), to the point of starting to do research and attempting to make my own things. With my mom sharing me her knowledge of essential oils, all the information available on Internet, and the results I was getting (my face cream became a huge hit! everyone in the family is addicted to it now ), well... I quickly developed a passion for homemade stuff!

My goal is to replace as many store bought cosmetics and households products as possible with homemade things, and who knows, maybe someday start selling them, as I find really sad this huge gap that there is here. There is A LOT of work ahead, but even if it doesn’t work out, I will at least have had a lot of fun!

So a few days a go, after hours and hours of reading, I finally ordered all the material to start the soap making, and now I am anxiously waiting for my parcels to come to make my first soap!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[DWinMadison]

Hello everyone!

I am originally from Québec, the french part of Canada, but I moved to India around five years ago. I have been introduced to soap making as a child by my mom, who had a brief interest into that, but turned out to love the chemistry of essential oils much more !

When I moved to India, the lack of « natural » products made me very frustrated (oh, my dear aleppo soap and Weleda products, how I missed you!), to the point of starting to do research and attempting to make my own things. With my mom sharing me her knowledge of essential oils, all the information available on Internet, and the results I was getting (my face cream became a huge hit! everyone in the family is addicted to it now ), well... I quickly developed a passion for homemade stuff!

My goal is to replace as many store bought cosmetics and households products as possible with homemade things, and who knows, maybe someday start selling them, as I find really sad this huge gap that there is here. There is A LOT of work ahead, but even if it doesn’t work out, I will at least have had a lot of fun!

So a few days a go, after hours and hours of reading, I finally ordered all the material to start the soap making, and now I am anxiously waiting for my parcels to come to make my first soap![/QUOTE]
Welcome! Sounds like you’ve definitely done your homework. How are you planning to mold your soap? How can we help?

 

[momoha]

Welcome! Sounds like you’ve definitely done your homework. How are you planning to mold your soap? How can we help?

I’m thinking to go easy with the first one, a lye heavy pure coconut CP soap which I will use as detergent, I’ve already read a lot about it and it seems simple enough. Otherwise for my second CP project, I’ve already sought helped in the recipe feedback forum and got great advice. I’m really attracted by hot process soaps though, which seems a tricky business... Will have a lot of reading to do! And on top of that, crockpots are ridiculously expensive here, so I’m thinking to do oven process, which there doesn’t seem to be much information about...

 

[DWinMadison]

I’m thinking to go easy with the first one, a lye heavy pure coconut CP soap which I will use as detergent, I’ve already read a lot about it and it seems simple enough. Otherwise for my second CP project, I’ve already sought helped in the recipe feedback forum and got great advice. I’m really attracted by hot process soaps though, which seems a tricky business... Will have a lot of reading to do! And on top of that, crockpots are ridiculously expensive here, so I’m thinking to do oven process, which there doesn’t seem to be much information about...

There’s a lot to unpack there. Best of luck and remember to play safe.

 

[HowieRoll]

Welcome! I started with a couple DIY cosmetic-type items before giving soaping a whirl, and let me just say that soaping took the addiction to a whole new level. Be prepared! But this forum is a tremendous resource for... well, so many things. And there is an international audience, including members from India, who may have resources on where to buy materials.

Speaking of which, I was curious as to which part of India you lived. A year ago we adopted a little girl from Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), she's the 4-legged one pictured in my avatar.

 

[Saponomancer]

Hey welcome to the forum! It looks like you're off to a great start on your soaping adventure.

 

[Relle]

Welcome .

 

[momoha]

Welcome! I started with a couple DIY cosmetic-type items before giving soaping a whirl, and let me just say that soaping took the addiction to a whole new level. Be prepared! But this forum is a tremendous resource for... well, so many things. And there is an international audience, including members from India, who may have resources on where to buy materials.

Speaking of which, I was curious as to which part of India you lived. A year ago we adopted a little girl from Rishikesh (Uttarakhand), she's the 4-legged one pictured in my avatar.

I live in Rishikesh! :-D it's such a great place...

 

[HowieRoll]

I live in Rishikesh! :-D it's such a great place...

Well, that's a little bit of a small world! I don't think I could take the heat... or monsoons... but I would love to eat all the food!

There is one of the most remarkable women on the planet living in Rishikesh named Grace who runs Rishikesh Animal Care. They medically treat and spay/neuter street dogs (of which there are many) and educate the community how to live peacefully with them instead of gratuitously abusing them (ours was run over by a car and left for dead with a broken leg in the street before Grace found her, for instance).

Anyway, sorry for the little detour there, I just got excited to hear you are in Rishikesh, and now back to soaping!

 

[momoha]

Well, that's a little bit of a small world! I don't think I could take the heat... or monsoons... but I would love to eat all the food!

There is one of the most remarkable women on the planet living in Rishikesh named Grace who runs Rishikesh Animal Care. They medically treat and spay/neuter street dogs (of which there are many) and educate the community how to live peacefully with them instead of gratuitously abusing them (ours was run over by a car and left for dead with a broken leg in the street before Grace found her, for instance).

Anyway, sorry for the little detour there, I just got excited to hear you are in Rishikesh, and now back to soaping!

Such a small world! I know Grace ;-) Four years ago I adopted two kittens that she found, brother and sister. She’s doing an amazing job indeed! My cats have now become the prince and princess of this home... I have to fulfil all of their desires, or else I have to face heated arguments! But I do love them more than anything... Funny to think we both share our home with little Rishikesh natives!

 

[HowieRoll]

Such a small world! I know Grace ;-) Four years ago I adopted two kittens that she found, brother and sister. She’s doing an amazing job indeed! My cats have now become the prince and princess of this home... I have to fulfil all of their desires, or else I have to face heated arguments! But I do love them more than anything... Funny to think we both share our home with little Rishikesh natives!

Whoa, that is CRAZY, and I can't get over what a small world it really is!!! Holy smokes! We are forever filled with gratitude to Grace and what she did to rescue our little girl, and the tireless work she continues to do daily. She is truly an angel. It sounds like your cats are now very lucky ones, indeed! I know what you mean about our little ones becoming royalty, not that we spoil ours, or anything... (cough, cough)

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Welcome, and I totally agree with this

Welcome! I started with a couple DIY cosmetic-type items before giving soaping a whirl, and let me just say that soaping took the addiction to a whole new level. Be prepared! But this forum is a tremendous resource for... well, so many things

 

[momoha]

Whoa, that is CRAZY, and I can't get over what a small world it really is!!! Holy smokes! We are forever filled with gratitude to Grace and what she did to rescue our little girl, and the tireless work she continues to do daily. She is truly an angel. It sounds like your cats are now very lucky ones, indeed! I know what you mean about our little ones becoming royalty, not that we spoil ours, or anything... (cough, cough)

If you ever visit Rishikesh again, send me a message and we can do some soap making meetup!

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Momoha!

And on top of that, crockpots are ridiculously expensive here, so I’m thinking to do oven process, which there doesn’t seem to be much information about...

I do oven hot process when I make HP. It's real easy. I bring my soap to trace in a stainless steel cooking pot, then cover it with the matching stainless lid and set it in my oven to cook @ 180F/82C.


IrishLass

 

[momoha]

Welcome, Momoha!




I do oven hot process when I make HP. It's real easy. I bring my soap to trace in a stainless steel cooking pot, then cover it with the matching stainless lid and set it in my oven to cook @ 180F/82C.


IrishLass

Sounds good! Do you stir it once in a while after putting in the oven? Around how much time, generally, does it have to cook inside oven?

Edit: Also, do you cover your pot in the oven or not?

 

[szaza]

Welcome @momoha! I also love doing oven HP. Crock pots are way too expensive here as well and I like that I can split my batch and color before I put my soap in the oven, so the colors go through gel. I generally don't stir and don't cover, though covering would probably be a good idea.

 

[earlene]

Welcome @momoha! I also love doing oven HP. Crock pots are way too expensive here as well and I like that I can split my batch and color before I put my soap in the oven, so the colors go through gel.

I would never have thought of that. What a great idea!

 

[IrishLass]

Sounds good! Do you stir it once in a while after putting in the oven? Around how much time, generally, does it have to cook inside oven?

Edit: Also, do you cover your pot in the oven or not?

I don't stir until the very end, but I do cover, absolutely! If I don't cover, too much water evaporates and I end up with very difficult-to-mold soap.


IrishLass

 

[melinda48]

Hello everyone!

I am originally from Québec, the french part of Canada, but I moved to India around five years ago. I have been introduced to soap making as a child by my mom, who had a brief interest into that, but turned out to love the chemistry of essential oils much more !

When I moved to India, the lack of « natural » products made me very frustrated (oh, my dear aleppo soap and Weleda products, how I missed you!), to the point of starting to do research and attempting to make my own things. With my mom sharing me her knowledge of essential oils, all the information available on Internet, and the results I was getting (my face cream became a huge hit! everyone in the family is addicted to it now ), well... I quickly developed a passion for homemade stuff!

My goal is to replace as many store bought cosmetics and households products as possible with homemade things, and who knows, maybe someday start selling them, as I find really sad this huge gap that there is here. There is A LOT of work ahead, but even if it doesn’t work out, I will at least have had a lot of fun!

So a few days a go, after hours and hours of reading, I finally ordered all the material to start the soap making, and now I am anxiously waiting for my parcels to come to make my first soap!

Can’t wait to share the makers journey with you-welcome!