Anyone else make homemade soaps etc

[Florence Fennel]

Hi Mrs C, is there one called Creative or Crafty, or is that just a single thread? I'm with you, I think it's a really good idea.

[MrsC]

Hi Mrs C, is there one called Creative or Crafty, or is that just a single thread? I'm with you, I think it's a really good idea.

Hi Florence, it's a thread not a section or whatever you call it, not technically minded like that, but you know what I mean. A section like Get Crafty etc just like 'General ChitChat' instead of a thread that you need to search for, that's what I'm talking about where we can all post threads relating to different crafts

[binley100]

That chap Wong on grow your own drugs made some lavender bath bombs , the recipes probably out there somewhere..........

[MrsC]

That chap Wong on grow your own drugs made some lavender bath bombs , the recipes probably out there somewhere..........

He did, got the recipe for it, but the oil added doesn't quite work. I like his recipes though

[kirsty b]

I used James Wong's recipe for bath bombs and they came out lovely! I just used Almond oil from Sainsburys too. Found it in the cooking oil section.

Have bought some muslin material and plan to make oat and essential oil bath bags. Sometimes chuck porridge oats in the bath and it makes my skin beautifully soft

Would lve to make soaps, tried but failed miserably before Christmas last year.

[kirsty b]

Jackie's right, I remember that too. Try the Excellent Search Thread! I know there were bath bombs on it.

Credit cruch christmas ideas I think it was called

[janeyo]

I love this idea of making soaps etc.
This is prob a daft question but do can you re-use the pan after for food or do you need s separate pan?
I only ask as we have just had to buy all new ones for the induction hob and OH will kill me if I go and 'ruin' one with soap! If I have to buy a new pan for soap etc then it won't be cost effective as they are so darned expensive for this type of hob.

[kirsty b]

Hows about you heat the water in your induction pan, and sit a smaller 'old' pan in the posh one on top of the water?

I'm sure a post said its best to use a double boiler. THat wya you can use your hob, but not naff a shiny new pan

[janeyo]

oops have accidentally ordered stuff to make some candles and some soap!

OH came down and caught me - and typical reaction was 'haven't you got enough to do?'. Flaming cheek. I said the nights are drawing in and I can't sow seeds til after xmas so will have new hobby!

I will nick one of my old pans off my mother when I next see her (gave them all to her) or will use the bain marie method.

Dead excited now - just hope they are not too fiddly as I don't have a great deal of patience!

[lizzylemon]

I dont use 2 saucepans, I have a glass bowl and sat it in a saucepan with boiling water al la bain marie, melting chocolate stylee and it worked a treat.

No residue left over cos it's soap and acts as a washing up agent, just don't add washing up liquid to the water otherwise you get more bubbles than you can shake a stick at.

Not fiddly but you do need patients if you want to multicoloured / layered soaps 'cos of cooling times.

Candles would be better if you used an older saucepan and then it doesn't matter if it sticks. Maybe find something suitable in a second hand shop / on ebay.......

[Jax]

Hiya, sorry to resurrect an old thread but I have made some soap and I think it went quite well. Well, when I say made I mean I grated soap and added stuff etc.

My question is, it looks lovely on most of it but the top looks horrid. Almost frothy. Does that make any sense? Anyway, what can I do about it, I will take pics to demonstrate what I mean.

[Jax]

Green one is sage and the other 2 are lavendar

[MrsC]

Green one is sage and the other 2 are lavendar

Hi Jax

Don't apologise for bringing an old thread to life. Did you use soap from a supermarket or was it your own made soap? They call it rebatching. You can add Witchhazel to get rid of bubbles.

[Jax]

soap from a shop, could I cut it off or anything as it doesnt look very nice

[Alison]

I made my first batch the other week of cold process stuff, one batch of coconut, one mint and one cinamon, orange and cranberry. The coconut one looks fab although still drying out and I'm quite pleased with the cinamon one but the mint was a bit less sucessful, think I'd let it go to too heavy a trace before I added the essential oil so although it smells lovely and is probably perfectly OK to use it doesn't look so good as a gift as the top is rather lumpy and it looks like I didn't fill the mould as much so the bars aren't as big too. Quite pleased for a first attempt though and I can tart them up for pressies and try some different recipes next year.