Newbie Soap Maker

[ashley8072]

Hi all! New to soapmaking for the past two days. I've been tinkering with M&P glycerin (white and clear) and goats milk bricks. Picked up a few fragrances, and using a lot of what I've got on hand. Watched many vids on YouTube. My main goal is to make me a bar mold to do large quantities at a time. However, strapped on cash, I've used formed foil and did get me some rectangle molds today. Once i acquired the glycerin i just couldn't wait to get going. I've got a nice stash already going on, BUT...

Videos I've seen on M&P, confuse me of what I'm missing. Maybe it's just beginners stretch, or the size molds rather than bars. The process that many use, usually with a butter knife, of bringing up the top by swirling or pushing. The tops of the molds cool very quickly and I end up with a big gloppy skin, that I end up pulling out or sinking out of sight. It almost seems too thin when pouring, and doesn't push when I use more than one mix. I don't have anywhere local that seems to carry oils and Ingred for this. The closest is Hobby Lobby, but it has very limited supplies. I've googled a lot of stuff, but I've really No idea what I'm looking for.

Edit: hmm, can't seem to upload pic of my work so far.

Sent from my iPad using Soap Making

 

[ashley8072]

Picture

Please excuse my foil made rounds. Lol! Their hideous. My DH loves the black coffee rounds because they really have that "scrub" I was wanting. The green rounds are a mix of mint and eucalyptus, the two random rounds are def Random experiments. Blue bars are soothing scent w goats milk. Then of course some scrubby oatmeal bars in the middle, and then I just finished the pinkish bars for sunburn.

 

[JaimeM]

Wow! Your soaps look like so much fun! I love your diy ingenuity! I use slab molds that I made out of cardboard. I love how this hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want!
Really like your colors!

 

[ashley8072]

Wow! Your soaps look like so much fun! I love your diy ingenuity! I use slab molds that I made out of cardboard. I love how this hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want!
Really like your colors!

Thanks! I've literally just been digging through the house looking for things to use with what I got. One of my first bar mold projects I want to do the loofah in it. I didn't even think about using cardboard, because I wasn't sure how it would hold up. What do you line it with? Because I do have a couple that would be the perfect size.

Being Native American we burn sage in our home to ward away evil spirits. Having this on hand, I'm finishing the night with an experiment bar. Sage doesn't have a pleasant scent, so I've tried to add a few drops of fragrance to make it not so horrid. If it sets well, we can wash away evil spirits.

 

[JaimeM]

I line mine with freezer paper, but I've seen people line them with wastebasket liners too. So far I've made about 10 batches with mine and they still look exactly the same, they're holding up great. Of course, even if they got gross right away cardboard is free almost everywhere I go! LOL!!

 

[ashley8072]

Still on a soap high today. I love soap. I like to have it always, even backpacking I wouldn't spare the weight of my half-bar and soap papers. Well, a new addition and I can make whatever I want now without taking on any weight. And if you've went backpacking, you know that any amount, no matter how small, counts. So using the melt &pour method of soapmaking/molding, I've got large cuts for washing entire body, medium cuts, and thin cuts for hands and face washing. And I couldn't resist the soap on a rope gig for those long trips when we have access to showers (I just hate setting my soap on things besides me).

 

[ashley8072]

Sorry for the double post, but I can't seem to get more than one pic to load at a time. I was able to get a loofah today for my first bar mold. I used a cardboard box (which ended up destroyed because my paper wrapped leaked), I thought it turned out great anyways! I did have to redo it though. I think I went a bit too heavy on the coconut oil. I paid $6 for a bar of this, with only half a loofah in it, in Las Vegas. It cost me less than that for this overhaul.

 

[shadyhavencreations]

Those are really cool looking Ashley.....you should post them in the photo's section too so everyone can enjoy them:smile:

 

[ashley8072]

I'm still on the search of swirling or pushing techniques of M&P. Mine just turns to a skin on the top and then glops up when I try to move it. Is this something that I just can't do with M&P?

 

[Crombie]

MP Swirling

Attached is a youtube video that helped me.
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jcf9l5Wc44[/ame].
The Autumn Tiger soap in attached picture I made using similar techniques. It was tedious and time consuming - but I liked the results.

 

[ashley8072]

I'm starting to think that because we keep the house so cold, it may be affecting why the skin film develops so quickly. Besides getting rid of air bubbles, is there another reason for the alcohol? I haven't used any yet on anything I've made. That video was very thorough though. Thanks!

 

[JaimeM]

Besides helping with bubbles, alcohol is awesome if you're pouring layers in your mp soaps! Giving a spritz with the alcohol between pours helps to adhere the (solid) bottom layer to the (melty liquid) top layer.

 

[Marilyna]

Ashley, when I tried the mp base from Hobby Lobby it was awful. I order mine from Wholesale Supplies Plus.
I like to use drawer dividers from Hobby Lobby for loaf molds. Dirt cheap.
I don't think you can swirl regular mp tops like you're trying to do.

 

[ashley8072]

Well my soapmaking is on hold atm due to unexpected school expenses and a couple of bills we want to get out of the way. I tried to work in money for hobbies, but DH keeps saying to wait. Sometimes I miss those days before he started working with me at the muffler shop. lol! I've found several videos on shredding soaps in different ways, and I've got my To Get list saved to my phone. I was able to get a drawer section for making skinny bars for making peels/swirls, and then a sturdier container for the microwave. In the meantime, I'm enjoying trying out all of the soaps I've done so far, and have a recipe book for ideas and oil references.

One thing I have noticed is that some soap sweats. None that I have made, but the bars I got from the Organic store have started sweating. I got them a few months ago. The peppermint and menthol ones mostly. So I've had to store my soaps in different containers, to let them breathe and keep from messing up the other types. I was aware that some soaps sweat, but I've never had it happen with anything I had.

On another note: I've always heard of people not using shampoo on their hair and just rinsing it out. Our 11yr daughter has volunteered to try this. One, because she has a hard time getting the shampoo out of her hair, or Two, she just doesn't wash it correctly and is still very oily when she gets out. She's been rinsing it now for over a week and her hair looks great! Even she noticed how manageable it's been.

 

[Marilyna]

Ashley, when I tried the mp base from Hobby Lobby it was awful. I order mine from Wholesale Supplies Plus.
I like to use drawer dividers from Hobby Lobby for loaf molds. Dirt cheap.
I don't think you can swirl regular mp tops like you're trying to do.

Sorry just realized I messed up. The drawer dividers I get are from Dollar Tree, not Hobby Lobby.

 

[ashley8072]

Sorry just realized I messed up. The drawer dividers I get are from Dollar Tree, not Hobby Lobby.

I got mine from Walmart. It's just wide enough for my potato peeler that I can use it for swirls, but not too big that it takes a lot of MP for it. I still haven't found a good size I like for loafs yet, besides eBay. DH doesn't like browsing through stores. He just wants to get what we need and get out.

 

[Marilyna]

The ones from Dollar Tree are wider than the ones from Walmart (if you're talking about the Rubbermaid). The good thing about them is that you can make full size bars with them. With the Rubbermaid, they're not quite wide enough for that, to me.

Also, the Dollar Tree dividers are just 2/1.00 compared to nearly $4 for Rubbermaid.

 

[ashley8072]

Nah, the Rubbermaid ones had a textured grip inside of them. I think the brand is Mainstays. It was just over a dollar. I haven't been to Dollar Tree in awhile. The closest store here is really kinda filthy and hard to find anything in. Almost looks like a Swapmeet inside. Our options for Dollar Stores are very wide though. Dollar General, Dollar Store, and Family Dollar. Hopefully I can get away to do some browsing this weekend though. We live so far from town, which makes it hard when having to persuade DH to stop anywhere during our transit to and from work.