What advice would you give to your beginning soaping self?

[KiwiMoose]

Put something down to protect your Formica counter top - a silicone sheet or something that soap batter won't seep through. The Lye/oil is still very alkali before it cures and any spillages result in fuzzy marks that don't wipe off.

 

[penelopejane]

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!

I think Lesley is talking about M&P which you have to clean up quickly.

It is easier to wait to clean up CP soap.

 

[Misschief]

I think Lesley is talking about M&P which you have to clean up quickly.

It is easier to wait to clean up CP soap.

I saw that after I'd responded.

 

[Anglezarke]

I've made about 10 batches now, so still very early days, but the biggest thing I would do if I could rewind is BUY LESS even if it is slightly more expensive pro-rata. I went out and bought big batches of Sweet Almond, and Palm, oils. Now the Palm is RSPO certified but I've decided that I'd rather go totally palm free, so I need to decide what to do with these couple of kilos of palm (will probably use them). The Sweet Almond is fantastic but again a couple of kilos, and I'm concerned about shelf life on this one, I wished I had bought smaller quantities so I'm not racing to use it against the clock to evade DOS.

So, yes, buy smaller quantities!

 

[Dean]

I've made about 10 batches now, so still very early days, but the biggest thing I would do if I could rewind is BUY LESS even if it is slightly more expensive pro-rata. I went out and bought big batches of Sweet Almond, and Palm, oils. Now the Palm is RSPO certified but I've decided that I'd rather go totally palm free, so I need to decide what to do with these couple of kilos of palm (will probably use them). The Sweet Almond is fantastic but again a couple of kilos, and I'm concerned about shelf life on this one, I wished I had bought smaller quantities so I'm not racing to use it against the clock to evade DOS.

So, yes, buy smaller quantities!

I refrigerate my almond oil to delay spoilage.

Might as well use the palm oil since you bought it. I hate waste...especially of products that adversely impacts animals or the environment. Perhaps use higher quantities of the palm oil to get through the stock and switch to an alternative sooner. Commercial vegan soap is 80% palm.

Welcome to the Palm-free Club!

 

[Anglezarke]

Thanks, good suggestion to use it up as quick as possible. I toyed with going lard - cheap, it works well, it's a by-product, etc, but will probably go shea. Thanks for the freezing tip as well, I'm preferring SA to OO from early experiences.

 

[Dean]

Thanks, good suggestion to use it up as quick as possible. I toyed with going lard - cheap, it works well, it's a by-product, etc, but will probably go shea. Thanks for the freezing tip as well, I'm preferring SA to OO from early experiences.

If you don't have issues with soybeans, soy wax is a cheap alternative to palm. You have to use a lot of shea to get the same hardness as SW. I've used both shea and SW together too.

I've always used SA instead of OO.

 

[Anglezarke]

Just looked at the pricing on soy wax and it looks agreeable so thank you, I will consider on next purchase.

 

[Meena]

Just looked at the pricing on soy wax and it looks agreeable so thank you, I will consider on next purchase.

Just keep in mind the high melt temp of SW, since you haven't used it before. You may have to soap warmer than you may have previously done, so your recipe doesn't go too fast. Rustic soap is okay too, though.
I'm sure you can lean on @Dean for tips and questions ...

 

[Madelyn Cole]

Great, great advice, thank you all!

 

[Donee']

I ahve a suggestion
Because i dont do the long sleeve shirt or anything but I do invest in sleeve protectors - they are light weight and only cover arms - you should be able to pick them up in the welding section of the hardware store or in any place that supplies catering stuff (like the caps etc).
I also dont do the contstant thermometre thing - I just go by room temp - but then i havent tried HP yet - it scares the bejizzles out of me.

 

[LaToya]

I have been going through many of the threads and trying to learn as much as possible from others questions.

Some of the advice seems to be fairly straightforward, like:

• Don't use glass for lye solution
• Don't use wooden utensils because they'll break down over time
• Soap needs 4-6 weeks to cure (unless it is castle, which needs a year)
• Wear goggles/gloves/long sleeves/pants
• Document your recipes well, so you can recreate the good ones (via Bumbleklutz)
• Run all your recipes through a lye calculator (via Bumbleklutz)
• Use Metric for better accuracy in soapmaking (via kchaystach)

But some of it is very nuanced and only seems to come up during a specific conversation, like:

• You can save a lot of money at the dollar store for soaping supplies, but use plastic with a #5 on the bottom (via Obsidian)
• Measure fragrance and essential oils in glass - not plastic (via Obsidian)
• Rice Bran and Safflower oil goes rancid (via kchaystack)
• Setting soap in a mold under an A/C fan can lead to soda ash, or
• Drying soap on paper shopping bags can smell like dog

If you could go back in time to give yourself as a beginner some advice on soapmaking, what would it be?

So I saw a huge one that just caught my eye. Why shouldn't we use glass for our Lye solutions? Currently I use my glass measuring cup.

 

[amd]

Glass will etch and eventually shatter.

 

[Meena]

Yes, and the etching will not be visible to you... so one day, there could be an unhappy accident. Since lye is seriously dangerous, this situation is best avoided, and can be, by using #5 plastic pitchers or a stainless steel pitcher for the solution itself, and a sturdy plastic or stainless steel bowl or pot for mixing the lye into your melted oils.

Also, do not get lye in contact with an aluminum vessel or a high-aluminum alloyed steel because it reacts with aluminum to create flammable (and potentially explosive) hydrogen gas. It's also capable of dissolving the aluminum. Those are the take-aways from the below, in case the rest of this post makes anyone's eyes want to glaze over.

""This quoted from a German website:

"Under normal circumstances, aluminum does not react with water, as an impermeable protective layer composed of aluminum hydroxide either forms within seconds or is already in place. With the addition of sodium hydroxide, the formation of a protective layer is prevented. With the production of aluminates [ Al(OH)4 ]-, the amphoteric (capable of acting as either an acid or a base) aluminum hydroxide Al(OH)3goes in solution:

2 Al + 6 H2O --> 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 H2

Al(OH)3 + NaOH --> Na+ + [ Al(OH)4 ]-

A layer of aluminum oxide previously formed by passive corrosion is dissolved by the addition of sodium hydroxide. For this reason, the reaction takes place at the beginning relatively slowly:

Al2O3 + 2 NaOH + 3 H2O --> 2 Na+ + 2 [ Al(OH)4 ]-

The aluminum completely dissolves and the water acts here too as an acid (for an analog, see Experiment 4.4.1).

This reaction is used in drain cleaners. They are mostly made out of strong alkalis, to which alumunim or zinc has been added. The alkalis break down organic residues chemically. In addition, the formation of hydrogen leads to a bubbling effect which adds an additional mechanical cleaning mechanism."

The big problem here is the formation of hydrogen gas (as well as some heat). The hydrogen gas is flammable, and if it's in a closed container, will explode.""

 

[LaToya]

Oh wow I'm glad someone told me thanks!

 

[melinda48]

I'm glad you shared this, because I've been eyeing some molds.. What do you find yourself using instead?

I just bought some to use as embeds. Hope I didn’t make a mistake. At least they were not awfully expensive!

 

[newlife]

Stay basic. Buy small amounts of the items you need and make small batches at first. This will help you understand the process and the qualities of the soaps you made to decide if it’s what you like. Try different recipes in small batches until you find “the one”. Then you can start experimenting with additives . Always follow safety guidelines and just generally have fun. If you continue to educate yourself by reading and experimenting it will become easier. I don’t know anybody who’s first or even 2nd or third came out perfect. Part of the joy is experimenting and finding your uniqueness. Don’t fret failures, they are learning experiences.

 

[Cherrydene soapy]

Wow loads of great advice, I have spent the whole evening reading all your lovely words of encouragement. After 3 weeks of soap making,reading lots and watching loads I have learnt to write everything down, wear all the right gear, make sure I have no distractions and check then double check all my ingredients.
I have given my hubby my bank card so I don’t spend too much money on items I don’t need, I suppose the good thing about living in the UK is there is not the choice of online suppliers that the USA have. I struggle to find soap moulds or a good selection of fragrance oils and I can’t find a supplier that sales a decent soap cutter anywhere, my knife skills are getting much better. I could order from BB but the shipping is very expensive.
I am starting simple and small and can’t wait to take my first soap bar into the shower.
I have never been apart of a forum before so this experience is new to me however ‘ what an experience ‘ thank you so much for allowing me to be apart of this great big family.

 

[Meena]

When I joined here, I read this whole thread within the first day or two, and want to give a #ShoutOut to @HowieRoll for this:

"One thing that really resonates with me (now) is what toxikon wrote, to start with small batch sizes. My first batch involved 39.5oz of oils and 63 total oz of soap batter (incl. liquid, lye, additives, etc). It was way, way too much, especially since the soap is just okay but now what I make is alot better (ok, in my humble opinion)."

Several members said the same thing and I definitely recommend 1 pound batches or just slightly more. My homemade slab mold holds about 18.5 ounces.

As much as I have whined about not filling molds, it has been a blessing, since none of my 7 cured recipes, although better than store bought I've been using, none are soaps I would make the same again. I feel so lucky to only have 5 or 6 bars each instead of 12 - 17.

Every time I think I want to finally make a large batch, The Invisible Hand (just not Adam Smith's) somehow miraculously prevents my folly; I post my soap and gripe about the mold not being filled again, and later realize that the recipe was still not there yet. Thank you, God. _/\_

 

[Susie]

Organize before the lye hits the oils. I set up my color(s) and scent(s), all ready to go at emulsion or trace and merely have to pour out of the small glass bowl into the soap.

There's no such thing as a color or scent error. You meant to do that. Give it a clever name and people will adore it--they can't see the image you had in your head.

Every batch can be saved. Hot Process Hero from Soap Queen will save almost every batch of soap if you can figure out what went wrong.

^^^This!!! There are no mistakes. Just happy accidents. Some of the best designs I have done were not originally intended.