chooklady Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I've not posted in this esction before, but I'm always up to something crafty!!! Has anyone made soap before? I'd be interested to know how you got on and and if you have any interesting recipes? Many thanks Nicola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted August 26, 2009 Share Posted August 26, 2009 I've not made any yet though I have been looking into melt and pour kits. My SIL makes lots of stuff, soaps, creams, bath bombs etc. I will be watching this thread to see if anyone has some great tips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craftyhunnypie Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 Hiya - hubby is a dab hand at melt & pour. The soap kitchen has lots of stuff to choose from. Emma.x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Webmuppet Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 LMW and I used a melt and pour kit last Christmas - dead easy to use and the results were pretty impressive ( one of my friends refused to believe that the soap had been made in my kitchen!). I think it came from bathbomb.biz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ygerna Posted August 27, 2009 Share Posted August 27, 2009 *whoosh* dashes off to look at Bath Bomb Biz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I've used stuff from www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGirlsMum Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 I make soap from first principles there are quite a few oils that you need get to start with but they do last a while. You can get recipes from the soap kitchen, I use them and another supplier who I can't remember atm but will look them up. you need to be very prepared before you start, give yourself plenty of time with no distractions, ie. no dogs or children under your feet. The sodium hydroxide isn't nice but just treat it with respect and you'll be fine. I use pringle tubes for moulds. Final tip....use a stick blender to mix otherwise you'll be there for ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egzandra Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 I have made soap like this using sodium hydroxide and various oils, and like TheGirlsMum says it is important to be well prepared and also read up well first. Use safety goggles and rubber gloves when using the sodium hydroxide and when mixing the raw soap, and don't leave it unattended. Really, it's easy and not dangerous if you take care. The other important thing is a good set of scales, so that you can measure things accurately, so that the soap turns out nice and mild. You can go onto a website called soapcalc which will calculate the amount of sodium hydroxide you need for the oils you want to use. I have got a book by Melinda Coss called The Hand Made Soap book, which has been invaluable for basic skills and recipes. Try these websites: http://www.millersoap.com/ and also the soapmaking forum, which is mainly based in the USA but there are loads of friendly people on there who will answer all sorts of queries. The thing I have found is that you DON'T have to spend a lot of money on different oils, and you can make lovely soap out of things you would find in the supermarket or Asian shop, ie coconut oil, olive oil, beef fat, lard, vegetable shortening. I adore my home made soaps because they are so creamy and have such a lovely lather. Trouble is, I have to stop making them for a while as I have already made so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
