Uk Soap Makers

[Kaybrantley]

Thanks for replying to be fare I’m hoping that uk soap makers can come together and help each other out like where to buy ingredients , CPSRs and equipment I’ve found The Soap Kitchen quite good on prices and if you buy all ingredients from them the CPSRs are really well priced compared to all others I’ve seen. I have ADHD an very surprising to me and my partner I’m finding I’m actually enjoying compliance as much as making the soapy sudsy stuff


she is amazing!!!
so how come you haven’t given CP a go yet ?
if you make soap you are a soap maker regardless of how you make it


I like The Soap Kitchen to buy my ingredients from only because I use there CPSR generator and if you buy ingredients from them the reports are cheaper ingredients it’s not that bad to get hold of some equipment I find either expensive or you have to buy from America for the good stuff anyway ….. it’s compliance that the hardest part I actually enjoy this side of it but I’ve noticed a lot of people struggling with it … it’s knowing what the legalities are … what files you have to create what needs to go on labels and that sort of stuff it seems daunting at first but once your in the know it’s not actually as hard as it looks I’m always learning and was hoping this thread could be a great source of information for uk soap makers … for instance if you get your hands on a really good mould then put it on here where you got it from so other soapers could get it too or if you get one that’s not working ……ANYWAY anyway enough of my rambling good luck for the move ….welcome to the thread ,, And I look forward to chatting about all soapy things UK with soon

I’m from America and I wondered what equipment you were referring to. Isn’t the shipping cost high? I am enjoying this thread. I, too, only make for charity and for friends. It’s fun and relaxing.

 

[Georgeandstella]

Look what I found! Why Is Borax Banned In The UK? [Yes, Here’s Why] -

Hi. Yes I am thinking of boric acid! Borax apparently is available in the uk but its sale is restricted. It is mostly used as a cleaning product and to kill small critturs like ants! Soap kitchen advertise it for sale but I can't get their website to work so I don't know any more about it.

Trying to recall my coffee soap recipe (I am not at home) base recipe - 210 coconut oil, 300 olive oil 30 each shea butter, cocoa butter and castor oil , plus extra 75 coconut oil ( I think - because of the salt), 15 coffee grounds (I actually make the coffee with the water for the lye and leave the grounds in - let it cool first!), 75 sea salt and 30 pumice powder - all in grams. Lye I think 86 g, water at 1.5 x the lye. But if you run the base recipe, without anything after the plus, through a soap calculator that will give the lye amount. Always check other peoples recipes.

It was very cleansing, not for use on the face. I used to call "working hands" soap. Included coffee, salt and pumice with the idea that it was a combination cooks, gardeners and anything else mucky you could think of soap. Someone who worked on a farm used to buy lots of it.

The other thing about exfoliants is that it is a very personal thing. For example I use ground orange peel in one of my soaps. I don't even use it with exfoliant in mind, more to try and help fix the aroma. I don't even notice it. But other people think it is too rough!

Thank you for all of this knowledge. My sister is a Master Gardener and I want to make soaps for her to give to her gardening friends for Christmas

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

Feel free to try this recipe if you would like. I am not currently making soap. Try using half measures to see if you like it and adapt it from there. But do check the lye amount on the basic bit of the recipe before the additions of extra coconut oil and other stuff. I just can't quite remember if it definitely 86g. On the calculator you might find it 86 point something but I always round down to the next whole number. But there is so much additional oil in this soap to counteract the effect of the salt you can't go wrong really. Good luck.

 

[Georgeandstella]

Feel free to try this recipe if you would like. I am not currently making soap. Try using half measures to see if you like it and adapt it from there. But do check the lye amount on the basic bit of the recipe before the additions of extra coconut oil and other stuff. I just can't quite remember if it definitely 86g. On the calculator you might find it 86 point something but I always round down to the next whole number. But there is so much additional oil in this soap to counteract the effect of the salt you can't go wrong really. Good luck.

Thank you, I will try this. How much does brewed coffee affect the colour of the base?

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

A lot! It is quite a chocolate brown colour, with a slightly speckled, spangly look where the salt crystals and pumice can be seen in the mix. Also, I didn't perfume this soap. If you wish to, I would suggest using an essential oil rather than a fragrance oil if you are new to soaping. Apparently fragrance oils can be a bit tricky, though I have never used them. If you want a coffee aroma though, you may have to get a fragrance oil. If so, others can advise you better than me. I suggest either doing a search of the forum, it's probably been discussed somewhere before, ot start a new thread. Make it clear you are UK though, as some things are more difficult to find here and you don't want lots of responses recommending something from America, unless you don't mind paying the postage.

A lot! It is quite a chocolate brown colour, with a slightly speckled, spangly look where the salt crystals and pumice can be seen in the mix. Also, I didn't perfume this soap. If you wish to, I would suggest using an essential oil rather than a fragrance oil if you are new to soaping. Apparently fragrance oils can be a bit tricky, though I have never used them. If you want a coffee aroma though, you may have to get a fragrance oil. If so, others can advise you better than me. I suggest either doing a search of the forum, it's probably been discussed somewhere before, ot start a new thread. Make it clear you are UK though, as some things are more difficult to find here and you don't want lots of responses recommending something from America, unless you don't mind paying the postage.

Thank you very much!

 

[JuliaNegusuk]

George and Stella - I am home now and checked my recipe, below. I remembered all correctly except the extra coconut oil which was 90g not 75g. Its not a huge issue, but you do need extra coconut oil to combat the lather reducing element of the salt. In fact most soap apart from very coconut oil heavy soap wont work very well at all in salty water. Amended the recipe below.

Coffee soap recipe - base recipe - 210g coconut oil, 300g olive oil 30g each shea butter, cocoa butter and castor oil. Lye (Sodium Hydroxide) 86g, water at 1.5 x the lye, though you can use twice the lye amount if you prefer.. Plus extra 90g coconut oil, 15g ground coffee (I actually make the coffee with the water for the lye and leave the grounds in - let it cool first!), 75g sea salt and 30g pumice powder.

As I said before the coffee is optional. If you don't put it in, it probably wont reduce the exfoliant power of the soap very much.

If you don't want a brown soap, and it is for gardeners, just don't use the coffee. I put that in because I wanted a soap that is also good for cooks, and coffee is supposed to remove cooking smells from skin.

You could try using a green colourant, there are several, I use green tea wax from Soap Kitchen. I also make a seasalt soap with no colour speckled with ground rosemary (about 10g, with rosemary essential oil). That looks quite nice. There will be loads of info on the internet about using colourants and aromas The world is your oyster.

 

[Georgeandstella]

If you don't want a brown soap, and it is for gardeners, just don't use the coffee. I put that in because I wanted a soap that is also good for cooks, and coffee is supposed to remove cooking smells from skin.

You could try using a green colourant, there are several, I use green tea wax from Soap Kitchen. I also make a seasalt soap with no colour speckled with ground rosemary (about 10g, with rosemary essential oil). That looks quite nice. There will be loads of info on the internet about using colourants and aromas The world is your oyster.

You are so kind, thank you for this. There are so many options!

 

[Tmwmo5]

I’m from America and I wondered what equipment you were referring to. Isn’t the shipping cost high? I am enjoying this thread. I, too, only make for charity and for friends. It’s fun and relaxing.

It’s the soap cutters mainly I’m looking at getting a combination bar splitter and cutter I can’t remember the name of the one I have been looking at ( I think it’s named after a god ) it’s a bar splitter and a cutter x
The shipping cost is high but if there are a few of us wanting stuff then was hoping we could split the cost of shipping over it’s just a thought at the minute xx

 

[Kaybrantley]

Great idea. My other hobby is cross stitching. I used to subscribe to Cross Stitch Gold from the UK. The quality of stitching is so much better there than in the US. I cross stitch a Christmas tree skirt for my nieces, nephews and God children when they marry. I needed a large piece of material and much to my surprise, the best quality material from the UK was cheaper than anywhere else, even with the shipping.

 

[Hils67]

Hi, I’m from Pembrokeshire West Wales, and have been making cp soap for just over 5 years now. I love using fragrance oils, Natures Garden are the best I’ve found, but it’s difficult getting them here. There was a supplier who imported them in but he’s gone out of business. Another supplier is starting to take on the franchise but a bit slow getting started.

If any UK makers are looking for assessments have a look at MAF Cosmetics, lots of preassessed assessments and very reasonable on bespoke assessments.

Oils & butters etc I get from The Soapery.

Fragrance oils is our biggest problem here…loads of candle suppliers but they’re not specifically made for soap and very few soap reviews, so it’s an expensive business testing. I’m hunting 6 fragrances for my new assessment and have so far spent £200 on testers (usually £5 each) only to be disappointed with their performance. The quality of fragrances seems to have gone downhill. The Soap Kitchen/Supplies for Candles used to have top notch oils, but many have been reformulated. When you have an assessment here in the UK you have to stick to the same supplier and same fragrance. For me, I’ve lost a few scents from my range as the supplier has either gone out of business, discontinued the fragrance or reformulated it and the new one no longer works. It’s a real struggle and I’m almost at the point of giving up on fragrance oils.

It would be fantastic if there was a database somewhere we could input our testing notes to help each other out. If someone set one up I’d happily contribute to it.