I am new at this, so thank you in advance for any help you can give me. If we make our soap base and let it cure (let the lye dissipate) can we then melt it down, add the fragrance, then pour it into the molds? Thank you...we are making goat milk soap if that matters.
Soap Base question
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FGOriold
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If you are making cold process soap, melting it down and then adding fragrance or other additives is called rebatching and is a bit different than buying a melt and pour base to use. Commercial melt and pour bases are made with specific ingredients that allow it to be easily melted down to add color, fragrance, etc., then poured into molds. Rebatching of cold process soap is a bit different.
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You can rebatch a base, in fact some suppliers sell unscented base, but for me it is always easier just to make a small batch of cp soap and scent it the way I like. My rebatched soap is usually not as smooth. If you would like to try making a batch of meltable soap here is a tutorial:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nw4CBN_RC0[/ame]
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nw4CBN_RC0[/ame]
Thank you. I want our product to be nice and smooth and we are using the CP. I guess we will have to take a stab in the dark as to the products people will want since it takes so long for the soap to cure. Thanks for your input. I have read that you can test your soap and when you have a ph of 7, it is ready to use. Has anyone used this method instead of just letting it set for 1 -2 months?
dagmar88
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Soap is alkaline by nature, which makes a pH of 7 impossible.
I don't think 4 weeks is long enough. As a seller, I wouldn't settle for anything but the best product possible. A proper cure is essential.
With CP and HP, you need to think ahead.
squigglz
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The lye doesn't 'dissipate', it's just a vehicle for the chemical reaction that turns the oils and liquid into soap. The lye isn't in the soap any longer once saponification is complete, technically.
And yeah, handmade soap with a PH of 7 is pretty much impossible. Most store bought soap has a ph of 8-10, and the same goes for handmade soap. The only exception to this is Dove.
I really appreciate all the input!! Learning a new skill is such a challenge. We are also making goat soap lotion and are excited with the product, just seems thinner than what we were wanting. We are looking for a creamier lotion that is thicker. I know this is a soap forum, but does anyone make the lotions also?
Look in the Bath & Body section of this forum for lotion advice. Make sure you're preserving your lotions properly. That is essential. Don't even think about selling a lotion that isn't properly preserved with chemicals. There is no "natural" lotion preservative. Also, from experience, I'd suggest testing your lotion formula by letting some bottles sit for 6 months to make sure they stay nice. I had had a wonderful lotion recipe that I had sold for a couple of years. I then made the mistake of buying my emulsifying wax from a different supplier. Well, I had some of my lotions in a flower shop on consignment and after sitting in there for a while, the lotions separated. After that, I began buying a lotion base and I loved it.
If you want to sell soap fast, try melt & pour base. It's worth the money, I think. CP and HP take a long, long time to master. Many months, I'd say. And you owe it to your customers to make a quality product. But with MP, you can sell much quicker and have a quality soap. For me, the cost is also lower to make MP than CP.
If you want to sell soap fast, try melt & pour base. It's worth the money, I think. CP and HP take a long, long time to master. Many months, I'd say. And you owe it to your customers to make a quality product. But with MP, you can sell much quicker and have a quality soap. For me, the cost is also lower to make MP than CP.
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