Hope to be a new soaper next week!

[lenarenee]

Hi everyone!

I have some final supplies soon to arrive from Amazon, I've been reading and reading, YouTubing, etc. When I get my first few recipes finalized, I'll start making soap next week.

But first, I'd like to hear from you....sort of a test to make sure I'm prepared. What are the most common problems people have with their first batches?

Here's my plan: First, I hope to make very small batches....like 1 pound batches. I do know that I need to run ALL recipes through soapcalc first (stilling trying to get it figured out). I want to make a really cheap "don't really care much if I screw it up" batch, with lard or Crisco, just to get the feel of things. If that goes well, I want to do a combined oil batch....like lard and CO? If that goes well, I want to make a Castile...I just love the idea of a pure soap.

Oh! And here's one thing I find conflicting information on: if you get lye on your skin....do you rinse with water first, then vinegar, or vinegar first?

Also, to gel or not to gel? (forgot to mention I plan on doing CP)

If there's another sage tips you'd like to share, I'd appreciate it as I hope to make successful first batches!

Thanks!

 

[Obsidian]

I don't know about other people but with my first few batches my main problem was simply learning to be patient, to leave the soap alone and wait to see what is was going to do. I kept poking at it, unmolded too soon and cut too soon. I was also prone to panic if something wasn't perfect as soon as I cut and I would immediately rebatch, wasted a couple batches when I should have just let them be.

Keep notes on everything, it can help you pin point any issues that might come up. Take your time and make sure you weigh everything right and that you get all your oils and additives ready before you start mixing everything. Last thing you want to do is stop in the middle of blending to weight out scent or mix up colorant.

I would go with 100% lard for you first batch. Its cheap and makes a great bar of soap, you might want to use scent though as lard can have a somewhat piggy smell. Lard does take a bit longer to trace so I usually mix it up quite warm, around 125* F so it will trace faster. Don't burn up your stick blender by running it constantly. Run it for 20 seconds or so then pulse for a bit or just stir it by hand, then run it more.

Leave the superfat number on soapcalc alone for now, if you have really dry skin you can increase it to 8% but don't lower it. Same with the water %, leave it on the default setting for now.

I wouldn't worry about trying to gel or prevent it. Once you pour your batter, just leave it to sit wherever its safe. You might get partial gel but thats better then risking overheating. There really is no reason to try and prevent gel with a lard soap unless you really, really hate the look of partial gel.

Lye produces fumes when mixed with water, if you have a exhaust fan i the kitchen, use it. Always add lye to water, never ever dump water into lye. If you get lye on your skin, rinse it with cold water then use vinegar. If you have problems with static on your lye bottle, you can wipe the jar opening with a dryer sheet. I use a plastic measuring cup to scoop my lye, a quick wipe keeps the static away.
Don't use wood utensils to stir your lye, they will get eaten away after just a couple uses. So will disposable plastic spoons. Never use aluminum anything for soap making, stainless steel is safe though.

Have fun and welcome to the addiction

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My first batch (I say that like it was a long time ago, but it really wasn't!) was a mix of Olive Oil, CO and Palm. Having just used lard, I would actually suggest not making a 100% lard bar first of all. A cheap blend might well be an easier mix for the first time rather than pure lard. I think that lard does make a nice soap (looking forward to testing mine) so please don't misunderstand me. Maybe OO, Crisco and CO would be good and not really breaking the bank.

Adding to what Obi said -

Think about what you will mix your batter in - if making a 1lb batch, make sure the shape of the container you mix in is such that the batter is deep enough for your stick blender to really work in. I used a crockpot for the first time with a 1.1kg batch and it was only just deep enough to use the stick blender safely - you do not want to splash raw soap all over the place!

Cleaning up after CP, things can be fairly oily. Some people leave anything with soap batter over night and so it is then soap - making it much easier to clean. I just take everything and put some washing up liquid inside, no water at all, and smear it all over with the washing up cloth. Then I add water and wash it, which really helps take all the oils away.

Think about what you will use as a mold and look at the thread for working out how much soap will fill it.

Pick a time to start when you have a lot of time so you have no worries at all on that front. You don't want to be stressing about getting it traced so that you can clear up for guests - not until you are more secure with the whole process.

I won't say don't use scents or colourants - as if your soap is not overly appealing, it might make you think twice about making more! So make a nice soap. But do have a look at the information on which EOs or FOs can cause issues during the process and stick to more simple ones.

Will echo the tip on getting everything measured out. I normally measure my oils and get them warming, then measure the water, lye and mix it up - then let that cool out a little and then all is ready.

And finally, remember that this is your first batch and LEARN from it. I had a partial gel, didn't use an ideal ratio of scents and so on. But I did it and now I know about it. People still love the soap, as do I - but it won't be my best ever and I didn't want or expect it to be.

 

[Saponista]

I work in a scientific laboratory using and the standard way of removing lye from affected areas of skin, as with many other chemicals is to wash copiously with water. I imagine adding acid to the lye would produce a more violent reaction and perhaps make any skin damage worse.

 

[roseb]

Remember...KISS when making your first batch. Like TEG said I would make a very simple OO, CO, Palm soap, so you don't even have to use scents. It's cheap and makes a nice bar with a nice soap smell. Good luck and let us know how it went.

 

[seven]

I want to make a really cheap "don't really care much if I screw it up" batch, with lard or Crisco, just to get the feel of things. If that goes well, I want to do a combined oil batch....like lard and CO? If that goes well, I want to make a Castile...I just love the idea of a pure soap.

you can make castile, or 100% crisco. it's simple, less chance to go wrong.

Oh! And here's one thing I find conflicting information on: if you get lye on your skin....do you rinse with water first, then vinegar, or vinegar first?

water. and only water for me. put your affected area under running water for a few minutes.

Also, to gel or not to gel? (forgot to mention I plan on doing CP)

that's purely up to you.

If there's another sage tips you'd like to share, I'd appreciate it as I hope to make successful first batches!

be patient, and learn gradually. my biggest mistake when i 1st started was trying to do all things at once. i forgot that i was a beginner, and was trying to do things that were meant for intermediate soapers. it cost me a few failed batches to realized that this wasn't the way to go.

judging from your post, i think you're on the right track. starting from single oil, then moving on to three oils, and so on.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Again, I have to say that a single oil can often be more complicated than 3 cheap oils in a basic mix! Once the oils are measured and melted together (not at all a complicated step) it is then no more complicated to work with and, in many cases, is easier to work with.

Plus, with the length of time a Castile needs to cure to be a decent bar, is that a good starting point? Waiting 4 or even 2 weeks is hard enough - and as some people say that a Castile is not usable until 3 months have gone by (and some won't touch a Castile that is less than 6 months old) it might not be the idea test batch.

Not being contrary for the sake of it, but just don't subscribe to the idea that a basic OO, CO and Crisco mix is really more complicated that just 1 oil, as this basic mix is easy to work with and yields a decent soap after a wee cure which would be helpful for a beginner - it certainly was for me!

 

[neeners]

lots of great advice!

for me, i'm still somewhat of a newbie soaper, but my suggestion is - mis en place! have EVERYTHING ready and by your side. you don't want to be in the middle of something and go "oh crap, I forgot this or that" and have to run around and get it. have everything ready and in its place so it's no stress.

good luck, have fun, and most importantly, be safe!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I will also add, as I don't want people to get the wrong idea of me, is that this thread in itself shows something important about soaping:

There are often right and wrong answers in soaping. However, there are many cases where there are many right answers! Often it comes down to opinion and what certain people have experienced, but many things could well work out fine.

 

[new12soap]

I usually tell folks to make larger batches, 2lbs of oils is good. A one pound batch would most likely be fine, but there is less margin for measurement errors. 2lbs gives you a bit more of a cushion without wasting a lot of supplies if it goes wrong.

A single oil soap is fine, or a blend. I think you will be happier with a very simple soap made of, say, crisco or lard, coconut oil, and olive oil, and all of those ingredients can be found pretty easily in most grocery stores.

If you get lye on your skin (or anywhere else) rinse rinse rinse with COLD water. But an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, handle lye carefully, pour slowly. Wear long sleeves, gloves, and eye protection. Never mix lye in glass, it can etch and explode. Use HDPE plastic. One thing about working with lye that surprised me is that the solution is very very slippery. Be aware of that, if it drips down the outside of the container you will have a harder time holding on to it!

As for gelling I would say go ahead and gel, preventing gel can be tricky and then you end up with partial gel and a lot of people don't like that even tho it is just cosmetic.

 

[cmzaha]

100% lard is not hard to work with and makes a reasonably nice bar of soap. Adding in 10-15% coconut oil would give you a bar that lathers better. If you make an all lard soap you can grind it up at a later date and use for laundry soap, so you do not have to waste the soap if you find you do not like it. Usually ground lard soap is mixed with borateem and washing soda for laundry soap. Good luck with your soap. My very first bar of soap was 75% lard, 20 coconut oil, 5% castor and I still have one bar left that is 6 yrs old.

 

[LazyUmbrella]

good advice all around - as for me, who just started soaping myself, all I can do is repeat what everyone else said above. Can I add anything, maybe, but whether it's good advice or not, is questionable!
- While water is good for spills on you (which I hope never happen), keep a large container of vinegar handy in case you need to clean up lye spills on the floor, table, etc.
- The rule "never give acid a bath" can probably be applied here (even though lye isn't an acid) --> measure the water, then add the lye
- Eye protection and body protection as was mentioned above. Also watch out for those fumes when mixing lye and water!
- Personally, I wait a few days before cleaning my pots, just to allow additional saponification to take place
- Don't mix your cooking "equipment" with your soaping equipment - use separate containers, spoons, mixers
- If you have anything battery operated - keep spare batteries! There's nothing more annoying than having your electronic scale conk out on you while you're measuring oils!
- Experiment, experiment, experiment!
- Have fun! The first batch is always the toughest because you then need to wait a few weeks before you can use it, but before you know it, you're basement will be full of soap!

 

[lenarenee]

Wow, I'm so glad I posted this question because each of you taught me something I hadn't read before!

But TEG, I had to laugh at your comment about the Castile soap; my thinking was the opposite of yours...since Castile has to cure for so long, I figured that should be the first one to make! The sooner I start that year-long cure, the sooner it will be over!

Thank you all for being so helpful.

 

[neeners]

But TEG, I had to laugh at your comment about the Castile soap; my thinking was the opposite of yours...since Castile has to cure for so long, I figured that should be the first one to make! The sooner I start that year-long cure, the sooner it will be over!
QUOTE]

yes, but that means you'll have to WAIT all that time to be able to use your first soap ever!!

 

[Susie]

My first soap was 100% Lard. It was very piggy smelling. I would definitely look into either adding some essential oil(NOT citrus or fragrance oils) to cut that piggy smell, or using other oils.

My second batch was coconut, lard and olive oil. It did not smell as bad.

I rebatched both of those and added some lemongrass EO. I just handed the last bar of that to someone. It was lovely. Silky suds. Super yummy.

Even if your first batch does not turn out perfect, you can always rebatch. So, stop worrying. You have all your ducks in a row as far as I can tell. Just go for it!(then post pics for us )

 

[lenarenee]

Neeners,

You would think that would bother me, but doesn't.

Call me weird, but I don't mind waiting for the Castile to be ready; I'm excited to make this 100% pure Castile soap, and if waiting for the long cure is part of it's authenticity, then so be it! I see Castile and Aleppo as
fundamental soaps....part of soap history.

I've decided to start making soap for a couple of reasons, 1) I now live in
S. California and for the first time in my middle aged life, I have horrible dry skin. I've been jumping from soap to soap (store bought) and lotion to lotion, but nothing helps. There's also a few mysterious soap ingredients that I'm allergic to (Dawn dishwashing soap is the worst for me....all I have to do is look at it and I break out in blisters!
!!!). 2) I wanted to make soap decades ago but was scared off by so many people talking about blowing up the kitchen with lye! :wtf:

I bought some soap from Etsy sellers, so for now, I'm good. And after learning that there are a million different recipe combinations that give a million different soap results....I'm dying to see it for myself!

So, the more soap I have to make, the better! I'll be doing very small batches just for experiment's sake. Actually using it the soap, is secondary to me at the moment.

(However, I reserve the right to change my mind after I actually make a successful batch of good soap!)

 

[Susie]

Trust me when I tell you that using your soap is going to become a high priority when you get closer to being able to use it. You won't be able to resist.

I, too, started making soap to get away from the strange ingredients of commercial products, and hopefully get rid of the eczema. My soap did both of those beautifully. Now I am addicted. That is both the good and bad news, LOL!

 

[Lin]

I recommend using straight vegetable oils/butters instead of lotion. You can use them straight or mix them, I started straight individual oils and now make whipped body butters. I started with this and homemade soap for severe eczema too. I did an experiment with coconut oil on one leg and expensive dermatologist recommended cream on the other. After the first application, cream leg felt better and I was disappointed. A week later, coconut leg felt like it didn't need moisturized before I put anything on while cream leg felt dry. That was the end of commercial creams and lotions for me!

I feel like I've said this 100 times lately haha. But I started out when I became allergic to my hypoallergenic wash and cream, my limbs covered in rash and slathering steroid ointment on twice a day. Now I use the steroid maybe once a month. I don't shower more than every other day though, and most showers I actually only use soap on my underarms and privates. Though since my skin has repaired I could probably go more often now, and actually I DO in the summer if I'm sweaty and gross. But the point is water alone is very cleansing and when your skin is in bad shape you don't want to be stripping the acid mantle.

 

[SoapMakingTommy]

lol you guys are funny, yea im still a pretty new soaper, but im guessing a lot of the soap recipe's online are pretty accurate, The trouble for me was getting one. Most of the ones available are with multiple oils.
I made 100% natural castile soap with oat bran the first time 2-3 years later the soaps look good as new, i still have a couple bars left after giving a bunch out and selling a few. I made it with no essential oils and the soap would be nice and hard a day or two after ready to slice, and cure for a few months.

Depends on you your budget and how determined you are to actually making soap.

Good luck I know you can do it and i know your bars will be great.

 

[neeners]

Neeners,

You would think that would bother me, but doesn't.

Call me weird, but I don't mind waiting for the Castile to be ready; I'm excited to make this 100% pure Castile soap, and if waiting for the long cure is part of it's authenticity, then so be it! I see Castile and Aleppo as
fundamental soaps....part of soap history.

let's see how it goes when you actually make your first batch. it's almost like baking a batch of cookies that you cant' eat for 6 months........ lol. I can barely wait a week to give my soaps a test drive.....