Soap Making Class!

[Stacykins]

So, most college students spend their spring breaks in Cancun or Florida getting wasted 24 hours a day for a week. What I am doing? Going partying? Newp! I am taking a soap making class! I am so excited that I found one close to me. Its being held at The Soap Barn in Flint, Michigan.

Here is the description:
" Learn the art of soap making. This is a great basic course on Cold Processed Olive Oil based soap. This course covers the do’s and don’ts on soap making covering topics such as carrier oils, herbs, botanicals, molds, natural vs. commercial preservatives and color additives, essential oils vs. fragrance oils, handling lye(sodium hydroxide) and more. Each student will then make a 3.25 pound batch of soap using organic carrier oils to take home with them along with the formula and tons of information. Dress for mess. Class size is limited and pre-registration is required. Materials must be paid for no later than 1 week prior to the class. Notebooks are not provided, if you would like to take notes, please bring a notebook and pencil. "

I think it'll be so fun! My Mom and I are both doing it together, I've already registered us. I asked her if she was interested, and she was indeed! I feel I may be the youngest one there, but hey, it should be a blast regardless of the average age! And I'll have an experienced person who can say "No! You're doing it wrong! Here is what you need to do." I don't always look forward to college classes, but I am looking forward to this class.

Has anyone else taken a soap making class? How'd it go? It sounds like it'll be a smaller class, which is great. No better way to learn, I think, than having someone help you through it. Since I am coming from square zero, this 101 class will start me off on the right foot.

 

[barefootbody]

Stacykins,

When are you taking the class? I hope you'll post all of the details about it, like how it was set-up & such, and do you take the soap home the same night? So they will give you the mold, I wonder what it is made out of, oh, I really would love to hear all about the class, all the details.

Is it at a local college or something, a 1 night class? If you don't mind my asking, how much is it going to cost?

I was talking to the owner of a store today and we contemplated doing a class of some sort, I'm really interested & have spent all day trying to figure out the logistics of what I will need to do such a thing, I think I will need so much, mixing bowls for each student, etc, gosh, so much I would have to provide . . .

Yep, I'd really like to hear every detail! Any members out there with experience doing this kind of stuff?

Barefoot

 

[Stacykins]

http://www.thesoapbarn.com/index.php?action=item&id=328&prevaction=category&previd=19&prevstart=0

That is the URL to the class. I am taking it on March 7th, so it'll be over week until I attend. I'll definitely post all the details when I attend. I'll bring my camera too! It is being held at a soap store in Flint. It'll be great, I roll into the train station March 6th at near midnight, and not 12 hours later I'll be whipping up some soap.

The class was 49$ per person. So for my Mom and I, I just paid 98$. I have no idea if that is the norm, but since knowledge is invaluable, I think it'll be worth it. Especially since all the supplies is being provided, like the mold. I assume it will go home with us that night. I think palm and coconut oil will also be ingredients we will use, since that is in every one of their kits.

Hopefully I'll get an email with more details as the date draws nearer!

 

[Rosey]

sounds awesome! I bet you're excited! Definitely tell us about it!!

 

[rszuba]

Tina is awesome. i took her class about 2 years ago. she will answer all your questions. you can even email or call her after the class and she will be as helpful as can be.

her little shop is very cute. lots of supplies. she is going to be offering bulk soapmaking supplies soon. i look forward to that.

you are going have a great time. get ready to be addicted. the possilities are endless.

renee

 

[TessC]

Muahaha, I've passed the soap addiction along to another betta nut!

 

[Stacykins]

That is great to hear Renee! Thank you!

And yep Tess, I've followed you into the world of soap makings! I just need my apartment and not some little kitchenless dorm to fully get into it

 

[Stacykins]

The soap making class was today, and it was great! Definitely was worth every penny.

Since the weather was sloppy (raining buckets) and Flint, MI is an hour away, we left early and arrived a half an hour before class. It was a very small, cute shop, and Tina was so nice! My Mom and I had to wait for the other two to arrive, so there were four taking the class total. A perfect number of people.

Everything was set up. Tina said she used to have everyone measure everything out, but it took a long time. Stressed the importance of a good digital scale with tare, function though. Each of us had a pot of oils, lye water, high temp spatula, thermometer, apron, small box, and a bag to line the box. She explained the different types of soap, melt and pour, cold process, and hot process. We were making cold process soap. Before we did anything we lined our box with the plastic bags. Not as neat as freezer paper, but very simple to do and as a first batch, I don't mind if there are wrinkle marks.

Anyway, instead of stick blending, we blended by hand! She likes students to blend by hand so they know what it feels like. It took about fifteen minutes to bring the mix to trace. I think that is great, actually, to know what it'll feel like. Since it was all rainy and muggy, she expected it to take longer, but newp, we all traced in rapid succession.

She had several scents for us to choose from to add in. I forget what they are now. My mom used all orange fragrance oil. I used two difference fragrance oils, mocha vanilla and orange. Poured it in the mold and yay! all done!

We drove VERY carefully home with our soap! I held mine on my lap. We and our soap made it home great, and we insulated it and put it near our wood burning stove to gel. There was a scary moment on the highway just outside of Flint on the way back, a car spun out in front of us, struck another, and landed in the ditch. Though my Mom had to hit the brakes hard to avoid being included in the accident, our soaps remained in the molds. It was raining very hard, and the person sped past us before the accident, but my heart was sure in my throat. Be sure to drive safe in any inclement weather!

Anyway, here are a few pictures! They are from my camera phone, so not the best.

The soap making supplies. She had a lot of EOs, FOs, herbs, clays, etc. for us to smell or look at. Very hands on.

Our soaps in the mold! Mine is the close one, the next one is Mom's.

I can't wait to see what the cured soap is like! It was made of 50% olive oil, 30% coconut oil, and 20% palm oil. I got a cutter that makes wavy edges, plus a few bars of soap.

Aaaaand that was the class. Fun and super informative!

 

[TessC]

Ooooh! That sounds like it was a blast! I want to fins a local soap class now, it would be so much fun. Can't wait to see your soaps once they're ready to come out!

 

[lunchlady2009]

How awesome (except for the almost accident! :shock: ) Are you going to cut today? I can't wait to see it!

 

[barefootbody]

Wow, that sounds like fun! So you just used boxes for molds, thats cool. Glad you made it home safe, that soap spilling out on your lap would not have been fun.

The lady who taught me to make soap had me stir it by hand too, it took over an hour to trace!!!! Never again for me, but she still does hers that way . .

So Tina had the clays & other additives, she explained how to use them? But you weren't given the option to use them in your soaps this time were you? That would be awful confusing to a newbie I would think.

Did I see on another post that you are gonig to make a batch using mostly Coconut Oil? Why, may I ask? Didn't you like the way the OO, CO & PO worked?

So please, post pictures of your soap once you cut it!!!

Barefoot

 

[Stacykins]

The 100% CO something I had an interest in doing, maybe in the future when I have much more experience! The CP batch I plan on making soon will have OO, PO, CO, and a bit of castor oil

The only additives in the class we used were fragrance oils. But it was neat getting to see the various materials likes clays and dried herbs.

 

[barefootbody]

I did a batch like that with the Castor last week, it turned out really nice. Wasn't hard to work with either. I think I heard that 100% CO traces super quick. I'm still curious as to why you want to do all CO, isn't that supposed to be very drying to your skin?

Barefoot

 

[Stacykins]

From what I've read (no experience though heh) seems that 100% CO with a high superfat is supposed to be a rather nice soap that isn't drying. I'd be curious to see if this was true.

 

[barefootbody]

Let us know how it turns out when you do it!

 

[rszuba]

barefootbody,

when i took the class there was only one other person and she brought her own oats to put in.

and i wanted to put in something herbally, so tina helped me pick something out- we picked spearmint leaves- which i purchased right there at ther shop. and i also purchased lemongrass eo. this was before the class started. those are what i added to my soap.
and today these are still one of my most requested from friends and family and my most favorite.-- i did change the recipe as far as the oils go.
most of my soaps have some sort of exfoilant.
renee

 

[barefootbody]

That sounds neat. Was the spearmint dried or fresh? I haven't tried adding anything like that yet, but probably will this summer when my herbs start taking over the garden.

I did make a soap bar that contained apricot kernel seed as an exfoliant, but it didn't sell very well. Yet my body scrubs & foot polish sell really well.

Barefoot

 

[rszuba]

ooouuww, body scrubs and foot polish sound devine. the spearmint was dried. cool your growing your own. think i will grow some herbs this summer also.

tina has this great antique tea pot (huge, right in her shop)and she brews tea, so the spearmint, lemon verbena, etc. are food friendly, tea or bath ready.

 

[barefootbody]

Yes, I love my herbs!!!

 

[kellistarr]

stacykins,

I am a Michigan reisdent and I've thought of taking that very class! I moaned that it was too far away, but I think it might be an hour for me as well. I like that your class was small. I've even thought about ordering some of their CP soap kits, where they send you everything, including colorant and herbs.

Looks like it was a lot of fun. Looks like you made a lot of soap. How many lbs did you make? Those boxes look huge!