Soap making?

SpookyPistolero

SpookyPistolero

Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Messages
6,105
Anyone know much about soap making? Random topic, I know. My wife is heavily into different soaps and a few 'custom' makes, and I'm considering getting her some soap making supplies so she can start rolling her own. I have a heavy chemistry background so it's not the reactions/etc that have me concerned.

I've found that there are basically two ways to make soap, 'cold' processing using traditional chemicals (ie lye) and 'melt and pour' which lets you just buy a base and whatever additives you want. I feel certain that the cold processing gives a better product, and certainly a degree of control over quality. But I don't really want my wife surrounding herself with lye, flames, etc, and I don't think she'd enjoy the process much.

So my question is, has anyone with knowledge of soap ever tried (or made) 'melt and pour' soaps? Does the quality suffer to such a degree that it's not worth the effort?
 
I've found some castille melt and pour bases that were pretty neutral scented - then she can add whatever she wants to it within reason. (i.e. too much essential oil and it will never set)
this is the more expensive option, but gives better quality control.
making her own from scratch is less expensive, but more time consuming -- is this going to be a sideline business, or an occasional hobby type thing?
 
This would almost certainly be a side hobby unless she just fell in love with it or something.

Thanks much for the tip, I'll look up that type of M&P.

I've found what looks to be a pretty useful website and have selected out a decent kit for M&P. Currently 'in cart': organic base, some dyes, mica powder, a few scents, then some tools.

So if the quality of the soap is good with M&P, I've got a win!
 
Watched it done at one of the Missouri "Folklife" festivals years ago. Involved. Messy.
I would not care to do it, but then I wouldn't care to stick things in the ground just to watch them grow, either. Lots of people seem to enjoy that.....
 
mwerner said:
Watched it done at one of the Missouri "Folklife" festivals years ago. Involved. Messy.
I would not care to do it, but then I wouldn't care to stick things in the ground just to watch them grow, either. Lots of people seem to enjoy that.....
Click to expand...

I'd wager they were engaging in 'cold' processing. Comparing it to M&P seems to be like comparing making a knife from a kit to forging your own blade.
 
I have helped my mom with her side business of soap making for years and she has settled on M&P types now for the ease of use. Watch out with some of the glycerin soaps sweating in the plastic wrap when the humidity is high. When fine bubbles form in the mixing jar give a spritz with isopropanol on the surface and all the bubble will rise to the top and disappear. Pretty crazy to watch actually. If she intends to sell them, all natural is a HUGE selling point for my moms soaps, but this is Kalifornia.

If you have any more questions feel free to ask and I can give mom a call and pick her brain about some of the finer points.


-Xander
 
One of the WS&S regulars makes soap, but I'll be damned if I can remember who.

eta: FortyTwoBlades, his girlfriend makes the soap.
 
Last edited:
Thanks guys!

Just shows how badass bladeforums is- I got more helpful responses here than on a g-d soap making forum!
 
Yup! My lady and I make glycerin soaps. With regards to cold process, it doesn't necessarily give you a better resultant product--just a different one. With cold process you actually CAN'T wrap it, and you also have to be extra careful about leaving it in the shower or else the stuff tends to fall apart. While it gives you a little more flexibility in terms of the consistency of the soap, you can do that with melt-and-pour by trying different suppliers of raw base material. Our current supplier has a bunch of different glycerin bases and they all feel very different, and behave differently during the creation process.

The reason for rubbing alcohol removing bubbles from the poured soap is that it breaks the surface tension that holds the bubbles together. Also resist the urge to put soap in the freezer/refrigerator to speed the cooling process--that's how you end up with soaps that sweat because moisture doesn't have time to escape. In high heat glycerin soaps can sweat if not wrapped in plastic, so that's something to consider.
 
Thanks a million, that's excellent info! Just what I've been hunting for actually. I will give m&p a try. Found a few bases that look good to me. I may pm you this evening to see if you're familiar with a certain online shop actually.

Thanks for the tips too, I'd read some supportive websites regarding putting soaps in the fridge after pouring, but I'll steer away from it now.
 
Greetings. I make soap with lye and oils. It's extremely different from doing melt and pour. I use cold process mostly, but have recently switched to oven hot process. I need to work on my technique, but I believe the oven hot process to be rather superior. It's also more complicated, so a beginner would be better off getting the mechanics of cold process right first. You're welcome to send me a PM if you want some more info. It's a lot of typing. I'm going to be out for the weekend though with the boy scouts, so I hope you're not in a rush.

If your cold process is falling apart in the shower, you're doing something horribly wrong. :eek:
 
Last edited:
Ferrousknight said:
If your cold process is falling apart in the shower, you're doing something horribly wrong. :eek:
Click to expand...

I don't make cold process--but I know a lot of folks who have had that problem, including my lady. I guess a lot of folks are doing it wrong then! :p
 
For reference I did some research on what it takes to actually make glycerin soap base yourself and I guess it's a huge pain in the butt even for experienced soap makers, including those who are pros at the hot process method. One person on a forum I was reading said that by the time they finally managed to perfect the process they realized all of the effort just wasn't worth it and they went back to buying the stuff. :p
 
my mother in law used to do it, awesome soaps but they just dont sell well...but least i got enough soap for the next 100 years. I love homemade soaps but as said its a time consuming process, I use my mother in laws sea salt soaps and it keeps me clean after a hard days work and keeps the various cuts I get from being infected.

But that said the money invested I could have just bought some online cheaper.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top