Hello!

[Bubble&Squeak]

Hi all!

I'm new and SO excited about soap making. I'm going make my first batch of fairly plain cold-pressed soap (from this blog, here: http://down---to---earth.blogspot.com/2 ... mment-form), and I'm excited to learn about how to add colours (and what to add), as well as how to get the cool effects. I also want to make bath bombs etc., but I guess I had better take it slowly for now.

Excellent forum, by the way...a looking forward to hanging round and getting lots of tips from you all.

B&S

 

[Hazel]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

That's an interesting blog and she did a very nice job of writing out the instructions for CP. However, her lye amount is too high. It's going to make your soap lye heavy.

It's good advice to run all recipes through a soap calculator. I entered her recipe into the snowdrift calculator and it gave a lye amount of 212.97 g for a 6%. Even 0% SF comes out to 226.56 g.

Good luck with your first batch!

 

[soapbuddy]

Welcome!
Always, always run any recipe through a lye calculator. Online mistakes do happen.

 

[LuvOurNewf]

Welcome from one new soaper to another

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome Bubble&Squeak!

I agree with Hazel. I just typed that recipe into SoapCalc and can vouch that it will be mega monster lye heavy. Ouch! :shock: No matter where you get your recipes and no matter how legit they may seem- whether online or in books- always, always, always run the recipe through a lye calculator first. Your skin will thank you.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask! We want your first experience to be a success.

IrishLass

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

Thanks guys - that's really helpful!

I got my final ingredient, the lye, today. I only found one shop that sold it near where I live, and the only other one that I saw that sold it sold concentrated caustic soda, which I didn't think a good idea as I didn't know how concentrated it was.

For the recipe I mentioned, would you guys then then recommend using 212.97g of lye?

Also, if I want to make, say, half the amount of that recipe for my first batch (until I'm sure I've got it right), do I just halve all the ingredients? It's the percentage of lye by volume that counts, isn't it, so half the lye in ha;f the volume of soap liquid should be right, no?

I'm blown away by some of the bath bombs I've seen, too: where do you get a bath bomb mould from?

Also, I've got a stick blender I use cooking. I assume that it's necessary to have a separate one so that you don't get any cross-contamination? And metal is better than plastic, yes? (Will the lye eat plastic if I get a plastic one?)

So many questions...thanks for your patience! 8)

 

[Hazel]

I'm glad to hear you found some lye. I'd use 212 g or more probably slightly less because I generally use a 7% SF. If you want to half the recipe, I'd still run it through a calculator again just to make sure. :wink: It's a good idea to always double check calculations.

I've been using a plastic stickblender for about 20 months but the shaft is stainless steel. That's really all you have to be concerned about and you definitely want one just for soaping.

I use flexible or silicone molds for my bath bombs. But if you want the round molds, I'm sure you can search online for them and find a supplier. I don't know where you live so I'm not sure who to recommend although I do know BB carries a stainless steel one.

http://www.brambleberry.com/Stainless-S ... P4670.aspx

However, many people have said the round plastic shells from craft stores work just as well. They just get tacky and pitted over time from fragrance oils.

HTH

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

Thanks very much, Hazel...that's all sound advice.

As it happens, I live in the UK, so good as the Brambleberry site looks, I think the postage would be a bit expensive!

Do you just use small silicone moulds for your bath bombs as you might do for your soaps?

I've just had a look for inexpensive blenders. I've found this one: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... ENDERS.htm, and this one: http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/p ... ENDERS.htm. This first one appears to be quite heavy. I'm not likely to be using it so much each time, am I?

Thanks for your help - it's much appreciated!

 

[Hazel]

As it happens, I live in the UK,

I wondered if you were British when I saw your username. Isn't bubble and squeak a type of food?

Anyway, either SB will work. I don't use mine for very long. I blend for a few seconds, turn it off, use it to stir and keep doing this until I reach trace. My batches have a tendency to reach trace quickly and then zip past trace into setting up. :roll: It's annoying but I like my recipes so I'm not going to changing them. I tend to hand stir more than use the SB if I want to add colorants.

I used to use only small guest size plastic flexible molds for bath fizzies. Recently, I tried a larger sized cavity and they turned out nice according to my tester. :wink: I did have some problems getting them out of the mold because the cavities were so deep. Next time I plan to oil the mold before packing the fizzie mix in to it. Here's the link to the post about them.

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... ight=skull

I haven't used silicone molds for them because I'm afraid the silicone would flex too much and they'd crack coming out. I might be wrong about this concern. I should experiment with it and see if they do crack.

I've read that some people just use the round plastic ornament halves that you can find in craft stores for bombs.

 

[Bubble&Squeak]

As it happens, I live in the UK,

I wondered if you were British when I saw your username. Isn't bubble and squeak a type of food?

Yes it is! It's generally mashed potato and boiled cabbage mixed together, and it's not one I eat, but I thought the bubble bit was appropriate, and the squeak will probably be the noise I will make when I get to make my first batch! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_and_squeak

Anyway, either SB will work. I don't use mine for very long. I blend for a few seconds, turn it off, use it to stir and keep doing this until I reach trace. My batches have a tendency to reach trace quickly and then zip past trace into setting up. :roll: It's annoying but I like my recipes so I'm not going to changing them. I tend to hand stir more than use the SB if I want to add colorants.

And how you know I'm a complete beginner...what's setting up?

I used to use only small guest size plastic flexible molds for bath fizzies. Recently, I tried a larger sized cavity and they turned out nice according to my tester. :wink: I did have some problems getting them out of the mold because the cavities were so deep. Next time I plan to oil the mold before packing the fizzie mix in to it. Here's the link to the post about them.

http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewto ... ight=skull

I haven't used silicone molds for them because I'm afraid the silicone would flex too much and they'd crack coming out. I might be wrong about this concern. I should experiment with it and see if they do crack.

I've read that some people just use the round plastic ornament halves that you can find in craft stores for bombs.

The skulls look cool - well done. I feel that the silicone moulds would be easier to get them out in some respects, but I think it would have a lot to do with how wide and deep they are, as you say. I'll be up for giving it a go (when I get the soap making sorted!)

 

[Hazel]

Thanks for the link. It sounds good to me but generally there's not enough leftover mashed potatoes for more than one person. It is a cute name for a soaper.

Setting up isn't a technical term and it's probably an inaccurate way to describe it. Most of my batches tend to thicken and have the texture and appearance of pudding. So instead of being able to pour them into molds, I have to spoon them out of the bowl. They're very gloppy. Some of this is due to my recipes and some of it is because I'm very slow about getting batches into a mold.

BTW, "gloppy" is a technical term. :wink:

Thanks for the compliment on the skull bombs. I was pleased with how they turned out. My nieces were happy with them, too. I did them for my youngest niece because she always wants fizzy or bubbly stuff in her bath. She used one and loved how long it fizzed. I found out later her older sister took the other one and used it. This is the niece that says only babies take baths.

 

[BlueValkyrie]

I got my final ingredient, the lye, today. I only found one shop that sold it near where I live, and the only other one that I saw that sold it sold concentrated caustic soda, which I didn't think a good idea as I didn't know how concentrated it was.

Hi and welcome Bubble&Squeak

If it helps, I'm in Ireland, and I use Homebase own brand caustic soda (from the drain cleaning shelf) with no issues. I'm sure that B&Q etc probably stock it also. The more experienced soapers on here may correct me, but I wouldn't see a problem with 'concentrated' caustic soda - if it's not concentrated, I would take that to mean that it has been 'diluted' or mixed with something else, which makes it not pure and therefore less safe (for soaping at least). As far as I know, the ingredients should list only caustic soda (sodium hydroxide or NaOH).

I am open to correction on this however Or to be 100% sure, you could buy online here: https://www.soapkitchenonline.co.uk/acatalog/Sodium_and_Potassium_Hydroxides.html

You've definately come to the right place - this is a great community, and I learn a lot from them every day