newbie - help plss

[Vidasworld12]

Hi guys,

Im new at the soap making world, and extremely nervous, mainly cause I dont want to mess up so bad that I would have to throw away a batch. Ive watched soap queen,other youtube soapers, read lots of websites, started out my soap diary, have researched quite abit, BUT we all know theres always something more to learn. I think I have everything I need, Im in canada so the oils and materials are way more expensive here than in the states. If I was to order online the shipping costs would be the pain. Im trying out my very first recipe of soap queen ( im very open to trying out a simpler/ cheaper recipe IF anyone would like to share )I have coconut oil, olive oil, I found my lye at the home hardware store ( which was AWESOME ) cause its expensive online! have vanilla EO.. have most of the equipment already BUT I could only find red palm oil ?? Is this the same as the white palm oil im always seeing? I honestly cant find that white one anywhere in town. I also dont have a mold BUT I did find a perfect sized cardboard box ( had business card in it ) , could I use this as a mold if I was to line it with a huge freezer/ zip lock bag?? all the molds I can get a hold of are about $30 ( silicon online after shipping ) ive found a few at the thrift store but they are huge and rusty looking- I read you cant use aluminum or non stick ones ( cause they will react ),could I line these with something maybe, so I can use them?? so all I can find are the metal ones , the one I do happen to have at home is big, and I believe that the recipe im doing is not that big ( by the way does anyone know how much soap in lbs - that soap queen recipe makes?? I couldnt find the answer to this ) sooo can I use the box I have if I line it with a bag??? my kids keep asking me when im gona make the soap and I keep telling them later lol... I know there are going to be flops no matter what, I just want a useable bar atleast- the oils / fragrances are pricy. Im also nervous about using the stick blender , I have one and ive used it a few times and its so powerful, I dont want soap batter all over the place. Even with minimal pulsing it feels strong, I dont want to churn the soap...any advise, replies are greatly appreciated !!:bunny:

 

[Susie]

Hey and welcome!

If you have a dollar store close by, you can find drawer dividers/organizers that make perfect molds. I can't find my old one to take a pic. Sorry about that!

ETA: Silly me, I was using one for my binder clips and Super Secret Fragrance Formulas notebook. See below. It does not require lining and holds 1 L of oil (32 oz) sized recipes that yield 3 lbs of soap.

You can also use any appropriately sized cardboard box lined with a trash bag or a ziploc bag.

The stick blender should only be used if the batch size is large enough, or in a deep enough container that it completely immerses the bell while in use.

Do not use metal anything for a mold. Chances are it is not stainless steel. Stick to plastic, or cardboard lined with plastic if you can't find or buy silicon. (a pizza box is an excellent mold if lined with freezer paper).

I do not know what the recipe for Soap Queen is. I also do not know the size. But if you are not opposed to animal fats, I have an awesome recipe that you can size up or down in a lye calculator to fit your mold. If you have not used a lye calculator before, I suggest you use soapee.com.

Lard 65%
Olive Oil 15%
Coconut Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5% (In the pharmacy area by the laxatives. Yes, that castor oil.)
Superfat 5%

You can figure out the amount of oils to use by measuring L x W x H x 0.7 if using grams. (BTW mods, the thread is full of links that no longer work.)

Where did you buy your vanilla EO from? Because if it was not from a reliable soaping supplier, I would not trust it in soap. Even if it was purchased a local craft store, it is probably intended for melt and pour soap, and will not do well in cold processed soap.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Vidaworld! :wave:

Im trying out my very first recipe of soap queen ( im very open to trying out a simpler/ cheaper recipe IF anyone would like to share )

Do you have a link to the specific SoapQueen recipe? She has a few different ones.

I have coconut oil, olive oil, I found my lye at the home hardware store ( which was AWESOME ) cause its expensive online! have vanilla EO..

Just make sure your lye is 100% sodium hydroxide (i.e., not mixed with other chemicals for cleaning drains)....Also, are you sure your vanilla scent is labeled as an EO instead of an FO? I ask because there is no such thing as vanilla essential oil, and you may have been duped by whoever sold it to you (see this SoapQueen article here which explains the non-existence of vanilla EO.

I have most of the equipment already BUT I could only find red palm oil ?? Is this the same as the white palm oil im always seeing?

From what I understand the red kind is unrefined, while the white kind is refined. I've never used the red kind myself, but it has the same SAP# as white palm and can be used interchangeably with it from what I've read by those who have used it. See these 2 threads here on using red palm oil:

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=62116

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=38793

I also dont have a mold BUT I did find a perfect sized cardboard box ( had business card in it ) , could I use this as a mold if I was to line it with a huge freezer/ zip lock bag??

Yes- you certainly can! Lots of folks on the forum have used cardboard boxes lined with plastic garbage bags for molds/liners at one time or another (some still do).

ive found a few at the thrift store but they are huge and rusty looking-I read you cant use aluminum or non stick ones ( cause they will react ),could I line these with something maybe, so I can use them??

I wouldn't let my soap touch them with a 10-foot pole, especially if they are rusty, but that's just me. Although you might possibly be able to use them safely if lined very carefully and extremely well, I would be afraid of tearing the liner when trying to remove the soap from it, because it can be quite difficult to remove soap from molds that are fixed/unyielding such as metal molds or wood molds.... unless they are the collapsible kind or have removable silicone liners, that is. If your makeshift liner somehow got torn and your soap came into contact with the metal or the rusty parts for long enough, it may cause DOS to develop in your soap.

I believe that the recipe im doing is not that big ( by the way does anyone know how much soap in lbs - that soap queen recipe makes?? I couldnt find the answer to this ) sooo can I use the box I have if I line it with a bag???

Two things we'll need to know: 1) We'll need a link to the specific recipe in question, and 2) What are the L X W X H dimensions of your cardboard box?

Im also nervous about using the stick blender , I have one and ive used it a few times and its so powerful, I dont want soap batter all over the place. Even with minimal pulsing it feels strong, I dont want to churn the soap...any advise, replies are greatly appreciated !!:bunny:

A stick-blender is actually not 100% necessary (although it helps tremendously). You can use a whisk or a slotted spoon to stir if you desire and/or have the time.

When using a stick-blender, immerse it all the way to the bottom of your soaping pot before turning it on, and don't lift it too far from the bottom while it's on. It's best to just move it around on the bottom of the pot. Also- don't keep in turned on the whole time. Use it in intermittent short bursts, with much stirring in between each burst.


IrishLass

 

[IrishLass]

(BTW mods, the thread is full of links that no longer work.)

Which thread?


IrishLass

[Edited to add- disregard. Found it and deleted all non-functioning links]

 

[SunRiseArts]

I have started making soaps with lard and coconut oil, that should bring down your cost. And I have bought almost all my molds on eBay, directly from china, and they are super cheap with free shipping. I cannot wait for the day they are made in the USA, when they do I would not mind paying a little more, but everything is made in China anyway ...

I normally only do 1 pound batches. is good for experimenting, and if you mess up, is not as bad as if you made a large batch. When I first started, all my batches came out perfect, and then I started experimenting, and have had lots of mishaps.

I do have a large mold. But only used it once. Maybe in the future I will.
I will post the links in case you are interested. The only thing is that you have to be patient on delivery, it takes a month to get them.
This is for one pound.

This is for a large batch. or cheaper without the wood box.

 

[WeaversPort]

Hi and welcome! I'm pretty new too, so you have lots of company!

I got most of my equipment (except for the stick blender) at Dollar Tree. I don't know if they have something like that up there, but that's how I equipped myself - silicone spatulas, a Tupperware (with a #5 recycling number on the bottom) for a mold, and several plastic (NOT GLASS) measuring cups. I got multiple paint buckets (1 litres, 5 litres) plus my goggles, and shop rags for cleaning up and washing when I drip all from the hardware store. The only thing I would have done differently is gotten a kitchen scale that measures in tenths of a gram.

I haven't made any batches of soap larger than 1lb/500 grams, because if I do mess up (and I have...) it isn't as much oils to have made a bad batch. In a way it's kind of like cooking.. There is always going to be that one cake that burns on the bottom, or just isn't as good as you hoped it would be from the recipe you read.

Um, other than that there are lots of people who have helped me troubleshoot when something goes sideways, and from what I've picked up rebatching can help save most bad batches - it just won't be as pretty as it would have been the first time.

I hope this helps!

 

[toxikon]

You should be able to find a lot of the things you need in Walmart, especially your oils. If you can find lard/tallow/palm oil, olive oil, coconut oil and castor oil you can make a great soap. I get my lye at Home Hardware. And as others mentioned, Dollarama is the place to go for molds, gloves, spatulas and whisks.

 

[Steve85569]

You can use lots of things for a mold if you line it with freezer paper. Just make sure that the soap batter will not be able to leak out.

If you lye is from Ace it should be the 2 pound white bottle of dry " drain opener" and say 100% lye on it. ( I bribe the guy at our local Ace with soap) link is here
https://www.idealtruevalue.com/stor...feed=Froogle&gclid=CMzmi8iFkdMCFc-4wAodSMIFMg

ALWAYS wear protective gear when soaping. Lye does not care what it eats. It does prefer things with an acidic PH and we are that. Lye will burn you. Gloves and goggles at the least.

 

[Vidasworld12]

OMG .. THANK YOU ALL so much for the quick replies! Wow this made my day.. in forums it usually takes days or hours ! You are all so great ! And knowledgeable!!! I'm not sure how to reply to each individually.. I'm trying here lol.. this is the soap queen recipe I'm talking about

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fHvuWaClMz0[/ame]

I got a 3 kg of 100% lye crystals at the only place if been able to find it here in Toronto.. home hardware ..

I think I bought most of my equipment from dollarama .. except scale at Canadian tire..

I'm Gona try the box mold idea lined with a bag .. just until I get the hang of things .. the dimensions are .. 9 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches .. I do have a larger box 11 in x 6 in x 4.5 inches .. which one is better?? I don't want the bars too thin ..

My vanilla EO is from NOW essential oils .. oohhh I just noticed it says 1% essential oil vanilla in jojoba oil .. ughhh is that Gona effect anything ?? I'm really just going for a soft smell .. don't really want the coconut / olive oil smell
Bout this EO at healthy planet along with the red palm oil ..

I'm so excited to get started .. lard like the crisco kind? Vegetable lard from crisco?? Tallow?? Where do I find that ??

Thank you all again for taking the time to help me out .. I've read lots of threads here and you are all so kind !! Thx again !!

 

[WeaversPort]

I'm Gona try the box mold idea lined with a bag .. just until I get the hang of things .. the dimensions are .. 9 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches .. I do have a larger box 11 in x 6 in x 4.5 inches .. which one is better?? I don't want the bars too thin ..

I'd go with the second if it were me, but I'm new. I don't know as much as the others. One of the nice things about a rectangular mold is if you are just doing a solid color, you can cut it multiple ways to be as thick or thin as you like.

My vanilla EO is from NOW essential oils .. oohhh I just noticed it says 1% essential oil vanilla in jojoba oil .. ughhh is that Gona effect anything ?? I'm really just going for a soft smell .. don't really want the coconut / olive oil smell
Bout this EO at healthy planet along with the red palm oil ..

I'd say it's not going to give you much fragrance. Also, I don't think you'll find yourself unhappy with unscented soap. I find it's a neutral and pleasant scent - not coconut or olive oil in my opinion. If you access to essential oils, you might try a lavender, mint, or eucalyptus. Lavender might be a nice beginning scent and not very expensive. Brambleberry has a fragrance calculator that can be used as a guideline for how much fragrance to use.

I'm so excited to get started .. lard like the crisco kind? Vegetable lard from crisco?? Tallow?? Where do I find that ??

Thank you all again for taking the time to help me out .. I've read lots of threads here and you are all so kind !! Thx again !!

Lard is from pork. I find mine in the baking section of the grocery store where they keep shortening or Crisco. It's also where I find palm oil (which is different from palm kernel oil).

As for lard, I am told Walmart has it as well.

 

[Seawolfe]

Hey and welcome! My first molds were drawer dividers lined with plastic wrap. Just don't make your first batches too small or too large - say between 1/2 -1 kilo. Too small and measuring errors become large, and you dont want large batches of test soaps in case you don't like them.

I wouldn't use the vanilla scented jojoba that you have - I've had problems with non-pure scents like that. One made my soap go gooey and icky. If you dont have any nice EO's, just start with unscented.

Red palm oil can make some lovely colored soap, but you dont want to use more than 20% of your recipe with it or the color can bleed (is what I think I read). Lemme find a pic of what it looks like. These were with red palm. white palm and charcoal for the black.

Lard is fat from pigs and tallow is fat from cows. I get mine from hispanic markets or restaurant supply shops. Check the baking aisle. Dont try to render your own just yet until you get a few batches under your belt.

You really do want to use your stick blender. My friend did her first batch without one and her arms just about fell of. Think like whipping cream to butter only 10 times more work.

 

[dixiedragon]

Welcome!

First, keep in mind that even if your first batch doesn't go well, you can almost always save a batch by rebatching it or hot processing it. So if your soap behaves badly, DON'T throw it out! Save it and take a pic and ask us for advice!

Put aside your Vanilla - you could use it in a lotion (possibly a lip balm?). Check health food store for essential oils - lavender, lemongrass and mint are inexpensive (relatively) and well behaved. Clove and cinnamon will cause your soap to seize (thicken up really fast). Like cold mashed potatoes.

 

[Vidasworld12]

seawolfe:

those are perfect soaps! you made them with the red palm? but it looks fine to me.. what do you mean by bleed?

the recipe im trying to use is :

7.9 oz distilled water
3.4 oz lye
8 oz coconut oil
8 oz palm oil
8 oz olive

is the the range of red palm oil I can use?

thx for the reply

 

[Vidasworld12]

susie:

thank you so much for the recipe... im really having a hard time with the palm oil , the smell , color and the bleeding, so I might just have to scrap that recipe... Yours looks easier and im probably headed to walmart for the castor oil - didnt realize it was at the pharmacy section until you reminded me ... THX.. could I use vegetable shorting then? crisco?

thx again everyone..!!

 

[Obsidian]

Bleed means the lather and drips off the soap will be colored. A little bleed isn't bad but too much and it could look like a color bomb went off in the shower.

Personally, I wouldn't use that soapqueen recipe, too much coconut can make your soap drying.
Soapqueen isn't the most popular person around here, most of us feel her recipes are geared towards selling her ingredients and not about a good bar of soap.

I really recommend you try Susie's recipe with lard. It makes a much better soap and lard is better then palm, unless you have issues with animal products.

 

[toxikon]

This is the lard they carry in Walmart Canada: https://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/tenderflake-pure-lard-136kg/6000128603910

Crisco is made of a combination of soybean oil and palm oil, I've never soaped with it before so I can't comment on how good it is for soaping.

 

[dixiedragon]

You can soap with Crisco. IMO it's not as good as lard, but it's not terrible or anything. You will find most lye calculators have an entry for Crisco. Wal-Mart in the US also carries an animal-fat shortening that's a mix of tallow and vegetable oils. It's called Great Value Shortening. There is also a Great Value All-Vegetable shortening. If you use the shortening with animal fat, choose lard in the soap calculator. It's close enough.

 

[navigator9]

Just FYI, you can also use a milk carton as a mold, without lining it. Wash and dry it, open the top all the way, and pour the soap in. Close the top again, and wrap it in a towel. When it's ready to unmold, just tear away the carton. It's what I used for my first batch of soap, many years ago. This is what it looks like when sliced into bars. Not bad for a free mold.

 

[Vidasworld12]

Obsidian
Toxikon :

wow I have ALOT to learn, thank you! i honestly thought soap queen was a good one to follow... but you guys know better... tenderflake ohhhhh ok , ya ive used it many times before in baking.. AWESOME THANK YOU !!!!
Im gona try Susie's recipe without the fragrance... lets see where it takes me.. again thank you all so much... I was clearly lost before this forum :???:

One more thing... so with susies recipe all I have to do is but the % into the soapcalc.net and it will calculate the water/ lye / oils i need ? the current water % as of oils is 38 ... do I leave that part as is? I dont touch those numbers already inoput right? thxxxxx

 

[dixiedragon]

You could also use Gladware as a mold. Look to see if it has a 5 or a 2 in the recycling symbol on the bottom. this is a good use for a lidless one you haven't gotten around to getting rid of.