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Hello Darlene and welcome to the forum! There are a lot of wonderful and talented people here :) I am just starting out myself.
 
Hiiiiii Darlene. Welcome to the wonderful world of soapmaking. This is a great place to learn.
 
Thanks for the warm and exciting welcoming =] I am super eager to learn this amazing craft and I was wondering if you had any tips as to just starting out? I am currently looking to purchase supplies from Bramble Berry and I love it! but.I am also finding it hard to figure out what I need to Start first? I've got a silicone molding tray, some salts for texture =]...not sure what oils I need for my base and not sure which scale is best? Any tips or advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED :smile: Thanks
 
I am just starting as well, and it has been suggested to keep my batches to a pound or two until I get more of a handle on what I am doing and get used to the process. I am starting with one pound batches in a pvc mold. I am not sure how your finances are, but you can sometimes find better deals through other places. Bramble Berry is very good though. I am using Wholesale Suppliers Plus for my base oils and Essential Depot for my lye. Oh, and I bought my olive oil locally as it was less expensive that way. Most people suggest not using more then two or three oils on your first batch and to not add colorants or fragrances to it so you can learn how the process works. I will be making my first batch tomorrow, and it will be pretty plain. I have the recipe I plan to use posted in the recipe feedback section on the forums. As for a scale, I got mine through Amazon, but there are a lot of options to choose from. I have heard good things about the one from Bramble Berry. The thing to be sure of is that you can measure in grams to get more precise measurements.

Um, other things for starting that I suggest would be basic safety equipment for handling lye (gloves at the very least, goggles are also good to have), a thermometer is good for starting out though not everyone uses them (I got a relatively inexpensive infrared thermometer from Amazon), a stick blender, and bowls for mixing (I also suggest either a heavy plastic pitcher for mixing your lye water, or a stainless steel carafe).

Oh, a tip with using salt... I would suggest not using the salt on your first batch. It is often used to make harder soaps and can cause you to reach trace faster. Last tip I have would be to watch some videos on youtube to see how people do things. Not all of them are great or what I may recommend, but a lot of them are fairly good and offer good advice. (Soap Queen from Bramble Berry and Soaping 101 are a couple off the top of my head).
 
Hi Darlene - welcome to the newbie club! This is my first time on the forum also so I'm glad I'm not alone and I really hope I'm doing this posting thing correctly :) I too have been bitten by the soapmaking bug. I'm about to make my 4th batch tonight and so far each has turned out good. I've had some trouble with my fragrance disappearing, but the soap itself has turned out great. I've also started making my own lotions, lip balms, cuticle creams, etc., but soap is the most fun. I've been doing cphp and I love it. I'm way too impatient to wait for cp to cure LOL I think I've figured out the reason for the scent disappearing, and am anxious to try to correct it this evening. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
You can get a stick blender and a good scale at Bed, Bath and Beyond if they exist in your area. www.soaperschoice.com is a good place to get palm and coconut oils. Your first couple of batches can be simple lard, tallow or crisco soaps. You can get Olive oil at Costco or Sams club. http://www.soapcalc.net/info/GettingStarted.asp is a great place to start. Welcome and have fun!
 
Welcome! I too am from Washington ( Web-Foot ) :p You have found the right place to learn, I love it here!
 
Ok, so far the only thing I have yet to find is the hand blender. I did go to Bed, Bath & Beyond, but the only hand blender they had was expensive. =[ Anyone know if a place where I can find one for less than 40$? Thanks everyone=]
 
Darlene,

I ordered mine from Amazon. Many people have also mentioned having luck finding them in thrift stores. Good luck!
 
Yo yo yo!!! Welcome from the state of Georgia! This is the greatest place to learn along with watching soap queen TV, reading The Everything Soap Making Book, watching "reliable" YouTube videos, asking questions to knowledgeable peeps on here oh and experience! Have fun and post pics!!!!! :)
 

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