Hi! I'm new here! Need some advice

[mightykg15]

Thanks a lot! That's really helpful!

 

[scotsman]

I'll be pretty much reiterating what everybody else has said.
1) Research. You can never do too much research. I read everything I could find on making soap for close to a year before I made my first batch of cp. There's always a new technique to learn or info on the behavior of particular EO's or FO's to be found. Which brings me to the next point...
2) Certain EO's and FO's will accelerate trace and/or cause discoloration...especially if they contain vanillin. Some of the companies that sell these products will list on their site how they behave in cp soap as well as if they are skin safe. If they don't, do a quick google search and see if you can find any behavioral info on that particular fragrance. Never use a fragrance oil or essential oil unless you are sure it is safe for the skin. Also, some essential oils can be skin irritants, photosensitizing, or not safe for women who are pregnant. Research the properties, potential hazards, and proper usage rates of any essential oils or fragrance oils you plan to use. Many floral oils tend to accelerate trace, as those of us who have attempted pure jasmine soaps have learned the hard way. If your particular fragrance is known to accelerate trace, work at lower temps or use more "soft oils" to slow down trace and give you more time to work. Also pay attention to to flash points of the fragrances you are using. When you gel soap it heats up considerably and can burn off some of the more delicate fragrances. For those ones with a low flash point you may want to consider inhibiting gel by placing your mold in the freezer after you pour the soap.
3) Become familiar with all the terminology. This ties back into number 1. There are a lot of new terms to learn as well as a plethora of abbreviations and shorthand that we soap makers use. Familiarize yourself with all of these and it will make things easier on you in the long run.
4) Invest in the proper equipment. Buy a good digital scale. This is not something to save money on. Analog scales are far too inaccurate. Get a digital scale with a cord that plugs into the wall if possible. Most of the ones that run on solely batteries will have an auto shut off after a specified amount of time. This can be a real pain if you have a recipe with quite a few oils and it turns off on you prematurely. I found this out the hard way. Buy a good stick blender. You can stir by hand but depending on your recipe it can literally take hours. A stick blender will make quick work of this. Invest in good molds or make them yourself. I've gone through the frustration of using crappy molds and now make my own wooden molds to my own exact specifications. Everybody has their preference as to type of mold and every type has it's pros and cons. Silicone is easy, produces nice clean sides, and doesnt require lining. Lining molds is the bane of many soap makers, myself included. Luckily my fiancée happily takes on that task for me. The downside to silicone is that it tends to stick to the soap for a bit longer and will often require more time before you can unmold it. This doesn't work for me as I am quite impatient. Wood and HDPE molds can usually be unmolded sooner but require lining. There are also column molds, usually made from PVC pipe. I personally don't like these as they have caused nothing but headaches for me but some love them and use them with great success.

 

[Ellacho]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

 

[scotsman]

Here's the rest of my long post, lol!
5)Become familiar with a lye calculator. I like soapcalc but there are other good ones as well. I can't stress this enough. Unless you love math and are a wiz at it, run all your recipes through a lye calculator. Also become familiar with all the carrier oils you will be using as well as the properties they impart to your finished soap.
6) As others have mentioned, place a great importance on safety. Lye is caustic and can cause grave injury if handled improperly. Also, an improperly made soap could harm the person using it. Never give or sell a soap to somebody without thoroughly testing it and fully curing it.
7) If you plan to sell your soap, do not do so until you have quite a few batches under your belt and are completely comfortable with the process. If you do venture into sales make sure you are abreast of all federal, state, and local laws. You may think that the authorities won't waste their time with a small time soap maker who is producing from their home but a quick google search will tell you otherwise. Invest in liability insurance. This will protect you from lawsuits in the event that one of your products harms somebody. Low cost liability insurance can be obtained from the Handcrafted Soap & Cosmetics Guikd as part of the membership and is a great idea if you plan to sell.
8) when you are first starting keep it simple until you are comfortable with the process. Use basic recipes that only incorporate a few oils and no color of fragrance. Once you are comfortable with the process start experimenting with colors and scents.
9) Learn to make your own equipment whenever possible. Molds, soap cutters, and soap stamps can be quite costly. Soap making can be a very expensive hobby so anywhere you can save money is a blessing. This obviously doesn't apply to your digital scale. Splurge on that. I make my own molds from wood and silicone and make my own soap stamps from casting resin. I am always wanting to try new things so this saves me a ton of money in the long run.
10) Welcome to the addiction. All this info may seem daunting, and I'm sure there are quite a few things I've neglected to point out, but soap making, in its essence, is incredibly fun. Of course you want to observe proper safety protocol but above all enjoy yourself. There's something incredibly gratifying about making soap from scratch in very much the same way that people have been doing for thousands of years. And you'll never again have to buy a bar of crappy chemical-laden "soap" from the store. Have fun and welcome.

 

[mightykg15]

Thanks for for your help guys! Sorry for the late reply... Thank you all so much

 

[dixiedragon]

For a lot of recipes with easy to find ingredients, check out www.millersoap.com. Her recipes are large, so you'll probably want to downsize them. 2 lbs is a good size.

 

[AutumnBreezeSoaps]

Just started soaping and Googling youtube videos on soaping was the biggest help me Beware, they are addicting and you may stay up all night a few nights watching them