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Burger

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Hey all,

New to the forum. I've been reading about developing soap for a while now. I have a project in mind and wanted to ask questions while I'm here regarding that. I'm creating a mens specific soap at the moment with fragrances that defines the sport, elegance and masculinity of a man. So far I've been looking at Ancient Sedona, Musk Cybilla, Spiced Mahogay, Bonsai and Cold Water for fragrance. This would be my first soap creation and just wanted some help or leads on the best way to get started. I'll be producing with a 9 or 18 soap mold. All help appreciated.
 
Hi and welcome! For your first soap, I would avoid fragrance and keep the recipe short and simple. What do you have in mind?
I'd also stick with the smaller, 9 bar mold. 18 bars is a lot of soap to use if you're not happy with it, or a lot of ingredients to waste if it's a big mishap (though lots can be fixed)
 
Ditto to eveything KristaMarie said. It's best to start small and fragrance free until you have a few batches of successful soap under your belt.

From the FO names, I'm guessing you're looking at BB (how sad is it that I can identify the supplier by FO name). You might want to purchase their men's sampler to get an idea of those scents. I can attest that Spiced Mahogony smells fantastic, but I hear it is a trouble maker - and really not great for beginners. Cold Water is one I've used that behaved well in CP.
 
Hi and welcome! For your first soap, I would avoid fragrance and keep the recipe short and simple. What do you have in mind?
I'd also stick with the smaller, 9 bar mold. 18 bars is a lot of soap to use if you're not happy with it, or a lot of ingredients to waste if it's a big mishap (though lots can be fixed)


Ditto to eveything KristaMarie said. It's best to start small and fragrance free until you have a few batches of successful soap under your belt.

From the FO names, I'm guessing you're looking at BB (how sad is it that I can identify the supplier by FO name). You might want to purchase their men's sampler to get an idea of those scents. I can attest that Spiced Mahogony smells fantastic, but I hear it is a trouble maker - and really not great for beginners. Cold Water is one I've used that behaved well in CP.

Thank you both! Yes so the 9 bar mold would be my go to for starting off. I've been looking for a soap that will complement the more active man and endurance driven spots such as running, cycling, soccer, etc. For instance I've tried a surf soap before that strips away the sea salt and ocean smell off your skin. Indeed i've been getting most of my information from Bramble Berry and plan to purchase the sampler there. Why wouldn't you recommend fragrances? what would you go with for starting out to achieve a recipe that can be a counterpart to the sports I listed.
 
You do all these things AND have time to make soap? I'm impressed.

Can a scent be a "counterpart" to these things? The scent from a soap won't last long, so it will be more when it is actually being used but not much else. Would you want to go fresh and invigorating or soothing and relaxing?

Many FOs can cause problems when soaping - soap getting solid very quickly, for example - which a beginner does not need to have to worry about. Getting used to soaping in general is enough for starting with.
 
You are overlooking the biggest issue that we have all learned the hard way. The difficult thing about making soap is not picking the fragrance. It is making a good recipe that you like, and can replicate over and over using different fragrances, and potentially colors.

As for fragrances, that is way too subjective to recommend something to someone. What I like, you may hate, and vice versa.
 
Remember too that Ancient Sedona contains vanilla and will discolor your soap. It is a great scent but be mindful of the discoloration in your design.
 
I started making 1 pound batches. It is better to keep your first batches small in case you don't like the results. Much easier testing with small batches. You need to experiment for several months to perfect a good soap recipe. Most of the members have worked long and hard to come up with their perfect recipe, so you can understand that they may be reluctant to share. My advice is to watch Soaping101 and experiment, experiment, experiment before attempting to sell.:)
 
I agree, lots of recipes and lots of practice until I finally found the recipes I've pretty much stuck to over time. This is not a cheap hobby, ingredients can be expensive and it takes a lot of time. However, it's so worth it. Many only do this as a hobby. Some have very successful businesses, and others just happened into business (me) but work a full-time job too. There is a lot of excellent information here if you read some of the older posts up until now.

I read every post I could on this forum before I even joined to gain as much information as I could. Make sure you have the right tools and know how to use a soap calculator. Don't forget the protection (gloves, goggles)

Have fun playing.
 
Hey and welcome!

Little tip when I first started soap making is to use a Pringles tube for a mould, it will be the perfect small batch, nice and rounded that fits in to the palm of your hand.

Also for men's scent I would use anything spiced or aniseed is a good one
 
If you do use a Pringles can, it should be lined.

Welcome! About FO, you will find they can all act differently and some are a lot stronger than others. Some will "morph" changing their scent a bit and some will start out strong and not hold. Some behave beautifully. If you start out with no fragrance, you will have a basis for comparison and know what is causing what in your soap. Also keep notes.
 
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