Soapmaking - My Latest Hobby

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1st Batch - Lemon Grass

These photos are put here with the Beginner Soapmaker in mind to encourage you to try your first batch.

I am proud of my trials so far, so come on and have a go Newbie's!


Well as you see I am learning to make my own natural soaps.

I use vegetable oils mostly. Like olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and a few others. Some have fragrance others may not. I will post a few photos here for you to see and maybe to entice the beginner to also have ago.

If I can help you with any answers you may like to ask please feel free to email me. And I will do my best to help you.

I am not after a perfect look with my soaps I am more interested in making something that is really good for our skin. Even within just a few weeks we are noticing a difference. My skin in particular is not as dry. And this is my main aim in this hobby.

I look forward to supplying my family with my soaps. My latest batch is still curing and it is made of 90% olive oil and 10% coconut oil and no fragrance.

I am finding a few basic things to make the soap in like milk cartons, plastic containers, cutlery draw inserts and the odd other thing. I don't plan on being too flash with molding yet as it can cost that little extra. I prefer to put that cost into fragrant oils and ingredients.

Check back occasionally to see what else I make.

Enjoy your tour of my site,

Kezza
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 Soapmaking Links:
   

If you would like to know more about soapmaking, just visit any one of these great Soapmaking Links.

Soapmaking Supplies are also available from them.

http://www.aquasapone.com.au/
http://www.annelees.com/oils/
http://www.aromaticsandmore.com/index.html
http://www.millersoap.com/
http://www.thesage.com/calcs/lyecalc2.php
http://www.dianesnaturally.com/index.html
http://www.snowdriftfarm.com/formulary.html

   
 My Soapmaking Pictures:
   

I have used a Kitten Litter Tray as a mold for this soap. I have just found they are smaller than the usual size trays. It holds a 1.5 KG batch nicely.

A CLEAN Kitten Litter Tray
   
Soap Containers

Some of the containers I use are milk cartons which are my favourite and also the Pringles container, but I think the Pringles container is not all paper product and the lining of the tin may react to the soap mixture. Not too fussed on using them again. But I do like the shape of it.

   

This is how I keep it warm the first 24 hours - covered in a box.

Warm and cozy...

   

Opening the mold

The carton comes off reasonably easy; you can if you like rub some Vaseline on the inside of the mold.
   

Different shapes, uncut and waiting to be cut, has lavender EO, Patchouli EO, and Tee Tree oil. This is not my recipe. Joined a list and have learnt all I know from this list and reading many soap sites, and it smells lovely. Can't wait to try it. I get all my recipes off the net by generous soapmaking people.

Un-cut Soap Shapes

   
Bee-hive Honey Soap

Bee-hive honey soap before it is cut into handy sized blocks.

   

Here I am cutting up one of my slabs. I still have to learn how to get them smooth on top so I'm off to ask on my favourite Soap List. Hopefully next time I take some photos you and I both will see a nice change.

   
Shampoo Bar

Here is a shampoo bar I made using Rosemary EO. This is beautiful to use also. Notice my odd shapes and sizes.

   

I did Cold Process for this soap. It's 95% olive oil plus 5% coconut oil. It is a lovely lime green colour. I will let this cure for the full 12 weeks.

Cold Process - Olive and Coconun Oil
   
What went wrong?

This was a batch of soap that finished off having a layer of white on the outside. I have not had this happen before.

I believe this to be because of the types of oils and their percentages of each I put into it. It has a slight slimy feel to it in the shower, but in all it is still a very lovely soap to use and the fragrance of the essential oils makes up for any faults.

This may be because of the Shea Butter I used which apparently does not totally mix in as well as other oils. If you are an experienced soaper please let me know your thoughts on this; I am learning all the time.

If you have any further comments on this please feel free to email me.

 

Here is my first try at re-batching.

I made this into a strawberry soap with real strawberries through it. I used Strawberry fragrant oil. The original soap did not all melt hence the specs of soap through it.

I hope to try this again soon, of course with a different type of soap next time.

Re-batching - Strawberry Soap
 
 You cannot make soap without using lye.
Absolute care is needed when using lye. 

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