Soap Making Anyone???

[Scarlet]

I would love try my hand at soap making. Can anyone recommend a book or a website to get me started. Where do you buy your supplies from, favourite recipes, tips etc ???
Many thanks in advance .

[Alison]

I make cold processed stuff but a lot of people also do the melt and pour which I believe is easier but you have less control over the ingredients and I like the fact that I can make mine as natural as I want. I went on a course originally and that was very useful but I've also found this book very good -http://www.amazon.co.uk/Natural-Soap-Book-Making-Vegetable-based/dp/0882668889/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351541404&sr=1-7 (although the recipes are a bit on the large size so I scale down). I also find that it's much easier using a stick blender rather than mixing by hand. If you want to do your own recipes then you need a lye calculator to ensure you don't end up with caustic soaps (it's quite chemical when being made and you do need to be careful, not a job to do with kids) such as MMS - Lye Calculator or SoapCalc

[Scarlet]

Thanks very much Alison, I'm off to go and have a look at the book! I have boys so I wont be doing it with kids - They would be so 'not interested'!
Do you buy your supplies online?

[Alison]

I buy my pomance olive oil in a big ASDA, caustic soda from B&Q and have been known to get coconut oil from asian supermarkets. Don't get anything from heath food shops as you'll pay a fortune. Ebay is great for botanicals and essential oils (but check any fragrance oils are compatible with cold processed soaps if that's the way you want to go, have had ones that aren't and they make the soap set in literally seconds, ie before you get it in any moulds.....) and soap kitchen is very goodo too for base stuff although can take a while to deliver at busy times which is probably about to start nowish. If I'm making a basic soap I'll do it in a simple plastic box which I line with cling film. You can then get it out OK the next day while still soft and slice before curing for a few weeks. I also have some silicon cupcake moulds which don't need lining and are fab for soaps too. Have you any idea what you want to make?

Oh and another thing, Hobby Craft sell some stuff, personally I think it's rubbish, they (illeagally) don't list the ingredients and only sell mixes that are full of rubbish as well as being over priced. Melt and Pour types do have their place (this includes the ones you can buy in Lush) and are very good for special visual effects but my skin definitely benefits from the simple ingredients contained in Cold Processed types and I like the fact that I have greater control over the ingredients. Made some lovely little cupcake ones with ground almonds and callendular flowers in a while back which are lovely on my face skin. Depends really though on what you want to achieve as what is right for me won't necessarily be right for you.

[Scarlet]

I've bought the book, hopefully it will be delivered next week.
I'm not sure what I want to make, just thought it would be something to do during these long dark nights.
I would like to use some of the herbs I grow and I also make handmade cards using pressed flower petals- not sure if I can use these?? Though definitely not into highly scented, super coloured soaps that you can buy from lush. Though some colour would be nice.
My local asda doesn't supply pomace oil- i will have to make a trip to a large store. Many thanks for all the info- it really is appreciated.

[veggiechicken]

There's an article about Soapmaking in the latest Permaculture magazine. Recommended websites are
SoapCalc for lye calculations
and Soap Kitchen. Home & JustaSoap.co.uk - Supplier of The Highest Quality Soap Making Ingredients for ingredients and information.

[alldigging]

Have ended up on this place today for something else and spotted they sold citric and bicarb - for bath bombs

Citric Acid - CITRIC25 - Acids & Alkaline | Bonnymans

I quite fancy having a go at this

and some soap and candle making stuff
Soap, Candle, Perfume Making & Crafts | Bonnymans