my problem is.....

[Jo Ann]

the information is a bit overwhelming.

for instance, i like the lye calculator by RJ. but my question is, how do i figure weight. now the following sampe is hypothetical sample. but how do i figure out the wt, so i know how much EO to add. also, do i need sodium lactate?

Corn Oil25.00 ounces - 100.0 % Lye: 3.23 ouncesWater:10.00 ouncesSodium Lactate (NAL):0.00 ouncesFragrance (FO/EO):0.00 ounces

[Jo Ann]

could i use goat milk as sodium lactate?

[eugenia]

could i use goat milk as sodium lactate?

No, LOL. Goat milk is goat milk. If you are making CP, you don't need sodium lactate. Some use it in HP to keep the batch more fluid.

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[mystical_angel1219]

Have you tried Soo's aka Soap Calc yet?

http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/SoapCalc.asp

I cannot stress enough that it is imperative to run ANY recipe thru your favorite soap calculator.

The percentages will vary, but it is a must do.

Also, I'd skip the corn oil. It doesn't do a thing for CP, from what I've seen and read.

You can use a ton of other grocery store oils. Canola, Sunflower, Soy, and Grapeseed. Plus Crisco and lard. Sodium lactate is not necessary for CP, it does make a harder bar, but can be noted to alter fragrance even at low percentages. If you do use it in a recipe, no more than half to a quarter oz per lb of oils, max.

[Jo Ann]

thanx eugenia. when it says use 6 drops of eo per pound of soup, ahead of time, do i just ounces of the oils (ie olive oil and canola oil, plus water) to get poundage. 15 canola 15 olive 10 water comes out to 40 ouncesor 2.8 pounds.

[Jo Ann]

Have you tried Soo's aka Soap Calc yet?

http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/SoapCalc.asp

I cannot stress enough that it is imperative to run ANY recipe thru your favorite soap calculator.

The percentages will vary, but it is a must do.

Also, I'd skip the corn oil. It doesn't do a thing for CP, from what I've seen and read.

You can use a ton of other grocery store oils. Canola, Sunflower, Soy, and Grapeseed. Plus Crisco and lard. Sodium lactate is not necessary for CP, it does make a harder bar, but can be noted to alter fragrance even at low percentages. If you do use it in a recipe, no more than half to a quarter oz per lb of oils, max.

corn oil was hypothetical. i have canola, olive and coconut oil. where do i get sodium lactate.

in your opinion, which would be the better recipe to try, cp or hp?

[NNK]

You can use goat's milk instead of water in the recipe, though it is trickier to work with. as Eugenia said, Sodium Lactate is used mostly when doing hot process, though also used by some CP soapers to help with unmolding. don't worry about it, add your oil amounts first, pick water discount (let's say 30% is reasonable for the beginner), pick % of FO/EO (3-5% is standard, 4.5% means you will be adding about 0.7 oz of FO per 1 lb of fixed oils, give or take). now calculate and there you go.

hope that helps

[eugenia]

thanx eugenia. when it says use 6 drops of eo per pound of soup, ahead of time, do i just ounces of the oils (ie olive oil and canola oil, plus water) to get poundage. 15 canola 15 olive 10 water comes out to 40 ouncesor 2.8 pounds.

No, you don't count the water, just the oils. I would never recommend measuring by drops. Always weigh your fragrance. It depends upon the EO. If it's very strong, like peppermint, .5 oz per lb is good.

So, for your example, 30 oz = 1.88 lbs

.5 oz pp = .94 oz

.75 oz pp = 1.41 oz

[eugenia]

pick water discount (let's say 30% is reasonable for the beginner),

This should say "set your lye concentration."

Welcome NNK!

[mystical_angel1219]

I get mine from Mystify Your Senses out of NJ. She is a great supplier for small things to try- super fast shipper. I believe Southern Soapers sells this and so does WSP. A bottle will last a very long time.

HP is good because it shows you the actual stages that turn fats and lye into soap. The cook process is very cool. I believe that CP is good to try for a beginner, because basically you are formulating a recipe, emulsifying oils and lye and throwing into a mold, and insulating. It isn't truly difficult. Liquid soap is by far more challenging, in my opinion. I've read in another posts of yours that you just had surgery, if you are not feeling 100% on the ball, I will highly suggest you do not handle lye. I say this because it truly is dangerous and nothing to be taken lightly.

[NNK]

where do i get sodium lactate.

in your opinion, which would be the better recipe to try, cp or hp?

it depends on when you want your soap to be available. CP is easier, but it has to cure for 4 week minimum. HP takes longer to make, more complicated, and the texture is not as smooth, but you can use it as soon as it cools down (though it will melt fast, the best would be to let it cure for a week or so, just to dry out).

If you do decide to go with HP, you can just add some sugar to your lye water as a substitute.

[NNK]

This should say "set your lye concentration."

Welcome NNK!

LOL. Yes, that would be in proper English

Thanks

[Jo Ann]

yeah, i have been burned by lye in the past, so i know to be careful. I just seem to have alot of questions i am having a hard time getting answered

like water, I realize 40% is good, but what does less do and what does more do.

i won't be trying my soap until i get a few more questions answered. like adding all the ounces of oil is what gives you your poundage for adding stuff like eo

can i use my crock pot for food after making soap

i appreciate all the help i have been getting here.

[Jo Ann]

LOL. Yes, that would be in proper English

Thanks

thanx, knew what ya meant. :rolleyes2

[NNK]

like water, I realize 40% is good, but what does less do and what does more do.

i won't be trying my soap until i get a few more questions answered. like adding all the ounces of oil is what gives you your poundage for adding stuff like eo

can i use my crock pot for food after making soap

i appreciate all the help i have been getting here.

40% is good because it gives you more time between mixing the lye water with the oils and thick trace/pouring into the mold. but yout soap will be a lot softer at first and will need more time to cure and harden up. less water you use, faster will be yout trace, but harder will be your soaps after usual 4 week cure. also, if you HP, you probably want standard water amount (40%)because in the process your water evaporates and if there is not enough water, you will have a very hard time jamming the soap into the mold. I personally calculate water depending on my lye amount, LYEx2.2=water. some soapers discount water even more, but i would not recommend it until you know more about the whole process.

about the crockpot... technically you can, but once you add your FOs to the pot (IF you use FOs), the scent might stick to the enamel. If you use EOs, non-toxic ones, I don't see why not. At least for couple of batches, until you figure out if you like the method. Then you can buy one specifically for soaping.

[Jo Ann]

You can use goat's milk instead of water in the recipe, though it is trickier to work with. as Eugenia said, Sodium Lactate is used mostly when doing hot process, though also used by some CP soapers to help with unmolding. don't worry about it, add your oil amounts first, pick water discount (let's say 30% is reasonable for the beginner), pick % of FO/EO (3-5% is standard, 4.5% means you will be adding about 0.7 oz of FO per 1 lb of fixed oils, give or take). now calculate and there you go.

hope that helps

thanx nat it really does. i have been resarching making soap off an don for two years and now ready to get serious about since I can't buy the soap i was getting cuz the lady quit making it. LOL

[NNK]

Amount of EO is calculated based on your fixed oil weight. fixed oil is stuff like olive, coconut, sunflower and so on. there are two ways to calculate it, either by % like in RJ calculator, or by ratio. when you see people write 0.7 ppo, that means for every lb of oil in the recipe you add 0.7 oz of EO (yes, it sounds like a lot, but the problem with soaps in that lye eats up part of the scent, so you have to add more. that's the other reason why natural soaps are expensive.

here another tip. although a standard EO rate for CP is 0.7 ppo, for HP it is only half of it (0.35 ppo). because you add the EOs after the cook, when there is no lye left in the soap.

[NNK]

thanx nat it really does. i have been resarching making soap off an don for two years and now ready to get serious about since I can't buy the soap i was getting cuz the lady quit making it. LOL

just make sure you have your protective gear.

it takes a lot of research to get your recipes right, and probably some botched batches, but it is a lot of fun too. i started making soap because i though it was too expensive to buy... now, thousands of dollars later i think, why didn't i just buy couple bars from someone else. lol

[Jo Ann]

here another tip. although a standard EO rate for CP is 0.7 ppo, for HP it is only half of it (0.35 ppo). because you add the EOs after the cook, when there is no lye left in the soap.

thanx, this good to know. cuz i may prefer hp cuz its shorter length of time. plus i want to use eo due to their theraputic propertiess as well.

[Jo Ann]

I know what you mean. i finally decided to plunge when i couldn't get the soap i liked anymore. than my neighbor said make enough to sell from her woodshop...so maybe i can recoup. cuz i think i will make my own pre-printed boxes with ingredients, ect on card stock.

i have been studing fragrance and properties to include Manly Men Soap too, LOl

hows this sound Organic Goddess Naturals Manly Men Soap...heheheheheeh

[Meridith]

If you use goats milk, you can use sour goats milk. It has a high percentage of lactic acids, including natural sodium lactate and will help make cp soap harder.

[Jo Ann]

If you use goats milk, you can use sour goats milk. It has a high percentage of lactic acids, including natural sodium lactate and will help make cp soap harder.

thanx meridith. i am really getting excited. i have my dialysis outfit with the face mask and heavy gown, now if i could only find my rubbermaid gloves from dying fabric. wondered if my husband "borrowed" them

[Meridith]

thanx meridith. i am really getting excited. i have my dialysis outfit with the face mask and heavy gown, now if i could only find my rubbermaid gloves from dying fabric. wondered if my husband "borrowed" them

I'm excited for you as well. Good luck and let us know how you did. :highfive:

[Jo Ann]

will do!!!!