Low cost soap?

[GreenBeanBoutique]

Someone mentioned in my 'intro thread' that there are quite a few recipes that use low cost ingredients. I'd love to learn more about these!

A friend just gave me soap and the recipe that goes along with it, I found it to be a little drying but I'm not sure how to fix that. Here's the recipe:

3 drops Vit E oil
9 ounces Castor oil
24 ounces olive oil
20 ounces coconut oil
34 ounces lard
11-1/2 ounces lye
22 ounces cold water

~~~
I remember from doing research before that coconut oil is drying but it makes good bubbles.

Any suggestions?

I'll stick with essential oils (I know those cost a little more). I'll have maybe $40 to spend on ingredients at first. Is there a 'poor man's' mold that I can use until I can save up for one of the famous tog molds?

Is there a natural vanilla EO that doesn't cost a fortune? I love citrus-vanilla, but I've only been able to find synthetic vanilla.

Thanks in advance,

Cara

 

[Mickie]

Hi Cara, if you go to Kathy Millers website there are a couple recipes that are super easy and you can get almost every ingredient right from your grocery store.. If I remember correctly there is a oatmeal, milk and honey recipe that fits into a hard plastic tray that you can buy from Walmart.. When I first started soaping I tried some of these recipes and there are REALLY NICE. Especially if you are a beginner and watching your costs! I urge anyone to read this website!! http://www.millersoap.com/ ..... You will be so pleased and shocked with all of the information there- tons of links, recipes etc.. Hope this helps!

Mickie

 

[GreenBeanBoutique]

Thanks! I read that whole website a couple years ago, but I had forgotten about it

 

[Guest]

Yes if you go to Millers soap, or Soapnuts.com

They should have some three oil recipes

 

[Mickie]

PS.. The cheapest and quickest mold you can get is PVC pipe. You have to be creative and make an end out of some sort of other durable plastic. I had cut a perfect circle to fit out of a sturdy plastic dish (rubbermaid) and then taped really well with duct tape.. When I use to make large recipes with PVC
I had my brother cut them down the sides(then duct taped together really well). If using a small batch then just line the inside with wax paper. Then the next day I would push out, sometimes I would need to set in freezer. PVC makes a really nice round bar, and it comes in 3 inch width..

Mickie

 

[Zenobiah]

Pringle's cans are pretty and don't need liners. Soy milk cartons are good too.

 

[Lane]

Pringle's cans are pretty and don't need liners. Soy milk cartons are good too.

I NEVER thought of soy milk cartons!! I just finished off my vanilla soy milk today!! Would regular milk cartons work as well? I notice the soy ones have more of a shine to them...

 

[Mickie]

Woops-- if we are talking about CP you can`t use cardboard type, or metals... If we are talking about MP, then I would not know! :wink:

Mickie

 

[Zenobiah]

Woops-- if we are talking about CP you can`t use cardboard type, or metals... If we are talking about MP, then I would not know! :wink:

Mickie

Actually you can use them for CP. Tetrapak containers are aluminum but covered with plastic so it works. They may not last for more than a batch or two but they do work great.

 

[GreenBeanBoutique]

I have an empty Pringles can on my desk

For the PVC, couldn't you just use a cap on the end? I think I was overly fixated on square bars, but round seems to be the way to go until I can get a mold.

Thanks!

 

[Mickie]

Zeno - what are Tetrapak containers?

Mickie

 

[Zenobiah]

Tetrapak are those cardboard containers for soy milk and juice etc. When you look inside then you see aluminum (covered with plastic). This cardboard/aluminum/plastic combo is called Tetrapak.

I prefer regular soap molds though, as Tetrapak containers are hard to recycle and don't last very long. But when in need...

 

[Woodi]

When I give soapmaking classes, the students pour their take-home soap into milk carton molds. They can peel off the carton next day and slice it as they wish. Here's a pic of a soap made in a 1-litre container:

On the left is my regular size bar, which I make in a log mold. The other two are oatmeal soaps made in the milk carton. You can see that the bottom one has the interesting 'bottom of the carton' lines in it. I keep the bottom slices for home use.

I like that the container bulges a little with the soap inside, so it makes the bars a tad rounder than square.

 

[GreenBeanBoutique]

Looks good! We use rice milk, so we have those cartons pretty often too. Thanks!

 

[NameThatCandy]

When I give soapmaking classes, the students pour their take-home soap into milk carton molds. They can peel off the carton next day and slice it as they wish

The soaps look cute, I like the round corner too. So the carton is one-time use, right? I do CPOP, can I put milk carton in the oven?

thx

 

[GreenBeanBoutique]

I've been plugging percentages into the two calculators I've seen posted on here, and I'm coming up with a really low cleansing and sudsing number for my 'low cost soaps'

The oils I was wanting to work with were coconut, olive, castor, and maybe palm if I can find it as 'shortening', and then also lard.

Also, is there a particular reason why I don't see many recipes for soap made with lard?

ETA Does anyone know what temp (?) the coconut oil is that is at Walmart? I was thinking maybe the lower one, it seems to melt at a somewhat low temp.

 

[ewenique]

I think the Walmart coconut oil is the 76 temp.
For CPOP, you could probably use milk cartons if you only turned the oven light on instead of warming the oven to 170. I just made a CPOP batch this way using heavy plastic food containers for molds. I left the oven light on for 7 hours, then turned it off and left the mold in the oven for several more hours before taking them out of the oven. I plan to try a milk carton mold soon.

 

[IanT]

Also, is there a particular reason why I don't see many recipes for soap made with lard?

ETA Does anyone know what temp (?) the coconut oil is that is at Walmart? I was thinking maybe the lower one, it seems to melt at a somewhat low temp.

I would say you dont see so many lard recipes because IMO the trend in the industry right now is towards sustainable vegetable-derived products....

and yes the CO at walmart is 76 degree...last time i checked here in FL it was $5.88 per canister.