*waves* Hello from the UK

[Picklekin]

Hello folks,

I've already made a few posts but figured it would be nice to say hello.

I always used to be into crafts but somehow I lost interest.. about a year or so my crafty mojo came back with a BANG. I finally discovered soap, after looking into ways to be more environmental.

I'm already hooked, I've been reading and watching YouTube videos almost obsessively (I have ADHD and have been very hyperfocused!).

I've been plotting and plotting and yesterday I made my very first soap!

I think my oils got a bit too cold and cloudy so it was hard to see emulsion... I went too far and got a gloopy mess

I managed to slop in into my moulds and even though they are ugly I'm so ridiculously proud of my very first batch:



And yes, I know I was supposed to start with a sensible, unscented and uncolored recipe... But I'm a rebel at heart heh heh

So it's nice to meet you all and I look forward to chatting with you and showing you all more of my ugly creations!

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum. If you would post your recipe, we might be able to help with suggestions.

 

[AliOop]

Welcome!

 

[Babyshoes]

Welcome!

I totally understand your impatience with colour and scent in your first batch - mine had both an essential oil and a swirl, of sorts! It turned into a glop and stir rather than what I had intended, but I was still incredibly proud of it!

Keep to a single colour *or* fragrance for the next few batches though, it really will help with perfecting the recipe and learning about trace.

Any batch which results in useable soap, however ugly, is not a fail. You made soap!

If it's not useable, it should at least be a learning experience.

Just remember to make small batches to avoid wasting ingredients when you have those learning moments!

 

[TheGecko]

Congratulations on making soap! And welcome to the rabbit hole.

Since you are in the UK, I HIGHLY recommend watching Lisa with I Dream in Soap. Along with her regular "look at what I made today" videos, she has tons of videos on the basics of soap making. And she has a great sense of humor and so they are fun to watch. And she is happy to answer questions.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Welcome - and you soap looks like soap to me! It should get you clean too, with some luck

 

[gardengeek]

Welcome from Florida

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I've been plotting and plotting and yesterday I made my very first soap!

CONGRATULATIONS! AND WELCOME TO SMF!

I've been reading and watching YouTube videos almost obsessively

YouTube videos can often be misleading. Reading is good and there's lots to learn.

ADVICE TO BEGINNERS

PS: All babies are beautiful. That applies to our soapy creations as well. I like your spirit!

 

[TheGecko]

YouTube videos can often be misleading. Reading is good and there's lots to learn.

The whole 'stick blending' deal. I was a bit on the slow side to comprehend that a lot of these folks are 1) making much larger batches than I was and thus required more SBing, 2) not all stick blenders run at the same speed, and 3) often times they are 'stirring' with the stick blender, not actually 'blending'. Once I figured that out, I had less 'pudding'. LOL

You also have to look at where the person is literally coming from...specifically where they live. Soap making in the US is not the same as soap making in the UK is not the same as soap making in Taiwan is not the same as soaping in Australia and so on an so forth. There are things we can do here in the US that we can't in the UK and so you need to be conscience of what your laws are. And speaking of the UK...one of the reasons why I recommend Lisa w/I Dream In Soap is that the rules for her are different than they are for Tiggy w/Future Primitive Soap and Karen w/Edens Secret because both of them are grandfathered in under older rules.

And then there are folks who just don't care about what they are doing or saying. I got into a bit of a 'discussion' with someone on the FB group about her HP'd Castile Soap that she posted about on the 13th and said she sold on the 18th. I asked her how long she cured her soap and she said: "as hot process they are cooked once I put them in the mold… the process takes about 1/1/2 hours.. totally satisfying" and "it’s best to leave them in the curing cupboard for about 3 days but are perfectly safe to use immediately" and "Once the saponification process has been achieved and completed it is as I say Safe. People can be worried that it isn’t safe to use. With Hp , safety is a large issue and needs to be taken great notice of."

You can guess my response and then I just quit after another person attacked me.