Your expert opinion please

[MyJadedHeart]

I've been making soap for a few years now and friends think it's a great idea to suggest recipes for me to try. While most are ok, the one in the following link set off alarm bells. I know there is LOTS of crazy, irresponsible advice out there, but this one takes the cake. Then I thought, maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm overreacting. It's is, after all, the most stressful time of the year and I could just be way too "sensitive" right now... :think: So tell me what you think.

http://www.diynatural.com/crock-pot-soap/

 

[Steve85569]

I would NOT do that.
No way. Not even to give to an enemy.

"You just cooked out all those weeks of curing" or something to that effect. NOT!!!
Measured by volume. NO!!!

 

[newbie]

Use a canning jar for mixing lye water? Make sure you use only a wooden spoon? Cups? The person in the comments who says they just kind of wing it and don't measure much? Honest to Pete, it's amazing that more people don't have fried skin because of posts like this.

If you posted something with some science in it to show them their errors, they would all undoubtedly block you from posting

 

[SplendorSoaps]

Yikes! It's a huge red flag to me that the author is using measuring cups instead of weights. They seem to also be oblivious to the fact that different oils have different SAP values that could have a big effect on the outcome of the soap. And that's just the tip of the iceberg! I'm with you - I definitely would not try this one!

 

[spenny92]

It gets even worse as you read the comments - keep vinegar nearby in case you splash lye on yourself, soap is cured when it doesn't zap... Noooooooo!

 

[Susie]

This is a perfect example of the falsehoods available out on the internet. Rarely a month goes by that we don't have to explain to someone that HP does not eliminate the need for cure. Thank goodness there is this forum, where we have truth.

 

[MySoapyHeart]

I read the article you linked to, and was like "whaaaaaa??" :sick:

They call them selves a husband/wife team of Matt and Betsy Jabs. Seems they try to save the world one DIY tip at a time.
They are spreading DIY tips through books and articles while making a huge profit on every free DIY tip out there, and pass it over as "theirs". Quoting their own words from their About me - page; We are creating information that helps people. / We work to create information.
But nothing I have seen of what they claim are "theirs" isn`t something I haven`t already seen a thousand times before, on Pinterest, DIY sites etc. this over many, many years.

Besides, if they can spread such misinformation about something so serious as soaping with lye, I don`t expect them to excel in other areas either. When they do too many things at the same time, they can`t give enough attention to any of them. Isn`t there something called spreading yourself too thin?

That soap post is probably just the tip of the iceberg. But, I may be wrong.

But that soapmaking post is exactly why I spent so much time researching the process before even making soap, as there is a loooot of misconceptions about soaping out there. You have to sort through so much bad advice before getting to the real truth about the process.


http://www.soapmakingforum.com//no.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[MyJadedHeart]

Thank you all. I felt maybe I was being judgmental because I was tired and cranky. It's posts like that which make me grateful I had this forum when I was learning to make soap.

 

[snappyllama]

Yikes. No wonder emergency rooms exist.

 

[DeeAnna]

The author wrote in the comments on March 20, 2014:
"...One common problem with this recipe is that people are afraid of the lye and tend to not fill the measuring cup all the way, or they use the wrong type of measuring cup...."

Uh, well, duh!!!! Maybe that's the reason why even newbie soapers should not use volume measurements?

And in the tutorial body, the author wrote:
"...After 24 hours, take it out of the molds. Set it on some parchment or wax paper to cure for a week or so and that’s it. The 4-6 weeks have been reduced to a week by cooking the lye out and speeding up the oxidization process. Sometimes it takes another week, but most of the time the soap is ready within a week...."

Here we go again -- this unshakable idea that CP soap stays lye heavy for weeks, while HP is amazing in days -- as if saponification is the same as curing. There's no hint of any appreciation for the nice changes in lather, longevity, hardness, and mildness that happens in CP or HP soap if given a month or more to cure.

I don't get it.

 

[Dahila]

this author has so many followers and they (they are a couple ) post this terrible healing salves or healing with EO's and a lot of sometime dangerous advice

 

[Susie]

I try hard to stay away from those sites that make such claims. It keeps my life in a much happier place.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Indeed, I usually take some good stuff, check it against here and my own experience and so on. Sites like these are a source for me, but to be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[shunt2011]

She's got some intresting false information on their site for sure. Recipe for shampoo using Castile soap which has no Olive oil at all. :silent:

 

[MyJadedHeart]

I try hard to stay away from those sites that make such claims. It keeps my life in a much happier place.

I couldn't agree more.

 

[Serene]

sigh

I try hard to stay away from those sites that make such claims. It keeps my life in a much happier place.

Susie,

I wish I could do the same, but its like watching a train wreck.. I do try to message as many people as I can. I warn them and direct them here and other sites with the correct information when I see such blatant disregard for safety. I specifically target the ones that seem to be overly enthusiastic to make the soap/cream, etc.

Certain channels on YouTube have become difficult to watch. There is a somewhat successful soaping lady there with over 30k followers that has a video where she took her hp soaps out of the molds, did the cutting, and wrapped it to sell. She sent them to the market where she sells "right away", because she was completely out. I had such a look of disbelief that the hubby asked me what was wrong. When I showed the hubby the video he just shook his head and walked away. I had this terrible urge to post something to the effect of "what happened to the curing period? and are your customers aware of the risk of not curing soap?" But I did not. :?

I am just lucky and extremely happy to have found you guys.

 

[amd]

I stumbled on a "one state over" soaper and liked her fb page. She had a lot of nice looking soap so I wanted to buy some. While scrolling through the posts there was a picture of fresh cut soap and a comment from someone who wanted to know when it would be in an outlet store. Her response.... "I'll get it wrapped today and to such and such location tomorrow." Suddenly not excited to buy from her.

 

[Susie]

Susie,

I wish I could do the same, but its like watching a train wreck.. I do try to message as many people as I can. I warn them and direct them here and other sites with the correct information when I see such blatant disregard for safety. I specifically target the ones that seem to be overly enthusiastic to make the soap/cream, etc.

Certain channels on YouTube have become difficult to watch. There is a somewhat successful soaping lady there with over 30k followers that has a video where she took her hp soaps out of the molds, did the cutting, and wrapped it to sell. She sent them to the market where she sells "right away", because she was completely out. I had such a look of disbelief that the hubby asked me what was wrong. When I showed the hubby the video he just shook his head and walked away. I had this terrible urge to post something to the effect of "what happened to the curing period? and are your customers aware of the risk of not curing soap?" But I did not. :?

I am just lucky and extremely happy to have found you guys.

I understand. I truly do. I have just reached a point in my life where I value my peace of mind more than I value trying to save the world from itself. (Which is a waste of time and effort. You can't save anyone from their own actions, they have to save themselves.)

Anyone who cares to do their own research will eventually end up here or on other trustworthy sites. Those who don't choose to do their own research will either get tired of uncured soap, or continue promulgating bad information. We are but one small voice in the wilderness of ignorance and misinformation. We can't save everyone. I steer people I know here, so at least they get truth first.