Starting CP soon. Any tips?

[bjbarrick]

My wonderful husband bought stuff for me to start making CP. I've watched many videos and read a lot of articles about it. But I thought it would be a good idea to get advice from all of you too. Thanks for your help

 

[neeners]

welcome to the wonderful and addicting world of CP soap making. my advice is on top of all the videos you've watched, read through the threads on the forum. lots of questions, answers and tips already contained in here (esp the stickies). good luck!

 

[bjbarrick]

welcome to the wonderful and addicting world of CP soap making. my advice is on top of all the videos you've watched, read through the threads on the forum. lots of questions, answers and tips already contained in here (esp the stickies). good luck!

Thanks I'm kinda nervous but can't wait to give it a try.

 

[dixiedragon]

My number one tip - put your scale in a Ziploc bag. You can use it while it is still in the bag, and it will protect it from oil and lye spills.

If you don't have a scale yet, you need a food scale, not a postal scale. Postal scales are not always built to accuratly measure an increasing weight - such as if you are pouring oil into a bowl. Food scales are. You can get a decent on at BB&B. Dont' forget a coupon!

 

[bjbarrick]

My number one tip - put your scale in a Ziploc bag. You can use it while it is still in the bag, and it will protect it from oil and lye spills.

If you don't have a scale yet, you need a food scale, not a postal scale. Postal scales are not always built to accuratly measure an increasing weight - such as if you are pouring oil into a bowl. Food scales are. You can get a decent on at BB&B. Dont' forget a coupon!

That is a really good idea. Thanks, I wouldn't have thought of that!

 

[songwind]

Speaking as a fellow newer soaper, I know you'll probably be excited to try the product. You will be told that your soap has to cure 4-6 weeks. This is not exactly true.

Once the initial cure is done (48 hours, as far as I know) and it passes a pH or zap test, you can use the soap. It will be wetter and softer than it will be in a few more weeks, and will be used up faster. The dryer bar will perform better, too. But it's safe to try out and satisfy your curiosity.

I generally try a piece after two weeks and let the rest of it dry for a couple more weeks.

Edit: Got schooled on actual cure time.

 

[bjbarrick]

Speaking as a fellow newer soaper, I know you'll probably be excited to try the product. You will be told that your soap has to cure 4-6 weeks. This is not exactly true.

Once the initial cure is done (2 weeks, as far as I know) and it passes a pH or zap test, you can use the soap. It will be wetter and softer than it will be in a few more weeks, and will be used up faster. The dryer bar will probably perform somewhat better, too. But it's safe to try out and satisfy your curiosity.

I generally try a piece and let the rest of it dry for a couple more weeks.

I know I'm gonna be curious lol. So how exactly do you do a ph test?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Speaking as a fellow newer soaper, I know you'll probably be excited to try the product. You will be told that your soap has to cure 4-6 weeks. This is not exactly true.

Once the initial cure is done (2 weeks, as far as I know) and it passes a pH or zap test, you can use the soap. It will be wetter and softer than it will be in a few more weeks, and will be used up faster. The dryer bar will probably perform somewhat better, too. But it's safe to try out and satisfy your curiosity.

I generally try a piece and let the rest of it dry for a couple more weeks.

Well, this is also not technically true, although I'm unsure what you mean by initial cure being 2 weeks.

The saponification process is over relatively quickly - for soaps that aren't kept cool after pouring, it'll be around 24 hours. After that it's "safe" to use, but will be a far cry from the actual finished product after a good 4 week cure, and might even just fall apart in the shower.

I admit, I did also use a bar a few days after cutting, just to see what it's like. But I certainly wouldn't try to judge the quality of the soap on that basis at all.

 

[shunt2011]

The saponification process is done generally in 24-48 hours. If you have zappy soap much after that you probably have a problem. So the information that it take 2 weeks is not fact. Also, you can use your soap after 24 hours but you will get a much better bar of soap after 4 weeks. It will give it time for it to dry out and become a better bar. I highly recommend a good scale, stick blender, gloves and eye cover. Make sure any pots and utensils are stainless or silicone.

Final suggestion is just have fun with it.

 

[Lin]

Ooo, quality goggles. The ones my bf and I got are pretty crappy ones from the dollar store. As a result I had to rig them so they weren't eyeballs-popping-out tight for my bf, and on my tiny head they felt tight. And they were lousy to see through too. Probably even worse for me because I wore them over glasses. So thats one thing we definitely wish we had better quality! We're going to get better ones.

 

[pamielynn]

Don't wear your favorite pink sweatshirt while soaping

 

[bjbarrick]

Thanks for all the advice everyone. I'm so anxious to give it a try.

 

[PinkCupcake]

Wear your gloves & goggles whenever you are handling lye, or anything with raw soap in or on it.

 

[bjbarrick]

Don't wear your favorite pink sweatshirt while soaping

Lol I'll be sure not to

 

[Susie]

My best tips are these:

1. Learning is a process. You will make mistakes. Make small batches at first, and have this site bookmarked to come ask questions. These folks are marvelous! When you do make mistakes, don't beat yourself up or give up.

2. Protective equipment is paramount. I start my oils heating, then glove and goggle for everything else. Without fail! (I have a scar from splattered lye on my forearm to remind me.)

3. If you see a video on YouTube and want to try the recipe, do 2 things first: run it through a lye calculator, and come check here to see what problems someone had before you, and what to do about it. Learn from others' problems, not your own.

 

[songwind]

I know I'm gonna be curious lol. So how exactly do you do a ph test?

I have pH testing strips (actually a roll of the material that you just rip a piece off like tape) that I use. For a bar of soap you need to get the surface wet and rub up a bit of lather so it has something that can soak into the paper and react w/ the chemicals to produce the color change.

You can also buy phenolphthalein, which turns pink in the presence of alkali (lye or caustic potash, for our purposes). When it stops turning pink you know your soap is at or close to neutral and safe for skin.

I also edited my original comment to incorporate the info from the other users about cure time. I got the 2 week idea from a book, I believe, so I've never use a bar earlier than that. The difference between a your end product and a 2-day old bar vs. a 2-week old bar is sure to be more drastic, so I wouldn't try them out after just a couple of days.

 

[bjbarrick]

I have pH testing strips (actually a roll of the material that you just rip a piece off like tape) that I use. For a bar of soap you need to get the surface wet and rub up a bit of lather so it has something that can soak into the paper and react w/ the chemicals to produce the color change.



You can also buy phenolphthalein, which turns pink in the presence of alkali (lye or caustic potash, for our purposes). When it stops turning pink you know your soap is at or close to neutral and safe for skin.



I also edited my original comment to incorporate the info from the other users about cure time. I got the 2 week idea from a book, I believe, so I've never use a bar earlier than that. The difference between a your end product and a 2-day old bar vs. a 2-week old bar is sure to be more drastic, so I wouldn't try them out after just a couple of days.

Oh ok. Thanks. I'll have to find some test strips

 

[new12soap]

Oh ok. Thanks. I'll have to find some test strips

Sorry but I disagree. Because of the surfactant nature of soap, ph strips are notoriously inaccurate. No need to waste the time or money.

 

[bjbarrick]

Sorry but I disagree. Because of the surfactant nature of soap, ph strips are notoriously inaccurate. No need to waste the time or money.

Then how am I supposed to check the ph?

 

[new12soap]

Then how am I supposed to check the ph?

you really really REALLY don't need to test the pH of your soap, the zap test is more than sufficient to make sure your soap is not lye heavy. Make sure you measure accurately and use some level of superfat in your recipe. Beyond that pH really doesn't matter.

If you absolutely MUST test the pH of your soaps, buy a very good pH meter, learn how to use it correctly (and dissolve your soap completely in water) and keep the meter well calibrated.