... start making soap (stupid questions)

[Susie]

I've been meaning to make soap for, ooh, so long I'm embarrassed to tell you, and I'm just plucking up courage to order some stuff I need from Soap Kitchen and get going on it FINALLY, hopefully next weekend if it all arrives by then. Hooray! However I have some stupid questions and I know some people on here are experts - please give me the benefits of your expertise and stop me procrastinating any longer!

1/ Buying all the equipment is adding up - this is fine (!) as I am just going to see this as paving the way for a lifetime of happy soap-making. However! Can I save money by using pans and bowls I use for cooking for soapmaking as well? It would make quite a financial difference (I would wash them thoroughly - they are ones I don't use very often)

2/ Distilled water - can I use ordinary bottled water? Or boil the kettle and let it cool?

3/ I've got a book called Smart Soapmaking and I'm going to use the beginner recipe from that. In it, she says to get trace (note use of technical term) I can use an immersion blender. I have got a spare immersion blender: however when I blend soup it tends to end up everywhere, and soup doesn't have anything corrosive in it. Is this a recipe for disaster?

4/ She says to use about 17g scent. How much is that in essential oils?

5/ I don't know the difference between refined and unrefined Shea butter. Does that matter?

Thanks ever so much - sorry so many questions, I'd be really grateful for some advice. I'm sure this can't be as scary as it looks

[JillStephens7]

Hello, I'm by no means an expert but I can tell you what I do and am sure some more experienced people will be along soon

1. I just use pans and bowls I use for cooking - glass and stainsless steel and wash them relly well. I also manage using one thermometer and wiping it between taking the temperature in the different liquids.

2. I have used cooled boiled water and water from my water filter, no problems with either as far as I can see.

3. I haven't used a blender, just do it by hand but would think if your blender flings anything a similar consistency around the kitchen then caution might be wise?

4. and 5. Sorry, I don't know!

These seem like perfectly sensible questions to me and yes it is scary until you get used to it and then it isn't scary. Good luck, I love soap making and sounds like you will too x

[83rachel]

1/ Buying all the equipment is adding up - this is fine (!) as I am just going to see this as paving the way for a lifetime of happy soap-making. However! Can I save money by using pans and bowls I use for cooking for soapmaking as well? It would make quite a financial difference (I would wash them thoroughly - they are ones I don't use very often)

I use kitchen equiptment but make sure i sterilise it before and after

2/ Distilled water - can I use ordinary bottled water? Or boil the kettle and let it cool?

tap water works, rainwater is even better.. if you want to waqste money buy bottled. but water is water and they all work.

3/ I've got a book called Smart Soapmaking and I'm going to use the beginner recipe from that. In it, she says to get trace (note use of technical term) I can use an immersion blender. I have got a spare immersion blender: however when I blend soup it tends to end up everywhere, and soup doesn't have anything corrosive in it. Is this a recipe for disaster?

I dont use one so can't help really.

4/ She says to use about 17g scent. How much is that in essential oils?

never EVER use more than 5 drops essential oil and please please make sure you know what you are using and why, essential oils can be dangerous if your not sure what your using and how much to use.

5/ I don't know the difference between refined and unrefined Shea butter. Does that matter?

not that i know of no. again i dont use it so cant really say.

Thanks ever so much - sorry so many questions, I'd be really grateful for some advice. I'm sure this can't be as scary as it looks

really, soapmaking can be simple as pie. once you have the recipe play arround and see what you like, its not all about fancy ingredients or tools, its the love and energies you put into it. I can help with recipes if you need some, altho mine are generally centred arround eczema or spellwork so im not sure there what you need. but feel free to pm me if you want them anyway :)

[Mylovelyhorse]

Good luck with the soap making - it's great fun, and completely addictive. I haven't bought any soap for years!

1 - Yes, you can use the same pans and bowls. I use a big stainless steel pan for my soap making, and a pyrex jug.
2 - I just use ordinary water!
3 - I use a stick blender to get to trace. I bought a little cheapy one in Sainsbo for about £5, and I use it solely for making soap. It's only got a little motor, so doesn't tend to throw anything around. It's a *lot* quicker than doing it by hand.
4 - I usually use approx 1 10ml bottle of essential oil per 600g of olive oil (which produces a batch of around 10-12 bars)
5 - I have no idea what the difference is, 'cos I never use Shea butter in my soap. Sorry! Mine is a mix of olive oil and coconut oil, and that's all...

And it's NOT scary. Really it's not. But people will be very impressed that you make your own soap!

Enjoy

MLH x

[Masco&Bongo]

I used some of my own pans for a while, then bought a couple of cheap non-stick ones just for soaps, but everything else is just normal kitchenware....

I get a lot of my supplies from Fresholi, as far as I know, my shea butter is unrefined. It's just a lovely big lump of the stuff!

Be careful though! You get addicted very quickly! I now make bath salts, healing salves, moisturisers etc as well as soap and have a huge collection of oils etc!

[Susie]

Just wanted to say thanks ever so much for this, really helpful answers, I feel a bit better about starting now. My stuff's on its way so as soon as it arrives I will be whipping out my stick blender and having a go! I've got a new scary soap book from the library which says my soap will go rancid if I don't add grapefruit juice extract, I've decided to ignore it and go with the original book. The original book has a picture of the author on the back holding an enormous cat, I've decided if her soap recipe is simple enough that you can do it and wrestle a cat that size then that's the one for me! If I ever get anything that looks like soap I shall post pics.

Thanks again x x