Greetings and Wow!

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

Hi, new guy here. Never made soaps before but looking into it for 2 reasons. One, my 5 year old daughter is interested in making soap. We have a small homestead in N. Alabama, in addition to raising farm animals and growing foods, learning how to utilize, preserve, and store all of this stuff is not only a necessity but in allot of cases fun. Two, I found out soap can be made with lard. We raise Berkshire hogs as a primary source of farm revenue to support its existence. We sell whole and half hogs to people to stock their freezers and very few keep the fat(s) when they have them processed so we get it to render lard. Long story short, it has a shelf life and we occasionally end up with a fair amount of lard that needs to be used before going bad. SOAP! We also have Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats and just scratching their milk potential.

Here to learn and have fun with my Punkerdoodle (Johanna Marie). I will be reading through posts and soaking up information until I know enough to ask a half way intelligent question. Any advice on getting started and keeping a 5 year old interested is most welcome. We also have a huge garden each year and I know how to make tinctures and essential oils so any plants/herbs that may be used please advise. I’m retired () with a background in materials science, chemical processes, and quality so hope that doesn’t handicap me too much. Looking forward to learning from you all and maybe contributing at some point.

 

[katili]

Hello, and welcome! Lard makes such a wonderful bar of soap, this will be a great way to use up your stores

Reading around is for sure a great place to start, there are a few great threads on using lard in soap around here. I bet you've already got a handle on lye safety with your background, and just have to make sure the little one knows how to stay safe too. Masterbatching lye might work well for you, so you don't have to mix it up every time. My almost-5 year old likes to watch from a distance sometimes and is more interested in smelling the finished soap hehe so I'm no help there!

 

[not_ally]

Welcome, this is a very welcoming and helpful place, be sure to post when you have questions.

Maybe make some melt and pour ("MP") with the little one? It's safe, easy and fast, a good way to get/keep them interested. You have a lot of stuff going on, it sounds like using the word retirement may be premature

 

[dibbles]

Welcome! I second the idea of melt and pour if your daughter is going to be involved. Even the soap batter is caustic and can cause a burn. I have a 5 yo grandson and I would let him watch, but not 'do'. I could probably find goggles that would work to protect his eyes, but I've never seen any kind of gloves small enough for him.

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

Hello, and welcome! Lard makes such a wonderful bar of soap, this will be a great way to use up your stores

Reading around is for sure a great place to start, there are a few great threads on using lard in soap around here. I bet you've already got a handle on lye safety with your background, and just have to make sure the little one knows how to stay safe too. Masterbatching lye might work well for you, so you don't have to mix it up every time. My almost-5 year old likes to watch from a distance sometimes and is more interested in smelling the finished soap hehe so I'm no help there!

Thanks, one of my side responsibilities was safety and environmental so Johanna gets taught what not to do before the do. Caustics are sneaky when it comes to damaging eyes and skin so her exposure to that will be at a distance and PPE overkill. The scents, colors, and molds will be right in her wheelhouse though.

Welcome, this is a very welcoming and helpful place, be sure to post when you have questions.

Maybe make some melt and pour ("MP") with the little one? It's safe, easy and fast, a good way to get/keep them interested. You have a lot of stuff going on, it sounds like using the word retirement may be premature

I retired at 50 for health reasons which gave me the opportunity at 53 to be a full time dad. I should probably say switched careers. I have 2 sons in late 30’s and grandchildren older than my daughter but nothing prepared me for a curly red headed little girl though. I had no clue being a Mr. Mom was this tough.

I agree with MP to start. I’ve looked at some beginners kits, appears to be a relatively inexpensive way to get started and gage interest. She has decided she wants to make the wavy bars.

Welcome! I second the idea of melt and pour if your daughter is going to be involved. Even the soap batter is caustic and can cause a burn. I have a 5 yo grandson and I would let him watch, but not 'do'. I could probably find goggles that would work to protect his eyes, but I've never seen any kind of gloves small enough for him.

Amazon has latex and nitrile gloves down to 4 year old as well as Z87 safety glasses for children. Basketball goggles work also. I got her the wrap around polycarbonate in clear and tinted for outside. They have that cool factor. Putting XS cotton inspection gloves under the protective glove minimizes sweating and complaints. Pricey but worth it.

 

[dibbles]

Amazon has latex and nitrile gloves down to 4 year old as well as Z87 safety glasses for children. Basketball goggles work also. I got her the wrap around polycarbonate in clear and tinted for outside. They have that cool factor. Putting XS cotton inspection gloves under the protective glove minimizes sweating and complaints. Pricey but worth it.

Good to know for the future. Kiddos are all different and I don’t think he (or probably more accurately I) am ready to try CP soap with a little one. With your background I think you are well aware of safety measures to keep it safe and fun for your daughter.

 

[not_ally]

Johanna is going to look like a bad*** You'll have to post a picture of her in her kit. Another member who recently joined, @MichaelP, is also a science-y type who does full time dad duties, it seems like the science background helps if his learning curve is an example!

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

Good to know for the future. Kiddos are all different and I don’t think he (or probably more accurately I) am ready to try CP soap with a little one. With your background I think you are well aware of safety measures to keep it safe and fun for your daughter.

You are exactly right! Johanna has been around sorta dangerous stuff more than most kids her age because of the farm and we both have Alpha 1 so toxins effect us more than most. With that, I’m a stickler about PPE and recognizing dangers so she will not go through what I have. Uphill and upwind, what’s outside don’t let on or in! Even so, supervised MP will be it for the foreseeable future.

Johanna is going to look like a bad*** You'll have to post a picture of her in her kit. Another member who recently joined, @MichaelP, is also a science-y type who does full time dad duties, it seems like the science background helps if his learning curve is an example!

Not sure I did that right, I think any field within the realm of science naturally forces one to be a teacher. Then again everyone is capable of teaching what they know and enjoy. Right now I am the biggest idiot on here, I know the chemistry but clueless on the talent and art, that only comes with experience.

 

[not_ally]

She is beautiful! A literal poster child

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi and welcome.

 

[LizzardBlizzard]

If you're doing melt and pour you can look into liquid colorants to minimize any inhalation risk too. I accidentally bought some at the craft store because they said they were soap safe. Turns out they meant for melt and pour because those colors disappeared in my cold process soap hahaha. But they've been great colors for when I do melt and pour imbeds with my kids.

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

If you're doing melt and pour you can look into liquid colorants to minimize any inhalation risk too. I accidentally bought some at the craft store because they said they were soap safe. Turns out they meant for melt and pour because those colors disappeared in my cold process soap hahaha. But they've been great colors for when I do melt and pour imbeds with my kids.

Thanks for the tip. I haven’t ventured into scents and colors yet but will keep that in mind. My daughter is the artsy one and I bet she will come up with some crazy colors and designs for me to figure out.

 

[Kcryss]

Once you start making your soaps another option for her to be involved is re-batching in the microwave.

Here's a great video on how it's done, although I would recommend grating the soap before melting instead of cutting into chunks. This can be done in a crockpot or over a double boiler as well if you don't use a microwave.

One thing I've done with my grands is to melt down soap shreds, add a bit of water, beat with a mixer until light, fluffy, and smooth. Add a bit of color and scent, then pop into molds. Kids love it because they can help and it floats. Often called Floap!

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

Once you start making your soaps another option for her to be involved is re-batching in the microwave.

Here's a great video on how it's done, although I would recommend grating the soap before melting instead of cutting into chunks. This can be done in a crockpot or over a double boiler as well if you don't use a microwave.

One thing I've done with my grands is to melt down soap shreds, add a bit of water, beat with a mixer until light, fluffy, and smooth. Add a bit of color and scent, then pop into molds. Kids love it because they can help and it floats. Often called Floap!

Watched the video, pretty cool. Thx!

 

[MichaelP]

Welcome @Punkerdoodle’s Homestead! As @not_ally mentioned I'm also a 'retired' (though that doesn't sound right given how busy I am) science guy who is also a Mr. Mom, although my son is now 11 (boy did that happen fast!). I ran a DNA Sequencing lab for many years. One thing I love about making soap is the science. I don't know if you worked in a lab, but it has a bit of that feel to it which I didn't realize I missed. The other thing about making soap is the creative component which I love exploring and pushing to the edge.

Don't worry about the 'Talent and Art', there are many techniques and tricks to creating different types of soaps and there are experts here who can help in all facets of making soap. Start with making a basic soap in small test batches to understand the process and learn where things can go wrong. I'm still fairly new at making soap having started last August and still learning (I try to make at least 1 or 2 batches of soap a week) and suspect like most things, the learning is life long. This forum is absolutely the place to be for learning everything soap. I have learned so much from the many wise and talented soapers who are on this forum. A great group of people who are graciously willing to share in their plethora of knowledge of everything soap.

Unfortunately, I don't have advice on how to integrate a 5 year old into the soap making process. My son is just old enough to be more interested in typical boy 'fascinations' (sports, tv, video games, anything computer). That said, he recently showed a friend my little soap lab (it actually does look a bit like a lab). His friend thought it was 'cool'. So I will be roping him in some day to be my assistant and see what happens.

Welcome to the forum!

Oh, and if you end up with bunch of small test soaps, don't worry. After they've cured, all your family and friends will happily take them off your hands!

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

Welcome @Punkerdoodle’s Homestead! As @not_ally mentioned I'm also a 'retired' (though that doesn't sound right given how busy I am) science guy who is also a Mr. Mom, although my son is now 11 (boy did that happen fast!). I ran a DNA Sequencing lab for many years. One thing I love about making soap is the science. I don't know if you worked in a lab, but it has a bit of that feel to it which I didn't realize I missed. The other thing about making soap is the creative component which I love exploring and pushing to the edge.

Don't worry about the 'Talent and Art', there are many techniques and tricks to creating different types of soaps and there are experts here who can help in all facets of making soap. Start with making a basic soap in small test batches to understand the process and learn where things can go wrong. I'm still fairly new at making soap having started last August and still learning (I try to make at least 1 or 2 batches of soap a week) and suspect like most things, the learning is life long. This forum is absolutely the place to be for learning everything soap. I have learned so much from the many wise and talented soapers who are on this forum. A great group of people who are graciously willing to share in their plethora of knowledge of everything soap.

Unfortunately, I don't have advice on how to integrate a 5 year old into the soap making process. My son is just old enough to be more interested in typical boy 'fascinations' (sports, tv, video games, anything computer). That said, he recently showed a friend my little soap lab (it actually does look a bit like a lab). His friend thought it was 'cool'. So I will be roping him in some day to be my assistant and see what happens.

Welcome to the forum!

Oh, and if you end up with bunch of small test soaps, don't worry. After they've cured, all your family and friends will happily take them off your hands!

Retired is a funny word. I work harder now than I ever have and have heard that same sentiment from many “retirees.” I had one of those crazy careers that revolved around problem solving, especially the last 15 years. I ran R&D and two testing labs in parallel with being Quality Manager for 3 facilities. Those disciplines permeate about everything I do. Even though I have yet to make a single batch of soup the more I read the more appealing it becomes. Looking at the calculators I couldn’t help think of a calculater that work backward from desired properties and available ingredients using a logical solver. What a geek!

So far my daughter and I have gotten into pickling, fermented foods, cheesemaking, sausagemaking, candlemaking, and distilling. She’s a little young for reloading ammo and explosives but gotta save something for later. She bounces from project to project but I know the day is coming when she will prefer other things so until that day comes, we will have fun learning.

Something that always amazes me, the simple things in life like making stuff that we normally buy aren’t that simple and the lessons learned from doing these simple things are far reaching. Could be why people on here are the way they are, they understand the magic. So glad I found this forum.

She is beautiful! A literal poster child

Thanks, we are kinda partial to her. Her hair get more blonde every year but was born with red. Still has that gunger temper though.

 

[not_ally]

Still has that gunger temper though.

That's a good thing, sometimes. We all need a little fire to get through life's speedbumps.

 

[Punkerdoodle’s Homestead]

That's a good thing, sometimes. We all need a little fire to get through life's speedbumps.

Get through, she’ll use our tractor to bust it into pieces…