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Welcome Cobbsie, congratulations on your very first soap!

Thank you it was very exciting and a bit nerve wracking.

I'm still very nervous of the actual soap and a bit unsure as it's out and cut already..though reading around most seem to need to be left in the mould at least overnight!

Got my next batch planned for tomorrow already :)
 
Thank you it was very exciting and a bit nerve wracking.

I'm still very nervous of the actual soap and a bit unsure as it's out and cut already..though reading around most seem to need to be left in the mould at least overnight!

Got my next batch planned for tomorrow already :)

Things like lye water temp, oils temp, oils used, fragrance used, amount of stick blending can affect how long it needs to stay in the mold. You can post your recipe and process if you want us to take a look. Right now I wouldn't worry too much - just wait a day or so and zap test.

It must not have intimidated you too much if you're ready to make more tomorrow!!
 
It was a fun day!
Made batch 2 - Jasmine and green tea
and batch 3 - bergamot and cedarwood with pumice for exfoliation (for a guy who doesn't go out in the sun much).

The recipes are from a book so I think they're probably okay as long as I follow the recipes.....and I am being super cautious about everything....the most nerve wracking bit is the whole lye thing. I felt like I was completely covered but still sloshed vinegar on anything that itched afterwards :bathtub:

They both smell nice....though am less keen on the jasmine.

They do seem to gel and get to a stage of being able to cut really fast. I think the lady who wrote the book does a stronger solution of lye (is that right? less water)....which makes it even more nerve wracking!
 
They do seem to gel and get to a stage of being able to cut really fast. I think the lady who wrote the book does a stronger solution of lye (is that right? less water)....which makes it even more nerve wracking!
If you don't mind my asking, which book/author are getting your recipes from... ???
 
If you don't mind my asking, which book/author are getting your recipes from... ???

Dr Sarah Robb. Honey Potions
To be fair it's all new to.me and I assumed it was the way to make soaps until I started reading about curing times etc....I'd be happy to hear more!
 
Hey Cobbsie, though following the recipes seem good right now, do learn to use lye calculators. Pass the recipes through them and learn their predicted characteristics. You will learn quite a lot from it. And welcome to the forum :)
 
Thanks I definitely will do....it's like having a door opened into a whole. New rabbit hole to dive down!

My 'oh wow I really want to make that!' List has become huge since reading through the links on the forum so far.
 
Dr Sarah Robb. Honey Potions
To be fair it's all new to.me and I assumed it was the way to make soaps until I started reading about curing times etc....I'd be happy to hear more!

Is this the one?
http://ukn190484636x.ngf51.hol.es/

Free Download: Dr Sara's Honey Potions

Product Description: Dr Sara's Honey Potions is a collection of methods and recipes for making interesting products using honey and beeswax. What's more, most of Dr Sara's recipes do not require any special equipment and can be made with ingredients you can buy at the grocery store and Dr Sara's soap does not require curing! Recipes include; carrot & beeswax lip balm, honey bath salts, lavender & chamomile honey soap, and champagne & honey bath bombs. Learn to make your own honey potions with Dr Sara.

have many soap books but this is my"go to" book. As a bee keeper I wanted to use hive products and also wanted to use the soap as soon as it's made-Dr. Sarah shows you how. The most useful parts are at the end, she explains and gives examples of water discounting and superfatting in chart form which I use all the time. A fantastic book with lots of recipes, simple and easy to use with step by step guides on all recipes so no flipping back and forth to find out how to make them. Highly recommended. Well done
 
Cobbsie, if you feel itchy after making soap, please don't slosh vinegar on your skin. Rinse thoroughly with cold water. That's all that's needed. You want to dilute the lye, not create a lye/vinegar interaction on the surface of your skin. Vinegar on spills is fine, but not on spills on your body. If you feel lots of itching, then just take a nice long shower & wash your clothes. :)

Congratulations on making your first 3 batches of soap! I am looking forward to seeing some photos of them soon. We love pictures of soap!

BTW, even when you find a recipe in a book or other media, sometimes typos happen and it's not corrected before being published, so it's always a good idea to run it through a lye calculator to be on the safe side.
 
Hmm good point about the typos....
It's a bit like making the first ever cake and just doing what your told. So much to learn!

Ah heck that's true! My chemistry mind was .... acid neutralises alkali.....typically forgot about the whole soap process! Okay plenty of water :)

I didn't spill any as far as I know.....I think it was the slowest batches of soap in history....but it was definitely the thought that made me itch!!!

Water...plenty...got it

Pictures though....they are so basic! And my soap boxes....a bit heath Robinson! But here are the first 2

20170410_165618.jpg


20170410_165624.jpg


20170410_165639.jpg
 
Dr Sarah Robb. Honey Potions
To be fair it's all new to.me and I assumed it was the way to make soaps until I started reading about curing times etc....I'd be happy to hear more!

Here is our DeeAnna's wonderful treatise on what goes on inside of soap during cure, which helps to explain why it is very important to cure any lye-based soap (beware of anyone who tells you that a cure is not needed with 'their' lye-based soap).

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?p=634104#post634104


IrishLass :)
 
Hmmm. "Dr Sara's soap does not require curing!" This makes me think you are doing melt & pour soap, not cold process from scratch?

Those are pretty soaps. I bet they smell nice too! Congrats!
Well good catch! I think it's a cold process or hot process soap cause OP mentioned lye.
And welcome to the forum Cobbsie!
 

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