Ready to jump in!

[funastrum]

Hey everyone! Let me introduce myself.
I am new to CP soap, but have been aspiring to make soap and reading this forum for a few years now. I was always too busy to find the time to get into it, but since I have graduated I have had the time. I always enjoyed melt and pour soaps when I was younger, but I'd like to get into the more challenging and rewarding CP.
Do you guys have any recipes that are really good? Not necessarily easy or beginners recipes - I've always liked a challenge and I am good at following directions. Perhaps a recipe that produces a white soap. I look forward to posting about my first batch. I am only now waiting on my oils to arrive from Brambleberry.
Here are the oils that I will be working with in a 2 lb mold:
Sweet Almond Oil (1 lb)
Rice Bran Oil (1 lb)
Shea Butter (1 lb)
Cocoa Butter (1 lb)
Avocado Oil (1 lb)
Palm Oil (7 lbs)
Coconut Oil (7 lbs)
Olive Oil
Grapeseed Oil

Thanks!!

 

[lsg]

Welcome! Here are a couple of links with good information and good recipes. Always run any recipe through a lye calculator such as SoapCalc before using.

http://www.millersoap.com/

http://www.mullerslanefarm.com/soapmaking.html

 

[theath2010]

Welcome to the forum there is a ton of information here for you to search through and learn! I would surgery however that if you are going to use more expensive oils to try a simple batch because it is very easy to make a mistake and have it be costly. I started with simple oils that I could buy through my local grocery store. Good luck soaping and remember to post pictures!

 

[Michael Faulds]

20% Coconut, 30% Palm, 35% Olive Oil, 10% Cocoa Butter, 5 % Castor oil, works good for me .

 

[heartsong]

hi there! here's a link to one of my favorite soap recipes/resources...very inspirational little soapies! www.soap-making-essentials.com

 

[funastrum]

Thanks for the links lsg and heartsong!

Michael- Does the soap come out white? When can you usually cut it? Thanks!

I can't wait to post pictures after I make my first batch, that is, if all goes well! I went to a market over the weekend and stopped at a local soap stand. I expressed my interest in starting to make CP soaps and the woman was so rude... "You'll be lucky if it turns out to be soap at all" and sneering at me when I mentioned buying a 2lb log mold when in her opinion I should have just used a shoe box (I think she just doesn't want competition ).

I am glad that I can find such inspiration and encouragement on this forum

 

[lsg]

You are right, she was afraid she would get some competition. I am sure your soap will turn out fine. I do have to warn you though, you will be starting out on a life-long addiction. Happy Soaping!

 

[heartsong]

:roll: unfortunately there will always be rude and selfish people like that lady...that's okay, you just come hang out with us and we'll ooogle over each other's soap pics! the difference between a good soap and a great soap is only a bit of practice and love of the craft! :grin:

 

[Skatergirl46]

Hi! I'm sorry the soaper that you met was such a jerk. There are a lot of helpful and friendly people here who know their stuff. I'm really new at this myself and it is an addiction for sure! Have fun and please do post pictures.

 

[Candybee]

Welcome to your new addiction! LOL Don't worry about that sour puss at the market. There will always be nay sayers and jealous types that love to poop on you. I just walk away and keep doing what I do.

Follow the recipe and advice you have from this thread and your soap will turn out fine. As a matter of fact I believe you will find it hard not to keep your hands off your first bar of soap. Have fun! and post about your first batch when you are done. I'm sure you will have lots of questions once you get your first batch done.

 

[funastrum]

Thanks guys!
I am sure that I will have questions after my first batch, hopefully I don't come across any big problems.
My stuff arrives in the mail on Wednesday, I hardly know what to do with myself while I wait for the package to arrive. I will likely buy another mold since I won't want to wait 24 hours between batches - I will surely be hooked!
I will be sure to post pictures of my first batch! I have been browsing the forum for others' first batches to see what I can expect

Aha! I also built an awesome curing shelf for my soaps for when I am in production!!! I will have to post pictures of that as well and maybe give you guys some ideas! It's gorgeous!

 

[funastrum]

Woohoo! My soaping supplies came a day early so I am at it now. I am waiting for my lye solution to cool down to 105 (currently at 135) and I will be blending
Everything has been smooth and easy so far, I guess we will see how it goes!

 

[tryanything]

Yay! Post pics when you are done! i am in the process of unpacking from a move and can't wait to get back to soaping. I hope to have the house set to rights by this weekend, then maybe I can get a small batch going. Good luck!

 

[funastrum]

I got the soap into the mold!
I used the Soaping101 Bastille recipe and did a swirl because I am ambitious (often overly). I had 2 scents I was working with, as well as 3 colors for a swirl. Chocolate and cherry, brown (cocoa), white (titanium dioxide), and reddish mica (bordeaux from Coastalscents).
I premixed my colors about an hour or so before. Once I got my lye in it was pretty easy to identify a light trace, so I poured into my cups. Black Cherry fragrance went into the red and white mix, and Swiss Chocolate fragrance went into the brown. Red and white stayed at a nice thin trace with fragrance the entire time, but with my second pour of brown it had accelerated quite a bit from the Swiss chocolate fragrance from Coastalscents - I won't buy that again! The cherry fragrance was from BB and was heavenly and behaved so well. I was able to top it with red and white to hide the lumpiness, thankfully. I am sure that the brown probably gave me some air bubbles though... Oh well, I am still impressed with myself. I am ecstatic to cut it tomorrow. I'll post pictures of it in the mold ASAP!

 

[funastrum]

Here's my soap in the mold... The top looks a little funky since I had just sprayed it with rubbing alcohol. It's gelling now, it will be interesting to see it out of the mold tomorrow, I don't really know what to expect.

 

[Ancel]

That looks great! Congratulations! Looking forward to seeing it cut

 

[MaitriBB]

Welcome and congrats on your first batch!

Maybe that other soaper started herself with a shoebox and thought you didn't know what you were doing and wanted to save you some $$. Sounds like she went about it the wrong way though. I dunno, just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt I would probably suggest to someone asking about making CP, to use a cheap mold like a shoebox at first.