Greetings from Australia.

[Ael]

Greetings, everyone. I've been lurking on the forums for a while now, and finally decided to make an account this evening. I have been interested in soap making for a while and love seeing the creations that other people come up with, hence the lurking. Besides admiring others' creations I have also been reading up on soap making (CP) and have also been planning out the types that I eventually would like to make. I am a *big* planner! I can make lists and lists of stuff that I want to (eventually) create; I only hope I get to them all!

I haven't made any soap yet, but hoping to make my first, simple batch by the end of the year. I just need to get some supplies ordered. My main problem, though, is I can't find any company that will ship lye. I understand why many places say "no way; you need to come pick this up instead," but so far the closest place I have found to ship the stuff is nearly 6 hours away by car. I think I have to keep looking!

 

[Serenity]

Hi Ael

I'm in Perth. Are you in a remote area? Do you have a hardware store near you, eg Bunnings? You might be able to get sodium hydroxide there in the form of drain cleaner. Just make sure it's 100% sodium hydroxide granules. Kind regards

 

[Hazel]

Hello and welcome! :wave:

I hope you'll be able to get the lye.

 

[roseb]

Welcome! Why wait to the end of the year...that seems so far away? Hope you can find the lye.

 

[karenbeth]

Welcome Ael. I buy caustic soda from Coles or Woolies. It's in the cleaning section near drain cleaner and is branded Mechanix - even says perfect for soap on the label. It has a red lid and costs $4.20 for 500g. A cheaper way to buy it is at a farm supply store if you have one nearby. There it is about $12 for 2kg. Good luck.

 

[Ael]

Thanks for the welcomes!

I live in Queenstown, Tasmania...west coast and up in the mountains. Closest I found to get lye was someplace in Launceston, which is a 5.5 hour drive from me and over 200 in fuel. We can't afford that. Money is also an issue, so I need to save for supplies anyways.

 

[karenbeth]

Ael I found the best way to start was to use oil from the supermarket.So if you get to a Coles or Woolies look for lye and cheap olive oil. I used copha instead of coconut oil and it worked fine. What supermarkets do you have close to you?

 

[Ael]

A very small IGA. We are extremely remote. Our tap water is sometimes brown...if that says anything! *shivers* Closest Woolies is 80 dollars in fuel (round trip) from me. Way too much money at the moment. We're also getting constant rain/sleet so the mountain roads are shut off.

I'll get there at some point, it'll just take me a while! For now I'm content to read and ask a lot of questions. And I mean *a lot* of questions. Trust me, you'll want me to go away after about a week, though I hope not! haha

 

[karenbeth]

Check there anyway. They'll probably have copha and maybe lard and dripping, but I know those small IGAs can be so expensive. Reading and questions are the best way to get started! Have fun.

 

[Relle]

Welcome Ael

When looking for your NaOH, get the Mechanix brand as Karen has said. I deleted the link in Melissa's post for the Diggers brand at Bunnings as its not 100%. A lot of drain cleaners have other things in them. You should be able to get most of what you need at the IGA and if your water is brown, buy some distilled water, that is in the section where the ironing supplies are in the supermarket.

You can get lye from Kerry at Heirloom - it just has to be sent by Oz post and not a courier that's all, you can get most of what you need from her all in one go - http://www.heirloombodycare.com.au/sodium-hydroxide-caustic-soda-p-993.html

 

[savonierre]

I Ael, welcome to the forum and to soap making.