What advice would you give to your beginning soaping self?

[Carl]

I need an answer about spritzing alcohol on bars of soap to get rid of the forming soda ash: Do you spry it on the wet soap batter, or after you
see it forming on the bars after a few days of curing?

I've been spraying it on right after I pour. It's supposed to act like a barrier so it doesn't form.

My question would be if you were selling this bar of soap, do you now need to include alcohol in the ingredient list?

 

[shunt2011]

I need an answer about spritzing alcohol on bars of soap to get rid of the forming soda ash: Do you spry it on the wet soap batter, or after you
see it forming on the bars after a few days of curing?

I spray it as soon as I’m done pouring it into the mold. I then add my glitter and cover it and keep it covered until I’m ready to cut it. Now, some soap/fragrances still like to ash. It’s usually pretty light though and I just embrace it.

 

[Dawni]

My question would be if you were selling this bar of soap, do you now need to include alcohol in the ingredient list?

I've never bought a handmade CP or HP soap that listed alcohol..

Advice:
Do your research. Do not plunge into soapmaking without doing at least some reading. Basic lye calculator usage, basic equipment, basic terms, basic recipes, basic "rules" and such. Having all your ingredients does not mean you're ready to soap. I did a ton of research and still messed my first batch up lol

High conditioning does not equate to moisturizing.. Soap will not do that. A better term will be "non drying." Less cleansing is better to watch for.

If using any milk as 100% of your liquid, do not add your lye to completely frozen milk to decrease chances of lye chunks in your soap. Slushy milk is better. But even better is adding lye to water and add the milk as the rest of your liquid to your fats.

 

[shunt2011]

Alcohol evaporates. Don’t have to list it so I don’t understand your comment to that affect.

And, people do add alcohol in the form of wine.

 

[SaltedFig]

I've been spraying it on right after I pour. It's supposed to act like a barrier so it doesn't form.

My question would be if you were selling this bar of soap, do you now need to include alcohol in the ingredient list?

It would depend on your local labeling laws.

Here it would need to be included:
"Any ingredient, regardless of concentration, that has a technical or functional effect in the cosmetic must be listed as an ingredient."

In Australia, for @shunt2011's example, where an alcoholic beverage is already in the ingredients list, ethanol wouldn't need to be added as an additional ingredient, under the Incidental Ingredients clause (see page 5) https://www.productsafety.gov.au/system/files/731_Ingredients labelling on cosmetics_Supplier Guide_FA4.pdf

If the alcohol being sprayed was a different alcohol (like isopropyl alcohol), here it would need to be included as an ingredient.

Australian labelling: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/australian-soap-making-regulations.65334/
American labelling: https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/fda-links-soap-vs-cosmetic-vs-drug-labeling-claims-etc.3583/

 

[KiwiMoose]

Thanks for bumping @Zany - this thread has been very helpful. Alas - I already have a cupboard full of supplies and a head full of ideas. However, I justify this by knowing that some of my suppliers will be closed for a week or more over the Christmas/New year period so OF COURSE I need to ensure I had enough to make soap every day over the holidays.

 

[Dean]

Whoa...where to start? Much of what I learned was stated to me by the veterans but I had to validate with experimentation. In no particular order...

1. A well balanced recipie needs a lil CO for lather but not too much so that its drying, lots of soy wax for hardness and insolubility, a touch of castor for lather stability and a high oleic oil filler.

2. SF prevents a lye heavy soap but does not moisterize.

3. Soap is a wash off product. The SF, expensive oils and butters don’t remain on the skin. They get washed down the drain.

4. There’s is no shortcut to a 6 wk cure.

5. Make ur life easier by investing in a silicone mold sooner rather than later.

The one thing I did get right was finding SMF at the beginning of my soaping journey.

 

[Dawni]

5. Make ur life easier by investing in a silicone mold sooner rather than later.

LOL I posted above the opposite if this.. Goes to show how each soaper is so different in so many ways.

The one thing I did get right was finding SMF at the beginning of my soaping journey.

Yesss! Me too.. And so glad I found this forum.

 

[TeresaGG]

Whoa...where to start? Much of what I learned was stated to me by the veterans but I had to validate with experimentation. In no particular order...

1. A well balanced recipie needs a lil CO for lather but not too much so that its drying, lots of SW for hardness and insolubility, a touch of castor for lather longevity and a high oleic oil filler.

2. SF prevents a lye heavy soap but does not moisterize.

3. Soap is a wash off product. The SF, expensive oils and butters get washed down the drain.

4. There’s no shortcut to a 6 wk cure.

5. Make ur life easier by investing in a silicone mold sooner rather than later.

The one thing I did get right was finding SMF at the beginning of my soaping journey.

In your #1 what do you mean by SW? I can't find it in abbreviations and acronyms post.

 

[Carl]

Lye is not scary. Sometimes. Lol

Wash with water and not vinegar if an accident occurs and you get lye on your skin. Vinegar is ok for utensils, counter tops, etc.

Always dissolve your salt and sugar in your liquid before adding sodium hydroxide (I HP).

You will not always get the named stages while your batter is in the slow cooker so don't overcook your soap while waiting for said stages (pudding, mashed potato, vaseline, etc.) that won't appear.

You don't need to wait til the very end Vaseline stage before you pour because it sometimes might be too late. Semi-translucency is enough coz saponification will continue in the mold.

Do not invest in soap loaf molds if they're expensive where you're from because milk cartons work like a dream (smooth sides and edges even for HP) and so do Pringles cans. Besides, recycling is always better and those are no longer single-use lol (technically)

Unlined Pringles cans can be reused if you let the soap harden enough (no soap stuck on mine, twice) before pushing it out. That means you'll need a small hole at the bottom that you cover up while the soap inside is still wet. And, gravity is your friend. I held mine upside down long enough and the soap slid out lol

I'm sure over time I'll have a lot more to add here since I'm still a newbie to soaping but see what all I've learned just being here!

Are you using the old cardboard milk cartons? Or the newer plastic ones? All milk here is now sold in plastic. I haven't seen a cardboard milk carton in years.

 

[TeresaGG]

Are you using the old cardboard milk cartons? Or the newer plastic ones? All milk here is now sold in plastic. I haven't seen a cardboard milk carton in years.

Here most milk is sold in the plastic. However during this holiday season most egg nog comes in cardboard cartons

 

[Dean]

In your #1 what do you mean by SW? I can't find it in abbreviations and acronyms post.

Soy wax...the alternative to rainforest habitat destroying palm oil.

 

[Dawni]

Are you using the old cardboard milk cartons? Or the newer plastic ones? All milk here is now sold in plastic. I haven't seen a cardboard milk carton in years.

Here we still have loads.. UHT milk here comes in cartons.. Also soy, almond, etc.. There's a milk carton thread, with pics if wanna join in haha
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/milk-cartons.72660

 

[Hendejm]

Patience!!!!!!!! I tell myself all the time....WAIT.....don’t cut that soap yet, don’t use it yet, don’t give it away yet, don’t make soap yet (oils or lye too hot), don’t think you can make those fancy swirls and designs that you see on YouTube videos yet......the list goes on and on!

 

[Lesley Susan Madigan]

Let's see

Well,
And yes I've made all of these

Be mean when adding colours and fragrances. A little really does go a long way

When microwaving base, don't set it for a minute on high power unless you like scraping burnt plastic and soap off your kitchen worktips

Make sure you've got enough to fill the moulds you want to fill

Whilst it's lovely to sit back and wait for the finished soap to cool down. Make sure everything is washed up before you do

 

[nonna oakie]

Carl & Shunt: thank you very much for answering my alcohol question. No, I do not sell, just give...I just hate that ash on my pretty soap!!

 

[For-U]

Making soap for the first time is not going to be perfect. It gets better over time as I learn the ins and outs of soap making. Be patient and open to learn from the wise ones.

 

[Hendejm]

Make sure everything is washed up before you do

Ditto that for me! I HATE washing up after. I tell myself it’s better to wait till it’s hardened.....but I know better!

 

[Misschief]

Ditto that for me! I HATE washing up after. I tell myself it’s better to wait till it’s hardened.....but I know better!

It actually IS easier to wait 24-48 hours to wash up after making soap. It becomes soap on your dishes, not an oily mass of potentially lye-heavy goop.

 

[Hendejm]

Yay!!!!!!! That means I’m not just lazy?