Soaping or Dirty Hair

[PaintyLiz]

Hi All!

I joined the forum to reply to an answer that I found quite creative from @NaturalSoapGirl who, it turns out hasn't been seen in over 15 years LOL

I just started making soap because I was buying shampoo bars from a woman at the local farmer's market. She moved, her prices went up and shipping was expensive. Since I already do stained glass, woodworking, fused glass, sourdough bread, quilting, etc etc, I realized I can figure out how to make this myself - and down the soapy rabbit hole I went.

The 100% coconut oil shampoo I made is fantastic! (Thanks Mommypotomus) and then the honey oatmeal soap (Nerdy Farm Wife)

So I went berzerk and made a soap with 4 oils, charcoal, clay, veg juice, aloe ... LOL It turned out ok, except I think it has glycerin rivers (?) in it. At least that's all I could find that looked similar. It has a mosaic quality which I actually quite like. Is it glycerin? or something else?

So, that is my soaping experience. I see why people sell soap, it's so much fun and addictive to make, but what do I need with 50/60 bars of soap LOL

Looking forward to learning a lot from everyone! And hopefully not ending up with an equivalent amount of soap & fabric.

Liz

 

[Relle]

Welcome Liz, while your learning, so you don't become overrun with soap it's best just to do small amounts, that way if it doesn't turn out you are not out of pocket much and not have to shower 3 x a day. lol

 

[dmcgee5034]

Hi and welcome

 

[Ford]

Look like glycerin rivers. What was your water:lye ratio? Using less water helps.

 

[Lather]

Hello and welcome.

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[PaintyLiz]

Look like glycerin rivers. What was your water:lye ratio? Using less water helps.

Pretty sure it was because it got too hot. I wrapped it in a thick insulation from butcher box LOL. That had worked really well with the oatmeal soap but not so well with this. It also cracked a little on top. But I took it out and it's fine it's a little sticky but it will cure out I think. Thanks for the info!

 

[AliOop]

Welcome! That Mommypotamus recipe was the first one that I used, as well, and the only one I used for many years. We liked it as "hair soap" for many years, but it eventually become too drying for my husband's scalp so we use syndet shampoo bars now.

I also use an insulated box from ButcherBox as part of my soaping tools! When combined with a heating pad, it makes a great "oven" for gelling my soap. Great minds, etc. etc.

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I joined the forum to reply to an answer that I found quite creative from @NaturalSoapGirl who, it turns out hasn't been seen in over 15 years LOL

That happens here. A lot! Glad you could join us!

To be honest, we're all enablers here, so resistance is futile.

This thread is long but fun and informative. It may help you keep your output limited to a measly 50-60 bars...

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...ou-give-to-your-beginning-soaping-self.62916/

 

[PaintyLiz]

Welcome! That Mommypotamus recipe was the first one that I used, as well, and the only one I used for many years. We liked it as "hair soap" for many years, but it eventually become too drying for my husband's scalp so we use syndet shampoo bars now.

I also use an insulated box from ButcherBox as part of my soaping tools! When combined with a heating pad, it makes a great "oven" for gelling my soap. Great minds, etc. etc.

Thanks for the 'oven' idea. I live in a 19' travel trailer and don't have an oven with a light or anything like that. I had wrapped one of the BB sheets around & around the soap mold, so it was about 3 layers thick with no air, it got pretty hot, I think.

What about vinegar rinse? I saw the explanation that hair is a little acidic and soap is not, so rinse with vinegar.

I have a spray bottle of watered down organic acv that we spray our hair with - it comes out super soft and tangle-free. Our scalps are not itchy. I'm hoping that will avoid the drying effects of 5% super fat coconut oil. I am going to make a 20% super fat body bar. I just love the way coconut soap lathers!! (when you live in a tiny travel trailer you take your luxury where you can) (I do have a 'cabin' where I can sew/paint/glass but it doesn't have running water or an oven either LOL)

That happens here. A lot! Glad you could join us!
View attachment 75001

To be honest, we're all enablers here, so resistance is futile.

This thread is long but fun and informative. It may help you keep your output limited to a measly 50-60 bars...

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/thr...ou-give-to-your-beginning-soaping-self.62916/

Actually the better I get, the more I want to make. The best way to limit myself would be to make a bunch of failures LOL ... that might slow me down a bit.

 

[AliOop]

Thanks for the 'oven' idea. I live in a 19' travel trailer and don't have an oven with a light or anything like that. I had wrapped one of the BB sheets around & around the soap mold, so it was about 3 layers thick with no air, it got pretty hot, I think.

What about vinegar rinse? I saw the explanation that hair is a little acidic and soap is not, so rinse with vinegar.

I have a spray bottle of watered down organic acv that we spray our hair with - it comes out super soft and tangle-free. Our scalps are not itchy. I'm hoping that will avoid the drying effects of 5% super fat coconut oil. I am going to make a 20% super fat body bar. I just love the way coconut soap lathers!! (when you live in a tiny travel trailer you take your luxury where you can) (I do have a 'cabin' where I can sew/paint/glass but it doesn't have running water or an oven either LOL)

We did and often still do use a vinegar rinse. While it can help with scalp itchiness, unfortunately it does not offset the effect of the high pH of soap on the hair itself. Some folks can tolerate it, but many can't. Just watch carefully for signs of drying and breakage, and pivot quickly if you see that happening.

Also, IIRC, the higher SF bar is actually the one for hair. I eventually upped it to 20% which worked well for us for a long time (till it didn't). We also used it for our body, because we found the lower SF bars way too drying for our skin. Funny tho - we can use salt bars (100% CO + 50% salt, 20% SF) not to be drying at all. We are all different, so ya gotta find what works for you!

 

[PaintyLiz]

We did and often still do use a vinegar rinse. While it can help with scalp itchiness, unfortunately it does not offset the effect of the high pH of soap on the hair itself. Some folks can tolerate it, but many can't. Just watch carefully for signs of drying and breakage, and pivot quickly if you see that happening.

Also, IIRC, the higher SF bar is actually the one for hair. I eventually upped it to 20% which worked well for us for a long time (till it didn't). We also used it for our body, because we found the lower SF bars way too drying for our skin. Funny tho - we can use salt bars (100% CO + 50% salt, 20% SF) not to be drying at all. We are all different, so ya gotta find what works for you!

Can you shoot me a link to a good salt bar recipe? I've been wanting to try that! (I have a long list of trys, I'm a very trying person)

I keep thinking I can just load up one bar with everything I want in it LOL (Thus the charcoal/clay/aloe/veg bar LOL)

 

[AliOop]

If you use the Search function at the top of the page and plug in “salt bar” you will find lots of them here on SMF.

Do you know how to use a soap calculator? If so, you can plug my favorite salt bar into the calc to make any size recipe you want:

100% CO
20% SF
33% lye concentration

Blend to medium trace, then add salt at 50% of oil weight. Cure for 8+ months.

Note: any salt is fine EXCEPT NOT:

- Pink Himalayan (too sharp)

- Epsom or Dead Sea Salt (all the minerals will mess up your soap).

 

[PaintyLiz]

If you use the Search function at the top of the page and plug in “salt bar”
you will find lots of them here on SMF.

Do you know how to use a soap calculator? If so, you can plug my favorite salt bar into the calc make any size recipe you want:

100% CO
20% SF
33% lye concentration

Blend to medium trace, then add salt at 50% of oil weight. Cure for 8+ months.

Note: any salt is fine EXCEPT NOT:

- Pink Himalayan (too sharp)

- Epsom or Dead Sea Salt (all the minerals will mess up your soap).

Darn, I wanted to use the pink salt LOL. I saw one recipe where they dissolved the salt before adding the lye. That's what I was thinking about doing. Thanks for this! I have figured out how to use the calculator, but need to learn all the info presented.

Could this soap be done hot process so that it could be used sooner?

Thanks!

 

[Shelley D]

Darn, I wanted to use the pink salt LOL. I saw one recipe where they dissolved the salt before adding the lye. That's what I was thinking about doing. Thanks for this! I have figured out how to use the calculator, but need to learn all the info presented.

Could this soap be done hot process so that it could be used sooner?

Thanks!

Dissolving the salt first sounds like a brine or saltwater soap, which is different from salt soap, which has the salt mixed in the batter to feel "scrubby". For a brine soap recipe search "soleseife" or salt brine soap recipes. They are great soaps also, and their origins supposedly go back to old sailors who used the seawater for making soap while out at sea because that's what they had. Have fun!

 

[AliOop]

Could this soap be done hot process so that it could be used sooner?

You may find it rather difficult to keep your HP batter fluid enough to stir in all that salt. More importantly, hot processing only saves you about 72 hours - which is typically the max time that it would take for a CP bar to finish saponifying.

It is a myth, or perhaps just a misunderstanding, that an uncured bar of HP soap is equal to a cured CP bar. After saponification, it safe to use either soap, but it isn't ideal. Uncured soap will be harsher on the skin, and will melt away faster because of all the unevaporated water. Salt bars in particular need a very long cure in order for all that saponified coconut oil to become milder on the skin. I don't use my salt bars for at least 8 months, at which point the lather is soft and luxurious, yet not drying. After a year, these bars are amazing.

 

[PaintyLiz]

You may find it rather difficult to keep your HP batter fluid enough to stir in all that salt. More importantly, hot processing only saves you about 72 hours - which is typically the max time that it would take for a CP bar to finish saponifying.

It is a myth, or perhaps just a misunderstanding, that an uncured bar of HP soap is equal to a cured CP bar. After saponification, it safe to use either soap, but it isn't ideal. Uncured soap will be harsher on the skin, and will melt away faster because of all the unevaporated water. Salt bars in particular need a very long cure in order for all that saponified coconut oil to become milder on the skin. I don't use my salt bars for at least 8 months, at which point the lather is soft and luxurious, yet not drying. After a year, these bars are amazing.

Thank you for the clarification! As a total soapy newb, I really appreciate it. I raise rabbits & do sourdough and one of the first things I tell everyone who takes a rabbit or sourdough starter is DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING ON THE INTERNET - and soaping seems to be the same way, so hearing it directly from someone is great. Mostly I tell them it's much easier than it is presented, and I'm finding soaping to be similar, thank heaven.

I've been using the bars I made almost immediately because I need them. But I am building a stash of bars that will have a chance to age before use. Can't wait!

This is a fantastic site, so glad I found all you smart people! Glad it's not on fb - I don't do fb - won't give zucker any more money to destroy our country with. Seems to be the only place to sell stuff tho.