Greetings all…

[Greenman]

Hello there, and thanks for welcoming me into your family. I am relatively new to making soap, but am quickly falling in love with it. I have gotten started because my Girlfriend is very interested in Handmade soap and has bought a ton of it, well really tens on pounds of it. She has very cranky skin, and handmade soap are much nicer to her, I also have angry skin and love the handmade soap I have been using. I am a bit f a baker (was a finalist in the best brownies in Michigan competition) and was looking at opening a cake shop, but I think I like making soap much more, and am seriously thinking of starting a soap making business. I have read a ton of information here and on the internet, also in books, and think this is something I can make work. I have made seven batches of soap already and can not wait for them to cure, (it is torture), have not had any serious trouble aside one of my FO’s really accelerates trace, well that and my 1st salt bar may be a little crumble, we will see how it turns out after curing a bit more. I am currently doing rather small batches, of about a pound, and cutting them into very small bars that I will give to product testers and have them evaluate the soaps and determine what my best recipes are. Well I am rambling so I’ll sign off, but I did mean it when I said thank for the open invite into your family, and I look forward to talking with all of you.

Roy E. Stauffer

 

[Bigmoose]

Hello Roy,

Nice to have you on the forum and I am guessing from MI as I am. If you make a brownie that good making friends must be easy for you. I won a homebrew contest in MI about 3 years ago and now I am into making soap and loving it over the store bought stuff as well. Ask anything, everyone here is so helpful.

Bruce

 

[Deda]

Welcome Roy!

I hope you love it here! We love to share recipes, ideas, and solutions. I think we would love to share brownies, too!

 

[topcat]

Hi Roy and welcome from Australia (too far away to share in brownies )

This forum is so helpful, welcoming and informative. You will find all the answers you need now and answers to questions you don't even know you have yet!

Tanya

 

[Greenman]

Again thanks for letting me join your soaping family, from everything I have read on this forum I will very much enjoy being a member. As I have said I have made seven batch of soap so far and do plan on getting pictures of them up soon, once I find my camera, they are not shaped the best yet as I have not made my final mold, hope to do that this weekend. So I am currently using Glade-loc disposable storage containers, which seem to work for my small 1 pound batches (funny how I measure in grams yet still refer to them as 1 pound batches). They are also cut very small 1 pound is cut into about 20 small sample bars that I have people who will use and give feed back for me. Trying to see which of my recipes are the best.

Bigmoose – Nice to know there is another soaper from Michigan out here, if you are ever in the Lansing area let me know and we can do dinner and talk soap. =D

Deda – I may be down the Virginia way, next year, My aunts 50th wedding anniversary don’t remember where it is, but if it close maybe I could drop off some brownies. (Hrmmm I think I need to do brownie soap)

Tanya – If I could afford to bring you Brownies I would, I have dreamed of visiting Australia for a long time, very jealous as I have a co-worker who goes ever summer. I keep trying to have her pack me in a bag.

Again Thanks for the welcomes, and it is nice to meet all of you.

By the way I have made so far
None have names yet as I am waiting to see how the review before I decide if I am going to make them permanent recipes.

1st day of soap making
1st Batch – Goats milk/Oat/Honey Scented with sandalwood and Thyme
2nd Batch – Green Soap (My basic Recipe Scented with various green smells – this batch was a little heavy on the spruce Essential Oil)
3rd Chocolate Pomegranate – My Basic Soap with Cocoa Butter added Used Pomegranate as my base liquid (turns soap Tan) at trace added Pomegranate FO Sandalwood and just a hint of mint and vanilla also added melted bakers chocolate to a little of the base and swirled with it.

2nd Day of Soap Making
1st batch – What I call a butter bar (Coconut/Pal/RBO base then included Shea/Cocoa/Avocado/Aloe/Chamomile Butters and Super fatted with Castor oil Scented with read clover and rosemary
2nd batch – My 1st attempt at a salt bar – aside from trace took a while and I cut a little to early so crumbled a little when cu (I think this will be very nice) Scenter Rosemary lavender At trace added 80% salt plus a little rose clay for color and ground Lavander and Rosemary. – This is to floral for my GF but I still think it is a lovely soap.
3rd Batch – Chocolate/Sandalwood My Basic Soap with Cocoa Butter and chocolate added scented with Sandalwood and Egyptian musk, and added a little cocoa powder at trace for color – this hit trace super fast and had to be spooned into the mold.
4th Batch – A shaving soap that was scented with Pomegranate and vanilla. (Can not wait to use this)
This Day I also did a Whipped Shea butter scented with Sweetgrass and Vanilla, a Vanilla/Sandalwood/Patchouli Massage oil which I included a little aloe/ Chamomile butter into, and tried to make my own hair wax (my only real failure so far - way to stiff)