Hi I'm new!

[Suchisam]

Hi my name's Sam, I'm from Montreal and I've recently become fascinated with soapmaking. As a kid I had a huge closet and that's where my "lab" was. Now I feel like I'm doing it for real, especially with my safety goggles and gloves I look like a mad scientist. I have a binder filled with notes and ideas. I really like the dessert soaps. It's like art, baking and chemistry all in one!
Any advice for a beginner?

 

[Relle]

Welcome Sam .
Advice for a beginner - go to the beginners threads and read, read, read, take notes and more notes. if you have questions, most have been answered before, so type your question into the search bar ( top right hand side ) and lots of threads usually come up.

 

[AliOop]

Welcome!

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

Welcome'
May your inner creative' mad scientist skills soar as far as your imagination can take you.
Happy Soaping

 

[TheGecko]

Welcome.

Advice:

1) Start with small batches of plain soap until you get a feel for it. Then get a sample pack of Micas or Clays or other colorants. Then get some ”trial” size or 1 oz FO/EOs.

2) Set a budget. It’s easy to fall down the ‘rabbit hole’…so many oils and butters! Oh my all those pretty colorants! And the scents, they sound heavenly!

3) Two molds I would recommend that will allow you to try different techniques is a 4” Square Silicone Mold and a 6” Silicone Mold. Both will give you approximately 4-5 oz bars.

4) Buy your colorants and scents from reputable soap suppliers.

5). Have fun.

 

[lsg]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Ugeauxgirl]

Welcome! My husband frequently calls me a mad scientist when he sees me making soap! Advice is to read a book, start with a simple easy recipe, and buy stuff SLOWLY. Soap supplies are expensive and you won't know what you like till you try them. I bought a large bottle of orange essential oil before I learned that citrus EO's fade badly in soap.

 

[IrishLass]

Welcome, Sam!



IrishLass

 

[Zany_in_CO]

My favorite thread for Advice to Newbies is:

What Advice Would You Give to Your Beginning Soaping Self?

 

[Suchisam]

Welcome.

Advice:

1) Start with small batches of plain soap until you get a feel for it. Then get a sample pack of Micas or Clays or other colorants. Then get some ”trial” size or 1 oz FO/EOs.

2) Set a budget. It’s easy to fall down the ‘rabbit hole’…so many oils and butters! Oh my all those pretty colorants! And the scents, they sound heavenly!

3) Two molds I would recommend that will allow you to try different techniques is a 4” Square Silicone Mold and a 6” Silicone Mold. Both will give you approximately 4-5 oz bars.

4) Buy your colorants and scents from reputable soap suppliers.

5). Have fun.

Already fell down the rabbit hole I'm afraid!

 

[Zing]

Welcome! When I started making cold process soap, my teens thought I was something out of Breaking Bad. It's a fascinating hobby that combines science and creativity. Have fun. I'm the type that gets paralyzed by research so I jumped right in. My first molds were milk cartons and soup cartons. Some ingredients can be costly but basic oils can be found in your grocery store. All my utensils and tools were found at thrift stores and dollar stores. Have fun and keep us posted!

And as tempting as it is to be creative with colors and swirls, I'd advise newbies to start with no colorants or scents. There are enough steps as it is.