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Yes, small and simple is best the first time. I found an easy 4 oil/butter recipe that I could get all the ingredients from the grocery store and didn’t use scent just to get the feel of it. Used some disposable Tupperware tubs for molds. I was very nervous but it went beautifully and I had soap! And I was hooked!! I never had a problem until I started trying to get more “complicated” with my designs and using new fragrance oils for the first time. Then it was acceleration, acceleration, acceleration! Last batch I made, I did a fancy(for me) design, so I soaped cold like Marie does, and didn’t use any fragrance. No problems! Well, except I didn’t get the colors to look like I wanted them to in my head, but it’s still pretty.
This is the last soap I made. I wanted the light blue to be a little more blue and the green a little more green. But, I’m still learning and it’s still soap!
Belinda is 100% right. But I think we should start a new thread for soaping for beginners.
Finally did the cut! Chocolate strawberry soap, Marie and Belinda inspired soap. I loved the look of Marie’s nugget soap, but I didn’t get that urge until Belinda suggested strawberry purée. And then I jumped as it all came together in my head. Cocoa butter, lard, shea butter, coconut oil, rice bran oil and castor oil. Additives: kaolin clay, honey powder, silk, cocoa powder, some oxides.
I found when I work with oils that accelerate trace, using honey powder is better over real honey.
And trying something new! To see if it works.
I LOVE it! Yes, we should definitely start a beginner soap thread. I wouldn’t say I was a beginner, but I’m no expert, that’s for sure!
I agree… I’m not new to soaping either, but a thread where people can ask and answer questions so everything is in one place.
Usually, my lard soap comes out smelling like soap, but I think with the cocoa powder and cocoa butter, it has a faint scent of chocolate! I know once it’s cured it will have a more pronounced scent, I’m excited!
Okay….soap thread. I need that soap. I can almost smell the chocolate Aroma. *sniff sniff*
I’ve been considering the beginner kit from Brambleberry. It comes with mold, lye, mica, oils, etc to make soap. Then I can slowly expand, though I’m looking at the molds and drooling. Just saying.
I thought those kits looked pretty nice and come with a lot of the basics you will need. I do, however, like to create my own recipes or use ones I’ve found on the Internet/Pinterest/various blogs that I find interesting. I think that package comes with the Quick Mix, correct?
Not sure, might or the basic. I’ll want to make my own, but I’m also in the positive omg I made it moment. Lol
https://www.brambleberry.com/Natural-Soap-Kit-for-Beginners-P6607.aspx This is the kit in question. Comes with a lot and free shipping.
Ok, let me break that kit down for you.
Essential oil – I don’t know, I may be guessing, but you have a bottle or two, right? Haha! And you could come up with a better blend that will smell 10x better than just the single oil they will sell you
Colorant – you have some of these too, right? If you ordered some to make make up, and they work in CP soap, that may work for you at first. Clays are good too. I use French pink and green, and kaolin a lot.
Botanical – looks pretty, but is going to fall off anyway when you use the soap. Its more for decoration than any benefit.
Silicone mold – they are nice, but if it doesn’t come with some kind of support system to hold it up, they can bow out on the sides. I got a silicone loaf mold with wire basket at Essential Depot for $25 on sale. They run that sale pretty often. They are also a good place to buy lye and tallow really cheap.
Scale – I’m betting you may have one of these if you craft. If not, a digital kitchen scale from Target is what I use.
Goggles – I bought a pair from BB and I don’t like them. They don’t sit on my face right or something. I bought a pair of paint goggles at Walmart for less than $10.
1 pr disposable gloves – you will need more than one pair, if you’re anything like me. Buy a box of them
Sodium lactate – totally optional ingredient. I don’t notice a difference when I use it, to be honest. Used to harden soap bars.
Lots of lather quick mix – Marie’s All In One soap recipe would probably kick its butt any day of the week. That’s one of my favorite recipes. Soaps super fatted with hemp oil are to DIE FOR!! I’m guessing you have some oils and butters already…
You’ll still need a stick blender, one specifically for soap if it’s not stainless steel shaft. I have stainless steel for both of mine. One is just for soap, the other for my other crafts.
You’ll need something to mix your lye water in. I snagged one of my kitchen pitchers and now it’s my “lye pitcher”.
The paint section at Walmart is a good place for inexpensive plastic paint containers you can use for mixing batter. The dollar store is a fantastic place for soaping stuff. Measuring cups, larger containers with handles for mixing/pouring, spatulas, plastic spoons, tiny empty salt/pepper shakers that you can use to put micas/glitter in to sprinkle on top of soap, all kinds of finds. Soaping 101 has a video out regarding this very thing. Watch it and make a list.
To make a looong post short, I don’t think you necessarily need to buy that kit. You should have some stuff already and some of that stuff you simply don’t need.
If you’ve got say 500g in total of these oils: olive oil, coconut oil, shea butter, some lye, some water or milk or tea, an immersion blender and lets say a milk carton.. you are set to make a batch of soap.
I can safely say, you will enjoy making soap especially if you have been enjoying the cosmetic making. BUT, the first few times you make soap, you are going to want to start small and learn what it is exactly you are doing.
Belinda is right, I bought a kit after about a month of storage and discovered it made a better dust collector than usable stuff. And Marie’s recipe is a fantastic place to start, you will always get an amazing bar from there.
In the picture, that’s a 3kg silicone loaf mold. And it did my brain in with its bowing out the sides. I’ve maybe four or five of them for the busy season and about ten or so 1.2kg loafs and many many slab molds.
Ok, so starting a soap thread. There is so much more to say on the topic!
I made some of the chocolate rose soap, but in my rush to make gorgeous, yummy soap I forgot to add the kaolin 🙁 so sad! But anyways, I am loving the smell so far and can’t wait for it to cure enough to use it!
Before curing:
After curing:
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