tonyjazz Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I am super enthused making MP soap. They are a great addition to my line of candles and surprisingly are selling well. I use what is available locally: Goats Milk, Clear and Coconut MP bases. The person at the store told me I should not add any oils ( coconut oil, Shea butter, Avocado oil, etc. ) to my MP base. I have seen recipes on the net contrary to this. I read that adding Shea butter adds to hardness. I've gotten bad advice from sales people before like, " You can use crayons for color in your candles." Ruined 3 candles.Any advice would be appreciated.Is there a picture gallery for soaps? Can you post pics here? Thanks TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B@BlissStreet Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Check out this thread...it has volumes of information!http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90126 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindanelson Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I add several things to my melt & pour base. honey, shea/aloe butter, shea butter, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil. I don't add all of these at one time though. Just add one or two things in small amounts and see how they work for you.There's a bath & body picture section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyjazz Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Thanks so much for the advice, very helpful and informative..........TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catmehndi Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Typically, you can add up to 1Tbsp of liquid per pound of M&P. So whether you combine a couple of carriers or just one, make sure you don't exceed the amount. If you want to use more, heat your base longer, it will lose some of its liquid in the steam and you can add a bit more. You WILL have to do some testing to make sure the soap retains its desired hardness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabitha Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 My personal experience is that it can be difficult to incorporate butter or oil additives. They tend to separate and float to the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarsBars Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I think you need to experiment with your base. Each base is different. I would start at 1 tablespoon per pound and play around. I add various butters, additives and oils and have no problem. Just make sure you don't add too much....but if you do you can just remelt and add more base. That's the benefit to working with M&P soap, mistakes are more easily corrected! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 My personal experience is that it can be difficult to incorporate butter or oil additives. They tend to separate and float to the top.You're not heating your base up enough to fully incorporate your additives. They should blend with little effort once your base is hot enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 One thing you should keep in mind is that not all bases are alike. Some M&P bases are all natural while others contain sulphates and detergents. The differences can determine how well a base will accept additives or not. So try out several bases until you find one you like then try out lots of different recipes and adjust additives to your base.As a rule of thumb I try not to add more than 2 tbs of additives per lb of base. Again this will depend on your base so you always have to make adjustments.I have left a recipe thread that BBlissStreet posted that has some recipes and info on M&P.My fav additives to use and I always use different combos is GM, oatmeal, honey, shea butter, coconut oil, cocoa butter, castor oil, and olive oil. I use these a lot. For scrubby soap like gardners theres a variety of materials, many in your kitchen, that you can add: cornmeal, coffee grounds, tea, oatmeal, lemon zest, etc.Have fun with your new addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faerywren Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 What base are you using? SFIC bases are great and are carried by a number of suppliers. Craft store bases are garbage, as a rule, but I know we've all tinkered with 'em at one time or another. I am super enthused making MP soap. They are a great addition to my line of candles and surprisingly are selling well. I use what is available locally: Goats Milk, Clear and Coconut MP bases. The person at the store told me I should not add any oils ( coconut oil, Shea butter, Avocado oil, etc. ) to my MP base. I have seen recipes on the net contrary to this. I read that adding Shea butter adds to hardness. I've gotten bad advice from sales people before like, " You can use crayons for color in your candles." Ruined 3 candles.Any advice would be appreciated.Is there a picture gallery for soaps? Can you post pics here? Thanks TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyjazz Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 The MP bases I use are acquired from a candle and soap store that's been on the island for 25 years. I don't know what brand they are but, I do like them a lot. Goats Milk, Clear, and Coconut is all they carry. I've seen some bases on the net I would love to try though. When I look at the shipping charges, the price almost doubles. I have recently tried a batch with a wooden cigar box that gives me 8 beautiful bars of artistic soap. I tried an Avocado Oil, Oatmeal, Fresh cut Thyme in a 3 colored layer batch. Used watermelon FO and they look great. I can see the benefits for skin using these soaps and will never buy commercial soap again. I have my own business that I visit clients everyday and I show them my soaps and they sell. So I'm really enthused about all this new form of creativity with soap. I read a few nights ago " Think of a MP base as a blank canvas". I can really relate to that. Although I'm fairly new to this I feel like it's something I've done before..................Thanks TJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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