Hi From New South Wales, Australia

[Callie]

Hi Everyone
I'm Callie. I am from the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
I started soaping late last year and have had a bit of a play with a few techniques with varying levels of success.
My biggest issues at the moment are finding supplies at the right price without loosing out on shipping (you guys in the US are so lucky on that front) and having people to talk to about my new obsession (I am hoping that you glorious people here will sort that out ).
I am starting work on natural translucent/transparent/colourless soaps from scratch. I hope to make stuff that appeals to little kids and teenagers that is good for sensitive skin. My poor little girl misses out because of bad allergies and I want to fix that. She just wants bright sparkly soap that smells nice but doesnt make her itch. I can do it with purchased bases, but would much rather do it from scratch.
I look forward to getting to know you all....
Callie

 

[shunt2011]

Hello and Welcome!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Callie!

IrishLass

 

[Meena]

Hi Callie! Nice to have you here. You'll have lots of people to talk about your obsession, no doubt.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Hi Callie - there are a few Aussies on this site that will be able to help you out with suppliers no doubt. However bad it is for you there - it's even more difficult in NZ

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

Howdy!!!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

 

[Hendejm]

Welcome to the nut farm! You’ll fit in quite nicely with the rest of us nuts!

 

[SaltedFig]

Hiya Callie

 

[penelopejane]

Hi neighbour. I’m a few hours south of you.
I don’t like melt and pour soap (too many additives for me) but you could try:
New Directions
Aussie soap supplies (they sell brambleberry stuff so check their site for more info on the products they sell)
Heirloom bodycare

 

[newlife]

Callie, check out Modern Soap making. They have links to Aussie suppliers

 

[Callie]

Hi neighbour. I’m a few hours south of you.
I don’t like melt and pour soap (too many additives for me) but you could try:
New Directions
Aussie soap supplies (they sell brambleberry stuff so check their site for more info on the products they sell)
Heirloom bodycare

Hi Penelopejane
That is exactly my gripe. Most of the MP bases are all full of rubbish. I make from scratch generally, but the transparent soaps are something a bit different for loofah and honey kind of soaps and the clear are cool for kids soaps.
I have ordered from Aussie Soap Supplies. I think I will try the SFIC ultraclear base. They are expensive and I am frustratingly tight, but I will just have to suck it up lol.

 

[penelopejane]

Hi Penelopejane
That is exactly my gripe. Most of the MP bases are all full of rubbish. I make from scratch generally, but the transparent soaps are something a bit different for loofah and honey kind of soaps and the clear are cool for kids soaps.
I have ordered from Aussie Soap Supplies. I think I will try the SFIC ultraclear base. They are expensive and I am frustratingly tight, but I will just have to suck it up lol.

I don't want to inundate you with MY negativity in your first foray into making soap but I feel I should say that I try and use as natural as possible products on my skin. I don't think that the M&P bases fulfil that desire for me. To make transparent soap from scratch you need an alcohol and some chemicals. See the following post and follow the links in the replies:

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/transparent-soap.67415/

Aussie Soap bases are expensive because their products are imported it does not mean that they are "good".
Aussie soap does not list all the ingredients in their soap bases but they come from Brambleberry:

https://www.brambleberry.com/SFIC-Premium-Bulk-Base-Clear-FLAT-RATE-P5142.aspx

Brambleberry says:
Note: The ingredients on this list, provided to us by the manufacturer, have not been independently verified. The manufacturer uses a small number of processing aids during saponification that are proprietary, do not appear on the list, and are not disclosed

This may not be important to you.

M&P soap also sweats. So you will have to cover it in some plastic wrap to ensure it doesn't sweat after you make it.

 

[Jan Kates]

Hi Callie,
Newbie here also, from Carwoola NSW, near Bungendore. I have been buying from Aussie Soap Supplies on line. Only because I didn't know of anywhere else so I have nothing to compare prices to.

 

[Callie]

Thanks for that ☺
I am very familiar with sweating! A great reason not to use melt and pour at all. I have been using my vacuum sealer to bag up my soaps!
I generally prefer natural (or as close as possible) as well, but am happy to use modern techniques and chemicals where they improve the function of a product. I have a lot of sensitivities, as do my children, so I am very ingredient conscious.
I have been to the Stephenson and SFIC websites and examined their ingredient lists and MDS. There are only a handful of Stephenson bases that I would use as a lit of them contain SLS and SLES. SFIC dont have these chemicals in any of their bases. Both companies list (and I would think all MP bases, whether it is listed or not) Propylene Glycol (vegetable sourced) as an ingredient, but I dont have a problem with that.
It would just be nice if there were reasonably price Aussie produced bases with a friendly ingredient list. So far any I have found are priced the same as the imported brands.

Hi Callie,
Newbie here also, from Carwoola NSW, near Bungendore. I have been buying from Aussie Soap Supplies on line. Only because I didn't know of anywhere else so I have nothing to compare prices to.

Hi Jan
There are quite a few suppliers, it just depends on what you are after in what quantities and how price conscious you are. I am continually on the search for a 'one stop shop' to save on postage !
Have a look here for some possible suppliers
https://www.lovinsoap.com/soap-making-supplies-australia/

 

[KimT2au]

Hi Callie, good to have you here. As well as Range Products and Aussie Soap Supplies (both of which are in Perth so I can drive to), I use Southern Skies Soap Supplies and Heirloom. If you want more Australian soaping friends there is also Australian Soapmakers on FaceBook.

 

[Callie]

Hi Callie, good to have you here. As well as Range Products and Aussie Soap Supplies (both of which are in Perth so I can drive to), I use Southern Skies Soap Supplies and Heirloom. If you want more Australian soaping friends there is also Australian Soapmakers on FaceBook.

Thanks Kim, I'll look into that. A bit of Australia-specific info would be great

 

[penelopejane]

Hi Jan
There are quite a few suppliers, it just depends on what you are after in what quantities and how price conscious you are. I am continually on the search for a 'one stop shop' to save on postage !
Have a look here for some possible suppliers
https://www.lovinsoap.com/soap-making-supplies-australia/

Unfortunately you aren't going to get a one stop shop for soap supplies.

What products are you looking for?

For FOs try Eroma.com.au
For EOs try escentialsofaustralia.com

 

[Callie]

Unfortunately you aren't going to get a one stop shop for soap supplies.

What products are you looking for?

For FOs try Eroma.com.au
For EOs try escentialsofaustralia.com

I am about to order some small sized from Eroma to try. I dropped by their shopfront/ warehouse last week while I was in Sydney. They are half the price of the Brambleberry FOs for Aussie Soap Supplies, so I thought they are definitely worth a try. I am wary of FO suppliers because they are basically chemicals and can be really dodgy. The Fragrance Shed had a nice range too, but they are as expensive as the Brambleberry ones (they are imported from the US too). It is hard to know if you are paying for better quality or for the import.
I had also been browsing the Escentials site for EOs. They have a great range, but I was nervous about quality. They have pretty good prices on just about everything. What is your experience with them?
I got some lovely micas from BathBomb world before Christmas. They were well priced and had sample pictures of use in CP too!