Essentials?

[KaySteve]

So i have been wanting to make cold process soap for like three years but got told its really difficult and to start with melt and pour, while that was fun it just wasnt what i wanted. im ready to finally get into CP and have done so much research and have my recipies and designs ready.

My question is while yes there is a list of things needed what would you say are your soap making essentials?

 

[shunt2011]

This question is asked frequently. I highly recommend reading the most recent 10 pages in the beginners forum. You'll glean a lot of information from there.

But to answer your question:

Stick blender
Gloves
Goggles
Plastic or stainless bowls/containers to mix your lye & oils/butter (#5 or #2 in the triangle on the bottom) Never use glass to mix your soap or lye.
Stainless steel spoons or silicone spatulas
Mold (you can use a box lined with a garbage bag or freezer paper)
Keep it simple, make small batches to begin as things can go wrong. - don't go crazy buying expensive oils/butters. You can make a great soap just from shopping at the grocery store.
Safety is most important. Respect the lye. Always add your lye/water mixture into the oils never the reverse.
Read, read, read, learn, learn, learn. Ask questions if in doubt and you can't find them.

Have fun most of all.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

+ you can buy used bowls, spatulas and spoons at the thrift store. For some of my first soap molds I used the very sturdy “mini loaf” shaped card boxes from an old Trivial Pursuit game that I bought for $1.99.

 

[Kcryss]

Pringles cans make great molds too.

 

[Zing]

Thrift stores and dollar stores are your friends.

 

[Serena]

I use a slotted stainless steel spoon to stir the soap. I like the quiet, slow, meditative process.


Digital kitchen scale from Walmart.

Disposable medical gloves.

Safety goggles.

Good quality lye. Use food grade. Not the industrial lye from the hardware store.

Distilled water. Any brand.

I keep supplies on hand, in case the urge to make soap inspires me. My staple oils are olive, castor, coconut. Then I have some extras from experimenting, such as MCT oil, sweet almond oil, shea butter, etc.

Sometimes I render animal fat, and make soap from that. One time, a neighbor gave me a can of bacon drippings. I rendered it, and it made lovely soap.

I use the bottoms of quart-sized milk cartons for molds. I wash them and let them dry. Then I clean them with a paper towel and 91% rubbing alcohol.

For some people, I smear the molds with petroleum jelly.

For others, I line the molds with freezer paper. A labor of love. Some people's bodies cannot tolerate even traces of petroleum jelly.

I use various plastic containers for measuring oils and lye granules.

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After the soap has hardened enough to peel off the milk carton molds, I sometimes break or cut up bars and dissolve them in water to make liquid shampoo. Easy peasy liquid shampoo.