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Hi. My name is Lupe from Htown. I am trying to start a new hobbie and chose to make soap. I love smells, candles will be next but later on that the road :)

I have never made soap before so I am intrigued, so I am wondering ig anyone has any good links or websites for a beginner for the techiniques and supplies on basic soap making...

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
 
Hi Lupe, welcome to the forum. If you read the last 10-20 pages of the beginners forum you will glean quite a bit of information. I also highly recommend checking out Soaping101 on you tube as there is excellent videos for beginners there as well

Safety equipment that is a must are gloves, goggles and a good scale

You can use paint buckets from Home Depot to mix in. Plastic with with a 2 percent 5 in the triangle on the bottom. Stainless and silicone utensils as well as glass or stainless to measure your fragrance into

Always add your lye to the water never the other way around.

Also, if you get lye or raw soap on your skin just rinse well with water, never use vinegar.

Otherwise learn what you can and have fun. Ask questions if needed.
 
Here is where I would start...

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR6ttCSrLJI&list=PLAADF6209996265D2[/ame]

It is several parts but if you watch them all you will have quite the leg up on soap making.
 
Welcome aboard. The only tips I have is please don't even think of buying potassium hydroxide (KOH) until you have a few hot process bars (HP) under your belt. Speaking of HP bars, don't listen to any ninny who says that you can use a bar a couple of days after it sets- the soap is NOT cured. A HP soap can take a slightly longer time to cure than a cold process soap (CP). So, you may want to consider a CP bar recipe first since it's a little easier.
 
Welcome to the forum. I will give you the advice that was given to me when I started. Read and research (these forums are great for that, I actually started at the first page and read through them all, but I had a few months before I could get my supplies lol). Make sure you understand the safety precautions you will need to take with the lye and always do them. Start with a simple recipe (no fragrance, colors, or additives) and make a couple batches so that you know what soap is supposed to do. And finally, ask questions here if you need help.

And one more thing, welcome to the addiction!:)
 
I am wondering ig anyone has any good links or websites for a beginner for the techiniques and supplies on basic soap making...

Hi Lupe, welcome! : )

Well, you just joined a website that is great for a beginner, that shows techniques and has a LOT of advice to all soapmakers - old as newbies.

The best advice is to start reading this forum, the stickies, and threads that is a great help for newbies.

Youtube has a plethora of showing different stages of soapmaking, and what I found helpfull in the beginning myself, was to recognize different stages of trace and when to STOP stickblending : D

Here is a video talking about trace only. Other videos on youtube also shows trace in general along with other things.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5zPU_7u0i4[/ame]
 
Hi! Where are you located? I third (or is it fourth now?) Soaping 101.
Sources for supplies:
If you just want to make one or two batches to try it out, you can buy what you need locally.
Walmart - lard, coconut, olive, castor. The castor oil is in the pharmacy section with the laxatives. Bottom row, blue bottle. If you want to soap all vegetable, you can get 100% palm shortening from Whole Foods.
Lye - local hardware stores - not necessarily Lowe's or Home Depot. It will be with the drain cleaners. It should say 100% lye or 100% sodium hydroxide.
Thrift store/Salvation Army/Goodwill - you make luck out and find a stick blender here. Also bowls (plastic bowls with a 2 or a 5 on the bottom) and pitchers (also 2 or 5).
 
I have 6 batches under my belt but I'm just as much a newbie to this as you are. I did the following before I attempted my first batch:

I read and researched.
I researched and read.
I read and watched videos.
I watched videos and read and researched.
I read and posted questions here.
I watched videos and read and posted more questions here.
I watched videos and read and researched and posted more questions and ordered some supplies.
I ordered more supplies and watched videos and read.

This was about 4-5 months worth before I went for my first batch. It might seem excessive to some but I like to learn as much as possible before trying something new and I won't usually make a move till I have a high enough comfort level.
Good luck!
 
Dixiedragon..I'm located near downtown area. Thanks everyone for all your suggestions! :)
How long after I make my fist batch do I leave the soap to sit? I know I can use it after a few days..so how many weeks?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Lupe, Htown, is that Houston? So hot weather, eh? I hope you have efficient AC. My DIL in San Antonio was telling me it was 106 a couple of days ago, and I'm going for a visit next month. It's almost unbearable to me in July in San Antonio, especially when we take the dogs for a walk.

Anyway, welcome and have fun with your first soap. I agree 100% with all the advice given so far. Read a lot, watch videos, borrow some books from your library. You will notice some soapers on youtube don't always follow safe soaping practices; don't be fooled into thinking it is okay. It's really not safe to handle lye without gloves and eye protection. I had an auntie who had one brown eye and one blue eye because bleach splashed into her eye when she was young and damaged her eye more than just the color change. Rinsing with a steady stream of lukewarm water for 20 - 30 minutes is the treatment of choice with chemical burns. I'd rather wear eye protection!

And if you get a little splash of lye water or soap batter that has lye in it on your skin, rinse your skin with COOL water, not hot water and NOT VINEGAR. When working with lye, be careful to stir safely without splashing. When using a stick blender, get the air bubbles from under the SB before you press the button so it doesn't pop out at you. All that is covered in the beginner videos mentioned above, but I just wanted to re-iterate because there is so much to remember and some things are just so important.

I don't mean to scare you, just caution you. Everything will be fine if you are careful and I know you will have a lot of fun making soap. It has become an extremely enjoyable hobby for me.
 
Yes it is Houston and the heat here is super hot and getting worse, I don't even want to walk my dog either..poor thing. Can't be outside for 10 minutes because is just too hot :/

Yes, I am going to be extra careful, I am already little by little getting my safety equipment , still have to gather the ingredients and my stick blender meanwhile still doing more and more research and learning.

Thank you for all the tips! :)
 
Hey!

I am a couple of hours north of you, but it is hot and humid here, also.

Although you do not need to buy KOH for basic soapmaking, you do need it for liquid soapmaking. I do not agree that you need to have made HP soap first. I make cold processed liquid soap all the time, and it is no more difficult than CP bar soap until you get to dilution. But I would suggest you make CP bar soap first. It just gets you more videos to watch to learn trace and such.
 
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