Newbie Question

[DDMTEX]

I know there are a lot of recipes here on the site. Does anyone have an idea what would be a good easy one to start out with? This will be my first batch of soap and I'm looking a something kinda idiot proof.

 

[seven]

coconut 20%
olive 50%
palm 30%

superfat 5%

if you're not a palm person, you can replace it with animal fats, like tallow or lard.

 

[AnnaMarie]

The "trinity" oils are indeed an excellent and lost cost way to start: coconut, palm, and olive. Seven's recipe is a good one. You will find a lot of variations with the percentages of these three, but you really can't go wrong. The percentages tend to reflect personal preference. For example, I will use 33 1/3 each in a recipe and super fat at 5%.
Cheers!
Anna Marie

 

[DDMTEX]

So I just mix those oils and it's soap? Like I said, I'm a real newbie.

 

[AnnaMarie]

Here's Seven's recipe in completion for you:
This makes about 2 lbs of soap
4.40 oz coconut oil
11 oz olive
6.60 oz palm oil (not kernel)
3.05 oz sodium hydroxide
7.25 oz distilled water

Unfortunately, soap is not something that is just mixed up. There is a particular order of steps and careful timing involved. Making soap is a lot of fun, but it's very important to be safe so that you are successful. I would highly recommend going to the Soap Queen blog and watching her videos on learning to make cold process soap before starting. These are great instructional videos- I have watched them all myself. Anne Marie Faiola makes learning soap fun and easy, and her recipes are good. These videos will also help you with what equipment you will need to do this. Her blog is also a reliable and credible source of info (you have to watch that on the internet ). I hope this will help you to get started in the right way
Cheers!
Anna Marie

This link should take you to Vimeo where you can watch her videos.

http://m.youtube.com/user/soapqueentv

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Here is the Soap Queen series on beginner CP soapmaking, specifically: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAADF6209996265D2 I second watching her videos first!

Another favorite of mine is Soaping 101, but if you chose to watch hers, go and start with the oldest videos first!

 

[Lin]

I also recommend soaping101, and starting with the oldest video first. She also has an excellent beginner recipe with the bastile she uses for most of the videos.

 

[Susie]

Here are Soaping 101's recipes that you can run through a lye calculator to double check. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS run all recipes through a lye calculator for yourself! And you need to watch the videos to learn the process.

http://www.soaping101.com/

Here is her Dollar Store soap video. A good, cheap way to start soaping. You can purchase body safe essential oils at Hobby Lobby if you don't want to order off the internet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWnqXTqZTvU


And one of the more popular lye calculators:

http://soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

*EDIT*
And, as if she knew we needed new info for a newbie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYhH20vWxvc

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I will also add that while things like Bastile or Castile soaps are "easy" recipes because of the lower number of oils, I think that the mix of 3 (palm, coconut and olive oils) is much better as you don't have to let it cure for so long - waiting 1 month for your first batch is hard enough, but waiting longer is just torture!

 

[DDMTEX]

Wow, thanks everyone. I'll look at the videos this weekend and start gathering supplies.

And I'll be sure to ask questions if I have any. Thank you for all your help.