New to M&P

[MYTVC15]

Hello y'all.  I'm new to making M&P soap.  sooo new, that I haven't gotten my supplies yet.  I ordered 2 bases from bramble berry and they should be in my hands tomorrow.  Just in time for the weekend.  I think I already screwed up before I even began, though.  I got 2 molds but they are the clear plastic ones. I also bought large plastic measure cups because I didn't have any, and I read to only use glass. I will have to buy a big glass one today.

 

I have been reading this site for months now and just signed up a week or so ago. I am wanting to make my own soap because I am disgusted with the store bought stuff. I want to make a good soap for acne & blemishes.  I've tried every soap, lotion, potion, creme, etc. on the market and I am just disgusted.  I read all of the melt and pour threads, going back many years.  I think I just may be a little overwhelmed. 

 

I am hoping you great experienced soapers will help me.  I would like to add things that will help clear acne, I just don't know what.  I can get oatmeal, but wonder if it will be too scratchy on the face.  I have tea tree oil but don't know how much to use and its really a strong oil.  is there some kind of clays that help also?? I also have sensitive skin and can't use anything too drying.  Its all such a crap shoot. 

 

I bought the SFIC goat's milk base and the SFIC honey soap base. 

 

I feel so silly after seeing all the artistic, beautiful soaps you all made!  I would like to learn cp some day, but don't kow when. I live in a small apartment and have no place to store anything or even a safe place to make it.  I have seen lots of pretty M&P made here though and it looks like fun too.

 

thank you for any and all advice. 

 

so who here can help a girl with sensitive, dry, yet acne prone skin make some soaps?

[MYTVC15]

I guess I came to the wrong place, or this forum only responds to those who've been members for a while. 

[Sponiebr]

18 hours ago, MYTVC15 said:

Hello y'all.  I'm new to making M&P soap.  sooo new, that I haven't gotten my supplies yet.  I ordered 2 bases from bramble berry and they should be in my hands tomorrow.  Just in time for the weekend.  I think I already screwed up before I even began, though.  I got 2 molds but they are the clear plastic ones. I also bought large plastic measure cups because I didn't have any, and I read to only use glass. I will have to buy a big glass one today.

 

I have been reading this site for months now and just signed up a week or so ago. I am wanting to make my own soap because I am disgusted with the store bought stuff. I want to make a good soap for acne & blemishes.  I've tried every soap, lotion, potion, creme, etc. on the market and I am just disgusted.  I read all of the melt and pour threads, going back many years.  I think I just may be a little overwhelmed. 

 

I am hoping you great experienced soapers will help me.  I would like to add things that will help clear acne, I just don't know what.  I can get oatmeal, but wonder if it will be too scratchy on the face.  I have tea tree oil but don't know how much to use and its really a strong oil.  is there some kind of clays that help also?? I also have sensitive skin and can't use anything too drying.  Its all such a crap shoot. 

 

I bought the SFIC goat's milk base and the SFIC honey soap base. 

 

I feel so silly after seeing all the artistic, beautiful soaps you all made!  I would like to learn cp some day, but don't kow when. I live in a small apartment and have no place to store anything or even a safe place to make it.  I have seen lots of pretty M&P made here though and it looks like fun too.

 

thank you for any and all advice. 

 

so who here can help a girl with sensitive, dry, yet acne prone skin make some soaps?

Well, I don't really mess with melt and pour. In CP soap glass isn't really optimal, but I guess in M&P you need it for melting the base? I don't know much about M&P but from what I understand it is a syndet (synthetic detergent, or man made soap-like material), and syndets aren't terribly kind to skin (STRIKE THAT... BREAKING NEWS!!! Syndets are recommended for sensitive skin according to a guy who sells them... o.O Seems legit.) Even so, I've not heard of anything bad happening to a person using M&P, it's actually a very popular product, even among people that make traditional soaps. M&P does have some advatages as it's already a finished product that doesn't have any reactions going on in it. (like lye saponifing fats...) I'm sure you could mix in emollients and such to get the moisturizing effects that you would want. So, again... I work in CP, and mixing something like salicylic acid into a CP soap would be a bad idea because acids and lye just DON'T get along at all, but in M&P maybe you could, you probably could? But SHOULD you? I have no idea.  

I have psoriasis and I make pine tar CP soap, which is it's own special fresh flavor of hell. I also make a goats milk, honey, and oatmeal CP soap in which I use organic whole oat flour. It does have some scratch to it but not anything really bad, and I have found that the scratchiness to those bars is only present when rubbing the bar directly on my skin. Transferred to a wash cloth there's no scratch, or not that I've noticed. You can also get colloidal oatmeal which is all hydrated and homogenized and expensive. Personal advice? Keep it super simple until you learn the in's and out's and whether or not M&P is going to be something you like, (I'll bet that it's going to be FAR better than anything you have used so far.) 

I would think that tea tree would be VERY drying, which isn't what you indicate that you need. I'm not sure who SFIC is, but have you been over to Bramble Berry? You might want to check out  the lavender and chamomile facial M&P bar at bramble berry's how-to web site SoapQueen M&P cleansing soap  it's at the bottom of that linked page. 

The clear plastic molds are the way to go apparently for M&P, you just need to be careful with them as they are a bit fragile and temperature sensitive as I understand.  
 

19 minutes ago, MYTVC15 said:

I guess I came to the wrong place, or this forum only responds to those who've been members for a while. 

Really? If I ask sweetly can we try to play nice?  Craft Server really is a wonderful place with genuinely helpful people. Including me (sometimes... well... rarely actually... y'know, let's just skip it.) OTHER people are nice and helpful here.   

I don't know if you have been on other forums, but the admins of Craft Server are not going to smite you down if you happen to ask about a soap making topic the general soap forum so that the question isn't precisely under it's perfect little sub-forum... I know some forums WILL smite you with lashings of fire and thorns, but not here. Here... Just friendly genuine help to friendly genuine people seeking genuine friendly help.

 Anywho, it's not much but hope it helps you some, or at least get's you moving in the right direction.

 

Slainte

[kandlekrazy]

It's been a looong time, but I remember some things.  I used both silicone and plastic molds and both worked fine with MP.  I only used glass to melt.  If you buy a quality base and look at the ingredients you can add some special butters to it and make a really awesome soap.  There used to be some great info here on it but I'm not sure it all survived when the server crashed.  If I can find the thread on additives, I will post it here for you.  I honestly think there just aren't many using MP anymore on this forum.

[kandlekrazy]

Here is a good additive list.  

also look for posts by prairieannie, she was my guru back then. 

[Sponiebr]

  Melt and Pour Soap Additive List!  is a great place to start KandleKrazy!  I've also just PM'd KrazyKelly as I think that she still works extensively in M&P. I have'nt seen Kelly in a few days though. 

Ve shall zeeee.... 

 

Slainte!

[MYTVC15]

 

Thank you both for your kind responses.  I have read and gathered lots of info. from years past, including the additives list. I just not sure how much to add, and what maybe be best for my situation, how certain things may react, etc. but I will figure it out by trial and error.

 

at sponiebr:  i ordered all of my supplies from Bramble Berry, as i wrote in my original post. I am not sure what you mean here, since I did post in the proper category, in the proper sub forum. I belong to several on line forums (non-craft related), and never been 'smited'. Maybe this isn't the best place for me. But I thank you for taking the time to respond.

 

'Really? If I ask sweetly can we try to play nice?  Craft Server really is a wonderful place with genuinely helpful people. Including me (sometimes... well... rarely actually... y'know, let's just skip it.) OTHER people are nice and helpful here.   

I don't know if you have been on other forums, but the admins of Craft Server are not going to smite you down if you happen to ask about a soap making topic the general soap forum so that the question isn't precisely under it's perfect little sub-forum.'.

[KrazeKelly]

I'm sorry I can't help. I only use MP for embeds in my CP soap and I only use detergent free MP. I don't know anything about additives and things like that for MP soap. Sorry I'm no help for you. 

 

Kelly

Edited November 11, 2016 by KrazeKelly

[Sponiebr]

sponiebr:  i ordered all of my supplies from Bramble Berry, as i wrote in my original post. I am not sure what you mean here, since I did post in the proper category, in the proper sub forum. I belong to several on line forums (non-craft related), and never been 'smited'. Maybe this isn't the best place for me. But I thank you for taking the time to respond.

What I meant was that the Mods are pretty easy going. I came here from a place that wasn't as easy going. I was trying to say that we're people friendly. (I'm kind of a smart ass, and sometime even when I'm trying to be genuine I miss my mark.) It's a curse. 

I see that BB comment in you OP now. I'm having a little trouble with some optical migraines today, I've had 6 in a row so far today and the scintillating scotoma is really blocking my vision. I need sleep. So that BB link that I tacked on looks like it would be good for dry skin, I mean it looks good to me. 

Slainte,

Sponiebr

[MYTVC15]

Kelly - I look at your soaps all the time and they are so beautiful!  I love seeing pictures of the soaps.  So creative, artistic! I don't know how you do it. Works of art.

[KrazeKelly]

2 minutes ago, MYTVC15 said:

Kelly - I look at your soaps all the time and they are so beautiful!  I love seeing pictures of the soaps.  So creative, artistic! I don't know how you do it. Works of art.

 

Thank you!! ?

[birdcharm]

With melt 'n' pour, you can't add too many additives in either the form of oil or water based, but you can safely add a little and still have your soap set up.  I've merely dabbled in it a bit here and there, using plastic molds with soap designs, making it a few bars at a time.  I would try the addition of a drop or two in each bar of Rose-Geranium essential oil, for instance, and maybe experiment with adding just a bit of green tea extract.  You might also try making a tincture of burdock root and add a few drops; there are other herbs that are beneficial too, but I can't think of them right now. 

[Candybee]

I don't recommend using glassware to heat your M&P. Glass can and does break if used often enough in the microwave. I have experienced this personally so I know it is true and believe me it wasn't fun when it happened. Use a microwave safe bowl to melt your base. Use short bursts in the micro. In my micro I was able to heat in bursts of 1-2 minutes until I reached the desired liquid form of the base. Microwaves vary so test it out in 30 second blasts to start out until you know how long you can leave it in.

 

Once the base is liquified you may add the additives your desire. Not all bases are the same and some can accommodate more additives than others. I found I could generally add up to one oz per lb of additives to my base. The only way to be sure how much your base will tolerate is to test it out. Don't panic. If you put too much of something in you may remelt the soap down and add more base.

 

Most soaps will smell just fine using 6-7% fragrance load. You can weigh it out if you prefer. I use approximately 1 tbs per lb base which comes out very close to 6%. Measuring my FO is not the same as weighing it and some prefer to weigh to be exact. In all the years I made M&P my soap fragrances worked out using 1 tbs per lb base. Now when it comes to making CP I always, always, always weigh everything on an accurate scale down to the grams.

 

With essential oils you will want to use approximately half the amount as a general rule of thumb. However, do your research and make sure what % of that particular oil is safe to use in soap. Not every EO is the same and some need to be diluted more than others.

 

When it comes to molds you can get creative. Silicone molds can be found online or at local shops in the bakery section. There are tons and tons of molds at many soap supply stores. I used to use the Milky Way molds and have several boxes of those along with silicone. When it comes to molds that are plastic read the manufacturers instructions for use with M&P. Some molds can only take liquid soap no hotter than 135-145 degrees F so know your mold and it will last you longer and give you years of service.

[MYTVC15]

hi candybee.  thank you for your advice. i typed a long post last night and i don't know what happened to it. I melted the soap last night and put into molds. I did end up buying a glass pyrex measuring cup, like an idiot. that's what I saw the soap queen use and read elsewhere that's what I should use. oh, well. So I added ground up oatmeal to the goat's milk one, and just an extra touch of honey to the already honey one.  No colors or fragrance since Ill be using on my face and i am prone to break outs which is why i am doing this.

 

I feel out of place here lol, among you serious soap artists. I don't sell soaps and have no desires to do that. Just wanted to find a soap for better skin care along with my oil cleansing method. I watched so many youtubers and read so much. Makes me want to try cp, but probably will not. no place to do it. and besides my husband thinks i'll blow up our apartment building somehow. I sure do love looking at everyones pretty soaps though. I have never in my life seen soaps like that before.

 

You soap artists should sell your soaps on here. So I can buy them and display them in my home to admire, lol. I now have a weird fascination with beautiful hand made soaps! and even addicted to watching videos of people making them, lol. 

 

thank you again.

[Sponiebr]

13 hours ago, MYTVC15 said:

I did end up buying a glass pyrex measuring cup, like an idiot. that's what I saw the soap queen use and read elsewhere that's what I should use.

No, not at all. There really is a ton of conflicting information on the web. You should get a long time of use out of your pyrex measuring cup, but the instant it starts getting that cloudy look to it after washing it and it dries I'd discontinue using it for M&P. As a general rule glass should never be used in anything with lye. What happens is that between the extremely caustic solution and the very quick rise in temperatures that you get when you mix the lye in with the water the glass develops micro fractures that *can* cause the glass to fracture suddenly. Pyrex also happens to be a high internal stress glass and tends to break rather violently when fractured instead of the simple "plink" kind of fracture that you would hear if you poured hot liquid into a cold glass wine bottle for example. Pyrex is especially prone to these kinds of fractures and the clouding, as you may have noticed with similar measuring cups or pyrex glass bowls that have been washed in a heat-dry dishwasher. The Pyrex glass also tends to heat up all by itself when put into a microwave (really almost all glass does this).  

oh, well. So I added ground up oatmeal to the goat's milk one, and just an extra touch of honey to the already honey one.  No colors or fragrance since Ill be using on my face and i am prone to break outs which is why i am doing this.

That sounds perfect! The oatmeal has some additional proteins in it that you will get the full benefit from because they weren't denatured by the M&P like they would be in a lye soap. The one with the honey should add a little more moisturizing to the soap as it is a humectant and it will also boost your lather a bit.  Please post some pictures of your soap! I would love to see how it turned out.  

I feel out of place here lol, among you serious soap artists. I don't sell soaps and have no desires to do that. Just wanted to find a soap for better skin care along with my oil cleansing method.

NOPE!!!! Stop! You've made soap, so you are one of us now! You can't be out of place among your own.  
Everyone on this forum started somewhere, and if this is where you've started then you've got a great start. This forum is fullonum advice, light, and lava.
I kind of started the same way as you. I made soap when I was a kid/teen a couple of times a year but it was NASTY (frequently lye heavy) soap that was made exclusively for laundry and cleaning stuff around the farm. That stuff I made when I was a kid is nothing like the nice soap I've learned to make over the past couple of years. For what it's worth I'm fairly new to the whole soap crafting thing too. (So you're GOLDEN if they'll put up with me  )  I started off making pine tar soap just for my own use, and this year pretty much everybody on Santa's list is getting soap for Christmas, oh and maybe socks or underwear. Some of my soap is down in the homeless shelter and my Church sold 10 or 12 bars of my soap I donated for one of their bazaars, (and they got full price for it too, just blows my mind).    

I watched so many youtubers and read so much. Makes me want to try cp, but probably will not. no place to do it. and besides my husband thinks i'll blow up our apartment building somehow.
 

Well CP isn't anything to be afraid of. There are just some straight forward handling and safety procedures and precautions (long sleeved shirt, pants, closed toed shoes, gloves, eye googles, no pets or kids in the area, add lye to water only) that need to be religiously followed. Again, youtube can be very misleading especially with CP & HP soaps, after I've formulated an idea from watching youtube and poking about on the web, I normally run my ideas through the forum before tackling anything new. I've seen things on youtube by people that absolutely know what they are doing, and are still being flat out dangerous. I mean that just makes my skin crawl. I personally don't use M&P simply because I won't spend the money to buy it. But to be honest, when I get to doing embeds I'll probably fold and just buy a huge block of clear as soon as I see some on sale. 

I've heard of lye burns, I've heard of soap volcanoes but I haven't heard of anyone blowing anything up with soap making... yet. (That sounds like a really bad idea... I might look into that... )  

I sure do love looking at everyones pretty soaps though. I have never in my life seen soaps like that before.

They're absolutely amazing aren't they? Soap shaped like cupcakes with pipped soap frosting!? Get out! Oh, and the little baby booties and life like flowers that they make with M&P are really just unbelievable.  

You soap artists should sell your soaps on here. So I can buy them and display them in my home to admire, lol. I now have a weird fascination with beautiful hand made soaps! and even addicted to watching videos of people making them, lol. 

A venue here to sell finished product will likely not happen, because this is a fount of knowledge from whence springs the inspiration and wisdom of the collective (resistance is futile) to create.  Stick around, you'll soon get addicted to making these very same things that you now admire yourself.  
 

thank you again.

Glad you're here, and I look forward to hearing about your new adventures! 

[MYTVC15]

Thank you for the reply, and I certainly do not want to offend anyone, but I didn't really make soap. It came all ready made. I just melted, added some things to it and put in molds. I didn't do anything at all creative with it. It serves my purposes though. Maybe one day I will try to make it myself when we get a new place.

 

oh and my husband was only joking around .

[Trappeur]

Hello MyTV,

 

I just wanted to say something about the people on the forum here.  A few  years back this board used to have "nasty" people here and I had a few run in's with some of them, but these people are long gone now.    I used to be on another board at the time and I would come over to this board periodically and post but was very uncomfortable in fear of getting bashed by someone just because of maybe a question I asked that may have been asked before or because I wasn't as knowledgable as some were and when I posted anything from the experience that I gained, others would come back and lash out.  It was very hurtful when all I wanted was to get involved with others to learn.  As time went by, the nasty ones slowly started to disappear, either they left on their own or maybe they were told to leave....what ever it was, it was all for the better and now they are gone.  There are old timers here on the board that have stayed but I find them to be very nice.  In fact, I really honestly can say that everyone here is very nice and I have yet to see anyone who has lashed out to any new comers.   There are some very very knowledgeable chandlers here in the soaping and candle department, it just blows my mind.  What I have learned and learn every day still I keep in my pocket.  You can read and read endlessly from years back.   I didn't see the post where you said you felt smited, but I don't think it was done maliciously.  Maybe something was said that they just didn't word it correctly and it came out sounding smited.  Especially if your new onto the forum I can understand how that could happen.  But really all is good.  This is a real active board I find and don't find it "clicky" anymore like it used to be.  Everyone here is pretty down home and I feel very comfortable and really enjoy coming here and have made friends with so many.  I hope you will stay and you will find out that what I say is really true.

 

As far as like you said you would like to buy soaps as you don't make all these gorgeous soaps...well you can't advertise your business here, but you can certainly message anyone here and ask them their website address as you are interested in buying.  I do that myself as I don't do any soaps and I have bought so much from others here on the board.  Just message them.

 

I hope this puts some of your fears to rest.  Hope you will stick around with the rest of us here.

 

Trappeur

[Sponiebr]

2 hours ago, Trappeur said:

I didn't see the post where you said you felt smited, but I don't think it was done maliciously.  Maybe something was said that they just didn't word it correctly and it came out sounding smited.  

Trappeur, just for the record I'm the one that made mention of the word smite. (It's up at the top) Well, here:
"I don't know if you have been on other forums, but the admins of Craft Server are not going to smite you down if you happen to ask about a soap making topic the general soap forum so that the question isn't precisely under it's perfect little sub-forum... I know some forums WILL smite you with lashings of fire and thorns, but not here. Here... Just friendly genuine help to friendly genuine people seeking genuine friendly help."

I'm really trying to lighten up on my usual asinine writing style... (cringe) SORRY!  

Sponiebr (clears throat) Executor of bad, (well, just name it... I'm sure I can make it happen). 

[Trappeur]

Hey Sponiebr!

 

Oh, I know they won't.  ......things get put under wrong headings at times....no biggy....done it myself many a time.  They will move it to the right spot if it has to go.

Oh and yeah Sponiebr.....I'm getting used to your style....ha!  That's what makes the board interesting!   You remind me of someone else who used to be on the forum here.  He used to keep us in stitches all the time.  

 

See ya!

 

Trappeur

[TallTayl]

I don't think anyone was being intentionally ignored at all. Honestly the post scrolled past my usual feed and I didn't see it.

 

If you don't get an answer  all you need to do is bump your post. It's really nothing personal. We are a drama free zone of busy, happy crafters. But, if you're just not comfortable, we get it. No need to hang where you don't find joy. Life is too short. Though, given a chance everyone here is pretty darned likable. 

 

On the Pyrex.... it works great.... until it doesn't. The new Pyrex glass is soda lime, not boroscillate. I have had some last through multiple trips through the microwave. And have had brand new ones explode in the microwave on the very first use. What a mess! It really is a gamble.

[debratant]

Look for December's Soap of the Month further down in the Soap of the Month forum.  I will be doing it for December

and I am planning a melt and pour   Welcome to the forum.  Sometimes this forum can be slower, but hang in there 

and someone will always answer   

[MYTVC15]

Hi again. 

 

Talltayl my mom said something about the pyrex not being the same as it used to be. She had a pyrex dish crack once and she said that pyrex was kind of crap now, except not in such nice words.  I wonder why the soap queen videos use them to melt it.

 

debatant I cant wait to see what you do with melt and pour. I am always loving to see more soaps!

 

Its weird how i was looking into doing simple melt and pour soap for myself and it turned into this obsession of looking at peoples beautiful soap creations, AND watching how they make them, lol. Its just really fascinating. A new discovery for me: Soap artists! I've been living under a rock I guess. 

 

hi trappuer. I think you said it good about just not being used to sponierbr's writing style, lol.  I misunderstood what he was trying to say. Sorry about that. I saw pictures of your candles and they are really pretty! You're really talented.  And the lady who did the pretty pillar candle with the colored layers, did you see that??? So beautiful.

 

I think I am going to ask my husband to gift me one of the soap making kits I've seen.  Something all pre measured and everything. I am really itching to try it myself.  Scared though of the lye. I have a very small kitchen. I'll have lots of questions when I go to do it.

 

thanks all you kindly people. Looking forward to seeing more of your lovely creations.