I found some lye *gulp* I think I am ready to soap!

[RNSandSCENTS]

Now what I need is some help from the soap queens and kings. I have never made soap before.

I know about the lye calculators but don't exactly understand what all the numbers mean. In my notes, I have written down the following numbers that I found on here somewhere *scratches head*...

Hardness...35 and up

cleansing...10 or above

conditioning...over 50

fluffy...20ish

stable...mid 20's and up

This seems like the easiest recipe on Miller's site:

28 ounces of coconut oil (2 jars)

24 ounces of olive oil (the cheapest and lightest in color)

30 ounces of vegetable shortening (the cheapest, and purest you can find) Crisco???

12 ounces of lye (one standard can of Lewis Red Devil) 32 oz. cold water (4 cups) 1.5 - 4 ounces essential and/or fragrance oil depending on strength and your nose, if soap is not intended for remelting

Will this recipe fall within the numbers above and give a hard bar with good lather? Do I need to add anything to the above recipe to account for the fact that I am not using a fo? I have read in another post to keep it simple and get a few batches under my belt before adding fo's/colors unless someone here knows of a fo that would be good to use for a first batch??? One that will not accelerate that process of give me trouble. Oh and I am also open to recipes for newbies if you have one that you think is better than this one.

Some recipes I found only give you the hard and soft oil percentages (totalling 100%) but no percentages for water and lye....how do you go about figuring how much lye and water to add?

Also, I am getting my lye from AAA Chemicals, unless someone has a suggestion of a source closer to Maryland? It is against the law now for hardware stores to carry lye on the shelves here so thats not an option.

Sorry for all the questions, but, these were questions that were not answered in the ton of threads I read up till now....TIA:D

[8-GRAN-ONES]

Have you looked at the tuturals here on this board?

They were alot of help to me, it gives a step by step guide..

[CareBear]

whoa nellie!!!

that recipe looks fine oils wise (too big for a beginner though), but please STOP for a minute.

you use a lye calculator to figure out how much lye and water to use. never just make a recipe using posted lye amounts. you need to figure your own amounts.

My recommendation:

1. convert your oil amounts to % (you ignore water and lye for this)

2. go back to soapcalc.com and read all the tabs (darker green).

3. enter your "recipe" into the soapcalc page for soapcalc 9 WP to get your lye and water amounts. use the default values for water and superfat.

4. make about a 2# batch (oh, but figure out what your mold will hold first(

[RNSandSCENTS]

Have you looked at the tuturals here on this board?

They were alot of help to me, it gives a step by step guide..

I have Grumpy's tutorial ( I think its Grumpy's) and those were the only questions that were not answered....the ones that I asked. And I do believe the recipe for the tutorial had more expensive oils that I really did not want to experiment with just yet.

[RNSandSCENTS]

whoa nellie!!!

that recipe looks fine oils wise (too big for a beginner though), but please STOP for a minute.

you use a lye calculator to figure out how much lye and water to use. never just make a recipe using posted lye amounts. you need to figure your own amounts.

My recommendation:

1. convert your oil amounts to % (you ignore water and lye for this)

2. go back to soapcalc.com and read all the tabs (darker green).

3. enter your "recipe" into the soapcalc page for soapcalc 9 WP to get your lye and water amounts. use the default values for water and superfat.

4. make about a 2# batch (oh, but figure out what your mold will hold first(

For the sake of your blood pressure CareBear, I don't have any lye yet . I bet you about died when you read this didn't you? I am waiting to order it in case I find somewhere a little closer to me to order from....shipping has been killing us all! I figured this recipe was a lil on the BIG side for me. Thanks for answering the question because I also don't know I did not understand that you used soapcalc to get the lye and water amounts......duh! Even though I feel like a real idiot but that is why I wanted to do this first before I had everything so I have a pretty good understanding of this before I started throwing lye around.....I don't need nor want anymore burns, trust me.

[CareBear]

well yes, my cardiologist is probably pissed at you right now...

and no you don't sound like an idiot - puleeze, to sound like an idiot you'd have had to added that you have someone lined up to purchase your first batch!

really, you don't sound like an idiot, just a newbie... questions are GOOD.

[Faye_SC]

See if this helps you any.

http://www.candlesupply.com//how2pumpkincp/how2basiccp.html

This is what I went by when I started.

Ordered my CP kit from there too.

[cindym]

http://watersgulch.com/howtocp.shtml

this is a great tutorial. I had it memorized before I made my first batch. I think many on this board used this tutorial as a guide. Also pm me if you have any questions , I'd be glad to help.

[Meridith]

This is a very simple recipe that is great for beginners and makes a great soap. You don't always need really expensive oils to get a great bar:

25% CO

30% PO - can sub lard

45% OO

Based on 2lbs it would break down to this:

8 oz CO

9.6 PO

14.4 OO

run your numbers to get your lye and water amounts. Good luck and have fun!!!

[CareBear]

This is a very simple recipe that is great for beginners and makes a great soap. You don't always need really expensive oils to get a great bar:

25% CO

30% PO - can sub lard

45% OO

Mer, this is a great recipe and my favorite stand-by. It def benefits from a longer cure but it's a lovely bar.

[RNSandSCENTS]

well yes, my cardiologist is probably pissed at you right now...

and no you don't sound like an idiot - puleeze, to sound like an idiot you'd have had to added that you have someone lined up to purchase your first batch!

really, you don't sound like an idiot, just a newbie... questions are GOOD.

:laugh2: I just tell by the whoa nellie there!!!! But I just want to make sure I am going about this right. It's reassuring to know that I am actually learning from all the notes and information I have been reading. For a while it all seemed like a blurr and was starting to run together but I did actually retain alot of what I read. And NO I don't have a line of customers for the soap.....I am calling P & G as soon as its cured to see if they will market it....just kidding. Seriously, I want to make thoroughly sure I understand the stages, especially colors and the fo's work before I sell....not looking to do that til late spring early summer, and only if I feel I am ready.

See if this helps you any.

http://www.candlesupply.com//how2pumpkincp/how2basiccp.html

This is what I went by when I started.

Ordered my CP kit from there too.

I did consider getting a kit at first, BUT, I have all this oil and other stuff around so I wanted to forego the kit and just use a tutorial of some sort first. But thanks for the suggestion.....

http://watersgulch.com/howtocp.shtml

this is a great tutorial. I had it memorized before I made my first batch. I think many on this board used this tutorial as a guide. Also pm me if you have any questions , I'd be glad to help.

I think this is the same tutorial that is on Peak's website. I did not want to use it because it had all the color swirling stuff and fo added. Since testing this in my house is a must, can someone please recommend a fo that is unisex and would most likely not give me any problems, based on your experience of course. I haven't a clue but if I chose a fo for myself it would be something like Pink Sugar or Vera Wang and I am not sure if those are troublesome....or a vanilla sandalwood would be better.

This is a very simple recipe that is great for beginners and makes a great soap. You don't always need really expensive oils to get a great bar:

25% CO

30% PO - can sub lard

45% OO

Based on 2lbs it would break down to this:

8 oz CO

9.6 PO

14.4 OO

run your numbers to get your lye and water amounts. Good luck and have fun!!!

Ok Meridith, lets see if my abbreviation interpretations are good too. This would be CO=coconut oil, 76; PO= Palm Oil; OO= Olive Oil....am I right????

I'll have to order Palm Oil....are Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Red Palm all the same thing, cleansing oils that is? Sweet Almond, Rice Bran, Macadamia Nut, Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Grape Seed, Safflower, Castor, Coconut 76, Fractionated Coconut, and Jojoba are what I have on hand. I also have Cocoa, Kokum, Shea, and Mango Butters. So I guess I'd need a rookie friendly combination of these oils? I will run some of these through the calculator and see what I get back.

Thanks everyone for your input.

[RNSandSCENTS]

Mer, this is a great recipe and my favorite stand-by. It def benefits from a longer cure but it's a lovely bar.

I planned on allowing my bars to cure for a minimum of 8 weeks. I do remember reading that OO bars needed to cure longer....do you have any suggestions for how long I should let this cure?

[Meridith]

Yep you got the abbreviations correct.

Cure OO soaps at least 6 months. I still have some on the shelf that I made back in March. The longer cure, the better a castille soap will be.

[Meridith]

:laugh2: I just tell by the whoa nellie there!!!! But I just want to make sure I am going about this right. It's reassuring to know that I am actually learning from all the notes and information I have been reading. For a while it all seemed like a blurr and was starting to run together but I did actually retain alot of what I read. And NO I don't have a line of customers for the soap.....I am calling P & G as soon as its cured to see if they will market it....just kidding. Seriously, I want to make thoroughly sure I understand the stages, especially colors and the fo's work before I sell....not looking to do that til late spring early summer, and only if I feel I am ready.

I did consider getting a kit at first, BUT, I have all this oil and other stuff around so I wanted to forego the kit and just use a tutorial of some sort first. But thanks for the suggestion.....

I think this is the same tutorial that is on Peak's website. I did not want to use it because it had all the color swirling stuff and fo added. Since testing this in my house is a must, can someone please recommend a fo that is unisex and would most likely not give me any problems, based on your experience of course. I haven't a clue but if I chose a fo for myself it would be something like Pink Sugar or Vera Wang and I am not sure if those are troublesome....or a vanilla sandalwood would be better.

Ok Meridith, lets see if my abbreviation interpretations are good too. This would be CO=coconut oil, 76; PO= Palm Oil; OO= Olive Oil....am I right????

I'll have to order Palm Oil....are Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil, Red Palm all the same thing, cleansing oils that is? Sweet Almond, Rice Bran, Macadamia Nut, Apricot Kernel, Avocado, Grape Seed, Safflower, Castor, Coconut 76, Fractionated Coconut, and Jojoba are what I have on hand. I also have Cocoa, Kokum, Shea, and Mango Butters. So I guess I'd need a rookie friendly combination of these oils? I will run some of these through the calculator and see what I get back.

Thanks everyone for your input.

I wanted to say that I would not waste oils like SAO, Macadamia Nut Oil, FCO, AKO or avocado in soap - especially when still learning. Stick to the basics.

[RNSandSCENTS]

Yep you got the abbreviations correct.

Cure OO soaps at least 6 months. I still have some on the shelf that I made back in March. The longer cure, the better a castille soap will be.

6 month cure for OO soaps....ok. I can wait six months. Now since it takes so long to cure, it will have to stay in the mold longer initially before you can unmold it and cut it then, right? How long would I leave this in a mold before attempting to remove it? Still use the rule of press with your finger and if it is firm enough for you not to see your finger print then you can unmold it or is there a different process for OO soaps?

And I also need suggestions for wooden molds as well or can I use plastic....I know both would have to be lined with freezer paper.

[Meridith]

6 month cure for OO soaps....ok. I can wait six months. Now since it takes so long to cure, it will have to stay in the mold longer initially before you can unmold it and cut it then, right? How long would I leave this in a mold before attempting to remove it? Still use the rule of press with your finger and if it is firm enough for you not to see your finger print then you can unmold it or is there a different process for OO soaps?

And I also need suggestions for wooden molds as well or can I use plastic....I know both would have to be lined with freezer paper.

Yep unmold it as soon as it is hard enough to be unmolded. No difference in when to unmold castille soaps. Only difference is the length of the cure time.

You can use any kind of mold for these soaps as well. You can also line your mold with trash bags or make yourself some liners using plastic mylar.

[IndulgentCreations]

I planned on allowing my bars to cure for a minimum of 8 weeks. I do remember reading that OO bars needed to cure longer....do you have any suggestions for how long I should let this cure?

You don't have to wait 8 weeks to cure the recipe you listed, I cure all of mine for 4 weeks...just didn't want you to think you had to wait that long.

As for the OO cure question...were you planning to make an all OO soap? If you are planning to make a castille, it'll have to sit in the mold probably close to a week (at least mine have). But this is only for recipes with all OO or very high % of OO. You may want to get a couple of batches in before making castille, it takes forever to trace, might help to see trace and get a feel for it 1st.

As for FO recommendations, what company FO's do you plan to use? They are not all the same results. A few unisex scents that I make are Waterfall Mist (ICS), Cool Citrus Basil (KY Candle), Salty Sea Air (ICS), Emerald Sea (Tradewinds) just a few off the top of my head. These all behave very well.

[Meridith]

I've never had to leave a castille soap in the mold for a week. Ever. Like with any soap, unmold when its ready to be unmolded.

[CareBear]

I cure my 90% - 100% olive oil bars for 6 months. I cure my average soaps 4 weeks. I'd personally give that recipe maybe 8 weeks for best results, but it will be perfectly lovely at 4 weeks.

[RNSandSCENTS]

You don't have to wait 8 weeks to cure the recipe you listed, I cure all of mine for 4 weeks...just didn't want you to think you had to wait that long.

As for the OO cure question...were you planning to make an all OO soap? If you are planning to make a castille, it'll have to sit in the mold probably close to a week (at least mine have). But this is only for recipes with all OO or very high % of OO. You may want to get a couple of batches in before making castille, it takes forever to trace, might help to see trace and get a feel for it 1st.

As for FO recommendations, what company FO's do you plan to use? They are not all the same results. A few unisex scents that I make are Waterfall Mist (ICS), Cool Citrus Basil (KY Candle), Salty Sea Air (ICS), Emerald Sea (Tradewinds) just a few off the top of my head. These all behave very well.

For my other b&b test batches, I used SaveOnScents, Vera Wang, Escada Tropical Punch, Pearberry & Vanilla Bean Noel. But I think for cp I will give Scent Works a try. Reading the thread, scents that rock in cp soap, I will try Coconut Lime Verbena & Sweet Pea to start with.

[MissMary]

Just wanted to thank people for the response and great questions - it also gave me some great ideas and answers on a few things I didn't even think to ask!

[RNSandSCENTS]

You don't have to wait 8 weeks to cure the recipe you listed, I cure all of mine for 4 weeks...just didn't want you to think you had to wait that long.

As for the OO cure question...were you planning to make an all OO soap?

Actually, I'd prefer to make soap that does not take that long to cure. I figure making batches that take such a long time to cure would severely slow my testing process. So I am leaning more toward recipes without OO. I have a few that I will try and see what I come up with.

And I too would like to thank everyone who has contributed to this thread. I feel I am in such capable hands here and my little soapies will come out wonderfully!!!! Hugs & Kisses to you all!

[Tizimarezie]

This is a great thread with good questions and answers. Eventually, I want to branch into CP soap and had no idea where to start. There's a lot of info out there but this narrows it down for a nice start. Thanks for this thread!!

[Guest jurnalynn]

i din't want to wait for my soaps to cure either so i started with hp in a crockpot something about instant gratification..........having soap sit 4 weeeks before i could touch it was just more then i could handle..........lol

Laura

[CareBear]

Laura, you can certainly touch and even USE CP soap well before 4 weeks. It's just that it's not at its best until 4 weeks or so - but it's perfectly acceptable, in most cases, straight out of the mold.

During the first couple of weeks curing you will find that the soap "mellows" a bit and may become less harsh. The next two weeks are primarily for evaporation - and less water lends itself to longer lasting, better lathering bars.

But even HP soap benefits by a cure, just as the CP does. (HP simply accelerates the saponification - heat increases the rate of reaction. In both cases the soap should be zap-less fresh from the mold).