Confession

[HollandHomestead]

I have a confession. I've been making soap for years and I have never, ever, not even once - made it with water. Our product "is" goat milk soap so I never saw a need. Well, due to huge Holiday sales - we are momentarily out of Milk {{gasp}} -- but the 'itch' to soap is killing me so I thought ~ I could use water! Clearly I didn't invent this idea so here I am - looking and asking the experts, is there a big difference?
Do I freeze the water as I do the milk before adding the lye? Things I should watch for, etc?

Thanks for the help in advance ~ and for not casting judgement

 

[Dragonkaz]

Water is probably the easiest liquid to use ... the reason why most people use it. Water can be at room temperature ... which for me is currently around 40 C ... or during winter it can be 15 C ... and I do nothing with the water ... other than use it from a jug that distills the water from my kitchen tap.

Unlike other liquids I'm not aware of anything that you need to look out for.

Have fun while you wait for your milk supplies to return.

 

[Fragola]

jug that distills the water from my kitchen tap.

How does that jug still work again ?

 

[adoptapitbull]

I'm an exclusive goat milk soaper, too. I used water only once for a vegan. Not distilled, either. It turned out just fine.

Sure, it was easier, but to me it felt naked without the milk.

I freeze my GM during the year so I have some to soap with during the winter. My does seemed to not want to be bred this year, so we'll see what happens if they don't freshen in a few months. Don't think I'll have enough to last me a whole year and a half! Uh oh!

 

[green soap]

You do not need to freeze the water like you freeze goat milk.

Also, if water seems too plain, consider using different herbal teas. I made a triple mint soap the other day, infused spearmint oil, strong spearmint tea, and peppermint essential oil. Sometimes I use rosemary tea when making rosemary soap or other herbal soaps. There is some scent contribution from the teas and they are free to me. I should mention I cool the tea to room temperature or fridge temperature before soaping.

Recently I have also used the leaves of one of my lemon trees to make lemon leaf tea, to go with infused lemon oil and essential lemon oil. Triple lemon soap.

I have also read here about using beer in place of the water. I believe this gets frozen too because of the danger of the sugar in the beer burning and turning the soap brown. Not tried the beer myself yet.

 

[HollandHomestead]

Thanks for your coaching! Typically I have more than enough frozen milk to get me through the winter but this year was a banner year for sales (not a bad thing) and I've depleted my resources. A local fellow farmer and friend has been giving me what she can but it's not enough to ward off my soaping urges!

I'm looking forward to trying the water ~ interesting to hear there is no need for freezing. And the beer ~ well, I'll have to raid my husbands barn and try that too -- it sounds fun and I'm sure could be a novelty item.

I adore the great ideas and advice on here -- it's fantastic!!

 

[Bubbly Buddha]

I have also read here about using beer in place of the water. I believe this gets frozen too because of the danger of the sugar in the beer burning and turning the soap brown. Not tried the beer myself yet.

I love using beer as my liquid and it does not need freezing, although it should be FLAT when you add lye to it. I leave it in a cup in the fridge for a week or so before using.

 

[Sunny]

jug that distills the water from my kitchen tap.

How does that jug still work again ?

a filter pitcher?

 

[IrishLass]

[quote="green soap":32cnyfrv]
I have also read here about using beer in place of the water. I believe this gets frozen too because of the danger of the sugar in the beer burning and turning the soap brown. Not tried the beer myself yet.

I love using beer as my liquid and it does not need freezing, although it should be FLAT when you add lye to it. I leave it in a cup in the fridge for a week or so before using.[/quote:32cnyfrv]

Yep, what Bubbly Buddah said- the beer does not need to be frozen, only flat. I actually boil mine, reducing it down by half (which also makes it go flat).

Even goat milk does not necessarily need to be frozen. I never freeze mine. I should mention that I use the 'Split Method' of milk soaping where my lye is not directly mixed with the milk.

Besides milk, water, teas, and beer, you can also use carrot juice, brewed coffee, tomato juice, cucumber juice, etc....

IrishLass

 

[green soap]

[quote="IrishLass"
Besides milk, water, teas, and beer, you can also use carrot juice, brewed coffee, tomato juice, cucumber juice, etc....

IrishLass [/quote]


Does coffee transfer a scent to the finished soap? I wonder if this would work with chocolate for a 'mocha' bar.

I will have to try beer soap too. Maybe a stout? What scents go well with beer soap?

 

[xyxoxy]

Unfortunately coffee will not leave a scent in the finished soap no matter how strong you make it... you need to use an FO for coffee fragrance.

 

[IrishLass]

What xyxoxy said.

IrishLass

 

[Soapy Gurl]

My coffee left a light coffee scent, but I also used ground coffee for scrub. I think that helped a bit. Then I added some hazelnut and vanilla and it all complemented each other. You aren't going to get a strong coffee smell though.

I keep forgetting about teas! I even have them specifically for soap making!

 

[Dragonkaz]

I make a coffee soap with a strong coffee water ... but there was no scent at the end of the cure, so now I add a coffee FO. When using coffee, I partially freeze it, so there's no risk of a volcano ... or that burnt smell.

For my chocolate soap I melt a small amount of 85% dark chocolate and add that as a colour when my soap is at light to medium trace. Again no smell after the cure, so now I add a chocolate FO.

Beer seems popular in soap, especially around father's day. I flatten the beer and then freeze it, so there's no risk of a volcano ... or that burnt smell. Again no smell after the cure, so I have a few different beer FO's that I use.

 

[Kleine Teufel]

I've forgotten to add the milk in my normal recipes. The difference is a "squeaky clean" feeling. You know how you run your hand down your arm in the shower and it kinda catches your skin? That's how it feels when you omit the goatmilk. When you add the goatmilk, you just feel nice and silky. I like both for different purposes, but definately prefer the goatmilk when I feel dry. Non-goatmilk when I feel like I've been in the hospital too long, especially with contact precaution patients, and need to strip my skin of everything, lol.

 

[falldowngobump]

Don't forget coconut milk...I love the silky feel of 100% coconut milk as the liquid. I do freeze it in cubes and then add the lye. For Goatsmilk, I use the Irishlass method of 50-50-...works everytime (for the record, thanks Irishlass , when I first started soaping I read a thread on goatsmilk and learned from your posts)