Hello from Southern California

[susiefreckleface]

Hi everyone - I'm susiefreckleface officially a new 2016 soaper

I lurked and lurked and lurked, listened, watched and learned for about a year now. I have been so hot-glued to soaping videos - hours of fantastically beautiful techniques. Great ladies and gentlemen out there with mad-skills!!

Well I finally did it... I met my 2016 new-year's resolution to get over the fear of working with lye and I made my first CP on 01/03/16 with a kit from Essential Depot. I can start to use the lavender soap in another week or so.

Of course the very next couple batches I made errors on but I figured them out on my 4th batch. I learned how to correct and finish it off as a HP liquid soap, because...
Get this - I bought Potassium Hydroxide instead of Sodium Hydroxide. So batch 4 is my lovely close to 30% superfatted liquid soap. It comes out really nice out of a foamer.

batch 5 is a great HP Goat milk, Oatmeal (I am waiting for the smell to dissipate a bit more).

batch 6 is a small batch of CP - Neem, tea-tree, and rosehip in the pot swirl.

Today I finally finished making a 12 bar wooden slab mold. https://twitter.com/suzyfreckleface/status/696497589907169281 It took me a while. wow - looks like I'm totally hooked. I would really like some jojoba oil to put into that new 12 bar mold.

Have a lovely evening everyone.
Susiefreckleface

 

[Steve85569]

Welcome to the forum!
Since you've been lurking you already know that this place rocks soap of all kinds.

Good to have you on board.

 

[Saponomancer]

Welcome! Congrats on the soaping addiction XD

 

[BusyHands]

Congratulations!!! Soap It Up!

 

[cmzaha]

Welcome to the forum. If you have been lurking for a year you should know about what size molds people use, but I assume you know that mold is going to make more than 12 bars of soap. I do not know the depth but assuming it is 2 inches tall it is going to take somewhere around 100 oz of oil. That is a very large batch, and a 5.5" soap is hard to hold on to. Your mold does look nice but really to large for a beginner. You might want to consider making some dams for the mold to cut down the size. You will have a years supply of soap after a couple of batches

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome!

 

[crispysoap]

Hello and welcome

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and Welcome to the forum!

 

[Bamagirl]

Welcome!!! I also lurked for awhile before finally making my first batch. Even though I wanted to jump right in and get started, it really helped me to have to wait to get all my equipment. I feel like it gave me time to read through all the posts and get a better idea of what I was getting myself into.

P.S. I love your forum name!

 

[susiefreckleface]

Thank you all. Oops meant 18 bars. Eek they would be monster bars if cutting 12 bars. It was too late to edit my post. I was just so excited. My goal is to make my husband and his brother soap for a year supply, and see what comes next.

 

[cmzaha]

Thank you all. Oops meant 18 bars. Eek they would be monster bars if cutting 12 bars. It was too late to edit my post. I was just so excited. My goal is to make my husband and his brother soap for a year supply, and see what comes next.

Aside from the fact if a batch goes sideways it is a lot of wasted supplies. The other issue is the fact that soap is very addicting and making such large batches will run you right out of your home. When selling it is a different story but for personal use and give aways it is best to stay with 1-2 lb molds. The other factor is not knowing what is really a good bar of soap, I guarantee you will look back in a year and know your soap is better than the beginning soap. JMO.

 

[IrishLass]

Hello and welcome Suziefreckleface! :wave:


IrishLass

 

[susiefreckleface]

Best advice cmzaha. Thanks. I took a look earlier at my mold and want to make it smaller already. I am still only interested in a 1 inch pour. I am so newbie rookie and just used wood on hand. Easy enough to cut down to a 12 bar mold. Thanks again all.

Suz

 

[marlajune]

Be warned, it's addictive. You will see molds everywhere you look, patterns in everything you see. You will be obsessed with it. You will want to master every technique you see on YouTube. You will go to sleep thinking about soap and wake up thinking about soap. And I can guarantee you will have some soapy dreams as well! Welcome to the world of soaping!

 

[Steve85569]

I am not obsessed. I can quit any time I want to.



I just don't want to...

Apricot oil? Hmmm. I wonder what that'll do in a bar of soap.......

 

[jules92207]

Welcome Susiefreckleface! Can't wait to see all your great creations.

 

[TBandCW]

Get this - I bought Potassium Hydroxide instead of Sodium Hydroxide. So batch 4 is my lovely close to 30% superfatted liquid soap. It comes out really nice out of a foamer.

So I'm not the only who did that! I was so upset when I discovered my mistake ($130 mistake) and couldn't return it due to it being lye. Fortunately, I found a couple of liquid soapers to take it off my hands. Whew!

 

[kchaystack]

Get this - I bought Potassium Hydroxide instead of Sodium Hydroxide. So batch 4 is my lovely close to 30% superfatted liquid soap. It comes out really nice out of a foamer.

So I'm not the only who did that! I was so upset when I discovered my mistake ($130 mistake) and couldn't return it due to it being lye. Fortunately, I found a couple of liquid soapers to take it off my hands. Whew!

Oh no, you are far from the only one. I did the same thing and made 2 batches of soap before I realized the problem was not me! lol

But I had only bought 1 2lb container that I am still going thru.