classiccandle Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 The wife is bugging me to make some oatmeal soap. I spoke with a rep at Peak and they discontinued their oatmeal M&P due to several complaints about it and advised me that most people are adding their own oats to either a shea butter or coconut butter base. I had a few questions about that process and was hoping those in the know could help me out.1) Do you use Quaker Oats type of oats?2) Do you use them straight out of the box or grind them first?3) Do you add them to the base prior to melting or after?4) How do you keep the oats suspended in the base?Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 You can definitely add oatmeal to your M&P. I have several recipes that call for it.I buy the Quaker Oats whole rolled oats or use whole rolled oats you can buy in bulk at some health food stores. I just put some in my blender and flash grind. That gives me a combo of chunky and powdered oats. Or you can fine grind your oats by letting them grind longer. There are also some oatmeal flour in some specialty stores if you don't like to grind your own. You can also add as is without grinding at all but I prefer a mixed grind.I use 1 tbs ground oatmeal per lb of M&P. You can use any base you like. I prefer to use white base for all my recipes and add the ingredients myself.When considering the grind for your soap think about do you want a more course scrubby soap or a softer scrub? The finer the grind the softer the soap.I don't bother to suspend my oatmeal. I put it directly into my melted base and blend thoroughly. Then one side of the bar is scrubby and the other creamy. If you prefer to suspend your oatmeal then a finer grind will help. You will have to let the base cool down as the cooler the base the more it will suspend. You can also pour in layers, let each one form a film before adding the next layer, until you have the entire soap poured. But that takes time and patience to do which I have neither. Especially when I make several pounds at a time.I also add 1 tbs of goat milk and 1 tbs of honey. This gives me a nice oatmeal, milk, and honey soap. FO and butters, oils, are optional but I like to add lots of stuff to my M&P for a very moisturizing soap.Here's a M&P recipe thread I started. There are all kinds of recipes in it for some awesome soap including a couple of OMH recipes:http://www.craftserver.com/forums/showthread.php?90126-M-amp-P-Recipes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classiccandle Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Wow. Thank you very much Candybee! Very informative! Would you recommend Peak as a good M&P supplier or are there those who are better? Do you know if most suppliers get their soap base from SFIC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Well Peak is definitely a great supplier and I wouldn't hesitate to buy any supplies from them. However, I do not use the SFIC bases. I use the white base from Essentials by Catalina or the Stephensons bases at The Chemistry Store. I have to watch shipping costs and base costs so that pretty much determines where I get them from. Plus I buy is bulk quantities and both places have great savings for me.Haven't tried the SFIC bases so I'm sure others can tell you more about them than me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudMarineMom Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I use SFIC and really like it. I get a nice hard bar, even with all the additives I put it in. And, I add a little beeswax to make it creamy and it helps with the hardness. Stephenson is actually a very moisturizing base but it was too soft for me. Others have no issues. I was only able to buy some small sample sizes of Essentials base. It seemed nice but I didn't have much to work with. Since I'm not buying in bulk, EBC was out for me. So, I've been taking advantage of the SFIC co-ops. Or, I get it from Peaks when they have a break on their shipping. If you are on their mailing list, they just sent out an email with 25% off shipping thru the 14th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitn Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I use and love the SFIC, I use clear and gm.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelb5499 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I've been testing SFIC a lot and not that you wanted to buy Oatmeal base, BUT SFIC's oatmeal base is one of the top ones that I enjoy so far without adding anything other than FO and some color to it. The other base I really like so far without tweaking it at all is their shea butter base. The low sweat bases made MY knuckles have a slight burning feeling all day (others love it). The plain clear and white were good but still a little too drying for my taste so I added some shea butter (Moisturizing) and liquid soap (to keep the lather) to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classiccandle Posted June 9, 2011 Author Share Posted June 9, 2011 Thanks everyone for your comments. I'd really like to try the oatmeal base from SFIC. Does anyone know where I can get it? I don't want to order 7 cases of it and that's what appears to be the minimum order at SFIC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SherriLynn Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 Elements has oatmeal base.... so does KY.... www.soapgoods.com has SFIC, Crafters Choice and Stephenson...~S~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alajane Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I like the finely ground oatmeal in my oatmeal soap and baby food oatmeal is just the right texture if you want to avoid the grinding step. The first time I tried it, I didn't have either a coffee grinder or blender, and this worked so well I haven't tried it any other way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudMarineMom Posted June 10, 2011 Share Posted June 10, 2011 I like the finely ground oatmeal in my oatmeal soap and baby food oatmeal is just the right texture if you want to avoid the grinding step. The first time I tried it, I didn't have either a coffee grinder or blender, and this worked so well I haven't tried it any other way.Well that is a thought. Is there any other ingredients in baby oatmeal or is it just plain oatmeal? Been a while since I've look at baby food! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachelb5499 Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 Wisteria Lane carries SFIC bases...and has the oatmeal base. That's where I bought it to try it out. (& just for reference...last time I inquired with SFIC directly. They required you to buy 5 cases/250 lbs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abbiepql Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 The SFIC minimum vary depending on what you buy - buckets, cut-ups or 1 lb. wrapped blocks. I do case co-ops on SFIC at least 4 times a year and right now along with the 15% price increase by SFIC coupled with the high cost of fuel - you really have to shop around to get the best deal. As far at adding oatmeal to soap - I use instant oatmeal, because the chafe (sp?) or stems are removed for the oats. If rolled oats are not finely ground - it's really scratchy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 I've never heard that about the chaff being removed from the oats only in the instant blends. For those wondering what chaff is its the husk part of the grain. I thought it was taken off thru the threshing and processing of the oats for use in food products?!Anyway I have tried the instant before in my M&P and personally didn't like it. I've been using and grinding my own regular whole rolled oats and don't find it scratchy at all. Its also my best selling soap so I don't think I want to mess with the recipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alajane Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Well that is a thought. Is there any other ingredients in baby oatmeal or is it just plain oatmeal? Been a while since I've look at baby food!I'm sorry--I don't think I've ever checked but I wouldn't think there would be anything else. Just know it makes a nice soap. I love SFIC's oatmeal base, but my DIL likes it even more scrubby so I add extra baby food oatmeal to the oatmeal base for her soap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ravens Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I believe Brambleberry also offer the SFIC oatmeal base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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