Anyone else make soap?

[BillStein]

I've been making my own soap for years. Originally, I just wanted to to have soap that would not irritate my sensitive skin. I sold some for a while, but decided I'd rather make it and share it with friends.

Anyone make their owen fragrances? What fat do you prefer, and why? Anyone make their own beef tallow for soap?

Let's share!

[StarsInHerHair]

1. no, but I bought a cool octopus molded soap off Etsy for my Dad, blue background very pale

pinkish octopus, the mold had lots of detail. I've made rose-water before, just by boiling a pot with a cover with the most scented roses from my garden.

[xmas74]

2. I've always wanted to

but have yet to do it.

I have no idea where to even begin!

[BillStein]

3. best place to start is..

Miller's Home Made Soap Page: http://millersoap.com/ They have almost everything you need, including recipes and instructions

I usually make all vegetable soaps, with palm, olive and coconut oils. Sometimes I vary the proportions, sometimes I add castor oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel oil and others. They have a chart that helps determine how much lye to use.

Another good source is Majestic Mountain Sage. http://www.thesage.com/ They're a good source for oils, fragrances etc. but I usually go there to use the lye calculator. Check it out!

I want to try making some beef tallow. I wanted to go animal free, for my vegetarian friends, but lately I've been hearing that Palm oil comes from de-forested areas in the tropics. I want to see if I can make soap from waste products instead!

[xmas74]

4. Thank you for the links!

I'll have to read them over soon.

[Tansy_Gold]

5. Not sure if these would be helpful,

but I stumbled across them while scrolling through free classics for the Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Soap-Manufacture-ebook/dp/B002RKS8KK/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

http://www.amazon.com/Soap-Making-Practical-Materials-Manipulation-ebook/dp/B004UJKZSY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325021136&sr=1-1

[BillStein]

6. Thank you Tansy Gold

I downloaded both of those to my Kindle- I'll look at them more closely over the weekend.

[BillStein]

15. Thanks again, Tansy Gold

I had plenty of time to read since January.... I read both of thise books, and they were fascinating! I don't know how much they'll affect my methodology, but they had some great insights into professional methods and soap history. Love them both

[sinkingfeeling]

7. I've made my own beef tallow and added olive oil and coconut oil for batches

of soap. I'm single and I've only had to make soap twice in the last 15 years! I'm now down to my last 6 bars and will soon have to start the process again. The batches I've made produce somewhere around 45 to 50 bars.

[BillStein]

8. I want to try using tallow

did you render it yourself? where did you get the fat? anything I need to know?

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Yes, I got the fat from our local meat store and rendered it myself.

It's not a pleasant job. You can find all kinds of blood vessels and stuff in the slabs of fat. It pretty much stinks up the kitchen during the rendering and then you have to find a disposal site for the remains after you've cooled and skimmed off the tallow. You'll need big pots and cheesecloth to strain the impurities the best you can.

I live in a woods so dumping the remainder in them for wildlife worked for me. My soap recipe calls for 10 pounds of tallow. I think I started with something like 25 pounds of fat. I'd have to be at home and check my notes to know for sure.

[BillStein]

10. yuck

I live in a condo, and may have some problems with this.... I really wanted to try using tallow, since making soap from a waste product appeals to me.

[sinkingfeeling]

11. I think you might find some for sale online.

I found this one by searching on 'beef tallow for sale'.

http://www.bonanza.com/listings/2-LBS-100-PURE-BEEF-TALLOW-No-Additives-/30405037

[Happy2323]

12. great

great ideas! Thanks for sharing

[ge26252se]

13. sometimes

[BillStein]

14. Hello all

Back to life after three months recovering from an accident! One day of icy weather in Philadelphia, and I manage to slip on it.

Meanwhile, thanks for the hints about tallow. I have enough palm oil for one more batch, so I think I'll make a batch of all-vegetable soap this weekend. Feels good to be back in (sort of) action!

[eShirl]

16. Glad you're feeling better after your accident!

That must have been a real doozy of a landing. ouch!!!

Were you able to make that batch of all-vegetable soap last weekend? How did it turn out?

[BillStein]

17. I was too lazy

Actually, just sore from working a full week... so maybe next week. I found a few places to order tallow, so I may wait and try that next. I'll let you know!

And thanks for the good wishes!

[BillStein]

18. I ended up using the tallow last weekend

I made a batch using:

32 oz. Tallow
24 oz olive oil
20 oz coconut oil
8 oz castor oil

12 oz lye
28 oz water

It came out well, I think- at least the pot scrapings lathered well! it's curing on top of my bookcase, so I'll see what it feels like in a week or so

[sinkingfeeling]

19. How'd the soap come out? Your recipe is close to the one I use. Mine

doesn't have the castor oil, but more coconut. It's a beautiful soap with great lather and really tiny bubbles.

[BillStein]

20. I'm very pleased

the soap is hard, cleans well and lasted a long time. I want to make a batch this weekend with cocoa butter in place of the castor oil.

[BillStein]

21. I was wrong

I though I had a palm oil left, but it was actually coconut. So I made the tallow soap instead

[2478shilpi]

22. learn

want to learn soap making