Should Beginners Try Their Own Recipes?

[Susie]

I have been doing loads of research since I started this thread and I am definitely going to be trying my own recipes as well as tested recipes of others. I'm currently gathering all my supplies and I'm planning on making a bunch of different recipes to start out and test, in order to find what I like and what works. I bought a note book too, so I will hopefully take lots of notes.

That is the soap calculator that I have been using. I love the interface. I like seeing the graph as I try different things. I think I have three pages of hypothesized recipes saved without even ever trying any of them yet.

You are well on your way to becoming an addict. Welcome to the addiction!

 

[MLSB]

Hello all, I just introduced myself in the intro section and I'm ready to ask my first question.

So, how important is it to use a soap recipe that someone else has come up with already? I mean if I go to a lye calculator and put in the different amount of oils by percentage I'd like to use, is it possible for me to come up with a recipe that will turn out right? Or should I stick to a tested recipe?

There are some oils I have on hand that I'd like to put in my soap and I just wonder if I'm biting off more than I can chew trying to make my own recipe when I'm an absolute beginner.

I used the information off of this article: Free Beginner's Guide to Soapmaking: Common Soapmaking Oils - Soap Queen and soap calc to come up with this recipe:
View attachment 58955

Does this look any good?

I'm a very adventurous person and I really like doing things my way, but if this is just a bad idea, please let me know! Thanks in advance.

I have been soaping for close to 20 years, and I always recommend to those starting out is to spend the time learning the properties of each of the oils (including butters) and their recommended ranges of use, then and only then will your learn how to create your own recipes but you will also know how to tweak them. You will never have to use another’s recipe unless you want to. Welcome to the wonderful and amazing world of soaping!