Have $400 To Start Soaping...

[GuarinoSoaps]

Hello everyone, new to the forum as a registered user, but browsed quite frequently. I am just starting soaping for the new year - at first I figured melt & pour was the way I was going to go because I was scared of lye in an apartment, but I have since changed my mind. (Figured I should just go with what I truly want to do.)

I have a supplier here in Canada where shipping charges are astronomically low. That and I have been looking on Ebay for things like thermometers, scales and molds. (If you can't already tell - I am a huge cheapo!)

I have $400 to start with, and I was wondering what suggestions I could get based on feedback

I appreciate everyone's time and help! I look forward to the day I can finally post my first CP Soap!

 

[seven]

Congrats on finally making a decision to enter the wonderful world of CP

Suggestions... Def lye, oils (palm, coconut, olive are the basic 3. You can make a good soap out of using only these 3), mold (silicone loaf 1 can last you a long time), few EOs and/or FOs, few colorants (basic colors).

I think 400 can get you quite a lot. Perhaps buy the oils and lye in bulk, its more economical that way.

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

Thank you for the suggestions!! I have filled my cart about 5 times (must be the OCD) lol I have been watching soap videos and reading up on all methods for about five years now - and this year (being a mom of two) I decided to do something for myself.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I got started on a lot less than that. Different country, so not 100% the same, I know, but it was less than 100€ including some expensive shipping on some things where I bought from an online shop before I found my best supplier. A lot of the oils needed can be bought in the supermarket (not sure if there is Crisco in Canada, but it's like catnip for soapers in the USA!)

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

I'm pretty sure that would be comparable to Costco here in Canada, but you need a membership to shop there. My mom has one so she can take me on a visitors pass to scope out prices. I tend to enjoy buying in bulk for the value. I think that's why I set such a huge amount. I would love to start with just $100, but I feel like if I buy the supplies in bulk quantities, it'll help me in the long run - and prepare me for the few addictive weeks when I start soaping everyday - heard it's not an uncommon occurance!

 

[roseb]

Welcome...pssst it's not too late to leave, it's ever addicting! Okay now that I gave you a warning, don't cheap out on a scale or a thermometer. You don't want your measurements to be off and speaking from experience don't use a candy thermometer it's a pain. Don't spend money on EOs or FOs for your first few batches...ask me how I know.
Just do a couple unscented, uncolored until you feel confident to proceed. Good luck and let us know how your first batch turns out!

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

I found that the equipment being sold on ebay weren't as high quality for almost the same price with shipping as from my supplier, so I am going ahead and ordering everything from them. I would rather make a scented and colored bar my first try, even if it doesn't turn out how I expect it to. I'll go ahead and ask how you know regardless, because now I am curious!!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Crisco is some kind of cooking fat, most likely similar to the Cremena that I buy here. It's an 80/20 mix of palm/rapeseed and costs 4€ a kilo. Coconut fat is also sold in the supermarket, so I can get the bases for my basic soap along with my cheese and wine.

Have you looked at or posted recipe ideas in the recipe section? If you're planning a recipe that is based on a certain mix of oils and are looking to buy in bulk based on the recipe, it's worth making sure it's a good one first - not only with feedback but also with a smaller trial run.

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

Ooohh thanks for the information, I will do that for sure. I was planning on making a 1 pound test loaf. I might want to have a go at CPOP, but we'll see. I know for my first recipe I will be using Palm, Olive, Coconut (all at 7.04 oz) and 0.88 oz of castor oil. I have ran it through a lye calc already. I heard the 3 of these ingredients were best for beginners somewhere. Whether that is true or not, who knows, but I am eager to try!

 

[Derpina Bubbles]

Hello, welcome and yeah buy bulk of basic supplies if you can afford it cause you'll be addicted to soaping too lol. I made a lavender soap with swirls 1st time and was fine so good luck with yours. I just wanted to suggest fragrance and colour sampler sets at 1st which are great to play with and I still love these. Good luck with your first batch and when you make it please post pics!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

A lot of people would suggest a lower Coconut oil % as too much can be a bit harsh. Around the 20-25% mark is more common

I used 50% Olive, 25% Coconut, 20% palm and 5% rapeseed, for example. It made a nice bar and was not too tricky to work with at all, using Sandalwood and Lavendar essential oils, no colour but some ground poppy seeds as an exfoliant. I had plenty of time to mix and then pour it out. Was a gentle and enjoyable first time, which is all one can ask for..................

 

[nebetmiw]

Hello everyone, new to the forum as a registered user, but browsed quite frequently. I am just starting soaping for the new year - at first I figured melt & pour was the way I was going to go because I was scared of lye in an apartment, but I have since changed my mind. (Figured I should just go with what I truly want to do.)

I have a supplier here in Canada where shipping charges are astronomically low. That and I have been looking on Ebay for things like thermometers, scales and molds. (If you can't already tell - I am a huge cheapo!)

I have $400 to start with, and I was wondering what suggestions I could get based on feedback

I appreciate everyone's time and help! I look forward to the day I can finally post my first CP Soap!

Well, one I would not buy off Ebay. Reason sellers raise shipping price to make money. I and many others have picked up in person items we won at auction on Ebay only to be told no more in person pick up since shipping is how they make their money. JFYI.

Now what I would buy is Soapmaker 3 software program. It wis way better than any free online soap calculator. A real good scale that does 0.00 pounds, ounces and grams. Stickblender, SS bowl, pitcher and molds. Eo or Fo to try a few. Thermometer is not needed, you can go by feel of the heat. Many like myself do room temp soaping in which lye water is let to cool or made in a ice bath to not let it get too hot. If you melt hard oils first and let them set and add liquid oils to them they will be ready in short time for lye/water.

Most mold you do not have to buy if you get creative. Like plastic storage containers for food work or pvc pipe ect. I spent under $50 since I reused alot of kitchen stuff on my first batches. All I bought was scale and stickblender. Remember everything can be washed. Lye dissolves in water so it will not stay on things. But still I do not use my lye/water pitcher for anything but that. Everything else I do once it has been threw the dishwasher. Good luck it is fun and do not over worry about it. it is just Soap.

 

[shunt2011]

If you have access to Costco get your olive oil there. It works great and the price is pretty decent. A good scale is really important as well as a stickblender. Make sure you have gloves and goggles. For a mold starting out find a nice box and line it with freezer paper. I wouldn't go all hog wild until you are sure this is something you want to continue to do. I am a RT (room temp) soaper and usually make my lye in the morning and have my oils ready to go so when I get home from work I can soap away. I do have a thermometer but don't use it. I wouldn't use more than 25% Coconut as any more and you will have a pretty drying bar of soap. I generally stick around 22%. Once you have supplies just do it. It's a lot of fun and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Good Luck and Welcome.

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

Well, I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to the thermometer - since you have made soap many times before, you may be used to being able to tell when to mix the lye in, but for a newbie, I know I don't want to trust my gut instinct when I have never done it before.

 

[dixiedragon]

Love spending other people's money!

Silicone mold. I love the column one from Brambleberry.


Oils - coconut, castor and cocoa butter. If you think you want to try lotion bars or lip balm, get some beeswax and shea. I get my olive at Costco. I don't use palm, I use lard.

I agree on getting a nice scale. Don't just grab a postal scale - some of them are not meant to weigh increasing amounts. Meaning, if you are pouring your oil, you need it to accuratly measure the increasing weight, and some postal scales are only meant for you to put a package on, weigh, and remove the package. (BTW, put your postal scale in a gallon ziploc. That way a lye or oil spill won't touch your scale.

I'm going to disagree with Rose about scent. If you get some well-behaved scents, there is no reason you can't scent your very first batch. I did - I used mint and lavender EO from the healthfood store.

I don't recommend the decorative individual molds. They are a HUGE pain.

 

[GuarinoSoaps]

Thanks for replying dixie, I am more of a loaf lover myself. I assumed individual molds were a pain...the only use I would ever have for them are for toppers later on.

 

[boyago]

Sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders, go ahead and follow what you've read while you get your soap legs and intuition will take over in a few batches. $400 should be more than enough to give yourself a generous start. Where I wish I had spent more money in the beginning would be one a better scale. Try to go for one with an ample base and that reads .00. I also bought some supplies from a local "homesteading" shop (they really don't carry anything actual homesteaders would buy at their prices) I think my sodium hydroxide cost me $8/pound! There is a company called Essential Depot that allot of people get theirs from. They have free shipping most of the time, but I'm not if sure that would apply to Canada though. I don kind of wish I had started out with better molds as well. Either the nice reenforced silicone ones that have ribs that square out the base or the HDPE ones that disassemble. The only other bad thing (aside from a soap addiction) that I wish I had been told is to not burn up my first stick blender. I just blasted the whole way to trace on a all Olive oil soap and it never ran again.

 

[Lin]

I've only used pringles containers and cardboard cereal boxes for molds so far. Oh, and a dixie cup lol. I don't have my own stick blender or scale yet, I borrow my roommates kitchen scale and my bf borrowed a stick blender from his mom. We went to the dollar store (after watching that episode of soaping 101, if you haven't seen their videos on youtube check them out) and got all the soaping stuff we needed (goggles, gloves, pitchers, large measuring cups, spatulas, spoons...) for $25 bucks. Everything is only for soap or other personal care products and not for food. We do want to upgrade to better goggles, and I really want to get my own stick blender and scale. I just got some molds from the thrift store though, so I'm movin' on up!

I already had oils on hand from cooking and making other personal care products. I needed to order some more handmade CP soap... And instead of ordering a couple bars from where I'd been buying from, I ordered a 2lb bottle of lye and got started.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

If you do buy a budget stick blender, do a few short (or very short!) bursts followed by some stirring. Repeat. Will help it last longer than 1 Castile batch.................

 

[dixiedragon]

http://www.cumberlandacoustic.com/id9.html

I have the divided mold and I love love love it.

A multi cutter is also a very nice tool. If you don't want to lay out that much on equipment, you could get a wire cheese slicer at Walmart or BB&B for less than $20. I personally do not like cutting soap with a knife. It really made my hands hurt and my bars looked pretty bad.

When you have found the website you intend to order from (assuming you go that route), you could post another thread here asking for advice on which FOs to get. (If you order from Brambleberry, I recommend getting Black Raspberry Vanilla! Gorgeous scent, very well behaved, still strong months later.)