# COLD PROCESS handmade SOAP



## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

SOAP ​ 

I have made many batches of soap over the last couple years.​ 
Is there any soapmakers out there?

If so, join in and to share tips, ask questions
and cold process handmade soap recipes.

Making soap is good clean fun!​


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

Online soap calculator sites (_just click on link below_):​ 
SoapCalc

MMS - Calculators

BOOK:
Amazon.com: Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started eBook: Elizabeth Letcavage, Alan Wycheck, Patsy Buck: Books


*SAFETY FIRST:*​ 
RESEARCH HOW TO MAKE SOAP BEFORE YOU TRY TO MAKE SOAP. 
WHEN IN DOUBT ASK QUESTIONS, READ OR WATCH HELPFUL VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE. ALSO ALWAYS READ THE SAFETY AND CAUTION LABEL ON ALL PRODUCTS.



*Remember to practice safety first when working with lye. It can be dangerous and needs to be handled with a lot of care. Follow these safety steps at a minimum:*


_* Keep children and pets out of your work area* as it is especially dangerous to have them around the lye._
Wear PPE (personal protective equipment) Goggles and gloves 
Never use ALUMINUM POTS or other aluminum items such as spoons - they are reactive with the lye solution.
*LYE IS CAUSTIC. *
*In the event you happen to get any lye on your skin, neutralize it right away with some vinegar. Then, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.*
It’s also important to wash all pots and pans used in the lye soap making process before touching them with bare hands. It may be a good idea to designate certain kitchen items as exclusively for soap making. You can keep a separate soap making kit with all your tools in it together.


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

HOW TO BOOK:

Amazon.com: The Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life) (9780882669656): Susan Miller Cavitch: Books


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## bethzaring (Mar 7, 2011)

yes, I make my own cold process hand and bath soap...I have all the ingredients to make my next batch, just haven't done it....I like to let mine cure at least 6 months


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*I love to make soap*

What type of oil do you use?


*Olive oil (makes castile soap or can be combined) *
*Tallow (makes a firm bar great lather) *
*Lard (makes a medium - softer bar than tallow)*
*Canola (cheap makes a medium soft bar can be combined to cut cost) *
*Sunflower (conditioning but can be sort of costly)*
There are countless oils and combinations that can be used to create soap. _*I usually combine different oils.*_


_CASTOR OIL:_​I told my sister about adding castor oil about a year ago to make a conditioning bar with a foamy smooth lather -- we made soap the other day -- boy she loves to add castor oil to her soap (she has sensitive skin and lives in a dry climate - Utah). 

She added about a 1/2 c or may be more (wow... I usually add an ounce or two). Her soap turned out fine and after cure I will try it and update this site about castor oil. After we cut it I tried a small scrap at the sink to test to see if it bubbled -- it had smooth frothy suds.

Of course we used the soap calc to get the ratios www.soapcalc.net

*HOW MUCH CASTOR OIL TO USE* (_I found this online_)

_The lather that castor oil produces is what really makes it such an appealing ingredient for soap making. You need to actually try using castor oil soap to truly appreciate how wonderful the lather is... I can guarantee you won't be disappointed! _
_In addition to the wonderful lather, the conditioning and moisturizing properties that this ingredient adds is a great bonus for using castor oil for soap making. _
_Keep in mind that you don't need to use a huge amount of castor oil in order to see the benefits in your soap. I recommend keeping it at around 5% - 10% of the total oils used in your batch. While using the right amount of castor oil will reap incomparable benefits in your soap, If you incorporate too much, your soap may feel a bit sticky and soft. You definitely don't want that! __Using castor oil for soap making also seems to speed up trace somewhat. For this reason, it's a good idea to adjust your soaping routine accordingly. You can soap cooler to slow down trace. When using castor oil, I combine the lye and oils at around 90 degrees (which for me is a lower temperature then normal) to avoid an overly quick trace. Also, if you are the type of soap maker that uses a stick blender, you may want to cut down the amount of time that you use the device and stir more manually. This, however, is not really necessary for most soap makers... especially those who have some experience. _

_*HERE IS A FEW QUESTIONS FOR SOAPMAKERS:*_

_WHAT ARE YOUR FAV OILS?_
_DO YOU USE SCENTS OR ESSENTIALS?_
_DO YOU ADD COLOR?_
_DO YOU ADD TEXTURE (lavender flowers) AT TRACE?_
_DO YOU STIR WITH A SPOON OR USE A STICK BLENDER?_
_DO YOU ONLY USE VEGGIE OILS?_

_*ANY FACTS, INFO, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!*_


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## bethzaring (Mar 7, 2011)

I've settled on:

Olive oil 45%
coconut oil 30%
palm oil 20%
cocoa butter 3%
sweet almond oil 2%

I add a fragrance oil at trace, no other scents or colors or textures...usually use almond fragrance oil

Stir with a stick blender for sure  found out early on there is no sense making it without a stick blender

and I use goats milk for the liquid


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

MMS the sage recipe page link below:

Recipe Category<br>Bar Soaps


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

What is your fav scent type?

Floral
musks
citrus
mint


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## bethzaring (Mar 7, 2011)

my soaps look very similar to that photo....'cept I don't seem to cut my soap nearly so neatly..


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## joesfolk (Mar 7, 2011)

I didn't know you can make soap fromlard...just didn't occur to me.  Where do you buy the lye?  Can you give me a recipe for a lard based soap?


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*Here is the cadillac of all molds*

I like how you used a percentage when giving your fav ingredient amounts
makes it easy to adjust recipe to fit mold size.

Speaking of molds:

I BOUGHT THIS SOAP MOLD AND LOVE IT!

15"Lx3 1/4"Wx2 3/4"H (38.1x8.25x6.99cm) Log Silicone Soap Mold <=== link to website
*MADE IN THE USA *



​SILICONE LINER HELPS SOAP POP OUT - ALWAYS READY TO USE!


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

I live in California - I purchase 100% *pure lye* AKA sodium hydroxide (in a dry crystal form) from either a soap supplier or better yet -- the hardware store.

My local hardware ordered me a case --- and gave me a 20% off discount.

Ask the hardware store if they offer discounts -- if you make soap often.


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## CharlieD (Mar 7, 2011)

At first a read the name of this thread I thought you're talking about Soup, and I was wandering how do you hand press Soup, then I realise I was wrong.


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## Chef Munky (Mar 7, 2011)

Miter said:


> SOAP ​
> 
> I have made many batches of soap over the last couple years.​
> Is there any soapmakers out there?
> ...



Most Soap makers join other forums to learn and ask questions.
Personally I wouldn't rely on you tube as a TNT reliable source for information.


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*Washing hands before cooking.*

_I received and understand your message. I have seen many useful videos online and on youtube. Soap is pretty easy to make.... I have been making it for several years with success. Clean hands before cooking is protocol. As far as using "other sites " the forums, -- I think this is a good discussion board and am happy that it is available, the forum offers a section for "OFF TOPICS" -this a a good category for soapmaking._ Thanks for sharing.


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

Glossary word:
*Saponification* is a chemical process that produces soap from fatty acid derivatives. Traditionally, saponification involves hydrolysis of esters under basic conditions to form an alcohol and the salt of a carboxylic acid (carboxylates). Saponifiable substances are those that can be converted into soap. (source: Wikipedia)



 
OIL PROPERTIES CHART: Soapnuts Library-Oil Properties Chart


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## Chef Munky (Mar 7, 2011)

Miter said:


> _I received and understand your message. I have seen many useful videos online and on youtube. Soap is pretty easy to make.... I have been making it for several years with success. Clean hands before cooking is protocol. As far as using "other sites " the forums, -- I think this is a good discussion board and am happy that it is available, the forum offers a section for "OFF TOPICS" -this a a good category for soapmaking._ Thanks for sharing.



Your right. This forum does offer plenty in the " Off Topic Section" As for the right category?  Off topic does have a thread going  " What else are you making?"


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*Essential oils (soapmaking)*

ESSENTIAL OIL:

Essential oils are all natural plant essences. They can be derived from the plant material by several methods such as: steam distillation, CO2 extraction or cold pressing. 

_Steam distillation_ is done with a still. Pressurized steam is forced through the plant matter. The steam then passes through to a cooling chamber, where the steam is converted back to water. The essential oils from the plant are then skimmed off the surface of the water.


_CO2 extraction_ is where liquid carbon dioxide is used to extract the oils. It is similar to the steam distillation in that pressure is used to extract the oils. When the carbon dioxide is allowed to return to its gas state, the essential oil is separated out and collected. 

_Cold pressed_ is the process by which the plant material is physically pressed until the essential oil is extracted. Citrus essential oils are commonly processed this way, as the peels are full of essential oils.​


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*How to render tallow (soapmaking tip)*

Did you know that most commercial soap is made with tallow unless the soap is _otherwise_ specified? (example:Olive oil castile soap)

Before you make old fashion soap you have to render the tallow

*How to render tallow:*

Have the butcher save and refridgerate beef fat scraps. Grinding the fat like sausage speeds up the process, just ask him/her to grind it for you.
Quicktip: Crockpot liners make cleanup fast and easy. 

​On a crockpot. place the fat, 2 cups of water and 4 TBSP of salt. Turn on crockpot and set timer for atleast 4 hours or until fat is melted.​Carefully pour and strain the fat through a strainer lined with a 3 to 4 layers of cheesecloth into a large bowl, refirdgerate until tallow is solid. 

Refrigerate 8 hours or more. The top layer of hard substance that remains is the tallow. Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze until you are ready to make soap.





RENDERED TALLOW READY TO MAKE SOAP


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## Miter (Mar 7, 2011)

*____________olive oil____soapmaking____________*

What is olive oil? 

Olive oil is "fruit oil" that is acquired by cold pressing olives. Each time the olive fruit is pressed, different grades of olive oil are achieved. 
During the first light pressing, the olive oil is considered to be extra virgin or virgin and is regarded as the *highest quality grade for cooking.* 
A second pressing, with more pressure then the first, yields refined "grade A" olive oil and is considered to be a lower grade because of the presence of free fatty acids. 
After the second pressing, it's usually no longer possible to obtain any oil through adding more pressure to the leftover fruit so a solvent called hexane is usually used to remove the remaining oil from the olive. This oil is considered "grade B" olive oil and is, of course, an even lower grade with even more free fatty acids. 
Finally, pomace oil is the lowest grade olive oil of all as it is the oil from the pomace (pits) of the olive. Unlike in cooking where you always want to use the highest grade possible, *you can use the lower grade olive oil for soap making without any problems!* In fact, some people prefer the lower grades because of its quicker trace. Surprised? Well, to be honest with you, so was I. Believe it or not, *in olive oil soap making, we can actually break the rule of always using the best ingredients without any negative consequences!* 


Olive oilVarious pressings of olive fruit… grade of oil varies with subsequent pressings (pomace oil is made from pulp residue and pits and contains a higher percentage of unsaponifiables)A humectant; makes a very mild, gentle soap; soap made from 100% olive oil is good for sensitive or baby’s skin


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## zodoco (Mar 7, 2011)

I love making soap too! I have been making soap since 1994.  I learned using "The Art of Soap Making". 
Miter has given me some good tips.  She introduced me to Castor oil and I cannot use enough of it in my soap.  Thanks Miter


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## megamark (Mar 7, 2011)

Awesome post. I occasionally buy some good soap at the grocer that is cut off of blocks. I love the stuff, but it is so expensive. I would love to make my own.

I have also thought of making my own toothpaste, with baking soda. I've heard you can add those extracts to make any flavor you want. 

Anyone do this?


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## Miter (Mar 8, 2011)

No I don't make toothpaste - I use baking soda with my toothpaste, keeps the teeth squeeky clean.

How I learned to make soap:


I learned from my two sister's (sister ZODOCO) -- after a few times watching, I had it down and started making soap on my own. It is a pretty basic process.
It is important to learn the do's and don'ts... before making soap. ​Never use aluminum. 

Always keep lye and lye solutions away from kids and pets, wear goggles and keep vinegar handy​*Buy a good book on soapmaking and read up on how to make soap - here are some suggestions:*​*Amazon.com: Basic Soap Making: All the Skills and Tools You Need to Get Started eBook: Elizabeth Letcavage, Alan Wycheck, Patsy Buck: Books*



*Amazon.com: The Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life) (9780882669656): Susan Miller Cavitch: Books* ​


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## blissful (Mar 8, 2011)

Yes, I make soap, cold processed and remilled (remelted) fragrance free color free and fragranced and colored.
Laundry soap too.
baking soda for teeth, yes that too. 

For soap, I like 10-12% coconut oil, 45% veggie oil of some type, 45% lard, it turns out hard, slow melting, fluffy bubbles, I have cured some of it for years, the longer the better up to about 5 years. 

Soapmaking is like chemistry in the kitchen, like cooking, to me anyways.


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