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Wow...I'm usually on the Florida and Container Gardening forums and had no idea that a Soap/Candlemaking forum existed. I've read through every thread here and it has been so very interesting and helpful. Thank-you all so much.
I started making soap last year on a quest to find a great bar for my sad dry skin as well as something to give to family and friends. I was really reluctant to dive into the CP, scary-lye thing...but have now found it to be one of the most addictive, relaxing and gratifying hobby's I could have ever found. Yes, you always have to be safety conscious, but all those lovely oils turning into a solid mass just fascinates me. I've stuck with using 100% goats milk as a liquid and have been experimenting with different oil blends. In my lasted batch I added Emu oil and I think it's the best I've made.
This is my latest recipe - Makes a fairly hard bar when it's cured with a good lather.
12 oz Sweet Almond Oil
2 oz Apricot Kernal Oil
8 oz Avocado Oil
2 oz Cocoa Butter
8 oz Coconut Oil
4 oz Olive Oil
2 oz Palm Oil
3 oz Emu Oil
2 oz Shea Butter
12 oz Sunflower Seed Oil
7.4 oz of Lye (6% discount)
20 oz of Goats Milk
2.5 oz of Essential Oil fragrance
This has become my favorite. I'm finding that some of these are expensive oils and if anybody has some less costly substitutes (with the same results) I would appreciate hearing about them. Would also like to hear what your favorite moisturizing soap blend is.
Hi Kat, Cool that your making soap now, Sounds like an awesome recipe, I'm always trying to Perk up my soap recipe, I recently took out the palm kernal oil completely, adding to the olive oil and coconut oil to make up the difference. AS this was the only "Bad oil" left in my bar of soap. I call it bad, but it's not really, I just was on the hunt to make it better, and found I could still make a hard bar using replacement oils such as coconut and olive oil. As long as you don't go over 25% of your total recipe in the coconut oil, it will work just fine.
Are you sticking to essental oils? or going with fragrance oils also. There is a thread somewhere on this forum where I posted your favorite eo blends. You should try to look it up. There are some neat essential oil combinations listed in that thread.
As far as I'm concerned, you have one heck of a good recipe there. I use all goatsmilk also.
And, I too was scared in the beginning to make soap.
I just made another batch this weekend and also took out the palm oil and replaced it with grapeseed oil. You're right, it's just one that doesn't feel right to me.
I was using a lot more Olive oil in the beginning, but I personally don't like the slight slimy feeling and less lather, so I've cut it down a bit. I was also using pure Virgin Olive oil and from what I've been reading, they say that regular grade is better???
As far as the Goats milk goes - I've been using fresh when I can (a local friend who has goats) and have been freezing it and of course adding it up front with the lye. I recently ran out and tried powdered - I needed 24oz of liquid for the batch I was making - mixed 14oz of water with my lye and made a concentrate of 6 scoops of goats milk (2 per 8 oz) with the additional 10 oz water and added it at thin trace. The soap was such a beautiful white color when I poured it in the mold, but then after the gelling stage turned it's normal light tan. I've tried so many different things to keep it light, but nothing seems to work.
As far as Essential oils go - I have been using various citrus and lavender. I'm finding the Citrus really doesn't last that long though and I have been adding in some bergamot/lemongrass. I recently came across some Rose Fragrance oils though and they are real good and keep the scent. I also tried a citrus fragrance oil from Snowdrift farms and it seems to be holding the scent.
Thank you so much for your encouragement and tips. I appreciate it.
I just happened to stumble upon this forum, and enjoyed reading about your recipe. I've traded with Kathy before for her soaps -- and they are "out of this world". I use her soap exclusively in the shower and it's heavenly. I think it's the lavendar/mint.
Kat- do you sell or trade your soaps? I would love to try them.
Kathy, are you still making and trading for your soaps? I'm running low and will need to replenish soon.
Wow, I am not sure why I never saw your post Kat. Sorry I didn't reply sooner. I think it's fantastic that you've been making your own soap. They look beautiful also. I've used extra virgin olive oil, once or twic e , sometimes Sams has it cheaper than the regular olive oil, and I'll us e it instead. Your right about that slimy feeling with too much olive oil. That's what it does. No lather and more of a slimy feeling.
Hey Maureen, I still make the soaps, and I trade if someone wants to . I sell them too. I keep saying tomyself , one day I"m going to quit making them , it's such hard work LOL
I would be very interested in knowing how you use the goat's milk without it burning. I have attempted several times with both cow's milk and goat's milk - even following directions in a book I have "Milk Based Soaps" and still, it burns. I freeze the milk, put it in a container, which is in a sink with cold water and ice to surround it. Add the lye extremely slow (which drives me nuts! I'm not patient with that part, but I try.). Still, no luck.
I've seen a recipe - somewhere - that adds the milk at trace (figuring it as part of the liquid, but using water to dissolve the lye). Any idea what that might do?
Thanks
-Kim
Kim...I've tried it all - freezing the milk, dissolving it with the lye in an ice bath and still it turns orange. Mind you, when I mix everything else in, it becomes lighter, but I would still love to know how you get that nice white color.
I just made this large batch with powdered goats milk. The formulation called for 24oz of liquid. If you were to mix 24oz of goats milk, you would use about 6 scoops (2 per 8ozs). So, I kept 12 oz of the water to mix with the lye and measured the 6 scoops of powdered goats milk with water until it came out to 12oz. = 24ozs. Blended it up and put it in the freezer.
Measured out all my oils and added the lye/water - added the goats milk and emu oil at trace. What a gorgeous lovely color - very light and creamy looking.
However, after pouring it into the molds, it went into it's heat-up mode and things turned darker at this point! I have read that you can put them into the refridgerator at the point of pouring to stop this, but this doesn't make sense to me.
It turned out a little lighter, but not much. And, depending on the various fragrances you're using I find this can be a big factor in the coloring - Lavender is lighter, orange and rose goes darker???
I too would love to know! However, it's handmade soap and maybe that's one of the characteristics that people don't mind.
Mine turns a lemon yellow color, I bust the milk up after frozen and mix it all up in the lye, when it's melted, it's a creamy yellow color. Orange shouldn't be used in making soap. Or I wouldn't use it, means it's burnt, and i'veb een there too LOL
