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Watched one of hers this morning, she stored her soap on a wire rack, that's a no no, I'm not sure how experienced she is, if that's one thing she is doing.
Where did you learn to soap?
- Thread starter Jackie H
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I saw the wire racks in one of her videos a while back and wondered the same. Maybe they're coated? She didn't have the patron exclusive stuff going on back when I was watching her videos trying to figure out stuff like lye concentration, lining a mold, scaling recipes to fit any mold... Those were the videos I found most helpful because that was the info missing in all the books I had read. The rest I was content to learn hands on after all the years of reading. Lots of trial and error... And graham cracker boxes! I used all sorts of boxes trying to figure out my favorite size soap bar before DH and one of my boys made me my first loaf mold.
The horned ones made me do it too!!! It all stared with I wonder if I can do this? I found this forum very early in my journey, and got a few books. I learned the most on this forum from @AliOop ( she doesn’t know it but I look to her as a mentor) @KiwiMoose and the Classic Bells website. Then I found I dream in soap YouTube videos and that’s my go to for designs.
Now I have 6 carts of soap supplies, a kitchen island full of soap mold and tools, a fancy printer, snuck in a cricut (but honey we can make mugs and tee shirts for Christmas gifts) 4 dairy goats (because they need friends) 300 bars of soap, 3 tubs of soap ends. My husbands new nickname for me is Oppenheimer lol
Now I have 6 carts of soap supplies, a kitchen island full of soap mold and tools, a fancy printer, snuck in a cricut (but honey we can make mugs and tee shirts for Christmas gifts) 4 dairy goats (because they need friends) 300 bars of soap, 3 tubs of soap ends. My husbands new nickname for me is Oppenheimer lol
A gateway soap!!!!I just love handmade goat milk soap, and was a regular purchaser from my favorite maker. Forever and ever I would tell my friends that once I retire, I’m going to make it myself. Well, one of my friends got me a M&P goat milk soap kit for Christmas and said why wait, go for it. I tried M&P for a while but it turned out to being a gateway soap. Soon I started researching CP soap. I watched soap queen videos and read her site from top to bottom, and did research here for a few months before I ordered some BB supplies and made my first batch with a BB quick mix. Needless to say, I was hooked, and this forum and the amazing members have helped me so much, and I continue to learn from being here.
At first, I kept saying I ONLY make soap - hahahahhaaaa - now I love making other bath & body things, too.
I’d been doing M&P for years but was afraid to to cold process, but I made a New Year’s resolution this year to try it. I watched about a bazillion YouTube videos, mainly Lisa from I Dream in Soap, Holly, from Holly’s Soapmaking, and Elly from Elly’s Everyday Soapmaking. I also bought a couple of beginner’s books (can’t recall what they are at the moment) and started with a few kits from Bramble Berry. The rest is history. I’m now a complete addict.
I forgot Soap Queen videos. Watched a LOT of those.
YouTube!! I started with channels devoted to MP. But of course, the algorithm also tried to show me soap channels for CP soap. The thought of using lie really freaked me out so I stuck with MP soaps for a couple of Christmases. Then I saw Holly’s channel and I dived in.
Made a lot of mistakes but having a great time!!
Made a lot of mistakes but having a great time!!
I think a lot of people started with MP. I didn't even know about MP until after I was making CP. Once I learned about MP and looked into it further, I thought of it as using a boxed cake mix instead of baking a cake from scratch. Now, I know better. There are threads here that show how truly unique both CP and MP are and yet how amazeballs the 2 processes are when combined.YouTube!! I started with channels devoted to MP. But of course, the algorithm also tried to show me soap channels for CP soap. The thought of using lie really freaked me out so I stuck with MP soaps for a couple of Christmases. Then I saw Holly’s channel and I dived in.
Me too. I started before internet was even a thing.... shhhh, don't tell!! I was tanning deer hides to sell at a Tribal Pow Wow and met a lot of different people with a lot of different skill sets. Soaping was one of many different skills I learned in those years. 
Neat-o! We've tried tanning goat hides and rabbit hides. I think I'll stick with soapmaking...
Leather from goat hide!! Beautiful grainNeat-o! We've tried tanning goat hides and rabbit hides. I think I'll stick with soapmaking...
. Do you remember the rabbit fur coat craze in the '70's? Unfortunately, hunters nowadays don't take a mind to preserve the hides for tanning... Which is so sad.
I have teenage daughters who are interested in hide tanning. We don't have the right tools for the job, nor a space to work. We are visual learners which makes it hard to get what we need from books. We have 10 young goats on the butcher schedule this fall, and I would love it if we could process their hides, too. Maybe we can find a mentor to help us get started. The last ones we attempted ended up rotting in the barn.Leather from goat hide!! Beautiful grain
I'm not quite old enough to remember anything from the 70s. Almost, but not quite! My sister tried tanning rabbit hides in the 90s. They didn't rot, but they did turn into unusable fur boards!
My daughter now raises Angora rabbits for their fiber that we use in hand spinning and needle felting. Rabbit fur is SO luxurious with or without the hides!
My son's science fair project got me into soap making... We started out with Melt & Pours, but he wanted to do more for the fair and be a "real" soapmaker. We went on a deep dive — books from the library, blogs and YouTube. Then a friend who has a soap business very kindly made time for us and took us to her workshop. It was a humble facility but clearly, she and her husband had spent a lot of time and effort building it. It was wonderfully functional and personal. What inspired us was that she didn't mind sharing knowledge and contacts — for her, it was more important to educate and spread the healthy/organic lifestyle than turning a profit.
After that session, the boy and I felt a bit more emboldened
We're fans of Elly's Everyday too and her coconut oil soap was his first CP soap attempt! We were actually watching an episode of Law & Order Criminal Intent while laying out ingredients and the first scene was of a lady being murdered with lye exploding in her face! Needless to say, we learnt to be very cautious!
I took lessons when I visited Singapore as well [my son could not as he is under age... rules!] and this forum has been a big part of my learning journey. I'm still such a newbie, so I've gained so much from the discussions here.
After that session, the boy and I felt a bit more emboldened
We're fans of Elly's Everyday too and her coconut oil soap was his first CP soap attempt! We were actually watching an episode of Law & Order Criminal Intent while laying out ingredients and the first scene was of a lady being murdered with lye exploding in her face! Needless to say, we learnt to be very cautious! I took lessons when I visited Singapore as well [my son could not as he is under age... rules!] and this forum has been a big part of my learning journey. I'm still such a newbie, so I've gained so much from the discussions here.
Elise,I was taught the very basis by a friend. He introduced me to soapcalc and how to use predissolved lye.
Then I did my own research to create soaps that I like a bit more and add other ingredients like goat milk, honey, infusions... Use citric acid, sugar, salt, wax...
I read a lot of websites and blogs and of course this forum. I also watched soapmaking videos on youtube. I can't soap very often for various reasons so I have time to make researches or just watch videos for fun and still learn bits by doing so.
I learned that there is a lot of misinformation about soapmaking. Or beliefs that have just never been properly researched. I find that it is best to learn from various sources and always check what someone else has to say on something you just learned. And when in doubt, ask here on this forum
Why do you add wax? I’m trying to better my recipe thank you
I started in the mid-nineties. I react to several commercial soaps and also a lot of high-end face and body wash and shampoo products. SLS is a big problem for me, as it turns out. Dish soap can be a problem too, thankfully I have a dishwasher.
That, and EDTA. I react badly.
My sister had seen a recipe in a newspaper (by volume!) and cut it out and sent it to me. I tried it and was hooked. I went to my local library and got out every single soap making book they had and did a lot of learning.
I don’t make a lot of soap these days, following a surgery a couple of years ago I got out of the habit, and only make it a few times a year now. It’s about time I make some more.
I have noticed that I am less creative these days too (probably too busy in my new job) and stick to some tried-and-true formulas/moulds which are a bit generic.
I need to play a bit more and get back into experimenting/learning mode.
That, and EDTA. I react badly.
My sister had seen a recipe in a newspaper (by volume!) and cut it out and sent it to me. I tried it and was hooked. I went to my local library and got out every single soap making book they had and did a lot of learning.
I don’t make a lot of soap these days, following a surgery a couple of years ago I got out of the habit, and only make it a few times a year now. It’s about time I make some more.
I have noticed that I am less creative these days too (probably too busy in my new job) and stick to some tried-and-true formulas/moulds which are a bit generic.
I need to play a bit more and get back into experimenting/learning mode.
To add hardness to bars mainly. I use a lot of liquid oils. I find that it also make the soap last longer and be gentler. If you want to try it I advise you to research "bees wax" here on the forum. If you add too much it will impact the foam of your soap negatively.
I mainly use it in my honey soaps
I watched lots of YouTube, bought lots of books (none I would recommend), and I learned here. This wonderful forum full of folks who love soap and like sharing with newbies. Could not have done it without them. I highly recommend you go read lots of threads here. You will find out what works for some, not so much for others, and what works for most folks. And they are always willing to help. Give them/us time, though, we are humans who have lives outside of the forum.
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