i’ve messed around with melt and pour a bit in the past, which was super fun, but i’m thinking i’m going to try actually making soap soap in the not so distant future.
mostly because i want an excuse to make my own lye.
so. yes. anyone make cold/hot process soap and do you have any tips or tricks, other than the usual safety warning on working with lye???
I watched a veerrryyyy long video of a guy making lye then soap from it, it was sort of successful? I will likely purchase lye so there’s guaranteed to be some actual usable soap at the end, at least the first time, lol. But I have been puttng it off because I don’t know where to get supplies in Canada at a reasonable cost. And also I am so busy. And also, lye is frikken scary.
ya. the whole getting lye in canada thing has been a bit of a pain if i recall from back when i was first thinking about giving it a go, back when the kids were small…so like, AGES ago.
Nice soap is like 8 bucks a bar, every time I have to buy some I ask myself why I am not already making my own. But every time I go to figure it out I’m stymied by the supplies part. Like, you can order all the tools pretty cheap from Aliexpress but the ingredients, you need to make a real commitment to bulk production to justify the cost. There used to be a lady here who did classes at the library, I regret not going when I had that chance. She probably knew all the secrets!
I read about making lye in one of those pioneer how-to books. As I recall, you put ashes in a hollow stump and pour water through…
Yeah, I’d just buy it.
I make hot process in a crock pot very easy to do! I do buy lye though, while you can make it its not as reliable but hey I’ve done the whole sheering to a finished product things before too and I nw know I don’t want to sheer, skirt fleece and don’t really find anything cathartic about the processing portion lol I prefer to buy a cleaned fleece at a min! So I think everyone has their start and stop points in a process and why not try it sometime right?
But a second hand crock pot, stick blender, old mason jar and some inexpensive spatulas/wooden spoons and you can make soap! I usually source large qty of oils at restaurant supplies or bulk food supplies when on sale. I use Bulk apothecary a lot for lye and other oils and butters. Discount places are great for large qtys of coconut oil. I used old bread tins to start and lined them with parchment paper, they were my molds for years!
part of me just wants to make lye, just because.then i’d need something to do with it…ha.
and thanks @Bugaboo - i’m pretty set up for equipment/tools…its just that pesky lye…i know before there were issues with getting it shipped in canada and not all hardware stores used to carry it last time i was thinking about it, but i can literally walk over to home hardware…
I love handmade soaps…I hope you get a chance to make some!
what. you will make will likely be sodium bicarbonate which can lead to very soft easy to go rancid soap to extreme hard. Again I say go for it! Its not me saying don’t do it. But, because of the instability of soda ash to produce same quality soap most went to sodium hydroxide which then gives the finished quality time and time again. You can also look at pool stores to get soda ash, which will be more like what you would produce.
Now if your soap doesn’t turn out great in the end, you can rebatch it as well!
yep. i’m just looking to try something new…def more about the process than the product at this point!!
If all else fails it makes excellent drain cleaner!
N Ontario soap maker giving great advice.
Canadian supplier, looks like they have all sorts of stuff.
Maybe this fall we’ll actually get going on this project. There’s another local place that seems to be offering workshops, I’ll look into it…
I’ve made soap! It’s been several years. One thing to always remember…always add lye to the water, never add water to the lye. Wear eye protection. You don’t want that lye splashing.
splashing lye is always a bad idea!!
Yeah I’m a total heretic and don’t wear anything and can attest that lye eye hurts! Also, I get lye crystals under my nails at times and it burns…yes I should wear gloves and goggles, don’t be me! LOL
Yeah, same. I made soap for a local seller in college. I just made sure I had a jug of white vinegar on hand to combat burns. 
ha. i burn myself all the time…now i’m being convinced NOT to wear protective gear…
Hi, some months ago, I discovered the main reason I always have dry skin and irritation on my hands and body that’s because I use commercial soaps that aren’t good for my skin. That’s when I started to inform myself more about the natural soaps, and I knew it was crucial to start making mine at home. After some research, the best website was https://mildsoaps.com/, and they even make their soaps. I ordered some, and I am impressed. Of course, it’s better to make your own, but they are the perfect solution if you are very busy.
what type of soap do you tend to use, now that you know that?