The Soap Maker's Notebook

All over the forum, I see recommendations to new soap makers to keep a notebook of everything they've done. I thought perhaps it'd be a good idea to have a thread about it with suggestions of what to keep record of.

In my notebook, I write down things like:

• date of batch and approximate dates of cure
• size of batch
• recipe used as well as amounts of each oil
• additives/colorants and amounts of each
• how well did additives perform - did it accelerate? overheat? morph?
• fragrance and amount
• how well the fragrance performed - did it rice? accelerate? seize? overheat? discolor?
• troubles with a batch such as too soft, hardened faster than expected, soaping too hot

I also keep mental notes of changes the soap goes through during cure and after, but if I think I might not remember, I'll jot it down as well.

What would you recommend for someone just starting out to keep track of?

I use SoapMaker 3 Pro and make a notation in the "notes" section of anything bad, unusual or good about the recipe. For instance, I might note that the recipe took a long time to trace or that the fragrance oil discolored the soap.

I use soapcalc and print out my recipe every time, even if it is exactly the same as last time. I use the fields on the program to type in my additives, fragrance, colors etc, and then I write in any notes or changes (as well as checking every ingredient off as it goes in) etc. The date is at the top, and I keep every one of those sheets forever. During cure, the sheet stays with the batch of soap, and I can continue to note things like fragrance fading, ashing, etc. After the soap is done and/or gone, the printout sheet goes into the notebook.

There is another member (I'm sorry, I don't recall who) that recently posted that after a several year break from soaping they were having a very hard time finding the groove again, they forgot so much. An excellent recommendation for keeping notes in some way if ever there was one!

I have only been making soap for 9 months, so I'm still a newbie. I copy and paste the recipe I have worked out on soapcalc into a word document and also use the additive and notes textbox's to type in further details, similar to Hmlove. Mostly I can get all the information on one sheet, and print off a copy to soap with. As the soap cures I add in further details about the scent, ash formation, how the soap progresses as it cures etc. I now have a folder, with a page for every soap I've made, which is easy to refer to when formulating new soaps.

I hope you don't mind me asking a question but I was hoping it would link into documenting notes? I would love to consider SoapMaker 3. However I only make soap for a hobby and it seems to be more than I need at the moment, lol. Apparently there is a hobbyist version of the programme. Has anyone used it and found it helpful?

I have been making creams and lotions as well, but have very little time due to work and young kids. It takes time to keep track of stock. If I could input everything I'm planning to make and it would tell me how much of each ingredient I needed to order, it would save a lot of time. If it also costed it out, I would be in heaven!!! Would that be realistic for a programme? TIA for any replies.

Interesting. I never considered printing out the recipes each time to make notes. I printed all my recipes out once and put them in a page protector at the front of my soaping binder. Behind that, I have notebook paper that I write all my notes on. I've kept all the recipes I've ever tested even if I no longer use them so in case I stumble across an amazing bar years from now, I'll know how it was made.

new12soap said:

I use soapcalc and print out my recipe every time, even if it is exactly the same as last time. I use the fields on the program to type in my additives, fragrance, colors etc, and then I write in any notes or changes (as well as checking every ingredient off as it goes in) etc. The date is at the top, and I keep every one of those sheets forever. During cure, the sheet stays with the batch of soap, and I can continue to note things like fragrance fading, ashing, etc. After the soap is done and/or gone, the printout sheet goes into the notebook.

There is another member (I'm sorry, I don't recall who) that recently posted that after a several year break from soaping they were having a very hard time finding the groove again, they forgot so much. An excellent recommendation for keeping notes in some way if ever there was one!

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I do the same thing and keep my in boxes labeled by the year. I also make notes and it is easy to go back and look up the batch if one fails. My labels have mfg dates on them so it is easy to back track. Slowly I am changing to print images and saving on cd, but for some reason I just like printouts :-D I was just never a journal type person

I'm old school. Notebook and a pen but I number the pages and date them. A part of my batch number besides the date produced is a number which corresponds to the page in my notebook and notebook number. Besides everything else you mentioned I also note the weather if it is extra hot or humid or unusual in any way.

I also copy the soap calc recipe and past into Evernote. I then take a photo and the add that the file in Evernote. As the weeks go on I add notes regarding the bubbles, smell ect. I love this programme, you can add tags so that you can search for any thing you've done. It has an app which is on my I pad

I think a hobbyist will find SoapMaker a very useful tool. The SoapMaker Pro keeps a running inventory of your supplies, plus the cost of each product made. It takes time to enter all of the information, specific gravity, INCI codes, etc; but you will find the time well spent.

lsg said:

I think a hobbyist will find SoapMaker a very useful tool. The SoapMaker Pro keeps a running inventory of your supplies, plus the cost of each product made. It takes time to enter all of the information, specific gravity, INCI codes, etc; but you will find the time well spent.

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Thanks, I'll have to start saving up for this, or maybe hint to DH about Christmas present ideas:smile:

Ditto me on the adding of photos. I'm a very visual person so when someone says they want to order the Moonlight Magic, I used to have no idea what it looked like! The recipe is easy to recreate but the photos help me tremedously when I need to recreate a certain design.

I like the old-school tradition of keeping notes in a notebook. I generally do not keep electronics glued to me and it's more convenient when I am moving around. I record my notes in a similar fashion to yours.

I am on my 7th notebook along with Soapcalc printouts(since 2007) but I am going to look into the SoapMaker Pro. Thank you!

I print out my Soapcalc recipe and make notes on it while I'm soaping--things like a variation of a gram or two of FO more than I meant to pour, and approximately how much colorant to how much soap. Then later I enter that into a document on Google Docs. I keep meaning to try Soapmaker, but I have just been too lazy to buy it and switch over.

I do like the redundancy of having my online documents along with the printout with handwritten notes.

PinkCupcake said:

I print out my Soapcalc recipe and make notes on it while I'm soaping--things like a variation of a gram or two of FO more than I meant to pour, and approximately how much colorant to how much soap. Then later I enter that into a document on Google Docs. I keep meaning to try Soapmaker, but I have just been too lazy to buy it and switch over.

I do like the redundancy of having my online documents along with the printout with handwritten notes.

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Oh. My. Gosh! You are a genius! Google Drive is the PERFECT place to store those precious recipes as a backup! They will be safe as can be, and accessible anywhere! I am just a hobbyist, so cheaper is better. Thank you so much!

I've tried several methods over the years but for the most part I have all my recipes on 3x5 note cards. On the back I write the date and how many batches made and any minor changes. For new recipes I print out soap calc. I have sm3 but just don't seem to be consistent with the computer stuff.
I definitely could use some more through note taking and overall organization. That part of things is kicking my butt!

Thanks so much for this thread! I have a Word doc open as I type that I was working on for a worksheet for each of my new "creations". I'm glad my reading has paid off - I had most items on the list, but documenting the weather/humidity is an excellent suggestion. When it's finished, I will be happy to post

I print the recipe, and put it in protector sheet, there is place for notes and I put also a lot of stick notes on it. It goes in special binder then I make copy of it with the notes and date and stack under the curing soap...

I first calculate my recipe in my notebook and then run it through the lye calculator first. Then I'll add on what additives I use etc.
I may have to do a better job at making notes though !