What Can I Make With This?

[Hibiscus]

Besides a mess..LOL I want to try making a very small experimental batch of soap using only the materials I have on hand...ok maybe some lye. I don't have a scale. I do have a Mixer, Blender and the following oils. Emu, jojoba, coconut, olive oil, AKO, Rosehip, Avocado, WGO, Almond Oil and Shea Butter and FCO, EO's and Fo's. Now, is it possible to make soap without a scale? and where can I buy Lye locally. I went to Menards yesterday and they had some in the plumbing section and it was supposed to be 100% sodium hydroxide and I was sure to ask the salesperson if there were other ingredients in it and he said there wasn't. There were none listed but that doesn't meant there weren't any sooo I left it on the shelf!..LOL

And although my husband insists that I am a mad scientist and that I will eventually blow something up, I'm trying not to prove him right!

So, what can I do with this?

I really can't and don't want to invest a lot of money in this right now. So, what can I do with this stuff?

[hewells]

Go to the thread regarding CP newbie soap challenge. Mags has some great links to check out and I do believe that one of them tells you how to make soap without a scale.

[Hibiscus]

Thanks. I read only part of that thread. I decided I would just buy a scale becuase I really don't want to blow up my house..LOL but that's it I refuse to buy anything else!

[hewells]

There is still some great recipe links on that thread, I think you could probably find what you can make with the stuff you have.

[magsglass]

Nah, you wouldn't blow up your house. But you might have a yucky, caustic mess to clean up (soap volcano). I saw that article on how to measure your soap ingredients without a scale. I can understand how it could be done, but that's a bit too scary for even me (and I play with torches and tanked gases!)

If you're looking for a nice, inexpensive scale, I know there have been threads about that recently. I guess wal-Mart even carries one.

Re: lye... I got lucky and found some Red Devil at my local grocery store. I don't know which brand Menard's carries, but this thread has a picture of a good brand someone found at Lowe's, I think:

http://www.candletech.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22077

In another recent thread, someone mentioned that they tried crystal Lye (Zep brand?) from Home Depot and it's a bad one. Don't want that one.

[Hibiscus]

I read another thread where someone purchased a scale on Ebay and decided to go with that one. I purchased it only minutes ago and now that I know of a brand of lye to purchase..I am off to Lowes to find it and will be joining your Newbie soap challenge because I can't resist a challenge! I've wanted to make soap for a few years now but didn't have time(still don't) but that challenge word got me going and now I just gotta at least try!

Thanks for the lye link.

[hewells]

I read another thread where someone purchased a scale on Ebay and decided to go with that one. I purchased it only minutes ago and now that I know of a brand of lye to purchase..I am off to Lowes to find it and will be joining your Newbie soap challenge because I can't resist a challenge! I've wanted to make soap for a few years now but didn't have time(still don't) but that challenge word got me going and now I just gotta at least try!

Thanks for the lye link.

That is awesome Welcome to the challenge!!!!