Wedding favor help

[NorthStar]

I am getting married in October in 2009 and am going with a fall theme. My fiance and I decided on what we are going to do for the favors, however I realized I would need some help and found this website.
The favors are going to be little plastic pumpkin buckets (think trick or treating pails) with a bottle of maple syrup (in a leaf containter) and a bar of soap in the shape of a leaf also or maybe an apple (haven't decided on that yet)
Anyway, what I need help with is, I need a recipe or suggestions for how to make soap that does not contain lye and smells like apple cider (please note it would also need to be "fall" coloured ie reds, yellows, oranges) Some of his relatives have very sensitive skin and lye burns them, the more "natural" ingredients the better. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jenmarie82]

Hi,
If I'm not mistaken, all soap contains lye. If you have sensitve skin, you might try a soap with no harsh chemicals or scent.

 

[dagmar88]

hi northstar
you don't have to have a sensitive skin, lye burnes everyone :wink:
the fats and lye have a chemical reaction; when your recipe is good, your soap will not contain any lye. A soap made with lye and 100% olive oil, is pretty soft on the skin.
when you don't want to make soap with lye in the process, you could buy a pre-made mix (melt and pour base)
this you just melt in the microwave, ad a little fragance and color, and thats it :wink:
note that people with sensitive skin not always react well on scents and color
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=24
maybe you could look here to find supplieres
dagmar

 

[The Queen]

Straight lye burns everyone, however there is no lye left after the soap has been made/cured.

As for sensitive skin issue I would be far more concerned about the fragrance oil you use.

I would aslo be concerned about a food product & a non feed product bieng paired. They may think the soap is candy.

 

[jenmarie82]

M&P does contain lye...all soap contains lye. Maybe just a different form of it?

 

[soap_lady]

I agree I would be more concerned with people thinking it's candy as we all know so many people eat things without reading labels.

Why not make your leaf with white chocolate instead, and use flavorings and colorings as desired.


If you are set and want to include a soap, and if your doing this yourself I would suggest using a melt and pour soap base instead. There are several good ones on the market to use.

Now is not the time (I would think) to start learning the art of soap making using the CP method. You not only have to have a good recipe, but it's a big learning process and many people have several flops in the beginning. Your also handling caustic lye, and to do this for a wedding favor (to show off) rather than because its something you want to learn to do and do well and take your time to learn everything...... well I just think they may be the wrong reasons. (to start with)

Plus the cost of your supplies, molds ect...... With melt and pour you can make a few at a time, but with CP you usually make batches with a minimum of 1 pound of oils and that could get expensive because you would need a lot of molds.

Yes all soaps must have lye to start with in them as part of the ingredients. But soap making is all chemistry, you must have the correct ingredients as well as the right balance of them to make good soap. You must have (or should) a digital scale to weigh out each and every ingredient that goes into your soap. Then once they are mixed the lye that has been dissolved into a liquid will mix with the oils and then go through an amazing chemical reaction process and once that process is finished you have soap. But no lye remains in the soap unless you have added to much lye, and then it becomes unsafe to use.

I strongly urge you to think about using chocolate instead but if you simply must have soap, use a good quality melt and pour soap base.

If you are dead set on having CP soap, why not hire an experienced soap maker who is willing to fill your order and can do it well.

Good Luck,

 

[Deda]

M&P does contain lye...all soap contains lye. Maybe just a different form of it?

Not true. Some MP is made from SLS and other synthetics.

 

[NorthStar]

I have thought about this... I have made soap before... it is not to show off it is to save money, I am also helping make the syrup (from my families trees), making my own invitations, and I made my veil. I sell soap at local markets, all with lye. I have been engaged for almost two years planning all of this. I also have printed lables that clearly state that it is soap, it is also going to be wrapped in a autumnal colour fabric, and the syrup in the glass bottles are clearly labled as being syrup (clearly visible that it is liquid).

I came to this site for help, not criticism for what I chose to do at my own wedding. Please do not be critical of my choice. If you feel the need, please do not respond to this. My main questions regarding this are...

Help making soap that does not contain lye (ie a glycerine soap which I have not made before)

What colour products would work best for making fall colours

How best to scent the soap to make it smell like apple cider.

Thank you for being kind and helping me with this.
p.s. thank you for the suggestion of using chocolate, however I am a vegetarian and my fiance is lactose intolerant, most of my family are also vegetarians and do not consume chocolate.

 

[jenmarie82]

(deleted)

I haven't been making soap for very long, but i would suggest that you try to find a good melt and pour soap without any harsh chemicals and no dye or try to use something natural to color your soap.

 

[Tabitha]

When choosing an apple cider fragrance I would certainly phone the supplier to make sure it doesn't contain any cinnamon. Cinnamon is the number one skin irritant I have encountered. My fav scent supplier is www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com Indiana candle, bittercreek, soapies supplies, brambleberry, millcreek, daystar, aroma haven, scent works and wellington are just a few other supplier I can htink of off the top of my head.

I have some pretty little maple leaf molds I have used for wedding favor molds myself a couple of times. They were about 1 1/2oz each. I used various shades of pearly micas in browns & coppers to color them & they were very lovely! The molds were by life of the party. I don't know off hand who carries life of the party molds, but they should be easy enough to google.

 

[Tabitha]

Yes, all soap begins w/ lye, but MOST M&P does not contain lye & is not *soap*, it is a detergent or a cosmetic per the FDA definition. I have that link if anyone would like to take a look at it. It is also availabel as the first thread in the bath & body area forum.

 

[Tabitha]

... and to do this for a wedding favor (to show off) rather than because its something you want to learn to do and do well and take your time to learn everything...... well I just think they may be the wrong reasons... (to start with)

Ooops, this was a bit presumptuous :?

 

[jenmarie82]

I see that part of my post was deleted...i was just answering her.

{PER SMF ADMIN: A portin of your comment was deleted because it had hateful intent. Please see forum rules here: http://soapmakingforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=45140#45140}

 

[Tabitha]

Northstar, are you ovo-lacto or vegan?

My family, my parents and my husbands family are all & have always been vegetraians but we do eat eggs & dairy, but only from free-range farms.

 

[Rebelshope]

right now at Joanne Fabric and Walmart, (other places as well I am sure) is a the cutest little plastic mold of pumpkins. They would be the right size for a little basket. There was also a one of leaves and pumpkins. I don't know how cost effective they would be though.

 

[Tabitha]

Please don't laugh at my picture. These are a few soap I made waaaaaaaaaaaay back when! It does show the guest size leaf mold I was talking about.

You can click on the photo for a close up. It shows quit a few dif fall mica colors too.

 

[jenmarie82]

Soapy Myths
"The most common myth is that glycerin soap doesn’t contain lye. Yes it does. ALL soap contains lye. Lye is mixed with fats and water and in the case of melt & pour, other clarifying ingredients such as sugar, alcohol, propylene glycol and sorbitol. The soapy fact here is that once you purchase the glycerin soap base YOU don’t have to use any lye. And that’s what’s so appealing to us."

I found this at http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-g ... soap.shtml

 

[Tabitha]

This is what the FDA says about it.:


How FDA defines "soap"
Not every product marketed as soap meets FDA's definition of the term. FDA interprets the term "soap" to apply only when --

The bulk of the nonvolatile matter in the product consists of an alkali salt of fatty acids and the product's detergent properties are due to the alkali-fatty acid compounds, and
The product is labeled, sold, and represented solely as soap [21 CFR 701.20].
If a cleanser does not meet all of these criteria...
If a product intended to cleanse the human body does not meet all the criteria for soap, as listed above, it is either a cosmetic or a drug. For example:

If a product --

consists of detergents or
primarily of alkali salts of fatty acids and
is intended not only for cleansing but also for other cosmetic uses, such as beautifying or moisturizing,
it is regulated as a cosmetic.

If a product --

consists of detergents or
primarily of alkali salts of fatty acids and
is intended not only for cleansing but also to cure, treat, or prevent disease or to affect the structure or any function of the human body, it is a drug.

You can read the balance of the info here: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/

 

[digit]

How about M&P in the leaf mold, then use soap paints for detailing and color? Or better yet, a dash of mica with a brush? The golds and coppers are beautiful. :idea: Have red, brown and yellow leaves (each leaf a single color) brushed with gold mica.

http://www.wholesalecolors.com/index.ph ... egory%3D27

Digit

 

[Deda]

Soapy Myths
"The most common myth is that glycerin soap doesn’t contain lye. Yes it does. ALL soap contains lye. Lye is mixed with fats and water and in the case of melt & pour, other clarifying ingredients such as sugar, alcohol, propylene glycol and sorbitol. The soapy fact here is that once you purchase the glycerin soap base YOU don’t have to use any lye. And that’s what’s so appealing to us."

I found this at http://www.allfreecrafts.com/homemade-g ... soap.shtml

Unless the base you are using contains Synthetic Surfactants.