newbie soaper from Ontario, Canada

[deafsoaper]

Hi

I'm a newbie soaper from Ontario, Canada.

I have taken an interest in soap making and hope to turn into a business in the near future if the soaps turn out well

I'm currently doing a list of equipments/ingredients to get. I live in a small condo 600sqft 1+1, ventilations I got are balcony door, 1'x3' window in my bedroom and range hood in my kitchen.

I did a quick browse, people suggested dollar store for equipments/tools so I went to checked my local dollar store, dollarama. It didn't have much options unfortunately, I was only able to get a couple silicone spatulas. I couldn't find containers big enough with the #2 or #5.

So I'm gonna look around for an affordable stainless steel container for lye solution, get the small food grade bucket at canadian tire (I think it got the #2 or #5 ), braun hand blender from amazon, might get some small containers for mixing small amount of soap batter for different colours, get a respirator and filters, look for a small mold, affordable soap cutter, gloves, goggle

ingredients i will get probably from windy point and new direction aromatics

hopefully I got everything covered (thinking)

 

[dibbles]

Welcome! Your list seems well thought out - don't forget about a scale! Good luck with your first batch.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

WHOA! There's no need to go all out when first starting to make soap. For example, your COVID mask is perfectly acceptable for protection against lye fumes. No need for a respirator. Buy your stick blender at Walmart or Target or the Canadian equivalent. Braun used to be the best; now the Cuisinart "Smart Stick" with the stainless steel shaft is preferred by the majority of members when the subject arises.

Here are a couple of good reads for where you are now:

Lo-o-o-ong but informative and entertaining:

What Advice Would You Give Your Beginning Soaping Self?

Good advice on sourcing ingredients and molds locally:

Grocery Store Soap

And from Amanda of Lovin' Soap Studio...

Getting Started Without Spending a Ton of Money

And this one:

Advice to Beginners

For a good Starter Formula using SoapCalc this will help you to understand what each leg of the Basic Trinity brings to the recipe. Starting with a Tried & True recipe like this lays the foundation for future soaps that you can tweak to what's readily available where you are.

Basic Trinity of Oils

HAPPY SOAPING!

 

[AliOop]

Your list sounds great to me, with the addition of the scale as mentioned by @dibbles. As noted by @Zany_in_CO, a respirator is optional unless you have some allergies or medical condition that necessitates this. I never owned one for soapmaking since the hood on my stove was sufficient to remove the lye fumes. I do own one now because the powders for syndet shampoo bars are strong irritants to mucous membranes.

Anyway, welcome, and we look forward to seeing your creations.

 

[earlene]

Hi

I'm a newbie soaper from Ontario, Canada.

I have taken an interest in soap making and hope to turn into a business in the near future if the soaps turn out well

I'm currently doing a list of equipments/ingredients to get. I live in a small condo 600sqft 1+1, ventilations I got are balcony door, 1'x3' window in my bedroom and range hood in my kitchen.

I did a quick browse, people suggested dollar store for equipments/tools so I went to checked my local dollar store, dollarama. It didn't have much options unfortunately, I was only able to get a couple silicone spatulas. I couldn't find containers big enough with the #2 or #5.

So I'm gonna look around for an affordable stainless steel container for lye solution, get the small food grade bucket at canadian tire (I think it got the #2 or #5 ), braun hand blender from amazon, might get some small containers for mixing small amount of soap batter for different colours, get a respirator and filters, look for a small mold, affordable soap cutter, gloves, goggle

ingredients i will get probably from windy point and new direction aromatics

hopefully I got everything covered (thinking)

Another source for plastic containers to mix soap in is a home improvement store. If you have one nearby or even a hardware store. Often the paint mixing containers fill the bill nicely. I found some small pour-spout paint mixing containers at one a couple of years ago while traveling & used them for multiple color design pours. The great thing about them was that not only did they have a pour spout, but were perfect for taking my Stick Blender bell, so I could mix directly inside the container. Another option for good finds for soapmaking (for me, anyway) are second-hand stores. I have found many many items suitable for making soap, including silicone molds & wooden box molds (that I line with freezer paper).

When it comes to mixing your lye solution, I have seen on youtube a soapmaker who mixes hers underneath the stove hood for that very reason - the ventilation it provides (as long as your stove hood fan works properly.) I actually stayed somewhere once, where the stove hood fan did NOT vent to the outside and only blew the exhaust back into the kitchen; talk about a poor design!

Others mix their lye outdoors, so you could do that on your balcony if you choose.

Welcome to the forum, @deafsoaper.

 

[TheGecko]

I spent maybe $70USD when I first started making soap and that included buying a kit for $60.00USD. I didn't want to spend a lot of money if it turned out to be something that I didn't enjoy and then I would have a bunch of crap that I'd have to toss.

I already had an old stick blender and a digital postal scale...neither were ideal because the SB was on it's last legs and the scale was really old, but they were fine to get started. I then looked to my kitchen to see what I didn't mind sacrificing to the 'cause' (no glass, aluminum or Tupperware) and so went to the local second-hard shop.

Once I decided that "Yeah, this is pretty cool sh**!" my first stop was Amazon where I spent $17.00USD on a Stick Blender and $14.00USD on a scale. Then I went to the local dollar store and spent $20USD on 4 plastic bowls with handles (like Katie Carson at Royalty Soaps uses), 4 4-cup plastic measure cups for mixing lye. pouring off colors for swirls or for test batches, measuring spoons, 2 whisks, 6 spatulas (2 small, 2 medium, 2 large) and a laundry basket to hold all my crap in.

A month later, I went back to Amazon and bought a Cheese Slicer for $14.00USD and another $5.00 later on at Home Depot for a dowel, sandpaper and wood glue to modify it. And a Bench Scraper to replace the one I had umm...borrowed from my kitchen (they are handy for cavity molds) to originally cut soap with.

It's now three years later. I still use the Stick Blender and Scale...both are working like champs...zero issues. Still have 3 of my original 4 bowls; I lost one due a massively accelerating FO...I tried chipping the soap out and poke a hole in the bowl. I bought four more bowls 2 red, 2 blue), but honestly...I very rarely use them because I clean as I go a maybe have 2 dirty bowls at the end of a day of soaping. Still have the 4-cup measuring cups. Did upgrade my measuring spoons to a set of eight so I could be more consistent with my colorants. I did get a sink-sized soft plastic wash tub so I can do larger batches. I did buy a couple of larger whisks do to an increase in batch size. While I still use my Cheese Slicer for test batches, I did upgrade to a professional single-bar cutter only because I got a really sweet deal on an original Bud's.

Things I have added over time: 4-pack of Lab Spoons as they are very useful and cheap. Microfiber Towels...worth their weight in gold for cleaning! Apron with a pocket for my safety glasses and hand towel. Small fan...great for keeping you cool, or for cooling down Lye Solution or Oils, put it in the window backwards to draw out fumes and odors. Small Silicone Measuring Cups for FOs and Colorants. Milk Frother (battery and electric) for mixing all sorts of stuff.

Things I have bought but rarely use: Digital thermometer, Spring-loaded Tea Infuser, Steamer, Water-Jel Burn Jel (thankfully).

Things I have bought that I don't use: Gear Ties; I prefer doing a drop/chopstick swirl and I just recycle my chopsticks from take out. 16-pack of individual soap molds; originally bought for 'me soap'...that extra batter, they are more of a PITA to deal with because they are really thin and soft and a mess if you have accelerating FOs; I find it easier just to grab one of my 4-cavity molds. Wilton Cake Decorating Kit...got it as a Christmas gift in '20 and it's still sitting in the original box on a shelf in the garage***. Jumbo plastic drinking straws.*** Measuring Jiggers for FOs; first one I bought was plastic and it melted, second one was Stainless Steel. Two problems...it only holds 2 oz and you can't use your frother to mix in Kaolin Clay. Since I only used it a couple of times, it's now gathering dust in my kitchen drawer. 12-pack of 8oz storage jars...still in original package. 8-pack 1oz storage jars. Assorted molds.

As ANY soap maker here will tell you, it's easy to go down the rabbit hole. You have a huge range of Oils and Butters, Colorants of every kind, color and shade, no limitations when it comes to Essential and Fragrances Oils, more Additives than you can shake a stick at and molds...from loaves and slabs to absolutely adorable cavity molds! Any ideas and thoughts and...oh my!!!

My recommendation...start with the bare essentials, what you NEED to make soap. Start with small batches of soap...lots of places including Amazon sell a 4" Silicone Loaf Mold that will produce 4-5oz bars of soap. Start with a base recipe...something simple (mix and pour); don't worry about scent and color right away. Set a budget. Buy in small quantities until you develop a base recipe and only change one thing at a time; yeah that kind of sucks because you have to wait four to six weeks to know, but if you change two or three things and there is a problem...how are you going to know what caused the problem?

*** - May use someday

 

[deafsoaper]

Welcome! Your list seems well thought out - don't forget about a scale! Good luck with your first batch.

thanks

ahh yes! forgot to mention the scale... I got one, a starfrit scale... I'm a semi-former pastry chef

View attachment 66838
WHOA! There's no need to go all out when first starting to make soap. For example, your COVID mask is perfectly acceptable for protection against lye fumes. No need for a respirator. Buy your stick blender at Walmart or Target or the Canadian equivalent. Braun used to be the best; now the Cuisinart "Smart Stick" with the stainless steel shaft is preferred by the majority of members when the subject arises.

Here are a couple of good reads for where you are now:

Lo-o-o-ong but informative and entertaining:

What Advice Would You Give Your Beginning Soaping Self?

Good advice on sourcing ingredients and molds locally:

Grocery Store Soap

And from Amanda of Lovin' Soap Studio...

Getting Started Without Spending a Ton of Money

And this one:

Advice to Beginners

For a good Starter Formula using SoapCalc this will help you to understand what each leg of the Basic Trinity brings to the recipe. Starting with a Tried & True recipe like this lays the foundation for future soaps that you can tweak to what's readily available where you are.

Basic Trinity of Oils

HAPPY SOAPING!

I will check out the links you provided..thanks

that would be great to not buy a respirator/filters, reduce some cost lol

the braun i was checking out was this https://www.amazon.ca/Braun-MQ5000-Blender-Multiquick-Vario/dp/B07NZFZGTM/ref=sr_1_7?crid=33R6AFNH2HA74&keywords=braun+hand+blender&qid=1652906439&sprefix=braun+hand+blender,aps,131&sr=8-7

walmart got a few options
toastmaster but doesn't have metal shaft - Verify Your Identity
kitchenaid - Verify Your Identity
cuisinart - Verify Your Identity

Your list sounds great to me, with the addition of the scale as mentioned by @dibbles. As noted by @Zany_in_CO, a respirator is optional unless you have some allergies or medical condition that necessitates this. I never owned one for soapmaking since the hood on my stove was sufficient to remove the lye fumes. I do own one now because the powders for syndet shampoo bars are strong irritants to mucous membranes.

Anyway, welcome, and we look forward to seeing your creations.

thanks... good to know

Another source for plastic containers to mix soap in is a home improvement store. If you have one nearby or even a hardware store. Often the paint mixing containers fill the bill nicely. I found some small pour-spout paint mixing containers at one a couple of years ago while traveling & used them for multiple color design pours. The great thing about them was that not only did they have a pour spout, but were perfect for taking my Stick Blender bell, so I could mix directly inside the container. Another option for good finds for soapmaking (for me, anyway) are second-hand stores. I have found many many items suitable for making soap, including silicone molds & wooden box molds (that I line with freezer paper).

When it comes to mixing your lye solution, I have seen on youtube a soapmaker who mixes hers underneath the stove hood for that very reason - the ventilation it provides (as long as your stove hood fan works properly.) I actually stayed somewhere once, where the stove hood fan did NOT vent to the outside and only blew the exhaust back into the kitchen; talk about a poor design!

Others mix their lye outdoors, so you could do that on your balcony if you choose.

Welcome to the forum, @deafsoaper.

yeah I saw a 2 gallon at home depot online for mixing everything... there might be smaller sizes so I will check

ahh yeah my mother have one of those type of ventilation in her kitchen. i'm glad my kitchen vent out, I used to have one of those microwave vent, it broke down and got it replace with a regular range hood with little extra kick 380 CFM ... yeah I could mix the lye outside

I read a couple things about fragrance oil and essential oils can be harmful smelling it somewhat constantly and cause long term health ... is it true?

if I got a bunch of soaps curing in the den of my condo.. would the fragrances be airborne consistently or fade out over time?

I spent maybe $70USD when I first started making soap and that included buying a kit for $60.00USD. I didn't want to spend a lot of money if it turned out to be something that I didn't enjoy and then I would have a bunch of crap that I'd have to toss.

I already had an old stick blender and a digital postal scale...neither were ideal because the SB was on it's last legs and the scale was really old, but they were fine to get started. I then looked to my kitchen to see what I didn't mind sacrificing to the 'cause' (no glass, aluminum or Tupperware) and so went to the local second-hard shop.
..........

quite a journey you went through lol

I saw quite a few cheese slicers on amazon... pretty bad reviews.. couldn't find one with a decent rating

I was actually looking for the small mold/1lb... I also thought of the individual single bars mold.. not sure yet

how much oils/butters should I get? I'm not within driving distant to get coconut oil/shea/palm so I have to order online. I rather slightly more for future proof.

what scents do people recommend to start with? are people usually on one side? fragrance or essential or just a spectrum?

the thing that shocked me the most about soap making is the curing 4-6 weeks haha.. didn't expect that at all

 

[Soaped]

Hi!

I'm from Ontario as well .

I was able to find some small and large stainless steel mixing bowls in dollarama to mix my lye but I sometimes interchange using those with a milk jug although come to think of it I've never checked the grade of plastic.

I got my kitchen scale and my first stick blender from Walmart but ended up buying a new stick blender from Amazon which has a whisk attachment so that I can make sugar scrubs and whipped soaps.

When I first started I got a basic rectangle soap mold which came with a "box" cutter for a reasonable price from Amazon. I've had both of them for about 8 years and they are pretty good, especially after I got the hang of cutting the bars straight.

I normally find reasonably priced coconut and olive oil at Costco ( which you can now order from instacart if you don't have a membership) or Walmart. I got a huge container of Lye from home hardware for around $20 (last time I checked) but have seen smaller containers at walmart and Canadian tire.

Most of my molds come from Amazon but I have seen some cute ones at Michael's and occasionally in dollarama in the seasonal sections.

And so far I've tried Windy Point, Voyager and Candora for fragrances and other supplies. I only picked up a few fragrances from New Directions today so will test them out today.

Welcome!!

 

[deafsoaper]

Hi!

I'm from Ontario as well .

I was able to find some small and large stainless steel mixing bowls in dollarama to mix my lye but I sometimes interchange using those with a milk jug although come to think of it I've never checked the grade of plastic.

I got my kitchen scale and my first stick blender from Walmart but ended up buying a new stick blender from Amazon which has a whisk attachment so that I can make sugar scrubs and whipped soaps.

When I first started I got a basic rectangle soap mold which came with a "box" cutter for a reasonable price from Amazon. I've had both of them for about 8 years and they are pretty good, especially after I got the hang of cutting the bars straight.

I normally find reasonably priced coconut and olive oil at Costco ( which you can now order from instacart if you don't have a membership) or Walmart. I got a huge container of Lye from home hardware for around $20 (last time I checked) but have seen smaller containers at walmart and Canadian tire.

Most of my molds come from Amazon but I have seen some cute ones at Michael's and occasionally in dollarama in the seasonal sections.

And so far I've tried Windy Point, Voyager and Candora for fragrances and other supplies. I only picked up a few fragrances from New Directions today so will test them out today.

Welcome!!

hey nice to meet another ontarian

which blender did you get from walmart? .. oh yeah I want to do sugar scrubs and body butter eventually.

yes! planning to get olive oil at costco... unfortunately the specific coconut oil i'm looking for isn't available at costco anymore nutiva brand refined coconut oil. Costco brought out their own kirkland brand coconut oil that is unrefined.

ditto on Lye from home hardware... unfortunately price gone up from $22 lol.. 500g for $11 or 3k for $38

oh cool... what fragrances did you get from NDA?

 

[Relle]

Here is a thread for to read -
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/are-you-ready-to-sell-your-soap.16002/

 

[TheGecko]

quite a journey you went through lol

I saw quite a few cheese slicers on amazon... pretty bad reviews.. couldn't find one with a decent rating

I was actually looking for the small mold/1lb... I also thought of the individual single bars mold.. not sure yet

how much oils/butters should I get? I'm not within driving distant to get coconut oil/shea/palm so I have to order online. I rather slightly more for future proof.

what scents do people recommend to start with? are people usually on one side? fragrance or essential or just a spectrum?

the thing that shocked me the most about soap making is the curing 4-6 weeks haha.. didn't expect that at all

I've been fortunate enough to be able to afford some of the mistakes I have made, but smart enough that they weren't expensive to begin with.

Cheese Slicer...still works well. I sanded off the finish on the bottom side and glued a flattened dowel...make it easier to hold the soap steady.

I highly recommend the 4" Silicone Square Mold. Holds 20oz with equals 4 1" bars at 5oz each. I then cut the bars in half for my testers. I have two of them and use them all the time when testing new ingredients, colorants and FOs...especially FOs. No colorants...just plain soap because part of the test is discoloration.

How much to buy is going to dependent on a number of factors: the size of your total batch, your recipe, amount of oils, how often you plan to make soap, availability of ingredients. Okay...to keep it simple here is my recipe which you are welcomed to use...modify...toss out the window:

35% Olive Oil
20% Coconut Oil
20% Palm Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

33% Lye Concentration
5% Super Fat

1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 tea Kaolin Clay PPO
1 oz FO PPO

I would start with 2 lbs Olive Oil, 1 lb of everything else (oils and butters) and 1-32 oz of Sodium Hydroxide. That will give you enough for 5 batches of soap in a 4" Square Mold. 4 oz Sodium Lactate and 1 oz Kaolin Clay. If you want colorants...start with some Samplers and Trial or 1 oz FOs.

Black Raspberry Vanilla is always a good choice...behaves very well, no acceleration, no discoloration. Oatmeal Milk & Honey is another good scent. I LOVE Lemon Verbena (smells like Lemon Drops). I have used Essential Oils...a bit spendy for me and you really need to take care with them.

Yeah...a lot of folks think that soap is ready to use once it hardens. Technically it is...it's soap, but it's not good soap It's like drinking moonshine vs 10-year old Pendleton Whisky.

 

[deafsoaper]

I've been fortunate enough to be able to afford some of the mistakes I have made, but smart enough that they weren't expensive to begin with.

Cheese Slicer...still works well. I sanded off the finish on the bottom side and glued a flattened dowel...make it easier to hold the soap steady.

I highly recommend the 4" Silicone Square Mold. Holds 20oz with equals 4 1" bars at 5oz each. I then cut the bars in half for my testers. I have two of them and use them all the time when testing new ingredients, colorants and FOs...especially FOs. No colorants...just plain soap because part of the test is discoloration.

How much to buy is going to dependent on a number of factors: the size of your total batch, your recipe, amount of oils, how often you plan to make soap, availability of ingredients. Okay...to keep it simple here is my recipe which you are welcomed to use...modify...toss out the window:

35% Olive Oil
20% Coconut Oil
20% Palm Oil
10% Cocoa Butter
10% Shea Butter
5% Castor Oil

33% Lye Concentration
5% Super Fat

1 tea Sodium Lactate PPO
1 tea Kaolin Clay PPO
1 oz FO PPO

I would start with 2 lbs Olive Oil, 1 lb of everything else (oils and butters) and 1-32 oz of Sodium Hydroxide. That will give you enough for 5 batches of soap in a 4" Square Mold. 4 oz Sodium Lactate and 1 oz Kaolin Clay. If you want colorants...start with some Samplers and Trial or 1 oz FOs.

Black Raspberry Vanilla is always a good choice...behaves very well, no acceleration, no discoloration. Oatmeal Milk & Honey is another good scent. I LOVE Lemon Verbena (smells like Lemon Drops). I have used Essential Oils...a bit spendy for me and you really need to take care with them.

Yeah...a lot of folks think that soap is ready to use once it hardens. Technically it is...it's soap, but it's not good soap It's like drinking moonshine vs 10-year old Pendleton Whisky.

guess I was looking at the wrong cheese slicers lol... was looking at alot cheaper slicers around $20 lol

I was checking out this mold ... look like same size except I can get this in Canada
https://www.windypointsoap.com/coll...ters-choice-round-ball-7-8-silicone-soap-mold
thanks for the recipe... I will try it out

a little tid bit of news is that my sister own a spa and she didn't get around or have time to look for products to add for retail aspect to sell to her clients and want something that other spas dont have brand wise or common corporate products.. so she said if my soaps turn out good and like them she is willingly to sell my soaps in her spa and potentially other bath related products ... something to get my foot in the door and get a little exposure but obviously not immediate/right now

ooo yeah ... black raspberry vanilla is on my list to try out... i saw the oat/honey and one of the sites I checked got two versions of it ...same name, only difference is "#1" and "#2" .. lemon is a classic, people like citrus smells

ahh so annoyed.. just noticed the place I was planning to order the coconut oil from... just sold out.. got the best price

lol good analogy

 

[TheGecko]

guess I was looking at the wrong cheese slicers lol... was looking at alot cheaper slicers around $20 lol

I was checking out this mold ... look like same size except I can get this in Canada
https://www.windypointsoap.com/coll...ters-choice-round-ball-7-8-silicone-soap-mold
thanks for the recipe... I will try it out

a little tid bit of news is that my sister own a spa and she didn't get around or have time to look for products to add for retail aspect to sell to her clients and want something that other spas dont have brand wise or common corporate products.. so she said if my soaps turn out good and like them she is willingly to sell my soaps in her spa and potentially other bath related products ... something to get my foot in the door and get a little exposure but obviously not immediate/right now

ooo yeah ... black raspberry vanilla is on my list to try out... i saw the oat/honey and one of the sites I checked got two versions of it ...same name, only difference is "#1" and "#2" .. lemon is a classic, people like citrus smells

ahh so annoyed.. just noticed the place I was planning to order the coconut oil from... just sold out.. got the best price

lol good analogy

I've gotten lots of compliments on my soap...except hubby complains that there isn't enough BUBBLES. What is it with men and bubbles? It's not like he takes bubble baths. But I'm going to fix him...I got some Sorbitol when is supposed to great for bubbles.

The mold looks great...standard one. I'm in the US so I don't know what you have access to.

 

[deafsoaper]

I've gotten lots of compliments on my soap...except hubby complains that there isn't enough BUBBLES. What is it with men and bubbles? It's not like he takes bubble baths. But I'm going to fix him...I got some Sorbitol when is supposed to great for bubbles.

The mold looks great...standard one. I'm in the US so I don't know what you have access to.

maybe us guys need to see bubbles visually to know soap is actively cleaning and not miss a spot lol

 

[Zany_in_CO]

hubby complains that there isn't enough BUBBLES. What is it with men and bubbles?

I've got two words for you... BATH POUF. Makes my CP soap lather like a mad dog.

SHORT STORY: When I first started making soap, I put a bath pouf for my dear hubby to use in the shower. Since he was a guy that used only his hands to wash up, It was years before he actually used it. I still remember the day he came down to breakfast after trying the bath pouf for the first time. It was like he discovered gold! He was so excited! He went on and on about the lather.

Funny thing is, I had no idea he hadn't been using it all along!

 

[earlene]

I read a couple things about fragrance oil and essential oils can be harmful smelling it somewhat constantly and cause long term health ... is it true?

I am not sure that a claim that constant exposure to fragrances can be harmful to everyone is an accurate statement, if that is what you read. To some folks with sensitivities, sure. But I would guess that to be a relatively low percentage of people. AND the particular fragrances would matter as well, I believe. There are some that give me a headache, but when I find that happening, I get rid of that fragrance and find that most fragrances I use do not bother me. There are others who are completely intolerant to many fragrances, however.

if I got a bunch of soaps curing in the den of my condo.. would the fragrances be airborne consistently or fade out over time?

Most fragrances fade over time. Some linger longer than others, even in soap. Some fade quickly, but return when the soap is being used. Some fade and do not return.

I'm not within driving distant to get coconut oil/shea/palm so I have to order online. I rather slightly more for future proof.

What does your grocery store sell in the way of oils? I buy Coconut Oil on sale in grocery stores primarily. I also find palm oil (as shortening) at grocery stores. I have seen shea butter in some local stores sold in containers in the 'Health & Beauty' areas. Not all stores carry shea, but I was surprised at how many stores in my travels (I travel a lot) actually have Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter on the shelves; I just have to wander the aisles and be open to finding things in different parts of the store. Castor oil is commonly found in pharmacy areas of many stores here in the US, so when I first started making soap I went to the aisle where laxatives were stocked.

When I first wanted to try palm oil, I bought palm shortening (Spectrum brand shortening) at the grocery store. It was perfect for trying out palm oil in soap, if somewhat expensive. Buying this way offered me the opportunity to try it before committing to a larger amount and finding I didn't like palm. I have since ordered in larger quantities, but there have been other oils I am really glad I tried in small quantities from the grocery store and didn't waste money on bulk ordering.

 

[TheGecko]

I've got two words for you... BATH POUF. Makes my CP soap lather like a mad dog.

There are two, but he prefers his washcloths. He really likes the ones I knitted for him and wants more of them too. So high maintenance.