Anyone want to talk soap?

[madison]

Anyone want to talk soaps? It's my newest hobby and I'm having a blast. I'm also starting to sell them to friends and the friends of friends...I'm also open to suggestions about starting a side business.

Any soapers out there? I know there are!

[madison]

oh

Oh, hey I didn't see the Craft Forum, I'm posting over there on this topic.

[LaLa]

still curious to know ho w you package?

[Babydaze]

I'm very new to it but I love soaping!!!
I've started with making x-mas gifts but I would love to get into it as a side business. Don't know where to start though!
I've found two sites that sell M&P base that has no Propolyne Glycol or Sodium Laural Sulfate (sp?) Aquarius Aromatherapy Soap and Craftcave. I haven't recieved the Craftcave order yet so I can't really compare them.
So are you guys melting in the microwave or double boiler? I have tried both methods and the base seems to cool off so quick after I remove it from the heat that I have trouble mixing anything in. I'm thinking of trying a metal pan in the double boiler. Happy crafting!!
Delania

[madison]

soaps

I'm using the microwave to melt the melt & pour. Some day I hope to learn to make it from scratch, but I'm a huge klutz and am scared to do it!

Nursing Mother, I bought soap molds but have found that I really like using skinny bread pans the best. It makes a thick 1 1/2 inch x 1 1/2 x 4" bar - quite a handful, I get six bars and two thin end pieces out of each loaf. Plus they are easier to wrap than molded soaps in a variety of shapes! And I hand paint the labels - while I watch television. I spread them all over my living room floor to dry - can you tell I don't have kids yet, lol?

LaLa, I package them like this: after they are sufficiently dried, I wrap them in plastic wrap ala Saran wrap, taping the end like a gift. Then, I wrap the soap bar in a strip of pretty fabric (I've ironed the strip and made sharply creased folded under edges). I tape the inner end to the plastic/bar and use glue stick to connect the other end on top. Then, my hand painted label goes on the top of the soap/wrap and my ingredients/warnings label goes on the bottom, covering up the seam where the wrap is joined.

I use all different fabrics, to match the fragrance of the soap. For a woman who can't sew, I sure own alot of fabric! I think they look nice. Some are very creative and pretty, but some are lame - like my Unscented Goat's Milk - who can paint a goat? Who would want to? I have just drawn/painted a pitcher of milk and a glass on that label for lack of any other idea! Most are good labels, though. Especially Cutting Garden and Jasmine and Gardenia.

[OceanMomma]

I love making soap but only make it from scratch so I haven't made any for a while. The baby kinda puts paid to that. I have to work, like proper work while she's asleep during the day & she wakes too much at night to risk getting caught half way thru the process. I make mine using draino & rainwater ( coz we get clean rainwater here ) & various different fats like mango butter & coconut oil & olive oil. I then bung in some essential oils when it's almost done so they don't get frizzled too much. I use soap moulds & even have some soap pigments somewhere in my cupboard.

I found heaps of recipes on the net & I also think you can join soapers emailing lists. One good source of recipes is :

http://www.luxurylane.com/thelibrary/index.htm

[JessicaS]

draino????

huh???

I am totally new to soaping and I have no clue...how do you use draino???

[OceanMomma]

draino

Draino is this stuff you use to clean your drains, that you get from supermarkets around here. it is also otherwise known as lye.....

[LaLa]

I must add, my natural soapmaking books say to avoid draino, and not to use it in soapmaking...

[OceanMomma]

It's pretty evil stuff, so you have to be majorly careful with how you use it. The draino we get is pure Sodium Hydroxide or caustic soda so if you want to use lye, that's what it is. I know you can do the melt & pour thing, but I am curious as to how you get soap to saponify with out lye ?

[JessicaS]

*L...I know what draino is

I didn't know you can use it for soap though...

I did read some more info on it and it seems that draino contains metal and you shouldn't use it for soap....the site I saw recommended a brand called "red devil"

[LaLa]

My natural soap making books all say to avoid draino, and NOT to use it in soap making.

[OceanMomma]

But WHY? ( I feel like a 2 year old here ) Sorry I'm just no good at getting don't dos with no reason. As I said, the draino we get is pure caustic soda. So personally I can't see the diff between that which is affordable & easily available & me going to a proper chemical supply company & getting some caustic soda. Unless the actual fact it's caustic soda is the problem.

Hmm actually just checked my draino container & it's actually called "wipeout drain cleaner" not draino & it says it's 100% sodium hydroxide. I have some fuzzy memory of there being 2 types of drain cleaner in my supermarket & one was not 100% sodium hydroxide so maybe that's it ?

[JessicaS]

we just meant draino

as in that specific brand.....draino has metal in it...other brands of drain cleaner is ok