Newbie Melt & Pour ?

[Dailen]

I got a recipe that came with my soap mold to make a goats milk, brown sugar, oatmeal m&p soap. The soap recipe calls for vitamin E as a preservative Does anyone know if that is the Vitamin E oil you find in the beauty dept or the vitamin E in the capsules Also can you add EO's to melt n pour soap. I have peppermint, tangerine, and lavender eo's?

Thanks for any help you can give this newbie.

[soapmom25]

you can add pretty much anything you want to ~ just label it accurately if you do add oils, etc. because of potential allergies

[Lifelace]

Hi there, as for the Vitamin E you can really use any kind. I use the Vitamin E Capsules which are 400 UI each (just place a small slit with a knife and seeze) or you can use Vitamin E Oil that can be found in grocery stores or Walmart for example, here they are always in the <<natural products>> section. Those say something like 30,000 UI on the bottle but that's the entire bottle, they are usually something like 5 drops for 100 UI. Or you can buy some from the soap supply places online (choices of synthetic or natural). They all work! HTH.

EDITED TO ADD: Vitamin E is Tocopheryl Acetate or Tocopherol

Melany

[Candybee]

You might try a local health food store for the Vitamin E oil. Not sure if you can use the capsules. You would have to break them and squeeze the oil out and it sounds messy.

You can also buy Vitamin E oil at most soap suppliers.

Your recipe sounds like a nice one. I add honey and oatmeal to my goat's milk for a nice creamy exfoliating soap.

[Candlebuddy]

I don't add Vitamin E to my M&P, but I do add Coconut Oil (not the fragrance oil). Coconut Oil gives a nice lather ... I use 1 tablespoon per pound of soap.

Yes, you can add EO's to your soap, or fragrance oils that is skin safe. When I add fragrance oil, I usually add 1 tablespoon per pound of soap as well.

[jbren]

Bar soaps do not need a preservative!

[Dailen]

Thank you all for your responses. I do have some palm oil, coconut oil-76, sweet almond oil, and cocoa butter. My mom and I were going to try cp soap but chickened out so I have the oils still. We may give it a try this fall though. Can I use the coconut oil-76 to act as a perservative? I am adding brown sugar and oatmeal to the goats milk m&p soap so I need to add something to help perserve it so it doesn't get yucky.

[jbren]

Bar soaps do NOT need a preservative...even with goats milk and sugar and oatmeal.

[Candybee]

Thank you all for your responses. I do have some palm oil, coconut oil-76, sweet almond oil, and cocoa butter. My mom and I were going to try cp soap but chickened out so I have the oils still. We may give it a try this fall though. Can I use the coconut oil-76 to act as a perservative? I am adding brown sugar and oatmeal to the goats milk m&p soap so I need to add something to help perserve it so it doesn't get yucky.

I use the 76 degree CO in my M&P. But not as a preservative. You won't need any preservatives in M&P because the bases are already blended.

As a general rule you will not want to add more than 2 tablespoons of additives (or combo of additives) to 1 lb of your M&P. Thats a general rule. I have added more on occasion when recipes call for it.

If you follow the recipe you should be okay because it has been tested already.

[MochaMama]

As for using essential oils, you usually have to use much less of them than you do with fragrance oils. I think the rule of thumb is to use about .5-1% per pound of soap (but please check this out for yourself - you make need to adjust your levels according to your soap base).

Enjoy melt and pour. I know I've gone through at least 10 lbs of soap experimenting and tweaking. It's really fun!

[Dailen]

Thanks All!!

I ordered 20lbs of m&p soap today so as soon as it comes I am ready to go.

[Jadryga]

Good luck, and have fun!